Defensive Wounds
(Libby/OverDrive eBook, Kindle)

Someone appears to be taking "kill all the lawyers" literally in Black's contrived fourth suspense novel to feature Cleveland forensic investigator Theresa MacLean (after 2010's Trail of Blood). At a convention of criminal defense lawyers at the Ritz-Carlton, the trussed naked body of beautiful, bright, detested lawyer Marie Corrigan turns up in the supposedly unoccupied Presidential Suite. Theresa's daughter, Rachel, who's working at the hotel for the summer, notifies her mother about the death. Homicide detectives John Powell and Neil Kelly as well as Theresa's cousin Frank Patrick investigate the many suspects, including attendees and hotel workers. When two other lawyers are killed, connections appear between the first victim and the Ritz-Carlton's head of security, Marcus Dean; young restaurant staffer William Rosedale; and fellow lawyer Dennis Britton. As Theresa does the painstaking forensic analysis the job demands, she worries about Rachel's attraction to William and his involvement in a sealed juvenile case. A dependence on coincidences weakens the plot, but the detailed forensics will keep genre fans turning the pages. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

This fourth novel featuring forensic investigator Theresa MacLean starts out with the death of a defense attorney. While the police shed few tears for the aggressive and determined lawyer, the investigative team put their feelings aside to work through several hundred possible suspects as the murder occurred in a hotel hosting a defense-attorney convention. When a second and then a third lawyer who attended the same gathering are found dead, the investigation becomes more difficult as the connection among the three must be the motive. MacLean's daughter, who works at the hotel, might be in danger because of her newfound friend with a sealed juvenile record. Narrator Kristen Potter does a masterly job of blending the young/old, female/male characters in a performance that is smooth and well integrated to the story. For mystery and C.S.I. fans.-J. Sara Paulk, Wythe-Grayson Regional Lib., Independence, VA (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Someone appears to be taking "kill all the lawyers" literally in Black's contrived fourth suspense novel to feature Cleveland forensic investigator Theresa MacLean (after 2010's Trail of Blood). At a convention of criminal defense lawyers at the Ritz-Carlton, the trussed naked body of beautiful, bright, detested lawyer Marie Corrigan turns up in the supposedly unoccupied Presidential Suite. Theresa's daughter, Rachel, who's working at the hotel for the summer, notifies her mother about the death. Homicide detectives John Powell and Neil Kelly as well as Theresa's cousin Frank Patrick investigate the many suspects, including attendees and hotel workers. When two other lawyers are killed, connections appear between the first victim and the Ritz-Carlton's head of security, Marcus Dean; young restaurant staffer William Rosedale; and fellow lawyer Dennis Britton. As Theresa does the painstaking forensic analysis the job demands, she worries about Rachel's attraction to William and his involvement in a sealed juvenile case. A dependence on coincidences weakens the plot, but the detailed forensics will keep genre fans turning the pages. (Sept.)