Alex runs a 10-room hotel in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. He grew up on the place and bought out his brother’s share of the property after their father’s death. The special feature is a full-size lighthouse that is a replica of the lighthouse on Cape Hatteras.

Right after failing to once more revive the inn’s dying boiler - something Alex is too cash-strapped to replace - he discovers longtime family friend, Reg, dead at the top of the lighthouse. To make matters worse, his maid, Marisa, immediately quits upon being told of the death. She does, however, promise to send her cousin over to take her place.

Elise, the cousin, arrives and she proves to be a godsend. Not only is she beautiful, she has a college degree in hotel management. Elise moves right in and takes over the housekeeping, and she joins Alex in his amateur investigation of Reg’s murder.

Alex is grateful for his few guests, since the inn is more a drain on than an asset to his bank account. He is concerned that the news of a murder occurring on the property will discourage future visitors. Despite the hardships, he loves the inn and has no intention of selling the property no matter how much money Finster, the aggressive town realtor, offers him.

Alex and Elise form a smooth-running partnership, which is much to the delight of town gossips, who see a romance budding. Alex protests that he and Elise are just friends and that he is faithful to his girlfriend, who is out of the town, but his efforts are futile -especially when he himself cannot deny the growing attraction between him and Elise.

Alex’s instincts tell him the murderer is likely one of his guests, so he takes an active interest in the investigation. The guests are Reg’s only son and heir, a wealthy older businessman who suddenly offers Alex a lot of money for the inn, a seemingly frail but crotchety old woman who criticizes Alex’s running of the hotel, and a robust, good-natured middle-age woman who is studying the gemstone geology of the area.

His fears are heightened when Emma, the hearty rock hound, is shoved off a cliff and hospitalized. He is still reeling from this latest crisis when an arsonist burns down a major portion of the inn. Just when Alex is convinced matters could not be worse, his girlfriend returns and confronts him about his new housemaid, Elise’s rich and handsome fiancé shows up unexpectedly, and Finster is found murdered.

It is critical that Alex find out who is behind these terrible events before the person strikes again.

Innkeeping With Murder is not artfully written: What you read is what you get; there are few if any red herrings, little subtlety and no real suspense. Alex is a nice, mild-mannered young man who is slow to anger and always a gentleman. The town is peopled with stock oddly quaint citizens who are not particularly engaging. And the suspects enter stage left and exit stage right with military precision, each one energetically giving a spiel before quickly moving on.

I want to prepare - no, spare the reader: The ending is completely preposterous. I don't think I am giving anything away when I write that it's highly unlikely that someone would murder so many people when there was so little chance he or she would get the thing killed for.

But if I have ruined it for you, trust me, you will thank me for the hours saved.

--Lillian Jackson