Spying on the system's inner workings proves increasingly addictive, and it's refreshing to find a lead character pursuing a stressful life because she actually enjoys it. Clark humanizes her tough lead, and gets the mixture of action and investigative legwork just right - Publishers Weekly. Written with verve and wit, this is a superior piece of crime fiction that entertains from beginning to end.
Marcia Clark is a former Los Angeles deputy district attorney, and was the lead prosecutor in the OJ Simpson murder case. She wrote a bestselling non-fiction book about the trial, Without a Doubt , and is a frequent media commentator and columnist on legal issues. She lives in Los Angeles. The World According to Anna.
The Unfinished Novel and Other stories. From the Place in the Valley Deep in the Forest. Download Image Download Image. Imprint Mulholland Books Mulholland Books. Someone who is as smart and determined as Rachel herself. Someone who is already watching, just waiting for the chance to strike It was kind of complicated story but very enjoyable and unpredictable. The end however was a little but disappointing. After listening to 12 and half hours you think everything will end completely and beautifully but it appeared that the author had a different opinion and another books to publish.
Oct 07, Kate rated it it was ok. Very disappointing read for me. What the protagonist and villain choose to wear in the morning, at what restaurants they eat and what they ate there, the favorite vodka Russian double platinum - who cares? This is also a travelogue of Los Angeles, a very self-involved city with many self-involv Very disappointing read for me. This is also a travelogue of Los Angeles, a very self-involved city with many self-involved residents.
If you like this sort of thing you will like the book. Incidentally, it was obvious about half-way through the book who was the murderer, and that probably she would get away with it. I see her returning in the next book for a another showdown with the protagonist Jul 07, Carrie rated it really liked it. Another great mystery with my new favorite heroine, Rachel Knight. I really enjoyed this novel because not only was there a twisty turny mystery to try to follow along with I was given more details to Rachel's backstory and what made her tick.
And we get a possible nemesis in Lilah. I predict that woman popping up in future books! My only critique was the overuse of the info dump. First with Rachel's back story involving her older sister Romy and then with Lilah's back story. I'm sure it could ha Another great mystery with my new favorite heroine, Rachel Knight. I'm sure it could have been woven in as little dribbles so the flow wasn't disrupted.
Thankfully they weren't super long sections but it was enough for me to notice. I've already dove into book three: Dec 24, Cora rated it liked it. Good but, at times, confusing. This one took longer than I expected to finish. Still, I have to say she's a good writer.
Second in the Rachel Knight legal thriller mystery series and revolving around an L. And if you're reading this series at all, you have to read this one if only because of how it affects future stories! My Take Whoa, Clark got me twisted up right from the start with this mysterious murder in full view of a crowded sidewalk that appears to relate to a brutal murder from the past. I just didn't know it Second in the Rachel Knight legal thriller mystery series and revolving around an L.
I just didn't know it until I got further into the story. After that, well, I was so confused about "poor" Zack. The further in I read, the more and more complex it got before it started to connect. A very satisfying read even if there was such sadness in it. It's a lot of beating the sidewalk and online research along with interviews now and in the past.
One thread leads to another. It also proves how essential it is to gather up as much information as possible about a person, for you never know what thread will lead where. And there were some fairly innocuous clues in this, that, when put together, told a much fuller story. Rachel gets so irritated with a fellow prosecutor's incompetence that she jumps to take his case on.
Which only irritates the idiot. It's a convoluted case where no one can figure out how there was a crime and who might be guilty. The more they dig, the more questions come up, and this is what will drag you in. I do adore Eric. A boss who goes to bat for those under him. That pair of jerks — Averill and Hemet — are on the warpath, and Rachel picking up a non-case like this provides too much ammunition against her for those who hate her.
And that includes Vanderhorn. Oh, wow, oh, wow, I want Meyer's house!! Whoa, Rachel's reaction to Graden's curiosity is so far out of line! I think Graden's assessment is right on the money, that Rachel is suffering from Toni-syndrome. Rache obviously needs to spend a lot more time with Carla.
