MOMENT OF TRUTH

What does a struggling Washington, D.C., attorney do when a high-profile client offers her one hundred thousand dollars to clear him of a two-year-old murder? Take the case! With bills to pay and a 13-year-old daughter to support, that's exactly what Kate Logan does, but unfortunately, her client is Todd Buchanan, the youngest son of a Supreme Court Justice. Todd, a smart aleck rich boy with a taste for trouble, had disappeared after his wife Molly was found murdered in a sleazy motel room by someone she met online in a sexually themed chat room. Molly is also the sister of Detective Mitch Calhoon, the man in Kate's life. As Kate expects, Mitch reacts badly when she tells him she's taken the case, but then he surprises her by offering his support even though the case will open old wounds and reveal family secrets he'd just as soon keep hidden. Gathering evidence to clear Todd takes Kate into the inner circles of D.C.'s rich and powerful and gives Kate, as well as the reader, an up close and personal look at the dark world of cybersex and sexual addiction. Although the novel's plotting isn't as seamless as one would expect from an author of Heggan's skill and following, its provocative subject matter, likeable characters and swift pacing override any shortcomings. (Jan.)