About this item
For readers of Kathy Reichs, Lisa Scottoline, Patricia Cornwell, and Lisa Gardner, a new thriller by former federal sex-crimes prosecutor Allison Leotta.SPEAK OF THE DEVIL—AND HE WILL APPEAR On the very night she gets engaged to the man she loves, sex-crimes prosecutor Anna Curtis’s professional life takes a shocking turn that threatens everything she holds dear. While Anna is enjoying a romantic dinner capped off by a marriage proposal, a few miles away two separate groups are gearing up to raid a brothel. A vicious killer known as Diablo—the Devil—leads one group. A few minutes later, Anna’s own investigative team heads in to search the brothel, as part of the fight against human trafficking in D.C. Both groups are caught off guard, with deadly results.
About the Author
For twelve years, I was a federal prosecutor in Washington, DC, where I specialized in prosecuting sex crimes, domestic violence, and crimes against children. I started writing because I saw heartbreaking tragedies, acts of shocking evil, and vulnerable victims every day - but also moments of real heroism, true love, and healing. Given the stories I witnessed, the rich cast of characters I worked with, and my lifelong love of fiction, I had to write a book. I wanted to create a story that would both entertain and teach about the way the criminal justice system works - and doesn't work. I focused on a nightmare shared by domestic-violence prosecutors: losing a case and setting free an abuser who eventually kills his victim. I wanted to explore why so many women stay with boyfriends who hurt them. And I wanted to create a strong, smart female prosecutor who would empathize with her witnesses because she shared some of their experiences - but whose romantic life would suffer from those same experiences. Law of Attraction was written in the spaces of my life between prosecuting and mommying. I started writing while I was pregnant with my first son. I would wake up at 5:00 a.m. and write for a couple of hours before heading to work. I wrote at night and on weekends. After my son was born, I wrote during his naps and after bedtime. Now, the sound of a softly snoring baby triggers a Pavlovian response in me to start typing. In 2010, Simon & Schuster published LAW OF ATTRACTION. The Washington Post called it "a racy legal thriller, taking on a still-taboo subject. " Suspense Magazine named it one of the best books of the year, and Library Journal gave it a starred review, calling it "riveting. " The sequel, DISCRETION, will be published this July, and is available for pre-order.I also blog about what TV crime shows get right and wrong, from my perspective as a real sex-crimes prosecutor. The ABA named my blog, the Prime-Time Crime Review, one of the best legal blogs in America.I went to Michigan State University and Harvard Law School. Now I live in Maryland with my two sons and my husband, Michael.
