The Third Victim

This uneven series launch set in Oregon from bestseller Margolin (Violent Crimes and four other Amanda Jaffe novels) revolves around newly hired lawyer Robin Lockwood and her mentor and boss, legendary criminal defense attorney Regina Barrister, who may be experiencing the symptoms of early-onset Alzheimer’s. Lockwood is thrown into the fire when Barrister agrees to represent an affluent attorney arrested for the kidnap, torture, and murder of two young women. The third victim escaped, and all evidence points to the accused. While Barrister secretly struggles with a deteriorating memory, Lockwood finds connections between the case and a lawsuit involving a crooked cop with a penchant for abuse. Unfortunately, despite an adequately complex plot and three-dimensional main characters with interesting backstories (Lockwood is also an MMA fighter), the narrative doesn’t generate much tension. Here’s hoping for a more exciting case in the next outing for Lockwood and company. [em]100,000-copy announced first printing. Agents: Jean Naggar and Jennifer Weltz, Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency. (Mar.) [/em]