cover image Guilty

Guilty

Karen Robards, . . Putnam, $24.95 (408pp) ISBN 978-0-399-15461-4

In this scintillating romantic thriller from bestseller Robards (Obsession ), Kate White, a single mother and Philadelphia ADA, is embarrassed in court when her cellphone goes off during a trial. Just then the defendant pulls out a pistol and starts shooting, killing the judge. The terror-stricken Kate fears for her life and the future of her young son, Ben, should she die in the melee. After being taken hostage, Kate escapes, supposedly by killing her captor. Kate soon discovers that her past as a troubled foster child has caught up to her. Someone tries to break into her home, while someone else follows her, threatening her and Ben. Det. Tom Braga, who investigates the courtroom shooting, is firmly convinced that Kate didn’t kill her captor. Kate’s vulnerability appeals to Tom’s protective nature, drawing the pair together in a heated affair. Robards once again shows her flair for coupling first-rate suspense with multidimensional characters. (Apr.)