Guilt by Association (Rachel Knight #1) by Marcia Clark

Release Date: March 1, 2012
Publisher: Mulholland Books
Series: Rachel Knight, Book 1

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

Synopsis:
Not only did Rachel Knight call Los Angeles home, but she worked her way up the chain in the D.A.'s office until she became part of the special unit assigned to try high profile cases. She and her colleagues compared notes, critiqued arguments for one another, and shared both wins and losses. Nothing she encountered could have prepared her for the shocking death of someone so close to her.

Rachel found herself buried under an extra heavy caseload while secretly investigating a case that could end her career. Each discovery drew her deeper into a world of drugs, gangs and danger, but it's a price she'd pay to find the truth. Will she be able to solve both cases before it's too late? Will she still have her job - and her life - at the end?

Review:
This book was offered for a limited time at NetGalley and was the first work of fiction published by Marcia Clark, a prominent attorney in Los Angeles that has handled some high profile cases as well. Within its pages was a fiesty prosecutor named Rachel Knight who found herself mixed up in a whole lot of trouble after a colleague wound up dead. Not one to go by the book unless forced, Rachel pursued her case while secretly trying to find answers about her friend and his life. After everything that Marcia Clark's seen and heard during her time in the D.A.'s office, it didn't surprise me to see the characters and settings in her book.

Much of the action revolved around Rachel and her search for the truth in more than one case and was told from her point of view. There was definitely a core group of people who rotated in and out of the picture, each with their own quirks. Because the story was set in Los Angeles, I wasn't surprised to see familiar names and places within the story. I also wasn't surprised to see time and attention given to what clothes Rachel and others were wearing or the constant dieting that was thrown into the mix. The book delivered on those assumptions, if I'm honest. That's not to say that the characters were one-dimensional at all. There was a bit of depth to each one. With this being the first of a series, it provided a good amount of groundwork for whatever comes next.

I did have to fight to finish this book in a few spots. The pace began steadily and maintained its movement until I was nearly a third of the way into the story. For whatever reason, I felt the story slow and struggle to pick back up. Once it did, the action and revelations began to help push it along until it hit another slow patch for me. I was happy to find that the book did end on a high note in terms of pacing and storytelling. Honestly, I'm not sure if it was the many layers of the case that threw me off or if it was simply a lull in action that made it seem slow. Maybe it was the lack of drama in the courtroom that threw me off. At times it seemed like Rachel was more of a cop than your typical image of a prosecutor.

All in all, the story was complete, engaging in many areas and giving a glimpse of the other side of Los Angeles. Not a bad offering at all for her first book, I am hopeful for the others in this series which will be coming up over the next few weeks. There's a lot of layers in this book but it does reward those who stick with it to the end. I am glad to have taken a chance on this one. If you're looking for a different type of prosecutor that's tough as nails or someone who doesn't just go with the flow of the system, then Rachel Knight is your kind of prosecutor. Pick up your copy and enjoy her sassyness!

Guilt by Association (Rachel Knight #1) by Marcia Clark is currently available at many local and online retailers. It can be purchased in hardcover, paperback, audio-book and Kindle versions. The link below will bring up the book's page at Amazon.
Guilt by Association (Rachel Knight #1) by Marcia Clark