Inspired by the famous Girl Detective, the members of the Olentangy Heights Girls' Detective Society, affectionately known as the Nosy Parkers, spent their formative years studying criminology, codes, and capers. But opportunities to practice their unique skills were thin in their little corner of post-war suburbia, so they eventually grew up to pursue more sensible careers. Until... When her friend is killed in a hit-and-run, all the instincts honed by Gemma Gaines during her years in the Nosy Parkers tell her it was no accident. After she finds cryptic notes that only her friend could have slipped into her handbag, she's convinced murder has been done. With the doggedness of the great Girl Detective herself, Gemma follows the clues wherever they take her. Real-life mystery solving isn't as tidy as it is in novels, though, and before she knows it, her roommate has been kidnapped and Gemma is convinced it's all her fault. With the help of a handsome new neighbor - who may be more than he seems - she is soon on the trail of a counterfeiting ring that would like nothing more than to see Gemma put out of circulation for good.