BOOK REVIEW: DISCRETION BY ALLISON LEOTTA

Title: Discretion

Author: Allison Leotta

Genre: Mystery, thriller

Published on: July 3, 2012 by Gallery Books

For fans of Lisa Scottoline and Law and Order: SVU, former federal sex-crimes prosecutor Allison Leotta’s novel explores the intersection of sex and power as Anna Curtis investigates the murder of one of DC’s highest-paid escorts.

When a beautiful young woman plummets to her death from the balcony of the U.S. Capitol, Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Curtis is summoned to the scene. The evidence points to a sexual assault and murder. The victim is one of the city’s highest-paid escorts. And the balcony belongs to Washington, D.C.’s sole representative to Congress, the most powerful figure in city politics.

The Congressman proclaims his innocence, but he’s in the middle of a tough primary fight, and the scandal could cost him the election. For Anna, the high-profile case is an opportunity. But as the political stakes rise, she realizes that a single mistake could end her career.

At the same time, her budding romance with Jack Bailey, the chief homicide prosecutor, is at a crossroads. Determined to gain respect in the office, Anna wants to keep their relationship under wraps. But the mounting pressure and media attention that come with the office’s most important case will inevitably expose their relationship—if it doesn’t destroy it first.

The investigation leads Anna to Discretion, a high-end escort service that caters to D.C.’s elite. But with each break in the case, the mystery deepens. And the further Anna ventures into D.C.’s red-light underworld, the larger the target on her own back.

From the secret social clubs where Washington’s most powerful men escape from public view to the asphalt “track” where the city’s most vulnerable women work the streets, Discretion is a gripping exploration of sex, power, and the secrets we all keep.

 

There are novels that meet your expectations, and others that exceed them. For me, Discretion was the latter. This is the second entry in a legal thriller series. The protagonist is Anna Curtis, an Assistant U.S. Attorney from D.C. She’s still within her first three years in the job. Anna has already handled a big case in Law of Attraction. It came with an almost-scandal that nearly derailed her career. Luckily, her position is secure after solving the case. Anna’s now been transferred to a better office, and it’s all hers. She used to share her old one with a fellow attorney/friend.

Anna’s next case begins in dramatic fashion. A beautiful woman fell to her death from a balcony at the U.S. Capitol. One of the building's security officers witnessed this tragedy. Anna’s boss, Carla, compels her to get to the Capitol as soon as possible. She’s hoping to snatch the investigation from Jack Bailey, the head of the USAO’s Homicide section. Carla leads the other section, Sex Crimes. Anna and Jack end up arriving at the scene at the same time. They act friendly while in public, as the two have been in a relationship since the end of Law of Attraction.

The balcony that the woman fell from leads to the office of Congressman Emmett Lionel. He’s held his seat for decades now. As Lionel is soon up for reelection, the accident couldn’t have come at a worse time. To complicate things, Anna, Jack, and the police can’t simply search Lionel’s office. The book reveals there’s something called the Speech or Debate Clause. It’s meant to protect legislators from Executive Branch interference, which includes police searches of a congressman’s office. Anna is aware of this, and thinks it wise to get a judge’s approval to begin a search.

Apart from the USAO, the FBI is also involved in the dead woman’s case. Special Agent Samantha Randazzo is the one who works alongside Anna and Jack in this book. She’s a seasoned Italian agent who likes doing things her own way. Samantha doesn’t approve of Anna’s cautiousness, even when Jack commends her for it. Sam’s reasoning is that Lionel could remove potential evidence while the cops wait for the green light to search his office. Sam is an honest, righteous agent despite her impatience, though. Seeing how Anna and Sam’s relationship develops throughout Discretion is one of the better parts of the book.

Whereas some mystery books reveal who the main antagonist is, Discretion isn’t one of them. “Who did it” is only identified near the end of the book. This is a person who prides themselves on their intelligence. The antagonist is in a position of power. While they’re good at their job, this person seems content to remain in the background rather than be, say, a governor or congressman. I’ve come across a few main antagonists like this, people who believe themselves too cunning to be caught by the authorities. As usual, this person is also wrong.

Even after reading the next entries in this series, Discretion remains my favorite. There's suspense, an expertly plotted mystery, and compelling characters. The romance subplot is also solid. I like where things are going with Jack and Anna. They seem like they are made for each other. The two may work at the same place, but I don't think that automatically dooms them. They're both extremely busy lawyers, so where else would they find someone? Another thing I liked about Discretion is Anna's investigative skills. While it's primarily Agent Randazzo's job to find the culprit, I think prosecutors should know at least a little about investigating. It supplements their skills, and for fictional prosecutors, it makes the story more fun. Discretion left almost nothing to complain about. I strongly recommend it to legal thriller fans.

My rating: ★★★★ 1/2

4.5 stars - A fantastic page-turner!