A Hard Bargain

Book excerpt: A burned-out attorney investigates a strange small-town suicide in this mystery from the author of The Good Fight. Laura Di Palma’s days as a high-profile San Francisco lawyer are behind her. Four hundred miles north of the city in her peaceful hometown, she now spends her days hiking in the woods and helping her lover cope with his war injuries. But their retreat is soon interrupted by a private detective—Laura’s former flame—who’s looking for help with his disturbing new case . . . Karen McGuin was a troubled woman. Her husband, Ted, claims that, after her first suicide attempt, he’d leave a loaded gun in front of her every day to force her to choose life. But one day she finally chose the gun. Now Karen’s family wants Ted charged with murder. As Laura examines Karen’s past, she’s forced to question the status of her own life. But self-reflection quickly takes a backseat after Ted almost dies in an explosion. Suspicious of foul play, Laura knows she must uncover the truth before a killer strikes again . . . “Matera skillfully weaves Laura’s dissatisfaction with her own circumstances into the investigation of Karen’s death, taking a thought-provoking look at the dangers in relationships that grow too close.” —Publishers Weekly “[A] welcome respite from the mystery-by-formula crowd.” —Kirkus Reviews