Law of Attraction: A Novel [Hardcover]

Allison Leotta (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 12, 2010

As a newly minted Assistant U.S. Attorney in Washington, D.C., Anna Curtis has already developed thick skin to deal with the brutality she encounters with her daily stack of domestic violence cases. Yet when Laprea Johnson walks into Anna’s life—battered by her boyfriend on the morning after Valentine’s Day—there’s something about this particular case that Anna can’t quite shake, something that reminds the prosecutor of her own troubled past.

At the trial, Laprea makes a last-minute reversal, lying on the witness stand to free her boy-friend. Shortly after he is freed, Anna is horrified to hear that Laprea’s body has been found in a trash heap. Hastily assigned to prosecute the murder case alongside intimidating chief homicide prosecutor Jack Bailey, Anna’s heart sinks when she learns that her own boyfriend, public defender Nick Wagner, is representing the accused.

Torn between bringing the killer to justice and saving her personal life, Anna makes a series of choices that jeopardizes her career, her relationships, and her very life as she uncovers the shocking truth behind the murder.

Weaving expert knowledge with deft storytelling, federal sex-crimes prosecutor and Harvard Law School graduate Allison Leotta takes readers on a thrilling ride through D.C.’s criminal justice system. From the back rooms of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the flirtations and machinations of Washington’s Ivy League lawyers to the struggles of its poorest citizens on the gritty streets of Anacostia, Law of Attraction is a gripping debut from an exciting new talent.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Leotta's solid suspense debut, Anna Curtis, an earnest but decidedly green Washington, D.C., assistant U.S. attorney, learns some unforgettable lessons about domestic abuse. The rookie prosecutor is dismayed when a client, Laprea Johnson, the battered girlfriend of ex-con D'marco Davis, who's charged with assaulting Laprea, recants her testimony in court, allowing D'marco, the father of Laprea's four-year-old twins, to go free. D'marco happens to be represented by Nick Wagner, a former Harvard Law classmate of Anna's who soon starts pursuing Anna romantically. When months later Laprea's lifeless, pregnant body turns up in the garbage dump behind D'marco's building, D'marco is charged with her murder. D.C. homicide chief Jack Bailey and Anna become friends as they prepare the case against D'marco, while Nick, who's lost Anna's affections, tries to win her back. Leotta, herself a D.C. sex crimes prosecutor, makes some smart observations about the conflicts legal eagles face in the pursuit of justice.
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Review

“This is a major debut, and Leotta is a female John Grisham." (The Providence Journal)

“With this riveting debut legal thriller, Leotta joins the big leagues with pros like Lisa Scottoline and Linda Fairstein. A vulnerable, tenacious heroine, surprising twists and turns, and equal parts romance and danger are a recipe for success. Readers will feverishly hope for a second book.” (Library Journal (starred review))

“[A] racy legal thriller . . . tackling a still-taboo subject.” (The Washington Post)

“A beautifully written and suspenseful debut, offering not only an inside look at crime and the courts in DC, but an exploration of the family dynamics that affect so much of who we are and what we do.” (Barbara Delinsky)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 279 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone; 1st edition (October 12, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1439193843
• ISBN-13: 978-1439193846
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #891,899 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

For twelve years, Allison Leotta was a federal prosecutor specializing in sex crimes and domestic violence in Washington, DC. She is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Michigan State University. She lives with her husband, Michael, and their two sons in Takoma Park, Maryland. "Law of Attraction" is her first novel. The sequel, "Discretion," will be released in July.

Allison also blogs about the TV show Law & Order: SVU -- what it gets right and wrong, from her perspective as a real sex-crimes prosecutor. The ABA has named her blog, The Prime-Time Crime Review, one of the best legal blogs in America. Check out her website, www.allisonleotta.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "Something happened to little girls that grew up watching their mothers being hit... It was a peculiar law of attraction." October 20, 2010

By Susan Tunis TOP 100 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Until reading Allison Leotta's novel, Law of Attraction, I'd forgotten just how much I enjoy legal thrillers. This debut is a pleasure from start to finish. The central character is Anna Curtis, a freshly-minted Assistant U. S. Attorney. Anna prosecutes misdemeanor domestic violence cases, and as the novel opens we witness the Laprea Johnson case from the first intake. Anna's opposing counsel for the trial is an old law school pal, Nick Wagner. Despite a strong attraction, Anna knows that she can't get involved with a public defender--and certainly not one she's up against! But after the unsatisfactory conclusion of the Johnson case, Anna and Nick's relationship changes. And it changes once more when they find themselves on opposing sides of the Johnson case for a second time.

