In Doubt

As if her provocation of local meth dealers during her most recent case weren’t enough, attorney Sophie Giraudo gets the rest of her hometown of San Sebastian, Calif., up in arms when she agrees to defend Donny Crider, the 17-year-old accused of shooting popular governor Maggie Duarte, in this headline-driven family drama from Campbell (When She Came Home). Even Sophie herself is less than keen on the assignment until she starts to discover that the case may be murkier than it initially appears. Days earlier, Donny’s mother, Elena—a nightmarish narcissist obsessed with Maggie—pulled him out of the residential agricultural program Boys into Men after threatening to sue charismatic director Roman Devane. As feisty Sophie and laid-back PI Lorne Hampstead dig deeper, they begin to unearth something rotten in San Sebastian. As engaging as the central mystery and fire-and-ice team of Sophie and Hamp are, Campbell’s momentum slackens in subplots tied to the theme of dysfunctional families. Less would have made for more, no doubt. Agent: Angela Rinaldi, Angela Rinaldi Literary Agency. (Aug.)