Susan Patricia Baker

In the midst of a midlife crisis, lawyer Sandra Salinsky finds herself coerced into defending a ranch's Latina se ora, who has been accused in the shooting death of one of the rancher's twin daughters. Set in a small town deep in the Texas Hill Country, this murder mystery encompasses a jury trial wherein the defense team battles not only what they and the rancher - who is the defendant's best friend - feel is an unwarranted murder charge, but also the prejudice towards Hispanic people in their anglo community. Before the case is decided, Sandra and her lawyer mother sidekick will witness the ugly underbelly of white privilege as it exists in 21st century America.

What you don't know CAN hurt you. Frustrated with the two controlling men in her life, Dena Barlow Armstrong has outlined a rosy future for herself and her children, independent of them. Her husband, Zack, constantly pushes her to turn over her inheritance to him, and when she doesn't, he punishes her with his indifference. Her law partner and cousin, Lucas, controls her money and the types of cases she accepts. Just as Dena begins to achieve her goal of independence, someone emerges with very different plans for her. Unaware of the danger she faces, Dena lives each day as a wife, mother, and attorney. Then one day, when her husband is out of town, the stranger lurks in her garage, waiting until she and the children go to bed... This standalone novel is Susan P. Baker's sixth mystery/suspense novel. Buy a copy today and find out if this young lawyer and her children survive.

FINALIST for Writer's League of Texas Violet Crown Award"Baker has crafted a refreshingly straightforward whodunit. Multiple sleuths on parallel tracks, one breezy, one brassy, add spice." Kirkus Reviews (Kirkus Review 20050201)"... This entertaining legal thriller grips the reader..." I Love A Mystery Newsletter. Criminal defense attorney Sandra Salinsky is hired to defend the killer of plaintiffs' attorney Phillip Parker. Salinsky and her mother, Erma Townley, not only are law partners but often sparing partners. Since the decedent was Salinsky's mother's best friend, the case becomes more complicated than it first appears. Although the defendant claims she's innocent, Sandra soon learns that she had millions of reasons to kill Parker, and not all of them were about money. To make matters worse, Edgar Saul, the prosecutor from hell, is assigned to the case. Sandra and Erma put their heads together to try to figure out who really killed Parker, but it seems everyone has a different story of the events on the night of the murder. One thing is certain, someone stole the victim's watch and ring, which could turn a murder into a capital murder, a death penalty offense. Sandra has to find the real killer before her client is indicted and put to trial for capital murder. Before the case is over, Sandra risks everything to solve a crime that leads into the very pillars of Galveston society and puts herself in danger to capture a killer who will take no chances in making her the next victim.