This
is the first in what I hope will be a new series based on the
experiences of Wiehl. The novel takes place in Seattle, where Wiehl
lived and worked. The plot is loosely based on the real life murder
of a federal prosecutor that remains unsolved today. The main
character is Mia Quinn, a full-time legal professional and single
mom, just like Lisa.
The
novel begins as Mia is talking on the phone to her friend and
colleague when she hears a shot. Her friend has been murdered. The DA
asks her to head up the investigation.
Mia
is hesitant. She lost her husband in a one car accident a few
months ago. She has a teenage son who seems to be heading for trouble
and a four year old daughter who has issues as well. Mia is torn,
wanting to spend more time with her children but knowing she cannot
risk her job. She has a pile of debt and needs the income.
Mia
agrees to take on the investigation with the condition that she is
allowed to continue her work on another case – the suicide of a
teen suspected of being the victim of cyber-bullying. She will be
working beside Seattle homicide detective Charlie Carlson. The two
get off to a rocky start in the investigation and will have to learn
to trust each other.
I
really liked this mystery. The characters are developed well and the
plot has enough twists and turns that it kept my interest to the very
end. I found out about the legal aspects of cyber-bullying and
learned about night terrors.
Two
aspects of the novel were less than perfect, however. The ending was
unsatisfactory in that the perfectly timed rescue was unrealistic. It
was like reading one of those old westerns where the good guy is
surrounded and the cavalry comes over the hill just in the nick of
time.
The
other disappointment was that this novel could have taken place in
almost any city. Living in the Pacific Northwest, I love to read
novels set in the area. I wish Wiehl and Henry had added more
characteristics of the unique aspects of Seattle in their scene
descriptions.
Nonetheless,
a good mystery and I hope there are several more.
Lisa
Wiehl is a prominent trial lawyer. She is currently legal analyst and
reporter on the Fox news Channel and Bill O'Reilly's sparring partner
in the weekly “Is it Legal?” segment on The O'Reilly Factor.
She is also a Professor of Law at New York Law School. Her column
“Lis on Law” appears weekly on FoxNews.com. Earlier in her
career, Wiehl served as a Federal Prosecutor in the United States
Attorney's Office. Her career in Seattle included being an associate
professor of law at the University of Washington School of Law and
legal analyst for KIRO-TV. She earned her Juris Doctor from Harvard
Law School and her Master of Arts in Literature from the University
of Queensland. She lives in New York. You can find out more about her
and her books at www.liswiehlbooks.com/.
April
Henry is the New York Times best-selling author of mysteries and
thrillers. Her books have been short-listed for the Agatha Award, the
Anthony Award, and the Oregon Book Award. She lives in Portland,
Oregon, with her husband and daughter. You can find out more about
her at www.aprilhenrymysteries.com.
Thomas
Nelson Publishers, 320 pages.
I
received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for
the purpose of this review.
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