While it is no doubt annoying for a novelist to be compared to her fictional creation, it is clear that Allison and Anna share more than a hair color. Allison Leotta also graduated Harvard Law and became an AUSA in Washington, DC. Her intimate familiarity with Anna's world really shows. She is unquestionably strongest when writing from Anna's POV, and somewhat weaker when channeling her inner city characters. At one point one of them claims, "All due respect, Ms. Curtis, but you don't know my life." `Nuff said. Still, Leotta manages to create some interesting and layered characters.

For a novice novelist, she does an excellent job with exposition, and really explains the ins and outs of what prosecutors are up against. The prose and dialogue are strong as well. It's not that the writing is particularly beautiful, but it isn't clunky either. It's just easy reading without being dumb. The pages fly by and there's a welcome vein of humor throughout the book to relieve the dark subject matter.

With any mystery or thriller, it's really the plot that makes or breaks the story. I basically figured the whole thing out about halfway through the novel. (I'm clever like that.) When, 50 pages later, the protagonist was thinking along the same lines as me, I realized that perhaps the novelist was more clever than I had given her credit for and had tossed a few red herrings into the mix. In the end, I did get some of it right, but there were a heck of a lot of surprises along the way. This is a fast-paced book, and if somehow the mystery doesn't keep you completely riveted, there's a good chance the romantic aspect will. Things get a bit steamy.

While Law of Attraction isn't going to win any literary awards, it was a terrifically entertaining debut and was more than enough to satisfy me. This is an author to watch. I'm looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent debut December 12, 2010

By N. Rogers VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

I did not see this ending coming. Allison Leotta's debut is not only entertaining, it also keeps you guessing. The story centers around a young prosecutor of domestic violence--something Anna gained far too much personal experience with at a young age. Assigned to Laprea's case, Anna is disappointed when Laprea lies on the stand to protect her abuser (and the father of her twins). The tale turns even more tragic when Laprea turns up dead shortly after another fight with D'marco, who had convinced her he was going to change. Since Anna's familiar with the case's background, she ends up assisting in the prosecution of the homicide. What seems like an easy win turns out not to be when a shocking revelation about the deceased comes from the autopsy. Every one of these twists kept me intrigued. Law of Attraction is an excellent mystery mixed with romance as Anna finds herself attracted to two attorneys on opposite sides of the case.

review copy

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Romance or Mystery? May 7, 2011

By D. H. Williams

Format:Hardcover

"The courthouse coffee was terrible, but the morning after Valentine's Day
was not time for a domestic violence prosecutor to go uncaffeinated."
This opening brings you right into the proceedings and delivers a compelling premise: Asst. U.S. Attorney Anna Curtis, domestic violence prosecutor, gets blindsided by her client, Laprea Johnson, who lies on the witness stand to free her boyfriend. Soon after Laprea is found dead and Anna's own boyfriend, public defender Nick Wagner, is representing the accused.
The subject of domestic violence is hard to deal with (and sometimes hard to read) on two levels - the violence itself (the descriptions are vivid) - and the worst kind of betrayal, danger at the hands of one you trust the most. Robert McKee - the Story Structure Guru - defines one of the most deeply affecting villainies as "evil disguised as good".
Anna is a smart, but somewhat naďve, new lawyer learning her way. She has to figure out whom to love, who to trust and how to balance work, the tedium of the "papering" process, politics and a real desire to help her clients, who frequently resist her efforts.
Leotta paints a detailed and warm portrait of the camaraderie and supportiveness of the women in the department and the challenge of finding someone who understands your world but won't take advantage of that knowledge. Sometimes the book also seems to be having trouble balancing out romance and the mystery. But one is left curious to know where Anna will go from here and with whom.