Things finally seem to be calm and peaceful in Savannah's life, but before she can celebrate by biting into a mouthful of juicy fried chicken, her spoiled baby sister, Atlanta, comes knocking. Atlanta's determined to become a star, and her first step is the Miss Gold Coast Beauty Pageant that's being held right in San Carmelita. Savannah is feeling pretty ornery about the impromptu visit, but she's more alarmed about Atlanta's growing obsession with her appearance. Savannah blames it all on the beauty pageant, where the competition has become so fierce that someone's been driven to murder.

Desperate to keep her flighty sister out of harm's way, Savannah digs into a real beauty of a case--and discovers the ugly underside of the wave-pose-and-cry scene. And when it comes to a bevy of backstabbing, sequin-wearing, crown-coveting glam girls, the question isn't who would want to commit murder, but who wouldn't?