Stephanie Ann "Sam" McRae's busy, but orderly life as a Maryland lawyer takes a chaotic turn when two clients are accused of murder. A poor, black girl is accused of killing her mother. A young man suspected of embezzlement is accused of murdering his boss. The cases collide in a bizarre way involving girl gangs and computer pornography.
Sam ventures into the heart of DC's suburban ghettos to find answers. A maniacal killer who'll do anything to hide them stalks her. After a nearly disastrous confrontation, Sam must do business on the run. As the body count grows, Sam races to learn the truth and clear her clients before she becomes the next victim.
REVIEWS AND ENDORSEMENTS "LEAST WANTED is a brave, heartbreaking, and thrilling book with a complex plot that takes attorney Sam McRae on a dizzying tour of several circles of urban hell, against a backdrop of white-collar crime. I loved it, and I admire Mack for writing it without flinching or suggesting easy answers. It's a sequel that outdoes IDENTITY CRISIS and holds the promise of a great series." -- Timothy Hallinan, author of THE QUEEN OF PATPONG and CRASHED
"In LEAST WANTED, Debbi Mack serves up a solid mystery plot wired together with high octane suspense. Washington, DC attorney Sam McRae is smart, tough and dedicated, but her latest cases in LEAST WANTED push her to her limits. Defending two clients accused of murder, she finds herself dealing with girl gangs, pornography and crazed killers. For mystery and suspense, it’s Laura Lippman’s Tess Monaghan in Baltimore and Robert B. Parker’s Spenser in Boston, but Sam McRae is the woman to have at your back in Washington." -- Austin S. Camacho, author of the Hannibal Jones mystery series
"Sam McRae is back and as brash as ever, with a colorful cast, a relentless plot, and enough twists to leave you breathless. Debbi Mack has carved her own niche in the mystery pantheon." -- Scott Nicholson, author of DISINTEGRATION
"LEAST WANTED hooks you from the start and never lets go. A fascinating and absorbing mystery." -- Simon Wood, author of LOWLIFES
"Fast-paced and brimming with dark, twisting plot turns, LEAST WANTED will keep crime and mystery buffs off balance and guessing until the very end." -- J.T. Cummins, author of COBBLESTONES
"From its clever—and ironic—title to the carefully drawn characters ..., LEAST WANTED is a worthy sequel to Debbi Mack's first crime novel." -- Jeremiah Healy, author of THE ONLY GOOD LAWYER and A STAIN UPON THE ROBE
"Sam McRae is not your run of the mill attorney. She is a strong, intelligent, and fiercely committed advocate, who puts her life on the line in the pursuit of justice. Author Debbi Mack brings to the hardboiled genre, a fresh voice and direct writing style that gives this richly layered mystery a feeling of authenticity I found wholly compelling. The multifaceted plot grips the reader like a falcon's talons and never lets go." --Lawrence Kelter, bestselling author of The Stephanie Chalice Mystery Series
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Debbi Mack is the New York Times ebook bestselling author of the Sam McRae mystery series. She’s also published FIVE UNEASY PIECES, a short story collection that includes her Derringer Award–nominated story “The Right to Remain Silent.” Her short stories have appeared in various anthologies and publications, including SHAKEN: STORIES FOR JAPAN.
A former attorney, Debbi has also worked as a journalist, librarian, and freelance writer/researcher. She enjoys walking, cats, travel and movies.
This is one of the series starring the character of Maryland attorney Stephanie Ann "Sam" McRae. Sam is a hard-boiled, tough-gal lawyer who helps the downtrodden, and this book is a slam-bang action ride. In the classic vein, the book opens with the arrival of a troubled (and troubling) client. Sam starts off on a simple matter, and soon becomes entangled with a batch of baddies, bodies, bruises, and blood.
Sam's gritty background and determination enable her to go where others could and would not. She can navigate different worlds, from the street-hard gangbangers to the suited sharks of courtroom and boardroom.
