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 of the woman's murder. Unfortunately, her client, a poor ESL teacher, seems to be hiding something, and there are few other suspects. Worse, her growing attraction to 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. Love and Money tells Kristi McCormick's story. It is the first of the Cota Club books, and a prequel to Carla Deville's story in The Offering.