Kristi McCormick loves two things: swimming and mysteries. Swimming is easy. She can just go down to the beach and jump in the water. To become a PI like Kinsey Millhone in her favorite Sue Grafton mysteries, however, is a whole other story. When a rich reclusive heiress turns up dead in her Montecito mansion, Kristi must clear her first client, a poor ESL teacher, of murder. Unfortunately, her client seems to be hiding something. Worse, there are few other suspects, and her growing feelings for the attorney who hired her pits her against the DA she's dating. To solve the mystery, Kristi must uncover how love and money factor into the case, and into her own life. The Cota Club books tell the stories of five best friends, who grew up together on Cota Street in Santa Barbara. tells Kristi McCormick's story. It is the first of the Cota Club books, and a prequel to Carla Deville's story in .