A prosecutor of violent criminals. A detective on a dangerous beat. When these two pros take on an off-the-books case, the line between professional and personal becomes perilously blurred.
When a twenty-two-year-old convict walks into the courtroom, his eyes confirm what Mia Quinn already guesses: he blames her for his conviction. In seconds, he knocks her to the ground and holds a razor blade to her throat. While she manages to escape without injury, it’s just one more reminder that Mia’s job prosecuting Seattle’s s most dangerous criminals is far from low risk.
As a single mom, the last thing Mia wants is for her work to follow her home or discover that it already has.
Now Detective Charlie Carlson is suggesting the very thing Mia doesn’t want to believe—that her accountant husband’s deadly car accident was no accident at all. When Mia and Charlie encounter resistance to reopening the case, they take the investigation into their own hands. And they find much more than they bargained for.
Was Mia’s husband more than an accountant . . . and less than an honest man? As the truth becomes more shocking and the case grows more complex, her husband’s killers take note of Mia . . . and her children. How far will this prosecutor go to learn the truth about her husband—and how far will she have to go to protect her family?
Lis Wiehl is one of the nation’s most prominent trial lawyers and highly regarded commentators. Currently, she is the legal analyst and reporter on the Fox News Channel and Bill O’Reilly’s sparring partner in the weekly “Is It Legal?” segment on The O’Reilly Factor. Prior to that she was O’Reilly’s co-host on the nationally syndicated show The Radio Factor. She is also a Professor of Law at New York Law School. Her column “Lis on Law” appears weekly on FoxNews.com.
Prior to joining Fox News Channel in New York City, Wiehl served as a legal analyst and reporter for NBC News and NPR’s All Things Considered. Before that, Wiehl served as a Federal Prosecutor in the United States Attorney’s office.
Wiehl earned her Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School and her Master of Arts in Literature from the University of Queensland.
Wiehl is also the author of The 51% Minority, which won the 2008 award for Books for a Better Life in the motivational category, and Winning Every Time.
She lives with her husband and two children in New York.
About April Henry:
I write mysteries and thrillers. I live in Portland, Oregon with my family.
When I was 12, I sent a short story about a six-foot tall frog who loved peanut butter to Roald Dahl, the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He took it to lunch and showed it to the editor of an international children’s magazine – and she asked to publish the story! (For no money, which might have been a warning about how hard it is to make a living writing.)
My dream of writing went dormant until I was in my 30s, working at a corporate job, and started writing books on the side. Those first few years are now thankfully a blur. Now I’m very lucky to make a living doing what I love. I have written 13 novels for adults and teens, with more on the way. My books have gotten starred reviews, been picked for Booksense, translated into four languages, been named to state reading lists, and short-listed for the Oregon Book Award. And Face of Betrayal, which I co-wrote with Lis Wiehl, was on the New York Times bestseller list for four weeks.
I also review literary fiction, YA literature, and mysteries and thrillers for the Oregonian, and have written articles for both The Writer and Writers Digest.
In 2012, look for two books: The Night She Disappeared, a teen thriller, and Eyes of Justice, co-written with Lis Wiehl.
My Impressions:
The writing team of Lis Wiehl and April Henry is one of my favorites for creating riveting mystery/suspense novels. I especially like listening to their books during my morning walks. A Deadly Business, the second book in the Mia Quinn Mystery series, is another winner. If you are looking for a fast-paced novel with relatable characters and a complex and twisting plot, check this one out. (Read my review of book 1, A Matter of Trust, HERE.)
Mia Quinn is juggling a lot of things — career, single motherhood — and now threats in and out of the courtroom. Her life just keeps getting more and more complicated. Her boss is pressuring her to make a decision in a controversial case and friend and detective, Charlie Carlson, brings her evidence of foul play in the death of her husband. Add kids and a new romantic interest into the mix and you have a life that threatens to overwhelm.
I liked that the action took off from the opening. Mia is hit on all sides with stress, threats and confusing emotions. Fast-paced is an understatement! But the many plot lines never distract the reader; they just keep you on your toes. There is some unresolved issues at the end, but most of the story is satisfactorily wrapped up. I also really liked the characters in A Deadly Business. These are flawed people trying their hardest to do what is right despite the pressures of life. Do they mess up? Oh yeah. But don’t we all. Their very realness makes them credible.
A Deadly Business is good for all fans of mystery/suspense, and I am looking forward to the next installment in the Mia Quinn Mystery series.
Recommended.
Audience: Adults
(I purchased this audiobook from Audible. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
I really liked this book too. I must try it out as an audible read.
I have enjoyed all of Lis Wiehl’s books. This is the third one I have listened to. Thanks for stopping by.