Law of Attraction

New York: Simon & Schuster, A Touchstone Book, 2010. First Touchstone Hardcover Edition [Stated]. First printing [stated]. Hardcover. Very good/Very good. [8], 279, [1], Acknowledgments. Inscribed by the author (Allison Leotta) on the half title page, which follows the Dedication page. Inscription reads: To Vicki--So nice to meet you at the TP Book Fair! Allison Leotta. [It is believed that TP refers to Takoma Park, Maryland.] Minor sticker residue at back of DJ. Her first novel, Law of Attraction is part of the critically acclaimed series about the fictional sex-crimes prosecutor, Anna Curtis and her dealing with the various domestic violence cases she faces in her legal career. This has stemmed into a series of five books being written evolving around Anna Curtis. Leotta has stated in interviews that she has drawn inspiration from her previous legal experiences to write her novels and attributes their success to her first hand experience as a prosecutor and the crimes she has dealt with. Weaving expert knowledge with deft storytelling, federal sex-crimes prosecutor and Harvard Law School graduate Allison Leotta takes readers on a thrilling ride through D.C.'s criminal justice system. From the back rooms of the U.S. Attorney's Office and the flirtations and machinations of Washington's Ivy League lawyers to the struggles of its poorest citizens on the gritty streets of Anacostia, Law of Attraction is a gripping debut from an exciting new talent. Allison Leotta takes the most neglected type of court case--domestic violence--and infuses it with both heart and great drama. Incredible plot and pacing make this a fantastic read! Allison Leotta is an American novelist, former prosecutor and blogger, best known for her popular legal crime thrillers. Her books have won various awards and have been placed on multiple bestseller lists. She has been dubbed the "female John Grisham" but has stated that she instead wishes John Grisham to be dubbed "the male Allison Leotta." Leotta graduated from Michigan State University and Harvard Law School and worked as a federal prosecutor in Washington DC where she specialized in sex crimes, domestic violence and crimes against children. In 2011, she left the Justice Department to become an author full-time, writing acclaimed novels such as Law of Attraction, Discretion, Speak of the Devil, A Good Killing, and The Last Good Girl. She currently has TV reviews being carried by the Huffington Post as well running a legal blog known as the Prime-Time Crime Review which the American Bar Association hailed as "one of the best legal blogs in America". Derived from a Publishers Weekly article: 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.