Accused

Det. Carly Edwards juggles a high-profile murder case and a rocky romance in Cantore’s suspenseful first of a three-book series. When Los Angeles mayor Teresa Burke is gunned down, Carly is shocked that anyone would want to hurt the well-liked politician. Carly faces intense pressure from the media and from inside the force to wrap up the case, but she believes one of the prime suspects, a juvenile delinquent Carly’s mother mentored, is innocent. With the help of her ex-husband, also a cop, she tries to exonerate the young man. But once her life becomes threatened, along with the lives of people she loves, Carly must decide whether to persevere or fold under the pressure. Cantore provides a detailed and intimate account of a homicide investigation in an enjoyable read that’s more crime than Christian. Agent: D.C. Jacobson & Associates. (Feb.)