Homicide police detective, single mother of a teenage daughter, and lover to her partner Jim Kissick, Nan Vining wishes that life was a little more serene, more like it is at Georgia Berryhill's Malibu Canyon compound - or like it's supposed to be there, anyway. But three bizarre deaths have brought Vining and Kissick through the exclusive gates of this healing ground for the well-heeled. First there's the double homicide of a celebrity private eye and his nude, drugged-out lover. Then there's the inexplicable drowning of a Pasadena socialite. Georgia Berryhill - charismatic self-help guru to the stars - is one link to both investigations. A second link is Vining's own mother, who was a friend to one of the victims and was being wooed by another. Now A-listers, wannabes, lost souls, and keepers of long-hidden secrets all converge at the Berryhill compound. Some search for love and happiness, while others come for murder.