The Silver State

Former public defender Urza (All That Followed) draws on his professional experience to craft a memorable legal thriller. Eight years ago, rookie attorney Santi Elcano and his boss, Nevada deputy public defender C.J. Howard, were assigned to defend Michael Atwood, who was charged with bludgeoning his wife, Anna Weston, to death. They lost the case because of questionable DNA evidence, and Atwood was sentenced to death. Elcano has managed to advance his career in the years since, but he’s forced to revisit the case when Atwood asks to see him. Haunted by fears that he’d bungled the defense and allowed an innocent man to sit on death row—especially when he learns that Atwood has abandoned his appeals—Elcano agrees. Then he receives rattling new information about the case. Urza wisely keeps readers guessing about Atwood’s guilt, but the book’s real strength lies in its nuanced portrayal of a public defender’s work and the psychic friction it creates between personal advancement and the pursuit of justice. In the crowded courtroom suspense field, this stands out. Agent: Duvall Osteen, UTA. (July)