Claim of Innocence

In Caldwell's soap opera-ish fourth Izzy McNeil legal thriller (after Red, White and Dead), a lawyer friend of Izzy's, Maggie Bristol, asks the Chicago attorney, who's been on a year-long leave of absence, to help defend Valerie Solara. Valerie is accused of poisoning her best friend, Amanda Miller, because she was in love with Amanda's husband, Zavy. When not dealing with courtroom appearances or trial preparation, Izzy is busy with a host of relationship issues, starting with ex-fianc%C3%A9 Sam Hollings and hot young boyfriend Theo. Meanwhile, her father, Christopher McNeil, long thought dead, reappears and re-enters her life, and her mother, Victoria Calloway, is undergoing some strange changes. While Bristol insists that finding the killer isn't in their purview, Izzy enlists both her father and PI John Mayburn to dig deeper into the murder. Caldwell's trial scenes, breezy but effective, are key to the unmasking of the real culprit. Izzy's successful juggling of personal and professional roles should win her more fans. (Sept.)