Looking for Yesterday

September 24, 2012
Bestseller Muller’s strong 31st Sharon McCone mystery (after 2011’s City of Whispers) centers on Caro Warrick, who was tried three years earlier for murdering her best friend, Amelia Bettencourt, a member of a prominent San Francisco political family. Caro is seeking McCone’s help in establishing the truth of Bettencourt’s murder. Warrick allegedly shot the other woman 12 times in Bettencourt’s Nob Hill apartment after learning that her friend was having an affair with her lover, up-and-coming stockbroker Jake Green. Green’s suspicions insured her indictment Although Warrick was acquitted at trial, popular sentiment still regards her as guilty. Her efforts to rehabilitate her reputation have led Warrick to partner with a true crime writer, but a vindictive journalist, who has a vendetta against Warrick in part because of her support for gun control, is also planning a book and is trying to block hers. Unexpected plot turns complement a plausible, relatable lead character. Agent: Molly Friedrich, Friedrich Literary.

November 1, 2012
San Francisco PI Sharon McCone is a straight shootergun or no gun. She's also a survivor. Back on the beat after recovering from a bullet to the brain, McCone is hired by Caro Warrick, who can't rest easy even after being acquitted of her best friend's murder. What is eating at Warrick's conscience? And why can't the public accept the verdict and move on? Turns out, Warrick has a worrisome past. During her childhood, her brother accidentally shot and killed their younger sister. Can one ever recover from such a traumatic event? McCone has an impressive track record, and she's confident she can prevail where other gumshoes have failed. For her part, Warrick has partnered with a true-crime writer in hopes of setting the record straight. At the same time, a vindictive journalist is determined to bring her down. When McCone finds Warrick's bloody body at her doorstep, she fears the demons she will inevitably unearth. Although this thirty-first entry in the acclaimed series moves slowly at times, McCone remains a thoroughly likable sleuth, and her many fans will eagerly follow her anywhere, at whatever pace.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)