Violet March, an eighty-two year old resident of Casa de los Sueños, finally has the opportunity to put years of mystery reading to practical use. One by one her comrades, the Bingos, are dying. Is this natural attrition, or is there a plot afoot?

At night, walking unsteadily behind her trusty purple walker, she explores the corridors, while behind doors left ajar the uneasy residents of assisted living do Kegal exercises, compose operas, climb mountains, re-live trips to Cozumel, and ask intriguing questions about the nature of aging and of death.

Like most detectives, Violet March does not work alone. Her immediate circle of assistants include the cosmetologist, Melanie Rae Cherrier, the mortician, Lucas Barnwell, and the accountant, Diana Reyes. But others are inevitably drawn into the solution of the crime and the celebration of the mystery.