The Least Among Us
A Novel
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- $22.99
Publisher Description
Searing social commentary meets chilling suspense as public defender Julia Geary takes a case destined to rock her small town to the core, for fans of John Lescroart.
Public defender Julia Geary’s star is rising, and now she’s got her first murder case defending local denizen Ray Belmar in the death of a homeless man. But Julia’s professional and personal challenges are mounting. First, she’s assigned an intern whose arrogance is insufferable. Then, her widowed mother-in-law, whose home Julia and her son Calvin share, announces her plans to re-marry, meaning they’ll have to find a new place to live. And to top things off, Julia’s boss removes her from the case, saying that she’s lost perspective, replacing her with an attorney who advises Ray to plead guilty.
Julia can’t shake the suspicion that the murder, and the subsequent killing of a homeless woman, is linked to the death of a state legislator who had been crusading for political reform. With the help of Duck Creek’s homeless community and her old friend, Sheriff’s Deputy Wayne Peterson, she launches her investigation—but then the anonymous threats start pouring in.
Just as Julia begins to uncover the ways the system is shockingly stacked against those on the fringes of society, she makes an even more damning discovery. Someone close to her is harboring a dark secret they are desperate to protect—even if that means silencing Julia once and for all.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Florio's solid sequel to 2021's The Truth of It All finds public defender Julia Geary, who works in the small community of Duck Creek in an unspecified state, dealing with a good deal of personal and professional stress. For starters, her lover, Dom Parrish, is faced with the prospect of losing custody of his teenage daughter after the girl walked in on Julia and Dom having sex, a possibility that threatens the couple's relationship. Meanwhile, Julia's excited by her first murder case. Ray Belmar has been charged with bashing in the head of theater owner William Williams, but Julia's convinced that Ray was too drunk to have carried out the murder. When the case is reassigned, a frustrated Julia decides to investigate on her own. She finds a potential link between Williams and a state legislator whose recent overdose death was considered either accidental or intentional. Logical plot twists that keep the reader engaged more than make up for a contrivance at the climax. Fans of John Lescroart's Dismas Hardy series will be pleased.
