First Degree

Edgar Award-nominee authorFA of Mystery Guild It begins in the asphalt heart of Paterson, with the discovery of a once dirty, now decapitated cop. Then not one but several prime suspects emerge. Drawn into this affair, Andy has things under control . . . until the last suspect turns out to be none other than Laurie Collins, Andy's lead investigator and the love of his life. Now to clear Laurie, Andy must spring a brilliant yet desperate courtroom trap -- before it engulfs them both. No one can separate defense attorney Andy Carpenter from his golden retriever, Tara, and she returns his affection, standing loyally beside him through every investigation, no matter how dangerous or puzzling-and he is about to be confronted with one of his most difficult cases yet. When a cop's body is found burned and decapitated, the last thing Andy expects is for a stranger to waltz into his office and admit to the crime. For the wisecracking millionaire attorney suffering from "lawyer's block," the case looks like a no-brainer, until the cops pick up another suspect: Andy's lead P.I., Laurie Collins, who happens to be the love of his life. Soon Laurie's case is looking bleak and Andy is becoming increasingly desperate. All he had wanted was a case to sink his teeth into. Now he gets one that's a kick in the head . . . and the heart. When his chief investigator and love interest joins a long list of suspects in the grisly murder of a dirty New Jersey cop, lawyer Andy Carpenter must do some fancy footwork in the courtroom to clear her name--Novelist