Especially when we find out what she's not telling her besties. It does lead to more in-depth information on what happened when Romy disappeared. And why Rachel is carrying all this guilt. Worse, I want to yell at Rachel for how she behaves at the time, even as I know no 7-year-old can be expected to know how to react.
It's kind of a life of Reilly with the three friends. They spend a lot of time eating out and drinking at night. They make good use of Rachel's very convenient hotel room, and ooh baby, that room service! Yet, they feel real. The dialogue is good with a sense of reality to it as well. You can't help but like these ladies, and not least because they're smart!
I do like Luis. He's ambitious, and Clark does a beautiful job of writing his dialog. Ya tend to think of being a lawyer as a desk job, but reading about Rachel's adventures will reassure you about that. She and Bailey are out in the field like partners, only she's the only one getting beaten, which will result in her being assigned bodyguards. Which makes you wonder where Rachel's head is at that she sets up this trap without their help.
Jesus, what is it with it never being the bad guy's fault? All these awful things that happen in their lives, and it's never, ever their fault?
I wanna smack 'em for that alone…! The Story The crappy attitude of an ill-prepared prosecutor goads Rachel into doing the re-file on the death of a homeless man. It also boomerangs on her when that prosecutor, Brandon Averill, does such a lousy job preparing his case. It's an iffy case, and it'll take a lot of work to prove it was a murder. And with an innocent defendant. Complicating matters is what Rachel sees as a gross invasion of privacy — and Graden is out on his ass.
The Characters Rachel Knight is one of the best prosecutors in Special Trials, but she's not without her faults: Rachel says she's being direct. Romy is the sister who vanished twenty-seven years. Carla the Crone became Rachel's lifelong shrink. Daniel Rose is the former love of Rachel's life, and he's back in town.
Special Trials Unit The Special Trials lawyers get a lot of heat for getting hot cases, and they're always the "most complex, high-profile cases". Eric Northrup is Rachel's boss and the head deputy of the unit. Melia is the unit secretary working for Eric. Sandi Runyon is head of Media Relations. District Attorney William Vanderhorn is an idiot, but even he could see how bad Hemet was.
Fred Summers is Vanderhorn's second-in-command — and the real boss. Rosario is one of the filers down at the clerk's office. Arturo is a mail room clerk. The judges Judge Foster is the first judge to appear; Manny is his clerk. Deputy Stevenson is his bailiff.
Morgan is a respected judge. The lawyers Walter Schoenfeld is a seasoned public defender. Sam Zucker is another public defender. Brandon Averill is a jerk of a prosecutor; Judge Foster sure doesn't like him. Averill is great friends with Phil Hemet , a "world-class brownnoser…who lost the only case he ever tried". Rosa is Hemet's secretary and about to give birth; she's not planning on coming back, and she's got the dirt the girls want.
He's also gorgeous, filthy rich, and dating Rachel. Devon is his brother. The DA investigators are the assigned bodyguards Gary Schrader is the team leader and senior investigator. Stephen , James , and Mario make up the rest of the team. SCI Scott Ferrier , a coroner's investigator, is a friend of Rachel's who's willing to slide information her way. Sparks is the pathologist. Steve Diamond is a criminalist for the L. County Coroner, and Rachel considers him an everything man. He's also compiled a database of blunt and sharp force injuries.
Bruno Spagnotti is Rachel's favorite forensic psychologist. The Yamaguchi case Ronald Yamaguchi is the accused; he's a masseur with a black belt in tae kwon do. The arresting officer is Hank Aronofsky. Detective Stoner is investigating until he tangles with Averill. It does make Stoner popular with everyone else. Charlie Fern is an unreliable witness.
Andy Kim is the Wells Fargo bank manager. Patrolman Harley Sahagan is the alibi. Wendy is a fellow masseuse. The murder of Zack Bayer Zack is a cop in love with his wife, and he has a healthy, productive hobby: His lawyer wife, Lilah Rossmoyne , was acquitted, and Simon Bayer is his angry artist brother. Angie was Simon's girlfriend who really tried to help. Claire and Fred are the devastated parents. Larry Gladstein had been the prosecutor on the case, and he's still furious.
