It's "tween time" before the holidayseason on Coral Island, Florida, andMallie Monroe's life has taken a bizarreturn: she is engaged to her erstwhileboyfriend, Cole; her co-worker at theObserver is on her honeymoon; and hercrusty editor, Anita, has just eloped withthe newspaper's el cheapo boss.Love and marriage are in the autumnair.But Mallie is fighting off her insecuritiesabout settling down, and she's dealingwith being in charge for the first time inher life - of the Observer as the temporaryeditor. Sadly, front-page stories proveto be as scarce as a hermit crab on thebeach.Even worse, the only reporters to helpout are Madame Geri, the island's freelancepsychic; Bernice, Anita's crankysister; Pop Pop Welch, an aging handyman;and Joe Earl, whose claim to fameis his haunted violin.In a desperate attempt to get somenews, Mallie covers the town councilelection debate, which erupts into amelee. Afterward, one of the candidates - landscaper Bucky McGuire - turns up dead in a fish tank. Mallie hasher headline. The only catch is that herlandlady and best friend, Wanda Sue,becomes the prime suspect.To save her friend, Mallie has to swinginto investigative mode to solve the crimebefore she winds up as yesterday's news.