Guilt by Association

Late last year I was informed over a lovely chilled glass of wine that Marcia Clark, famed for her role in prosecuting OJ Simpson in his 1995 murder trial, had signed a two book deal with Mulholland Books – an up and coming sister publishing arm of Hodder books in the UK (Little, Brown and Company in the US) – and for one who avidly followed the case – like millions around the world – I welcomed the news with a great and eager anticipation.

When I began reading Guilt by Association by the former Deputy District Attorney, I wondered if I would be reminded of the OJ case in some way but any similarity stops with Marcia’s name. For months the media arguably reported the case with a bias for the defence – partly down I’m sure to the enigmatic Johnnie Cochran – who sadly passed away in 2005 from a brain tumour (he took over lead in the case from Robert Shapiro) – and OJ Simpson himself, a television personality who had spin on his side.

Marcia’s first bestselling book Without a Doubt, co-written by Teresa Carpenter, takes a look at the OJ Simpson trial and the mistakes that were made.

In Guilt by Association however the story is told in the first person narrative by Marcia’s heroine Deputy District Attorney Rachel Knight, a confident and ballsy professional, going some ways to re address the one sided reporting sixteen years ago.

A Deputy DA specialising in high-profile cases, Rachel Knight is addicted to her work and fiercely loyal to her friends. But when her colleague Jake is found dead in a seedy Los Angeles hotel room next to the body of a teenage male prostitute, Rachel realises she might not know those around her as well as she thinks.

The police want to write off Jake’s death as a straightforward murder/suicide. Rachel doesn’t believe it’s that simple. Warned off the case but determined to track down her friend’s killer, the investigation takes her through the dark and tangled city from its wealthy suburbs to its seamy downtown heart.

Given that the book introduces us to Rachel Knight, it will come as no surprise that we get to learn a lot about the Deputy DA – she struggles to maintain her weight, she has relationship issues, loves pretzels and she doesn’t like wearing a bullet proof vest!  – And did I mention she lives at the Biltmore hotel on a permanent basis? I mean no washing up and cooking – what’s not to love about that arrangement!

It had seemed like a good idea at the time. Less so now, the morning after. I had a jittery, buzzy kind of hangover that told me this was going to be a really special day. I groaned as I got out of bed and crept into the shower. Somewhat revived, I called room service and ordered my usual pot of coffee and 2 percent milk, but this time I decided to treat myself to some real food—scrambled eggs and a bagel—instead of my usual egg whites and stewed tomatoes. Screw the diet; I needed some comfort food.

The narrative is slick and well thought out with a number of small twists to keep you entertained until the final scenes play out. There’s no doubt Clark knows the ins and outs of the criminal justice system but it was the brief gang related interludes that surprised me – authentic street language and dialogue,  used sparingly, certainly added a certain realistic charm to downtown Los Angeles.

Characterisation is very well presented. I thoroughly enjoyed the small and tight female clique of Rachel, fellow lawyer Toni and LAPD cop Bailey Keller. The three women play off each other throughout and I have to say this was one of the highlights for me. Whenever the three met, the underlying humour played a big part of the conversation and Rachel’s disgust at Bailey’s love – and enjoyment – for chocolate muffins a delight to behold!

Another interesting angle to the book was the way it read like an informative behind the scenes look at how Deputy DA’s approach a case, how they interact with criminals, how they try to charm a judge and investigate a crime with field work. I really hadn’t thought about this side of things – I assumed information was given by the case officer and the lawyer would present the case. I couldn’t be more wrong! It certainly shows the enormous amount of work required to prosecute and gain a positive result.

With an a assured fictional authorial debut, Guilt by Association introduces us to Marcia Clark’s leading lady Rachel Knight and I certainly see no reason why this charming, dedicated and driven character can’t go from strength to strength in future novels – A highly enjoyable and accomplished crime thriller that shows a great deal of promise and longevity. Although no longer actively walking the halls of the criminal justice system in America, Marcia Clark lives on in Rachel Knight – and then some!

Published by Mulholland Books Guilt by Association is available in the UK and US