Mark Steiner is a buddy of Rachel's who'd worked with Larry. Rick Meyer had been the investigating officer. Mike Howell represented Lilah during the trial. Tracy Chernoff was Zack's childhood neighbor with some truths for Rachel and Bailey. Lilah's mother, Pam , was a nightmare, a good reason for requiring parents to pass psychological tests before being allowed to have a child.
Her father, Gary , was too lenient and blind to his daughter's behavior. Lyle Monahan is one of the senior partners at the law firm; Audrey Wagner is the paralegal in charge of Human Resources; Phyllis Blankmeyer has the dirt on her; Joel Carstone was a junior associate then; and, Teddy Janeway is Carstone's secretary with dirt on her as well. Chris is a waiter at La Poubelle. Conrad Bagram owns a used car dealership, Conrad's Auto Body and Repair , with his own little scam going on.
Alicia Morris had her car stolen back then. Tran Lee , a waiter at Josie's, was identified as the thief. Duncan Friedkin was a co-worker and friend. Kluffman was Simon's landlord for a while. Aigler was a baby doctor. Sabrina McCullough is a freelance operative gathering information for whoever has the money to pay for it.
Chase Erling is the only other operative she trusts, and he's a whiz at research and with computers. Maxwell Chevorin is one of her regular clients. Congressman Rankin is one of her jobs. Brenda Honesdale 's destruction was a blast from Sabrina's past, and the reason she was hired on at the law firm. A Nazi Low Rider got some bad info.
Cletus is a homeless guy who used to be a minor-league pitcher to whom Rachel regularly gives Chinese takeout. Johnnie Jasper is a street person with a nice set-up. The media Miles Rykoff is a reporter for the Times. He can tell Rachel who leaked Simon's story — Averill. The Biltmore Hotel Rachel just got upgraded to a two-bedroom suite in her sweetheart deal. Drew is the night bartender, and he and Bailey have been dating for a year.
Angel is the doorman. Rafi is the valet. Jason is a bellman.
Much of the pleasure of the book is finding out what she will be eating or drinking, where, and with whom, and hearing her intimate chit-chat with friends. Someone has been watching D. For more intense thrills and twists and turns, crack open "Guilt by Degrees" by Marcia Clark. Patrolman Harley Sahagan is the alibi. Knight manages to get up late every day in her suite at fancy L.
The Cover The cover is consistent with the first one in this re-release of the series. A white background with two simple objects as metaphors: I'm confused about the title. My interpretation would be that there are different levels of guilt, and whoa, I think I just figured it out. Those parents on both sides, Rachel's childhood trauma, a victim, a murderer…there's plenty of Guilt by Degrees. Jul 27, Kathy Martin rated it it was amazing. Rachel Knight's next baffling case starts out with the murder of a homeless man.
She is in court waiting for her turn with the judge when the case before hers goes belly up due to the sheer incompetence of the prosecutor. When the judge dismisses the case, Rachel decides she wants justice for the homeless victim and refiles. Now Rachel and her friend Bailey have to build a case to get justice for the homeless guy. But nothing is simple. It takes a while to identify him and then they learn that h Rachel Knight's next baffling case starts out with the murder of a homeless man. It takes a while to identify him and then they learn that he was the brother of a police officer who was butchered in his home a year earlier.
The main suspect was his beautiful wife Lilah who also happened to be a lawyer. She was acquitted and then disappeared. Rachel and Bailey really want to find her and talk to her. Meanwhile, Lilah has started a new secret business venture. It seems that she is in the business of digging up dirt on people and selling the information she finds. When Rachel starts to get close to finding her, she decides that Rachel has to go which leads to a couple of attempts on her life.
I liked the fast-paced action in this one. I also liked the realistic investigative techniques that Rachel and Bailey use. Rachel is also dealing with a romantic crisis as her current boyfriend is getting too close to the secrets Rachel wants to keep buried in her past. I liked that Rachel spends a lot of time meeting in various restaurants that all sound good and make me wonder if they actually exist in the LA area.
