k Sinatra finds Darell Willows's body in the swimming pool of the Last Gasp Motel in Omnipodge, California, Frank must deal with the responding police officer making wisecracks about his name while trying to figure out what happened.

Detective Duke Lambert arrives and quizzes Frank. Frank agrees to help the detective, whom he has worked with before. Suspects include the residents of the Last Gasp and the son and daughter-in-law of the unpopular victim.

The aging residents are a quirky lot including chain-smoking manager Hedda Robinson; kleptomaniac Carolyn Bryant; "Accident" Al Utley, who causes traffic accidents and then collects money from the other drivers; dog-poop vigilante Pat Pope known as "Mr. Poop"; good Samaritan Mira Neighbors; potassium-obsessed, banana-chomping Banny Zamora; flower petal-scattering Gladys Terry; womanizer Caruthers Quinter; authority-avoiding Varenka; and conspiracy-theory nut Ethel Ogden.

Each of the suspects argued recently with the deceased-and all of them have reasons to want him dead. The eccentric tenants must work together to solve the case before the city demolishes the place they call home and replaces it with a shopping mall-the race is on to find the killer and save the Last Gasp Motel!