A fast-paced, perplexing mystery plus the main suspect’s heavy past combine to make Wright’s second in the series (after The Darkest Flower, 2021) one to remember. Throughout the book, there are two stories. In the public one, beautiful—so beautiful it’s problematic—workaholic lawyer Jane Knudsen is accused of murdering her tyrant boss and is defended by her former college roommate, lawyer Allison Barton. Then there’s the private tale, in which it’s slowly revealed why Jane never lets anyone get close and finds taking the fall for a murder preferable to telling the truth. Child sexual abuse is a prominent theme here, and Wright manages to keep those crimes off-screen while their emotional and practical repercussions are sensitively explored. In the process, readers are given two relationships to root for: Jane’s fledgling one with a coworker she dares to fall for, and Allison’s as a single mom who’s trying to balance romance with a promising man with raising a child who wants her mother all to herself. There’s a lot to ponder here, and before you know it, a twist shatters the story. Try this after Wanda M. Morris’ All Her Little Secrets, which also features a woman lawyer accused of murder.
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