I recommend this series for fans of police procedurals and thrillers. Jan 15, Msjodi rated it really liked it Shelves: I liked this one, in spite of the fact that there seemed to be a description of what characters were wearing in every other chapter - got to be a bit much, and boring! January LaVoy did an excellent job on the narration with a whole range of voices for the characters. The narration added about a star and a half to the book's rating. A special thank you to Mulholland Books and NetGalley for a complimentary reading copy in exchange for an honest review. Famous as lead prosecutor in the murder trial of O.
Simpson, Marcia Clark still works as a lawyer, but she's also an author. First came 's "Without a Doubt," a memoir of the case, and more recently, a series of legal thrillers. Clark's first four novels starred the same main character, Rachel Knight. Like Clark, Knight was a prosecutor in the Los Angeles district atto A special thank you to Mulholland Books and NetGalley for a complimentary reading copy in exchange for an honest review.
Like Clark, Knight was a prosecutor in the Los Angeles district attorney's office, an ambitious, hard-charging lawyer who took her job very seriously. They kind of got pushed further down the pile, and failed to write my review at the time, since they were older books, and my blog features only, new and upcoming books. I do love legal thrillers, so wanted to revisit. Wow, she bumps up the intensity with the smart, funny, and fearless Knight in pursuit of justice. A homeless man gets murdered. She has seen him early on and felt for him. She stars digging further and discovers he was the brother of a policeman killed two years earlier.
Clark pulls you into the mystery and suspense, combining crafty legal proceedings. From politics to conspiracy, combined with wit, and suspense- a bold follow up, making this a must read series. Also more intriguing information about Rachel this go around -enjoy the relationship with Bailey.
Unlike Rachel Knight, she's more than willing to bend the rules to get what she wants. Moral Defense Nov will follow up with Samantha Brinkman 2.
In a recent online interview from Clark: So I wanted to write a character who was a little more wild and woolly than Rachel. Simpson murder case and a frequent media commentator and columnist on legal issues—she knows her stuff and is reflective throughout her books. Clark fans and new readers fond of crime thrillers, cop procedures, and legal thrillers will enjoy the series.
May 24, Margaret Dee rated it liked it. Not as good as the 1st. Hopefully the 3rd will be better. Jun 03, Maddy rated it it was amazing Shelves: When the case is dismissed, she decides to take it on herself—what if the defendant is guilty and is being let off because Averill completely botched the prosecution?
Rachel partners with police detective and close friend Bailey Keller to figure out what happened. Immediately before his death, Bayer had grabbed at a woman who subsequently disappeared. Simon was convinced that Lilah killed Zack Bayer and had set out to prove her guilty, but his own mental health deteriorated rapidly during his quest. Her real forte is in character development. Rachel is a woman who has a lot of baggage as a result of her witnessing the abduction of her older sister when she was a child, a fact that she has kept hidden from even her closest friends.
When her significant other, Lietutenant Graden Hales, mentions the situation, it destroys their relationship. Watching Rachel learn to trust others with this most intimate part of herself was very moving. The interaction between Rachel and her close friends was very effectively depicted.
It seems that we were provided an account of every meal and every drink that was consumed during the entire narrative. I found that distracting. It may sound silly, but all that detail decreased my enjoyment of what was otherwise a very good book. Clark has put all the elements together very well—plotting, the legal setting, dialogue and characterization. This is an excellent series, and I look forward to spending lots more time with Rachel Knight in the future. Mar 14, Cassandra Moore rated it it was amazing. Find this and more reviews at Wickedly Delicious Tales.
This may contain spoilers for the first book, Guilt by Association. What starts out as a seemingly simple stabbing develops into a life-threatening mystery for Rachel. One murder mystery leads to a second connected murder. This book is quite a bit different from the first, which is a refreshing break from most mysteries I've read with cookie cutter plots and new character n Find this and more reviews at Wickedly Delicious Tales.
This book is quite a bit different from the first, which is a refreshing break from most mysteries I've read with cookie cutter plots and new character names.