Law of Attraction

In Leotta’s solid suspense debut, Anna Curtis, an earnest but decidedly green Washington, D.C., assistant U.S. attorney, learns some unforgettable lessons about domestic abuse. The rookie prosecutor is dismayed when a client, Laprea Johnson, the battered girlfriend of ex-con D’marco Davis, who’s charged with assaulting Laprea, recants her testimony in court, allowing D’marco, the father of Laprea’s four-year-old twins, to go free. D’marco happens to be represented by Nick Wagner, a former Harvard Law classmate of Anna’s who soon starts pursuing Anna romantically. When months later Laprea’s lifeless, pregnant body turns up in the garbage dump behind D’marco’s building, D’marco is charged with her murder. D.C. homicide chief Jack Bailey and Anna become friends as they prepare the case against D’marco, while Nick, who’s lost Anna’s affections, tries to win her back. Leotta, herself a D.C. sex crimes prosecutor, makes some smart observations about the conflicts legal eagles face in the pursuit of justice. (Oct.)