After a childhood of being tossed from foster homes for claiming she can detect liars by their scent, Fiona Malcolm McDonald does her best to conceal her secret these days. But when she sniffs a wrongdoer and drives him off with jalapeño cheesecake, she loses still another cooking job and is homeless again. She places her last hope on her mentor in Hillvale, a town as weird as she is. Mayor Monty Kennedy has a secret too. He owns most of Hillvale but hasn't the cash to repair the only empty cabin. Still, even in his desperation, he refuses to repeat his father's sins by throwing people out of their jobs and houses just so he can have his own space. Before either of them can find a solid roof for their heads, Fiona's mentor dies--and it isn't accidental. Determined to discover who wanted a good woman dead, Fiona camps out in Monty's cabin, setting her on a collision course with the mayor--and a killer. With the secret help of the town's spiritualists, Monty and Fiona must cooperate to solve a puzzle with only a dog, a ghost, and a seemingly useless key as clues to stop a murderous gang who stink of corruption. If they survive, perhaps a hot chef and a cool mayor learn to share a roof. (novella collection)