Mean Streak - Carolyn Wheat

In the highest-profile case of her career, Cass defends her ex-lover in federal court in this Edgar Award–nominated legal thriller

It's hard not to be charmed by Matt Riordan. Ruggedly handsome, with a sharp wit and a voice like Belgian chocolate, he could woo any jury. His clients may be mobsters, but Riordan never seems to have any trouble winning sympathy for them. That charisma worked on Cass Jameson, too, even though she should have been smart enough to know better. A hard-boiled defense attorney who's made a living going toe to toe with the meanest bastards in Brooklyn, Cass nevertheless fell for the Riordan charm—right until he broke her heart.

Not long after Riordan runs out on her, Cass sees his smiling face on the cover of New York magazine. The most powerful defense attorney in New York has been accused of taking bribes, and he needs Cass to keep him out of jail. When one of Riordan's most vicious clients gets involved in the case, a smile won't be enough to keep him alive.