"Compelling detective mystery."

Jordan La Fontaine has been fighting for the position of Chief of the Homicide Division, working long hours and struggling to overcome the grief of her husband's death. All those issues become moot when her teenage son, Trevor, is arrested for a double homicide.

Now, Jordan's chief competitor for the homicide division slot is prosecuting her son and she's fighting for his life. The best way to clear her son's name -- and save her own reputation as an attorney -- is to find the real killer. She's doing that while prosecuting a huge case of her own and starting her first love affair since her husband's death.

I found some really flawed aspects to this book, while at the same time it compelled me to read to the end. Jordan's love for her son and the relationship she has with her son and daughter are very real and well-written. Their feelings and the struggles they've had since losing her husband make for powerful reading. But her relationship with her new lover, Simon McNeil, seems forced and awkward. And, although I didn't figure out exactly how everything was connected, I did figure out whodunit. Overall, I'd say this was an average read with some very intriguing characters.

Reviewed by Morgan Chilson
Posted September 20, 2004