Book description
Hannah Dain, a skilled business lawyer, is on the verge of leaving her
family's law firm for a better job. But her plan is derailed when a real
estate deal she's put together suddenly goes bad. Two million dollars of
investors' money has disappeared. If the mistake was Hannah's, her firm
is on the hook for the whole amount. Career on the line, Hannah decides
to investigate- despite a disapproving father and antagonistic older
sister. Having long ago abandoned efforts to heal the family rift,
Hannah now enjoys her separate existence, whether drafting a complex IPO
or bicycling miles through the hot Arizona desert. Although she
exonerates the firm, a car bomb and two murders thwart the police's
identification of the culprit behind the scheme. At work on a new deal,
Hannah is assisted by Cooper Smith, the firm's computer consultant and
her former lover. Compelled to dig deep for key information, Hannah
uncovers a greater threat all too close to home. Only by exposing
long-buried family secrets can she save her reputation, her law firm-and
her life. Pinnacle Peak, a small Arizona desert town, provides the
setting for this corporate crime novel. Business lawyer Hannah Dain, who
joined the family firm after law school, has had it with her cold father
and antagonistic sister. But just as she is poised to accept a lucrative
job in Boston, a glitch in a routine IP0 derails her plans. Hannah's
alleged mistake could cost the firm million in damages-and does nothing
to improve her relationship with her father and sister. Although she
proves that the IP0 mistake was not hers, Hannah opens a can of worms
that will ultimately place her life in danger. As she and the police try
to identify who is behind the plan to discredit Dain & Dain, a
colleague who knew too much is murdered. Although the plot is at times
predictable of course, someone will fall into that open mine shaft-
Phelan creates appealing characters and paints a vivid portrait of the
Arizona desert. A nice alternative for legal-thriller fans tired of the
Grisham high-concept steamroller. Twist Phelan received her
undergraduate and law degrees from Stanford University. A retired trial
lawyer, she enjoys world travel and endurance athletics. Her research
for False Fortune included outrigger racing in Australia and surf-ski
paddling in Hawaii.
