A Series So Nice, I Read It Twice

Fatal February by Barbara Levenson
(Adult Crime Thriller)

A couple of weeks ago, I reviewed Justice in June by this author and enjoyed that book so much I was anxious to read the first one in the series.  Fatal February is the debut novel of Mary Magruder Katz, a wise-cracking legal eagle whose life is turned upside down in the carwash.  (I'm not just talking about a fender bender here!)

Mary's life is going great:  a lawyer in a prestigious law firm, engaged to the partner at the firm with a huge rock--career and professional life just humming along.  Then her car is rear-ended by some hot-tempered hottie at the car wash and within the week, Mary has lost her job, her fiance, her ring and been brought up on ethics charges!

That's not even the crime itself in this novel!  Along with all that, she has to set up her own law practice and defend a woman accused of murdering her husband in what looks to be an air-tight case.

Her life leaves me exhausted just trying to describe it, much less live it myself.  And I loved every minute of it!  I loved the absolute abandon of Mary Magruder Katz who often jumps first and then thinks through things later.  It makes her moves and the plot so much juicier and really keeps the reader on the edge of the seat.  You really never know what's going to happen next. 

Another thing to love:  Carlos.  He is an amazing character and one of those who is so real he just jumps off the page.  I am going to delude myself into believing that he is real.  What's not to love?  Hot Latin temper, great sense of humor, protective, he cooks (!!), and he is head over heels for Mary.

One last thing to love:  the author's sense of ease in writing the book.  Since I have absolutely no criminal background (either as a jailbird or police), I often get bogged down in books that are too heavy on the procedural stuff.  It seems as if when some lawyers or criminal investigators turn to writing, they forget that most of their reading public don't know all the jargon and inner workings and don't bother to explain it.  Levenson isn't like that.  She explains each step of the criminal and legal proceedings in a way that is easy to understand and enjoy.

Currently, there are only two Mary Magruder Katz books on the marker but I hear number 3 is on it's way.  I can't wait!