Crabgrass in Bill Norbert's front yard early one spring was the first indication that he no longer was in residence on Brimberry Lane. The exemplary neighbor was just gone, and no one seemed to know-or care enough to inquire-why he was gone or where he had gone. Now, five years later, the curiosity of his next-door neighbor's cat reveals that Norbert has returned to his home as a corpse. The discovery sets up an intrigue that both ignites and unites the suburban neighbors on Brimberry Lane as the murder draws them into a political plot connected to the local election days away in the nearby city center. The circa 2007 events unfolding on Brimberry Lane draw on all life forces of the neighborhood, led by three four-legged sleuths, housecats Mittens, Spunky and Prissy who live on the street with retiree Melady Golden.