Winifred Page-Lopez breathes a sigh of relief and shakes off any worry about a big splash for her forty-second birthday. Estes Park's annual duck race fundraiser is sure to have tourists flocking to town and spending a fortune on raffle tickets-keeping everyone way too busy for a surprise party. But so many squeaking yellow duckies is enough to send her irascible chubby corgi, Watson, well... ducking for cover.

Another sort of surprise bubbles to the surface, however, as the winning ducks swim down the river. These bright rubber toys aren't as wholesome as they appear, sending townspeople pecking at one another with rumor, gossip and outright physical altercations. And members of Fred's beloved family are right in the middle of this puzzle.

The fallout from recent dangers gives Fred much to contemplate, but pleas from all sides pull her into solving this mystery. Fred knows she'll have to ruffle some feathers to get answers, but following Watson's nose may reveal more buried secrets...

(This culinary cozy mystery includes a recipe for luscious lemon poppyseed cake.)