By Alafair Burke
Henry Holt & Co.
Hardcover and Paperback Editions

Due to the recent death of the former supervisor, a domino effect of promotions has placed Deputy District Attorney Samantha Kincaid in the Major Crimes Unit. She’s just returned from a much-needed vacation following her last case with the Drug and Vice Division, which ended with a few dead bodies lying around her home.

Samantha’s first case involves missing Administrative Law Judge Clarissa Easterbrook. It initially seems to be as simple as babysitting until the judge shows back up.

Missing Justice Excerpt “Don’t forget, I’ve worked for that office too. You’ve got to stop butting heads, or you’re in for a world of hurt.“ People feel perfectly free to lecture me about butting heads, but who scolds the buttheads? Maybe Lesh could bend the will of jerks like Coakley through charm and personality, but I’ve found those kind of people will run me over if I don’t stand up for myself. I still loved Lesh, but until he walked a mile in my Ferragamos, he didn’t have a clue as to what my job was like. © Jill Churchill Published with permission from William Morrow

When the body is recovered instead, Samantha’s in for more work than she bargained for. The distraught husband would normally be the key suspect, but the investigation turns the authorities elsewhere.

The evidence seems clear enough and the case appears to be open-and-shut. Samantha, however, gets some information that doesn’t quite click and her plucky determination dictates she dig deeper...even if it’s not what the boss wants.

Finding out the truth will effect more than just the outcome of the case. It will also reveal a secret that’s been kept for several years within Samantha’s own family...a secret that proves Clarissa’s murder to be anything but routine and once again puts Samantha’s own life in jeopardy.

Bookworm's Briefing
Missing Justice is a compelling novel of murder, lies and dangerous hidden objectives that span decades. Samantha Kincaid is a no-holds-barred investigative attorney who shows the fiction world what a strong woman can do.

The romantic cliché of a crime novel’s heroine dating a policeman can be forgiven thanks to the unique aspect of the mystery remaining a mystery, even to the reader. It is rare and refreshing to experience a “whodunit” that doesn’t give the answer away long before the ending, thereby detracting from the reader’s suspense. Alafair Burke has created a character that should prove to become a long-standing member of the crime-solving club.