Thursday, April 21, 2011

Guilt by Association by Marcia Clark

Guilt by Association
Marcia Clark is going to be a big hit in the world of crime novelists. This blazing fast debut novel has the polish and pace one might expect from a seasoned ranconteur crossed with brilliant editor, but it has the layered depth and suprise only an experienced criminal lawyer can provide. Guilt is destined to be an out-of-the-box bestseller.

That fact shouldn’t surprise anyone who is familiar with Marcia Clark and her work: former district attorney and lead prosecutor on the O.J. Simpson murder case, author of Without a Doubt, and contributor to TV and The Daily Beast. Clark, described in her earlier life as "extremely able and hardworking," applied that same attention here, and didn’t rest until she’d nailed the formula for a fast-paced crime novel featuring a body-conscious, justice-driven District Attorney in the L.A. Special Trials Division.

As in all good mysteries, Guilt follows the trail of at least two seemingly divergent cases, but also follows the love interests of friendly, sharing, and chatty folks in the major divisions of city crime detection. D.A. Rachel Knight is the central character and first-person narrator who keeps the wise-cracks coming. It is the realistic details of evidentiary proofs, prosecution and defense that ring so true in Guilt, but it is the food choices and clothing descriptions that make it L.A. In this mystery we are treated to gangs, both Latino and Aryan Brotherhood, pornography and prostitution, rape and murder. If it sounds like a lot, you may not be suited to actually work in the D.A.’s office, but you can still enjoy reading about it. This is a very good one for an indulgent weekend on the couch.

You can buy this book here: Shop Indie Bookstores

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