If Thy Right Hand

Although the ending is a bit clich%C3%A9d, Lamont's whodunit debut is solid, making good use of the author's experience as a private investigator and prosecutor. Fresh off an impressive conviction, Ilene Hart, chief of special prosecutions for Westover County, is ordered by her boss to attend a heated community meeting about a controversial rehab facility for young sex offenders. The opposition to the facility's presence moves from talk to action when someone begins targeting sex offenders for murder. Hart has the de rigueur complicated family life%E2%80%94a romantic relationship with chief of police Matt Bingham and a 19-year-old son with Asperger's syndrome named Sam. Things turn bizarre when someone sends Hart a note identifying her as "a Prophet" and the only person capable of rescuing an unnamed child. With so little information, preventing a tragedy seems impossible, and to make matters worse, Sam is accused of sexual assault. Lamont creates well-rounded and likable leads that are capable of sustaining a series.