Prior Convictions

A New York Times Notable Book: Sour parents, a sleazy ex, '70s radicalism, and murder spoil a California lawyer's homecoming in this mystery by the author of Hidden Agenda.Working in the LA office of a Wall Street law firm, attorney Willa Jansson was drowning in bankruptcy codes and mourning the loss of her love life. But now, after almost a year in that purgatory of dull men in thousand-dollar suits, she's landed a new position clerking for a federal judge back in her hometown of San Francisco.Driving up the coast, Willa should feel happy about her chance for a fresh startexcept her hippie mother's still upset with her for becoming a corporate sellout, her despicable ex needs her to do a favor for his new girlfriend, and her new boss is getting hate mail about her. Plus, she's not even sure she wants to be a lawyer anymore.But when a murderer strikes, Willa is forced to set aside her self-reflection and dig into the victim's past, one full of lies, betrayal, and a few people holding grudges worth killing for...Praise for the Willa Jansson Mysteries';One of the most articulate and surely the wittiest of women sleuths at large in the genre.' The New York Times Book Review';Almost every paragraph is eminently quotable.' The Plain Dealer ';Blessed with pungent prose, an affecting, funny, realistic heroine/detective and pressing moral and emotional issues.' San Francisco Chronicle