Author: Marcia Clark
Genre: Mystery, legal thriller
Published on: April 20, 2011 by Mulholland Books
Los Angeles D.A. Rachel Knight is a tenacious, wise-cracking, and fiercely intelligent prosecutor in the city's most elite division. When her colleague, Jake, is found dead at a grisly crime scene, Rachel is shaken to the core. She must take over his toughest case: the assault of a young woman from a prominent family.
But she can't stop herself from digging deeper into Jake's death, a decision that exposes a world of power and violence and will have her risking her reputation--and her life--to find the truth.
With her tremendous expertise in the nuances of L.A. courts and crime, and with a vibrant ensemble cast of characters, Marcia Clark combines intimate detail, riotous humor, and visceral action in a debut thriller that marks the launch of a major new figure on the crime-writing scene.
I bought this book back when I had a taste for mysteries with female protagonists in law enforcement. Guilt by Association had really good reviews, so I got myself a copy. The main character is Rachel Knight, a prosecutor in the Special Trials division of the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office. When we meet her, Rachel’s been a DA for at least seven years. She recently transferred to Special Trials, her dream job. Rachel describes the position as highly demanding and time-consuming. She claims that’s what she finds attractive about it.
Rachel has two close friends in Special Trials. One is Jake Pahlmeyer, and the other is Toni. Early in the book, a burning building grabs Rachel’s attention in the evening. When Rachel gets there, she’s horrified to see a paramedic taking Jake away on a stretcher. A police lieutenant escorts Rachel home. There, she keeps Jake’s death to herself, hoping it's only a bad dream. But as one can expect, there’s no such luck. Jake is still dead next morning. This affects Rachel deeply. They were what she describes as office soulmates. Rachel and Jake knew nothing personal about each other, but they were otherwise inseparable.
After Jake’s death, his open cases are assigned to other deputies. Rachel gets the most important one, a date rape case. The father of the victim is a rich doctor from Beverly Hills. When Rachel discovers that subpar investigators are working the case, she replaces them. One of her choices is Bailey Keller, an LAPD detective. She’s also Rachel’s friend. The two meet the doctor, who declares he knows who raped his daughter. He expects them to close the case right away. Rachel and Bailey aren’t stupid enough to arrest anyone in a haste. They look at all angles to find the culprit.
Not long after, bad rumors start to get around about Jake. It comes as a shock for Rachel. The circumstances of his death are quite suspicious. Even though Rachel sees this, she refuses to believe the rumors. She’s not going to doubt her good friend. Although she has no jurisdiction in Jake’s murder case, Rachel mounts a secret investigation. It could jeopardize her career, but she’s willing to take the risk. Will it pay off? The more Rachel finds out about Jake’s murder, the more surprising the case becomes.
Another important character is Graden Hales. When he first appears, it doesn’t seem like he’ll have a big role. Graden appears to be just another gruff lieutenant. Then he’s made the IO in Jake’s murder case. Graden follows up with Rachel to make sure she’s all right. Their relationship grows slowly over the course of the book. It’s not bad timing for Rachel. She had a bad breakup months ago. Toni and Bailey had been itching for Rachel to get back in the dating scene. Rachel only tells them about Graden when she starts feeling serious about him. He and Rachel are not officially a couple yet, but it seems that’s where things are headed.
After finishing Guilt by Association, it’s clear that a lawyer wrote it. No one else could have got into Rachel Knight’s mind and make her who she is. Rachel is driven, fair, a little quirky, and passionate about her job. Bailey is a good partner for her. She’s stronger, more intimidating, and a better investigator. That’s not to say Rachel isn’t lacking in that area. They both slowly find clues and leads that bring them closer to the culprit. There’s one thing I didn’t like much about Rachel, though. She’s a fitness snob, which means she often orders unappealing food for lunch. Rachel invariably ends up picking at her friends’ tasty meals. It’d drive me crazy in real life.
As far as legal/mystery novels go, Guilt by Association is a winner. Although the main character is a big-shot prosecutor, this book isn’t a tedious read. A lot happens, and more things are connected than you expect. I wonder how Marcia Clark kept track of everything. Rachel Knight is now one of my favorite fictional female investigators. I’m definitely reading the next books in this series.
My rating: ★★★★ 1/2
4.5 stars - A fantastic page-turner!
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