The dead don't keep pets. So when animal behavior expert Pru Marlowe gets a call about a kitten, she doesn't expect to find the cuddly creature playing beside the cooling body of prominent local lawyer David Canaday. Heart attack? His three adult daughters angrily blame drug interactions, feline allergies - and each other. And they begin to feud over their father, his considerable estate, and that cute ball of fluff. While the cause of death is pending, each sister has an ax to grind - and the arguments escalate when Canaday's will is read.

Pru's special sensitivity to animals, which caused her to flee the cacophony of Manhattan for the quiet Berkshires, adds further problems. The local vet is overwhelmed as the animal hospital's money runs out. There's a needy sheltie and some invasive squirrels, too. But the dead man's kitten, his former partner, and his troublesome family keep drawing "wild girl" animal psychic Pru back in.

Despite the wry observations of her trusty tabby, Wallis, now acting as guardian for the wrongfully accused kitten, and the grudging compliance of her cop boyfriend, this may be one time when Pru can't solve the mystery or save the kitten that she wants to believe is innocent. A single witness knows the truth about that bright spring morning, but how far can Pru investigate without risking her own hidden tale?