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his dead-on convincing thriller about a woman law enforcer's fevered pursuit of a criminal abounds with the authenticity Nancy Taylor Rosenberg brings to it. A former police investigator, she offers intimate knowledge of how crime and punishment really work - on both sides of the law.

Set in the crowded courts, high-speed thruways, and glamorous suburbs of Southern California, this compulsively readable novel tells the story of Lily Forrester, a feisty, dedicated Assistant District Attorney on the rise in her professional career, and on the brink in her private life. Newly appointed as Chief of the Sex Crimes Division, she is eager to plunge into a job she has long coveted. At the same time she is coping with a foundering marriage and the lure of a man to whom she is strongly attracted.

All that keeps Lily's marriage together and stops her from losing herself entirely in work is her quirky thirteen-year-old daughter, Shana. But when an intruder invades their home and commits an unspeakable crime, Lily Forrester heads out on a trail of vengeance beyond any law but that of her own rage. And with one shattering act, her life spins out of control into a realm of unimaginable uncertainty. Suddenly, she is agonizingly alone, with a circle of danger closing in around her, leaving her nowhere to run, no place to hide, and no one to trust. For Lily Forrester has already gone too far to turn back.

Mitigating Circumstances is a novel that blends riveting suspense with an irresistible insider's look at the shifting dynamics between cops and killers, prosecutors and defenders, law and order. Expertly crafted and intricately plotted with characters who are vivid and emotionally complex, this edge-of-the-seat psychological spellbinder gives testimony to an extraordinary talent.

First two pages of Mitigating Circumstances:

 

nside the windowless courtroom, a man awaited sentencing for murder. There were no reporters and no spectators. His victim had been a rival gang member. The female prosecutor’s voice echoed in the empty courtroom as she made her closing argument. “Your Honor, the people feel the maximum sentence in this case is both appropriate and justified. The defendant has a lengthy criminal history, a prior offense for assault with a deadly weapon, and by his own words he’s demonstrated his callous disregard for human life.” As she started shuffling papers on the counsel table, the air conditioner emitted a loud noise and died. “I read from the probation report: ‘After you stabbed him once, you then proceeded to stab him three more times?’ The defendant’s reply: ‘He took a licking and kept on ticking.’” She paused. “Your Honor, this was a human life, not a Timex watch.”

At the defense table, the defendant snickered, cupping his hands over his mouth life a child. The public defender shot him a look of utter disgust, and he sat up in the seat, solemn and alert. The judge glared at the man, peering over the top of his glasses.

The prosecutor opened her mouth to continue , then stopped and removed her jacket. In minutes she would be dripping wet. “It’s the people’s position that the defendant be sentenced to the California Department of Corrections for the term of twelve years to life; that the enhancement for the use of the weapon, as well as the prior offense, be served consecutively for a total term of nineteen years to life. There are no mitigating circumstances in this case.” She dropped into her chair. The air was heavy and still; perspiration trickled between her breasts. Her mind began drifting to other cases. “Young man,” the judge said after the imposition of sentence, “if the law allowed it, I would sentence you to prison for the remainder of your life. You’re a blight on the face of the earth.” With that, the gavel came down, the prisoner was remanded, and the hearing over. Even with the maximum sentence, he would be eligible for parole in less than ten years. She grabbed the heavy case file and headed for the exit, the public defender right behind her. “So, we’re not going to have to contend with you in the courtroom much longer,” he said, referring to her recent promotion. “Gosh, that’s a shame, Lily.” They hit the double doors and he followed her down the hall. “That little snicker probably cost your client five additional years in the slammer. He could have served the five for the prior concurrently,” she snapped. “You need to keep your animals under control.” “Right, Forrester, right.” She was buzzed through the security doors, leaving the public defender standing there shaking his head.

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