A tough female lawyer is driven to investigate the murder of her colleague when the circumstances of his death frame him as a pedophile and criminal himself. Rachel Knight is an assistant district attorney in Los Angeles - a tough, curt, ball-busting, hardened lawyer with a pretty face but a gaze of steel. She knows the dangerous urban culture of Los Angeles well and is excellent at her job.
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As the story opens Rachel is assigned to two cases that she is personally invested in. One concerns the vicious and bloody murder of her friend Jake, and another concerns the rape of a rich doctor's teenage daughter, Susan. In her investigation of each case, Rachel explores every possibility. We experience the crime thriller atmosphere as all of Jake's haunts and associates are tracked down and interviewed they are found, while the same is done for the staff and acquaintances in Susan's life. Rachel becomes protective of Susan just as she worries about what the FBI are digging up on Jake, because she does not want to believe that her friend was a criminal. The photos and other evidence, as well as investigations into Jake's prior work while he was at the District Attorney's office, however, all pull together a picture of a man who sexually abused young boys, especially those who were under his power.
Meanwhile, Susan Sloan's investigation is complicated by her bossy father, who tries to imply that one of Susan's students from the ghetto, Luis, who belongs to a gang, whom she volunteers to tutor on weekends, was the attacker. But Susan insists that Luis did not attack her. Further investigation reveals a common link between Jake's case and Susan's case, involving a man who lured teenagers into prostitution and pornography, and who also raped Susan and was a business associate of her father's. Which reveals Dr. Densmore's fondness for child pornography. This is why he works as a pediatrician. He also keeps cameras in his clinic, and he knew who raped his daughter and killed the man only to destroy any evidence that would lead to him. And Rachel discovers that Jake's only motives were in trying to help teenagers get out of pornography.
In the end, Rachel successfully prosecutes the two cases and helps the shocked and traumatized Susan get therapy (with her new guardian - her aunt - encouraging this) in a kindly and sympathetic way.
Best part of story, including ending:
I enjoyed seeing the gritty crime-drama atmosphere and the stark polarity between rich, white, gated community LA and poor, minority, ghetto LA.
Best scene in story:
When Rachel is indulging in bonding time with her female team members, Bailey and Toni, who are her best friends, and they are sharing their dating woes and just relaxing.
Opinion about the main character:
I liked that Rachel was tough and cool, without being abrasive and "masculine" - great character.
