Ray and Jolene have just reconciled after a near divorce over whether or not to have children, something Jolene is afraid to do as her mother and sister have both battled mental illness, for the most part, unsuccessfully. Ray is a very patient man but decides enough is enough for both his sake and Jolene's and pushes her to get out of the house and back into the swing of things.

Before she can catch her breath, Jolene finds herself the foster mother of 12-year-old Danny whose father Ray has just been arrested for car theft. Danny is a bright young boy, but very scared and decides to take a joy ride in a car he claims is his father's until he realizes there is the arm of a young woman in the trunk. Now Ray suspects Danny's father for a murder and Danny is more upset than ever.

Jolene puts much of her energies into providing a warm and stable home for the child while at the same time trying to figure out where her sister has disappeared and what secrets does her new friend Leslie have? And why hasn't Jolene ever seen Leslie and her alleged twin brother at the same time? As it becomes clear there is a murderer loose, Jolene begins to ask questions as the murder and her sister's disappearance all seem to have a strip club called The Cat's Meow in common.

Lisa Bork doesn't leave anything out of this fast-paced, thoroughly enjoyable mystery, yet it is handled with such ease that it never seems out of control or full of too many storylines and they all neatly fit in together at the end. Even Jolene's mechanic Cory and his new love interest provide a way to teach Danny tolerance (they are gay) and to teach him some new skills and responsibilities after he crashes Erica's Porsche and must work with Cory to repay his debt. Jolene still mourns the loss of baby Noelle, but is comforted by the fact she is with her birth mother who is doing well and is now able to care for the infant.

Anyone who has missed the earlier books in this series will not be at a loss, but will definitely want to go back and start at the beginning to not miss Jolene's earlier story.

--JenniferMonahan Winberry