Rating: 4 1/2 stars (Spotlight Review)
Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Rachel Knight is married to her job. A member of the elite Special Trials Unit, Rachel is part of the small group of hand-picked prosecutors who handle special, high-profile cases, along with her close friend Toni and her in-office buddy Jake.
After a long day, Rachel is walking the few blocks back to her apartment with visions of martinis dancing in her head. Forced to traverse a more seedy area of downtown to get home, Rachel hears sirens and sees commotion surrounding one of the by-the-hour motels, and arrives just in time to see the body bag being wheeled out—with Jake peering out from the inside.
As shock renders Rachel immobile, Lt. Graden Hales assists her to his car and drives her home.
As if Jake’s death wasn’t tragic enough, he was found with a 17 year-old boy—a known prostitute—whose nude photo was in Jake’s pocket. The case is being handled as a murder/suicide, allegedly at the hands of Jake.
Though Rachel and Jake never discussed their personal lives, she refuses to believe that he was into child porn or capable of killing anyone; least of all himself. However, Rachel doesn’t have time to dwell on it as she is assigned one of Jake’s cases: the highly sensitive rape of Susan Densmore, a young girl from a prominent family with friends in high political places.
Calling on her close friend, and tough-as-nails LAPD detective Bailey Keller, Rachel plans to not only solve the rape case, but clear Jake’s name as well. However, their investigation reveals a shocking and unexpected twist that both Bailey and Rachel are willing to bet their careers on.
The quality of Marcia Clark’s writing and perfect voice was such an unexpected surprise. Clark’s perfectly-weighted prose doesn’t waste a word as it fluently renders the tight and captivating storyline with minimal effort that garners huge return.
Ms. Clark was not only successful in introducing strong, interesting characters, but she also takes the standard legal/cop procedural and gives it a much-needed face lift.
Marcia Clark utilized her years of legal experience to pen an intelligent and riveting legal crime drama that starts out like a freight train and doesn’t let up. Ms. Clark ups the anti by taking the story out of the court room and into the streets where all the real action is, allowing the reader to witness the unfolding drama first hand.
From a smart litigator to a talented writer, Marcia Clark is on her way to yet another successful career.
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Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Mulholland Books; First Edition edition (April 20, 2011)
ISBN-13: 978-0316129510