Despite growing frustration and ever-increasing personal danger, Sam is determined to find out the truth, amidst a nest of deceit and depravity. Because she has to keep others safe, her moral code allows for lapses in strict legal conduct. And she admits she can't save the world and everyone in it, but she can try to help a few of those in need.
If you like your mysteries with a hard edge, and enjoy reading of the tribulations of tough lady lawyers, you'll want to meet Sam McRae.
Sam McRae is a lawyer with a full caseload. When she takes on a court appointed case for a troubled teen, she never expected how it would link up with another, seemingly unrelated case that she is working on. With the bodies piling up, and Sam's life on the line, she'll need to figure out how the cases are connected, and do it fast, before anyone else ends up dead. With an eye for legalese and detail, this book is a page-turning thriller. It doesn't show signs of letting up and the questions keep coming. With Sam working on roughly four or five cases at once, it's easy to see that she has a full case-load. The reader is kept up to speed on all of the cases. I did struggle with this one however. It was a good read, and it was intriguing. It had me guessing until the very end, but it just didn't wow me. I found that it was overly detailed with the other cases, and that detracted from the two main cases that she was working on. I also wished that we could have heard more about Tina's case at the beginning as her case was mentioned in the first few chapters, but then not again for another sixty to eighty pages as the embezzlement case took precedence. Regardless of my feelings towards that aspect, I have to admit that it was an interesting read. All in all, a true page-turning legal thriller. Even though it didn't wow me, it is sure to garner fans who enjoy reading the genre. I'll be interested to see what kind of trouble Sam gets into in her future cases.
I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
Least Wanted was my first introduction to Debbie Mack's writing. I read the book in a day, because the story kept me turning the pages. Sam McRae, an underdog herself, seems to be on a mission to save those who have little power to save themselves. I like her street smarts and her ability to show up in any crowd, and get the information she is looking for. Even though at times, I wanted more character development, this book held my attention until the very end. I liked the way several stories intertwined, keeping me on the edge of my seat until their connections were brought to light. Sam McRae is an attorney who can put up a good fight for her clients. I look forward to her next case.
Debbi In having a background in law, how do think that's influenced the perspective you write from in creating your crime stories? How close are they to what actually happens in the court room?
Hi Kelly,
Very few scenes in my books take place in court rooms. However, when they do, I try to remain faithful as possible to real life as I can without slowing the story down too much.
Usually, my stories show Sam McRae doing the legwork of an investigator. It's not entirely uncommon for real life attorneys to do fact-finding investigations. However, Sam is a very single-minded and stubborn character. And for purposes of creating greater suspense and dramatic tension in the story, Sam occasionally does much more and much riskier things than most real life attorneys would normally do.
This book is the sequel to my first novel Identity Crisis and I'm hoping to release the third book in the series, ALIEN SHORES, by around the end of the year.
Feel free to follow my progress and read my occasional thoughts on stuff on my blog at... Read more
I think it's safe to assume that Little D wasn't making his money in a legal fashion. He may have been selling drugs or weapons. He may also have been selling himself as a bodyguard. I liked Little D. He wasn't exactly a role model but he seemed to be a guy that was mainly focused on doing... Read more
I wasn't necessarily feeling lost before the reveal of the porn plot but I definitely felt like there was more going on than we were being told about. Once the porn angle was introduced, everything started to fall into place. I like the porn ring plot. It's something that I think exists in our... Read more
I'm not 100% clear on what you are asking if the girls were responsible for? I don't think they were responsible for Shanae's death, Greg's suicide or any of the other fallout from the videos. However, they were absolutely responsible for their participation in the videos. Nobody forced them... Read more
I think it's sad how many real life Shanae's are out there in the world. Turn on the news on any given night and you hear about people just like her. I work in a hospital that is in a neighborhood similar to the one described in Least Wanted. The horror stories I hear on any given day turn my... Read more
Questions from Readers for Debbi Mack
