This initial effort from this author focuses on a couple of aspects of a legal thriller including a young female prosecutor, Anna Curtis, in D.C., domestic violence, and the emotional ups and downs of her personal love life, not necessarily in that order. It might be noted that the author is a Federal prosecutor in D.C., specializing in felony sex crimes.
The heart of the storyline is a case involving a young woman who is constantly abused by her boyfriend. And as is not uncommon, she constantly relents, taking back the abuser until it is too late. In this case, she does have him arrested, and recants her story during the trial so he walks away. And then she is murdered. Her boyfriend is again arrested and brought to trial for the deed.
From that point, the story really gets interesting, with enough twists and turns to keep the reader wondering what comes next. And what comes next certainly isn’t anticipated. About the only criticism this reader has revolves around the fact that the courtroom scenes are relatively superficial, and the legal aspects similarly glossed over (perhaps not a bad thing for the average reader). The prose flows, and the emotional highs and lows of Anna’s romantic involvements and how they affect her work and the plot contribute substantially to the story.
