Sofie Metropolis is the newest PI on the mean streets of Astoria, Queens. She’s known for her trademark frappés and her itchy trigger finger.

Uncle Tolly was acting odd right before he disappeared. The proof? The brand-new Mercedes Tolly just bought—and the business’ books, which show that Uncle Tolly was laundering more than just clothes. Which is where the mob comes in, in the darkly handsome figure of Tony DiPiazza. Tony’s very taken with Sofie. Too bad she won’t back off the money laundering and kidnapping—or is it murder?—investigation. Too bad she’s too busy to notice the men in her life because she’s being attacked by a malevolent dry-cleaning bag, bailing Aglaia out of jail, and spying on her own father. Sofie’s quest for the truth gets her into hot water—and a pair of cement overshoes. Not her best look.

After shooting one of her own clients and accidentally getting involved with the mob, Sofie Metropolis is finally starting to get the hang of the PI business. She’s just landed her first high-profile case. A local Astoria girl has made good by marrying an up-and-coming South American pitcher who has just been signed by the New York Mets. Reni Venezuela’s good looks and charm—not to mention his fastball and his slider—are bringing hordes of fans to Shea Stadium. But despite his stellar record, Reni’s wife insists something’s wrong with her husband. Can Sofie find out what?

Meanwhile, romance and all its complications are heating up for Sofie. But while the Mets steamroll toward the pennant race, Sofie must tail Reni and hope that whatever she discovers—steroids or an affair?—won’t cost her beloved Mets the Series.

Sofie’s a young Greek-American woman living in Queens. If you’d asked her a few months ago what she’d be doing now, she’d have replied, “I’m going to be married to a wonderful guy and working at my father’s, or maybe my grandfather’s, Greek restaurant.” That was before Sofie caught the groom in a compromising position with her maid of honor just before the wedding. Before she punched the priest who tried to get her to marry the cad anyway. Before she chucked her engagement ring into the garbage disposal. Before she became a junior detective for her uncle’s detective agency.

Now Sofie’s searching for a runaway wife possibly wanted by the FBI and for a vicious neighborhood mutt. And she’s got the hots for Jake Porter, Australian mystery man that Sofie suspects is either a bounty hunter or a federal agent.

Sofie’s getting her feet under her as a PI and business is booming. So much so that she’s hired her (formerly) layabout cousin and a one-time petty criminal as “boys of all work.” Okay, so her reputation’s become, well, complicated–everyone in Astoria, Queens, knows that from time to time she shoots one of her own clients–but on the whole, she’s getting a lot more respect than when she was best known for leaving her groom at the altar.

In fact, Sofie’s just landed her first big criminal case–one so big that it’s on the news nearly every night. A young man from not quite the wrong side of the tracks has been accused of murdering his beautiful, wealthy girlfriend. His alibi’s a mess and his attitude’s worse. But his sister believes he’s innocent, and soon, so does Sofie. Now she just has to prove it–or find the real killer.  

If only she didn’t have a host of distractions: a body disappears from her aunt Sotiria’s funeral home (it’s only a week before Halloween, so this might be a prank, or it might have something to do with the dead man’s mysterious life). Sofie sees her Dino keeping company with her sister Efi (are they flirting? how dare he? how dare she?); and Jake Porter returns, somehow connected to the missing body and, as always, making Sofie go weak in the knees. And since Dino’s otherwise occupied. . . .

Meanwhile, young Johnny is facing a life sentence. And Sofie Metropolis, budding PI, is his only hope.