cover image Lawyer Trap

Lawyer Trap

R.J. Jagger. Pegasus (Norton, dist.), $25 (352p) ISBN 978-1-60598-305-9

In Jagger’s less than compelling 11th thriller featuring hunky Denver homicide cop Nick Teffinger (after 2010’s Pretty Little Lawyer), Teffinger is tempted to cross the line into unprofessional behavior after meeting murder suspect Davica Holland, a stunner who’s most comfortable while wearing the least amount of clothing. The corpse of Holland’s former lover, Angela Pfeiffer, has been discovered in a shallow grave, bearing multiple stab wounds. Meanwhile, attorney Aspen Wilde, a new associate at a prestigious law firm, is stunned to learn that the woman she most admired at the firm, Rachel Ringer, vanished without a trace almost half a year earlier. Aspen can’t help putting herself in danger by doing some amateur sleuthing into Rachel’s disappearance. The narratives of their separate inquiries alternate with the perspective of Jack Draven, introduced early on, as he plans his next abduction. Readers should be prepared for underdeveloped characters and a paucity of surprises as well as frequent scenes of sadistic violence against women. (Nov.)