Speak of the Devil

July 1, 2013
In Leotta’s suspenseful third thriller featuring federal sex crimes prosecutor Anna Curtis (after 2012’s Discretion), undercover cop Det. Hector Ramos interrupts a vicious attack on a small bordello in Washington, D.C. Members of MS-13, a particularly violent gang, are quickly apprehended, but why does one of them have a photo in his pocket of Nina Flores, the late wife of Anna’s fiancé, Jack Bailey? Anna and Det. Tavon McGee learn that a frightening man known as “the Devil” may be leading the gang, and the case becomes more disturbing with every new detail, especially once Jack discovers the origin of Nina’s photograph. Hector has secrets of his own, while Anna and Jack get unsettling news from an unexpected source that causes upheaval to their personal lives. The interagency investigation builds to an exciting climax in the courtroom. Agent: Amy Berkower, Writers House.

July 1, 2013
D.C. sex-crimes prosecutor Anna Curtis is enjoying the glow of her recent engagement and wondering if she can succeed as the stepmother of a six-year-old daughter when she gets called to investigate a brutal crime. A vicious group of thugs led by a man known as Diablo attacks a brothel. Anna soon learns that they are a street gang called MS-13, one of the worst street gangs in the country. As she searches for clues, she discovers long-buried secrets and official cover-ups. Leotta (Law of Attraction, 2010) was a federal sex-crimes prosecutor, so she knows her subject all too well. Fans of Linda Fairstein and Law and Order SVU will be right at home here.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)