Fatal February

In Levenson's lighthearted if somewhat thin debut, Miami lawyer Mary Magruder Katz agrees to defend Lillian Yarmouth, accused of stabbing her philandering husband to death in their ritzy Coconut Grove home. Meanwhile, Mary's personal life gets complicated after real estate developer Carlos Martin rear ends her car. In a wildly improbable twist, instead of just exchanging insurance information, Carlos asks her to close a $6-million property deal after discovering she's a lawyer. She accepts, though technically Carlos is selling property he doesn't actually own yet. After the deal's done, they make love in her firm's office to celebrate, but Mary's fiancé, who happens to be her boss, catches them in the act and fires Mary. Happily, Carlos helps her set up her own office, and she finds solace in defending Lillian. The surprises regarding the cosmic scales of justice that surface after the Yarmouth murder trial lend extra punch, though some foreshadowing would have made for a more satisfying resolution. (Feb.)