The Last Good Girl

March 21, 2016
A missing person’s case preoccupies Anna Curtis in Leotta’s unconvincing fifth thriller featuring the Washington, D.C., federal prosecutor (after 2015’s A Good Killing). While on a trip to Michigan to see her sister, Anna learns that college student Emily Shapiro, whose father is the president of Tower University, has disappeared, last seen on video in a confrontation with fellow student Dylan Highsmith, who also has a high-powered father, Michigan’s lieutenant governor. Alison had accused Dylan of rape. Dylan, the epitome of sleaze, inappropriately touches Anna when she visits his fraternity house with her FBI agent friend, Samantha Randazzo. One of Dylan’s frat buddies turns out to be the younger brother of Anna’s new love interest, Cooper Bolden. Sections transcribed from Emily’s video log slow the pace, and jarring improbabilities—a nurse at a rehab facility freely provides details of a student’s treatment to Anna, who doesn’t even have to show the nurse an ID—don’t help the suspension of disbelief. Agent: Amy Berkower, Writers House.

April 15, 2016

In Leotta's fifth series entry (after A Good Killing), Washington, DC, sex crimes prosecutor Anna Curtis is visiting her sister in Michigan when Jack, her ex-fiance, asks her to help out on a task force investigating assaults on the state's college campuses. Freshman Emily Shapiro, whose father is the university president, has gone missing. Circumstances surrounding her disappearance implicate Dylan Highsmith, a popular fraternity member and the son of Michigan's lieutenant governor. Emily's video diary purports she was raped earlier in the semester and even details Dylan's disciplinary hearing at which Emily testified. As Anna and Jack probe the case, they uncover a corrupt academic system, complicated family dynamics, and crime scene evidence that isn't necessarily what it seems. VERDICT Fast paced with strong, vivid characters, this installment succeeds as a stand-alone, so readers new to the Anna Curtis series can easily follow. With a focus on a timely, important issue, this will be high on the to-read list of readers who appreciate the works of Lisa Scottoline, Linda A. Fairstein, and Gillian Flynn.--Carolann Curry, Mercer Univ. Lib., Macon, GA

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