Question of Trust

February 13, 2012
In her fifth Izzy McNeil mystery (after Claim of Innocence), former attorney Caldwell falls into the serial character trap, lazily bringing readers up to speed on Izzy's transformation from a civil to a criminal lawyer and her moonlighting job as a PI. Izzy also harkens back to last year's loverâher ex-fiancé, Samâ the murder of her friend Jane, and the sudden reappearance of her dad, but only gives enough details to confuse. Quirky Izzy's new fling, Theoâeight years her junior and partner in a successful web development companyâis being investigated by the U.S. Attorney's Office for money laundering and wire fraud, but he claims he's innocent. Throw in a boatload of cocaine, a Mexican drug cartel, a dead neighbor (whose death, as noted in the Prologue but not revisited until the final third of the book, drags the novel along), and a hefty sum of missing money, and the result is a story that tries hard but doesn't produce much suspense.

January 1, 2012

Izzy McNeil (Claim of Innocence) is still testing the waters of criminal law, getting her feet wet, and learning to use the word alleged more often. What she doesn't expect is the arrest of her squeaky-clean, much younger beau on federal charges of bilking his company. Izzy is caught between trying to trust Theo and her doubts about his innocence. Then there's a new twist when a client accused of "allegedly" drug trafficking wants out of her firm if it continues to represent Theo. The case gets murkier as the evidence points in a direction that neither Izzy nor Theo likes. VERDICT With her strong female protagonist, Caldwell will draw in fans of Lisa Gardner, while the legal thriller aspect will attract Michael Connelly devotees. Her latest mesmerizing, twisty mystery will keep her readers on the edge of their seats, sweating bullets until the finale. Her characters are smart, savvy, and uberreal in the roles she has expertly created for them. Even though this novel is part of a series, it does well as a stand-alone.--Debbie Haupt, St. Charles City/Cty. Lib. Dist., MO

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