[A mommy-track mystery]

Their fledgling detective agency has spread its wings--and now partners Juliet Applebaum and Al Hockey, once in the hole, are finally flying high. A Hollywood lawyer uses them regularly to clean up after some of his less-than-discreet celeb clients. They see people come through the doors of their garage-turned-office, seeking defense investigation. They also see insurance investigation cases. But Juliet and Al are about to find out, they ain't seen nothin' yet. Heavenly has come to Juliet with a story too sad for any detective with a conscience to turn down. Her sister, an addict and streetwalker, has turned up dead--and the police couldn't care less. With any luck--and with plucky Juliet doing all she can--Heavenly will learn what she can about her sister's death and, if possible, bring the killer to justice. But it's hard going undercover when you're a tall, gorgeous transsexual.--From publisher description.

Stay-at-home mother Juliet Applebaum, a former public defender, once again returns to the world of crime when she finds herself investigating the mysterious murder of her personal trainer.

Sandra Lorgeree, an inmate of California's isolated Dartmore prison, has surrendered her baby to foster care only to discover that the baby and the foster parents have disappeared. When Sandra is brutally murdered, Juliet Applebaum, ex-public defender and "self-employed mother," is convinced that her death is not just the result of prison violence. While sleep-deprived Juliet schleps through L.A. and Northern California in search of the truth and Sandra's missing baby, her husband deals with his own legal problems, making for a less than blissful existence at their quirky home in the Hollywood hills.