Darla Schmigalla is a curious young psychology student who takes a summer job at the Regency Sapient, known as 'New England's most haunted hotel'. Darla doesn't believe in ghosts, but the real people she falls in with are spooky enough. There's Sandrine Quist, the opera singer who likes to get messy. Vittorio Cardi, the inventor who keeps an unauthorized iguana in his room. John Mice, the 140-year-old man whose nonsense utterances range from opaque to oracular. The Cuby brothers, who relentlessly argue about history over breakfast. Resident fortuneteller Simone de Vilibasbous de la Grotte N�glig�e, who takes a strangely nurturing interest in Darla. Tatiana Vasilyevska, the shy chambermaid who came illegally from Russia to escape her murderous boyfriend. Watson Bream, the handyman, who also composes orchestral music in his mom's basement. Glenis Kabou, the manager, who has a secret kink for lawmen in uniform. Officer Joe Muccio, the small town cop who everybody thinks is a dullard. Molya, the spunky Bulgarian florist and ex-ballerina. Ratko the cameraman, Jovan the sound man, and Millicent the producer from a TV company in Beograd. Madame de Gourka, the flamboyant paranormal investigator from Jersey City. Spike Stone, indisputably the sexiest bartender on Earth. And the town's big, scheming, overbearing mayor, Mike Mosey.Lurking at the edges of their minds is poor Libby Macdonald, the much-loved housekeeper, who went missing at the last full moon and is feared murdered. The hopelessly inquisitive Darla learns something about every one - until one day she finds she knows too much.