A Mommy-Track Mystery Series by Ayelet Waldman

"Ayelet Waldman has given birth to a fresh new franchise with her Mommy-Track mysteries. Juliet Applebaum is smart, fearless, and completely candid about life as a full-time mom with a penchant for part-time detective work."--Sue GraftonA public defender turned stay-at-home mom, Juliet Applebaum is bored with playdates and trips to the park--so near the end of her second pregnancy, she gets off the mommy track to track down a murderer. . . more"Ayelet Waldman has given birth to a fresh new franchise with her Mommy-Track mysteries. Juliet Applebaum is smart, fearless, and completely candid about life as a full-time mom with a penchant for part-time detective work."--Sue GraftonA public defender turned stay-at-home mom, Juliet Applebaum is bored with playdates and trips to the park--so near the end of her second pregnancy, she gets off the mommy track to track down a murderer. . . . Juliet isn't too surprised when her feisty, tantrum-throwing two-year old daughter doesn't get into Hollywood's premier preschool--but she's shocked and suspicious when the school's principal is killed in a hit-and-run accident. Against the advice of her screenwriter husband, and with her rambunctious toddler in tow, Juliet heads to the local playground to dig up some dirt on a disgruntled studio executive whose daughter wasn't offered a place in the school. But she has some surprising new suspects to consider when her investigation takes her into a seedy on-line newsgroup--and the most dangerous parts of the human heart."[Juliet is] a lot like Elizabeth Peters's warm and humorous Amelia Peabody--a brassy, funny, quick-witted protagonist."--Houston Chronicle less

Welcome back to the exasperating world of Juliet Applebaum, a public defender turned sleep-deprived stay-at-home mom—and “a unique, highly likable sleuth” (Judith Kelman). When her infant son’s beautiful young Chasidic babysitter vanishes, Juliet can’t help wondering if the girl was fleeing something even scarier than her screaming, squalling charge. Like her upcoming arranged marriage, maybe? It’s certainly possible. Or perhaps something much more sinister has occurred... moreWelcome back to the exasperating world of Juliet Applebaum, a public defender turned sleep-deprived stay-at-home mom—and “a unique, highly likable sleuth” (Judith Kelman). When her infant son’s beautiful young Chasidic babysitter vanishes, Juliet can’t help wondering if the girl was fleeing something even scarier than her screaming, squalling charge. Like her upcoming arranged marriage, maybe? It’s certainly possible. Or perhaps something much more sinister has occurred. Why else would her family be so reluctant to call in the police? To find out the truth, Juliet, with her over-tired kids in tow, will have to travel from her havoc-filled home in Los Angeles to a Chasidic encalve in Brooklyn. In search of answers. In pursuit of justice. And in desperate need of a big, long nap. “Amusing but poignant…Waldman has given her heroine a compelling story befitting her intelligent, witty voice.”— Publishers Weekly “Waldman is a master of smart, snappy repartee.”— Kirkus Reviews less

Between juggling lunchboxes, piano lessons, and baby-sitters, public defender turned stay-at-home mom Juliet Applebaum promises to help her famous friend clear her brother's name of murder. But what will she do when she begins to suspect her friend may not be as innocent as she seems?