A D.C. socialite, Ashley has been accused of murdering a former cabinet official she blames for her father's suicide. Ashley approaches Frank to represent her and when he agrees, she promptly admits to murdering Raymond Garvey. Frank still agrees to defend her and then works several long shot angles, some of them pretty far-fetched, trying to keep the beautiful young woman out of jail. Halfway into the investigation, Frank realizes there may be some truth to his outlandish scenarios and that the government may be trying to hide something - something that may go back as far as the 1940's.

In Her Defense is not a typical courtroom thriller. Frank makes some outside guesses and gets lucky. He tests the judges and pushes the system more than once, knowing that he has nothing to lose and pretty sure that it will take a miracle to save Ashley from jail. Frank is an interesting character, teetering on the edge much of the time, but holding back enough to maintain the ability to come back if and when he's ready. Ashley does not assist as much with her own defense as might be expected and seems to have resigned herself to the events that have occurred. She is not a defendant readers will root for and the attraction between her and Frank never seems to be more than physical, though she professes it is.

The premise of the novel is intriguing and readers will find themselves reading on to see how Frank's wild hunches play out. What is missing is any amount of tension created by Frank's zeroing in on a government cover up. There is also never a sense that Ashley's knight in shining armor won't come through for her. Fans of courtroom thrillers will enjoy this complex case, but those looking for a high-drama mystery may be disappointed.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry