Death Gets A Time-Out

A few years back, public defender Juliet Applebaum decided to switch gears and go from the fast lane to the carpool lane. Now she's a "smart and fearless" (Sue Grafton) stay-at-home mom and part-time sleuth. She loves her kids. But she also loves herself enough to know when it's time to take a break - and get out of the house...

Maybe some women have no problem juggling lunchboxes, piano lessons, and baby-sitters. But Juliet isn't one of them. Lately, she's been a little forgetful. In fact, she's likely to be found serving breakfast for dinner and walking around with toilet paper stuck to her shoe. Which explains why she very nearly overlooked the gala her best friend invited her to. A little makeup and a lot of hair gel and she's good to go...

Beverages beyond juice-boxes and food beyond strained peas is just what she needs. And then she spots her old friend, actress Lilly Green. They hug, laugh, reminisce - and Lilly reveals her secret. Her brother is in jail, accused of killing his father's wife. Soon, Juliet's off to investigate. She visits the brother. Asks a lot of questions. Finds out about his drug addiction and his ties to a shady New Age religion. Gets yelled at by the other attorneys on the case for "asking too many questions.

And then discovers that her famous friend may have played a role in the murder. It's enough to make her sick. Come to think of it, wasn't she sick just the other morning? Sickness. Morning. Oh no. Not again.