Tracy Dunham, Wishful Sinful

Wishful Sinful

Tracy Dunham

Berkley, Sept 2004, $6.50, 304 pp.

ISBN 0425198871

Two years ago Tal Jefferson was a high-powered attorney at an influential law firm where she made partner. Her life fell apart when the court appointed her to defend Parnell Moses, but she lost the case because she didn't prepare properly for her day in court. She stood by him through the appeal process but in the end he gave up and eventually was put to death by lethal injection. Unable to live with the guilt, she returned to her hometown of Wynnton, Georgia.

She drank herself into oblivion and spent her few sober hours fixing up her grandmother's house until the local judge appointed her to represent Crystal Walker who is accused of killing her ex-lover because he stopped paying her utilities and electric bills. Crystal is prepared to go to jail for life as long as her daughter Desiree is safe, but Tal is not about to make the same mistake twice and is prepared to give her client a more then even chance of being acquitted.

This is Tracy Durham's debut novel and she strikes a home run her first time at bat. The protagonist is endearing and underneath the surface layer of self-pity she is a steel magnolia, leaving no stone unturned in her quest to see her client freed. WISHFUL SINFUL is a charming regional mystery that provides insight into the good ole boy network while showcasing Ms. Dunham's talent. This is a must-read for lovers of new and good mystery series.

Harriet Klausner