Claim of Innocence
Forbidden relationships are the most tempting. And the most dangerous.It was a crime of passion–or so the police say. Valerie Solara has been charged with poisoning her best friend. The prosecution claims she's always been secretly attracted to Amanda's husband…and with Amanda gone, she planned to make her move.Attorney Izzy McNeil left the legal world a year ago, but a friend's request pulls her into the murder trial. Izzy knows how passion can turn your life upside down. She thought she had it once with her ex-fiancé, Sam. Now she wonders if that's all she has in common with her criminally gorgeous younger boyfriend, Theo.It's Izzy's job to present the facts that will exonerate her client–whether or not she's innocent. But when she suspects Valerie is hiding something, she begins investigating–and uncovers a web of secret passions and dark motives, where seemingly innocent relationships can prove poisonous…
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Praise for Laura Caldwellâs IZZY MCNEIL novels
Red, White & Dead
âA sizzling roller coaster ride through the streets of Chicago, filled with murder, mystery, sex and heartbreak. These page-turners will have you breathless and panting for more.â
âShore Magazine
âChock full of suspense, Red, White & Dead is a riveting mystery of crime, love, and adventure at its best.â
âNew York Times bestselling author Gayle Lynds
Red Blooded Murder
âSmart dialogue, captivating images, realistic settings and sexy characters⦠The pieces of the puzzle come together to reveal the secrets between the sheets that lead Izzy to realize who the killer is.â
âBookReporter.com
âRed Blooded Murder aims for the sweet spot between tough and tender, between thrills and thoughtâand hits the bullâs-eye. A terrific novel.â
â#1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Child
âIzzy is the whole package: feminine and sexy, but also smart, tough and resourceful. Sheâs no damsel-in-distress from a tawdry bodice ripper; sheâs more than a fitting match for any bad guys foolish enough to take her on.â
âChicago Sun-Times
Red Hot Lies
âCaldwellâs stylish, fast-paced writing grips you and wonât let you go.â
âEdgar Awardâwinning author David Ellis
âTold mainly from the heroineâs first-person point of view, this beautifully crafted and tightly written story is a fabulous read. Itâs very difficult to put downâand the ending is terrific.â
âRT Book Reviews
âFormer trial lawyer Caldwell launches a mystery series that weaves the emotional appeal of her chick-lit titles with the blinding speed of her thrillers⦠Readers will be left looking forward to another heart-pounding ride on Izzyâs silver Vespa.â
âPublishers Weekly
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 76
Chapter 77
Chapter 78
Chapter 79
Chapter 80
Chapter 81
Chapter 82
Chapter 83
Acknowledgments
1
âI zzy,â my friend Maggie said, âI need you to try this murder case with me. Now.â
âWhat?â I shifted my cell phone to my other ear, not sure Iâd heard her right. I had never tried a criminal case beforeânot even a parking ticket, much less a murder trial.
âYeah,â she said. âRight now.â
It was a hot August Thursday in Chicago, and I had just left the civil courthouse. I had taken three steps into the Daley Center Plaza, looked up at the massive Picasso sculptureâan odd copper thing that looked half bird, half dogâand I actually said to it, âIâm back.â
Iâd argued against a Motion to Dismiss for Maggie. She normally wouldnât have filed a civil case, but sheâd done so as a favor to a relative. I lost the motion, something that would have burned me in days of yore, but instead I was triumphant. Having been out of the law for nearly a year, Iâd wondered if I had lost itâlost the ability to argue, to analyze information second-to-second, to change course and make it look like youâd planned it all along. I had worried that perhaps not going to court was like not having sex for a while. At first, you missed it deeply but then it became more difficult to remember what it was like with each passing day. Not that I was having that particular problem.
But really, when Iâd seen the burning sun glinting off the Picasso and I stated boldly that I was back in action, I meant it figuratively. I was riding off the fact that although Maggieâs opponent had won the motion, and the complaint temporarily dismissed, Judge Maddux had said, âNice argument, counselâ to me, his wise, blue eyes sparkling.
Judge Maddux had seen every kind of case in his decades of practice and every kind of lawyer. His job involved watching people duke it out, day after day after day. For him to say âNice argumentâ was a victory. It meant I still had it.
As I walked through the plaza, the heat curling my red hair into coils, I had called Maggie. She was about to pick a jury at 26th and Cal on a murder case, so her voice was rushed. âJesus, Iâm glad you called,â she said.
Normally, Maggie Bristol would not have answered her phone right before the start of a criminal trial, even if she was curious about the motion Iâd handled for her. But she knew I was nervous to appear in courtâsomething I used to do with such regularity the experience would have barely registered. She was answering, I thought, to see how I was doing.
