"She's worked through all of the days of the week, turning up clues and scrubbing up both messes and murderers in the village of Long Farnden. But crime is a persistent stain, and Lois Meade is finding that sleuthing takes up as much time as she can give it." "The tenants of Lois Meade's terrace house in Tresham are all up and leaving, frustrated by their neighbor's feisty pet cockerel, an early riser with a piercing voice - aptly named Satan. His owner, the elderly Clem Finch, refuses to part with his feathery companion. If that bird doesn't fly the coop soon, Lois just might consider putting coq au vin on the menu." "So it's a relief when her son Douglas gets a new job in Tresham and asks to rent the house. But something very peculiar is occurring on Gordon Street. A local grocery has been robbed. One neighbor comes and goes only by night. And then there's old Mrs. Blairgowrie across the street, who seems unusually observant ... for a blind woman." "Then Clem and his pet cockerel are found dead under mysterious circumstances, and Douglas - who has become involved with Clem's granddaughter, Susie - is one of the prime suspects. As landlord, mother, and witness, Lois must take action and flush out the killer who's fouling the Meade name."--BOOK JACKET.