A high-profile San Francisco lawyer scrambles to save her career, her client, and her life in this mystery by the author of Face Value.When a cash-cow client bails, attorney Laura Di Palma is certain her old boss is out to ruin her. She visits labor lawyer Jocelyn Kinsley to sue the creep for slander, but their meeting is cut short when Jocelyn is shot by an intruder. As she lays dying, she whispers a cryptic clue to Laura: "Designer crimes."Assisted by her friend and former flame, private detective Sandy Arkelett, Laura searches for the meaning behind Jocelyn's last words. Meanwhile, she must defend her one remaining client, an old high school friend accused of murder. His girlfriend left town—a bucket of blood in her wake.Sandy wonders if the bullet that killed Jocelyn was meant for Laura, and when someone tries to shoot her, she begins to agree. Now, Laura must decipher who's out to kill whom and why—before someone makes certain...

A lawyer is drawn into a dangerous case after a love guru shakes up San Francisco in this mystery by the author of A Hard Bargain.Leaving an expensive firm and toxic work environment behind her, attorney Laura Di Palma has opened her own practice. She's eager for business, and she's not about to turn away fellow lawyer Margaret Lenin.Margaret had been struggling with a midlife crisis. Full of deep questions, she sought answers from a spiritual master, a guru by the name of Brother Mike. He led videotaped group therapy sessions to help his followers explore their spirituality and sexuality. The trouble is those tapes are now available in the XXX sections of video stores . . .Taking the case pushes Laura far out of her comfort zone. She needs help from her ex, PI Sandy Arkelett, and their investigation leads them from stuffy boardrooms to strip clubs, porno shops, a private fantasy island—and a grisly murder scene . . ."Absorbing ....

Murder and a missing person disrupt a high-profile lawyer's climb up the ladder of success in this mystery by the author of The Smart Money.Everything's falling into place for attorney Laura Di Palma. She's about to become a partner at her prominent firm, she has a great apartment, and she's paid off her Mercedes. Then disaster strikes. Her sick boyfriend goes missing from his hospital bed, and her firm's detective—who's also her ex—is eager for a second chance.Meanwhile, work only adds to Laura's tension. Her newest client, activist Danny Crosetti, is accused of murdering an FBI agent, and her firm's top partner threatens to fire her if she doesn't drop the case. But Danny's an old friend from Laura's days of protesting. She can't turn her back on him.When another murder is thrown into the mix, juggling her demanding career and missing lover while keeping her ex at a distance—even though she really needs his help—will...

Murder halts a high-profile lawyer's revenge against her ex-husband in this series opener by the author of the Willa Jansson Mysteries.Many years ago, attorney Laura Di Palma fled her rainy, gray hometown of Hillsdale in Northern California, leaving behind painful memories to make it big in San Francisco. Now, she's quite the controversial figure, having secured a client's acquittal of the murder of two senators. One would think she'd stay put to ride the wave of her recent success, but she's eager to get back at her ex-husband Gary . . .The plan is to return to Hillsdale, nab the public defender job Gary wants so badly, make him squirm, and force him to feel remorse over the death of the man Laura almost left him for. But there are a few snags along the way: first, Gary is attacked before Laura has a real chance to speak with him; then two terrible murders quickly follow suit.It's clear Laura's not the only one in town with an axe to grind, and if...

Twelve suspenseful stories from the author of the Willa Jansson and Laura Di Palma mystery series.A killer's using freezing weather and plenty of water to eliminate the city's homeless population, and a lawyer must identify the culprit before her client's arrested for the bizarre murders . . . An off-the-grid, clandestine meeting between an attorney and her recently acquitted lover takes a twisted turn . . . In 1918, as the flu pandemic decimates America, a nanny for a wealthy family is mistaken for dead, but that's only the beginning of her troubles . . . On a quiet Oregon beach on Native American land, a couple is debating whether or not they should get married when a stranger interrupts them . . .These are just a few of the mysterious tales in this collection that has "tight plotting, good characterizations, and page-turning suspense. . . . Matera [is] one of the best contemporary mystery novelists" (Booklist).Praise for Lia...

A California lawyer finds herself on the trail of a murderer while searching for her missing mother in Cuba in the final entry of this mystery series.Attorney Willa Jansson's mother is a lifelong activist. So it's no surprise when she and the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom disregard federal regulations and head to Cuba for a goodwill tour. The real shock occurs when the group returns . . . with one less member.Worried about her mother facing a lengthy prison sentence or a hefty fine, Willa springs to the rescue, jetting off to Havana, where nothing's as it seems. There, she befriends two suspiciously helpful reporters and follows leads from fancy hotels to dark, underground tunnels, finding ample danger along the way. Soon, both the American and Cuban governments get involved—as does Willa's handsome ex, Lt. Don Surgelato of the San Francisco Police Department.But things really heat up when Willa's efforts get her mixed up...

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