Guilt by Degrees

I saw the name Marsha Clark and decided to try out the book. I had read her book "Without A Doubt" about her role as ADA in the O. J. Simpson trial. The story was interesting enough but what did not ring true to me was that ADA Knight was going around each day with the detective Baily investigating the case. In real life I do not think an ADA would have the time do play investigator. I would have prefer to have court room drama instead of a detective story. January LaVoy did a good job with the narration. Other than the above comment the story was interesting and had some twist and turn of interest. The ending appears to be setting up for another book.

A narrow minded twenty-something.

The opening scene murder

Yes

I would have rejected it for publishing

The author has good plot ideas but needs to go to character development school. The characters are naive, immature, and shallow.

Interesting Story with Twist

When the name of the "homeless" man was at last identified

When Rachael finnally ate something she wanted (Fried Chicken)

I felt the chills up and down my spine when Rachel sensed she was being watched and decided to ride with Daniel after all. I kept saying to myself, don't walk home, don't walk home, ride with Daniel, ride with Daniel

Hope to enjoy many more books from Marcia

This is the second in Marcia Clark’s Rachel Knight series. Rachel, an assistant D.A., is waiting in court for a bail hearing when she sees an extremely ineffective D.A. from her office totally screw up a bail hearing for a client. She jumps in after the fact and offers to appeal for the defendant. She earns the ire of this incompetent but cunning Assistant D.A. The murder involved what appeared to be a homeless man and no one was much interested, but she and her cohort, Lieutenant Bailey Keller find evidence that the person being held for the murder didn’t do it and have the charges dismissed. They also find out that the so-called homeless man is the brother of a LAPD police detective who had been murdered two years previously. His wife had been tried for the murder and the jury found her not guilty. And now his brother had been murdered as well. Suddenly the case has more importance. Rachel and Bailie keep doggedly investigating to determine the truth of who killed both brothers. These books have a good deal of witty commentary between Bailie and Rachel, and the tension is maintained throughout the book. The narrator does a very good job of portraying especially the two women, but others as well.