Ernestine is the kind of kid who gets things done. Smart, clever, and armed with a take-charge personality, she's easily the most responsible member of her family. Her most important task? Helping her absent-minded parents with their job of looking after the kooky residents of the MacGillicuddie House For Elderly and Retired Artists, Both Performing and Otherwise.

But there's bigger trouble than leaky pipes brewing inside the walls of the rambling old mansion...and it's Ernestine who uncovers the clues that point in one direction--murder! From the mysterious figure climbing in through the basement window to the suspicious evidence found by the koi pond, there's a dangerous mystery lurking and only one person who can solve it--Ernestine, catastrophe queen!