Pearls of Asia

After beloved San Francisco anchorwoman Michelle Osher is found nearly decapitated in her palatial Nob Hill apartment, suspicion focuses immediately on her wealthy, arrogant husband, Paul. Inspector Mac Fleet and his partner are assigned the sensational case, and they quickly uncover an all-too-familiar pattern linking the widowed spouse to Sheyla Samonte, a part-time waitress enjoying a lavish lifestyle on Paul Osher’s dime. The pair of seasoned detectives assume she wanted a promotion from mistress to wife.

The investigation turns on its head when they discover Sheyla, a drop-dead gorgeous dancer born and raised in the Philippines, works at Pearls of Asia, a stylish restaurant featuring a cast of exotic transsexual performers who serve up flirtatious teasers along with delicious cocktails. Mac crawls down a rabbit hole and comes face to face with the restaurant’s uniquely captivating servers—Diamond, Reyna, Nadia, and Ashley—and unveils a fascinating lifestyle full of drama, humor, and high heels.

When Sheyla refuses to cooperate unless Inspector Fleet takes her to brunch, he agrees even though he knows it’s outside the lines of police protocol. Mac soon finds himself dealing with his own set of personal demons, unable to decide whether to arrest Sheyla or ask her on a date.