"Pickax's favorite columnist, James Qwilleran, is enjoying a brief vacation at the Nutcracker Inn, in the nearby town of Black Creek - though his two Siamese, who prefer the spaciousness of their home, beg to differ. At least the many squirrels that have free rein on the grounds of the inn provide some measure of comfort for Koko and Yum Yum, while Qwill unearths lots of material for his book-in-progress, Tall and Short Tales." "But the tranquillity of the place is interrupted by the discovery of a body floating down the creek - the body of a man who had been a guest at the inn. And a possible motive for his murder is suggested when several gold nuggets are found in his possession. Might he have been illegally prospecting for gold in the Black Forest Conservancy, or perhaps beneath the creek? Seems someone else wanted that gold more than he did."--BOOK JACKET.