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    Law of Attraction: A Novel
    Law of Attraction: A Novel
    Law of Attraction: A Novel
    Audiobook10 hours

    Law of Attraction: A Novel

    Written by Allison Leotta

    Narrated by Tavia Gilbert

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    About this audiobook

    As a newly minted assistant U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., Anna Curtis has already developed a thick skin to help her deal with the unsettling brutality she encounters daily with her overflowing 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 boyfriend. Shortly after he is freed, Anna is horrified to hear the news that Laprea's body has been found in a trash heap. Hastily assigned to prosecute the murder case alongside the handsome and intimidating chief homicide prosecutor, Jack Bailey, Anna finds herself trapped in a difficult situation when she discovers that her boyfriend, public defender Nick Wagner, plans to sit across from her in the courtroom representing Laprea's boyfriend and suspected murderer.

    Caught between seeking justice for Laprea and saving her personal life, Anna makes a series of choices that jeopardize her career, her relationships, and her very life as she uncovers the shocking truth behind the murder.

    Taking listeners on a thrilling ride through D.C.'s criminal justice system, from the back rooms of the U.S. attorney's office to the gritty streets of Anacostia, Law of Attraction is a gripping debut-sure to appeal to suspense and romance readers alike-from an exciting new talent.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateOct 12, 2010
    ISBN9781400188802
    Author

    Allison Leotta

    Allison Leotta was a federal sex-crimes prosecutor in Washington, DC, for twelve years. In 2011, she left the Justice Department to pursue writing full time. She is the acclaimed author of Law of Attraction, Discretion, Speak of the Devil, A Good Killing, and The Last Good Girl and founder of the award-winning blog, The Prime-Time Crime Review. Leotta lives with her husband, Michael, and their two sons outside of Washington, DC. Visit her online at AllisonLeotta.com.

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    Reviews for Law of Attraction

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    • 5/5
      Absolutely stunning! I can’t wait to read the next books in the series!!!
    • 4/5
      This was a pretty good story with some decent twists and turns. The reader is excellent.
    • 4/5
      I'm not sure I liked the main character all that much, but I did really enjoy the story. Okay actually no, I did more or less like Anna right up until the backstory is revealed. Her and her younger sister were hiding while their father beat their mother up and she wanted it to stop and she panicked and pushed her little sister in front of the father's belt and her face got cut up. It was the push the mum needed to press charges. Frankly I lost respect for her after that. I know people do stupid things but up until that point I assumed she'd murdered the father or something. Or let the mother be beaten. Or accidentally managed to knife the sister while trying to protect them all. Not push her sister out of their hiding place. I get being scared and panicking but I'd be doing everything I could to protect my little sister in that situation, so I was horrified by what she did. On the other hand I never liked Nick. I didn't understand the attraction and I certainly didn't understand why she bothers to date him at all once she hears him say to Laprea that he was sorry and that he'd talk to D'marco. I mean wtf? I wasn't sure I liked him prior to that, but I definitely didn't like him after. I don't know, all the romances were weird in this book. Probably would've been better without it. I did like Jack though and I liked how that progressed but it was overshadowed by her relationship with Nick. The actual legal side of things was interesting though. I liked how it unfolded and I definitely didn't see the twist coming. I liked Laprea and how her points of view were shown, it added to the story and made me feel all the worse for her because she really was just trying her best to provide for her children.I wavered over the stars but for all my complaining about the romance it was a pretty enjoyable read. 4 stars.
    • 5/5
      A very good book. Finished it in one day.
    • 5/5
      This book is amazing! I loved it. So many twists and turns. Keeps you on the edge of your seat. The book is written so that you actually feel like you know the characters. The romance in the book is breathtaking and not forseen at all. All I can do is sit and hope that this author will become a regular author writting books on the constant!
    • 4/5
      This is a legal procedural set in Washington, D.C., about Anna Curtis, an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the US. Attorney’s Office, a job the author has done in real life. Also like Anna, the author worked for a while in the misdemeanor domestic violence division. According to her interviews, the stories she encountered at work both inspired and horrified her, and she wanted to share them in the form of a novel. Why fiction? She said:"In fiction, your characters can do all these things that you couldn’t do as a lawyer — they can run amok and do fun, crazy things that you never could do without getting into trouble."The protagonist, Anna Curtis, gets in plenty of trouble. Having been brought up herself in an environment of domestic violence, she finds herself repeatedly attracted to “bad boys,” but like many of the women she represents, she just can’t see it. When her latest client ends up killed by her battering boyfriend however, Anna vows not only to avenge her dead client, but to straighten up her own life as well. Both goals turn out to be more difficult than she imagined.Evaluation: This is Leotta’s first book, and one can detect a little unevenness in the execution. When she is on her familiar turf in the courthouse, her writing has an easy flow and expertise. Romantic scenes are occasionally awkward – but it could just be me. Personally, I can't imagine that if I had just had a near death experience and was being hugged, that I would think to myself, “His muscular pecs rose and fell as he breathed.” I also found the exposé scene of the turns-out-to-be-bad guy a bit over the top, but again, what do I know? Leotta actually deals with a lot of bad guys; maybe being on the psychological edge makes these guys a bit apt to jump the shark.These are just little moments in the book, however. Overall it is an entertaining reading experience. Would I read a follow-up book involving Anna Curtis? But of course!
    • 4/5
      I'm pretty sure I've mentioned before that I find TV procedurals soothing (depending upon my state of mind, numbing might be a better description). A crime is committed, it is investigated, and it is brought to trial. Solved is a relative term. I've found it odd that when I need that type of calmness in my evenings that I don't more often turn to procedurals in print. So, I accepted a copy of Law of Attraction as a kind of experiment. Do procedural novels have a similar affect on me as television? In the end, I didn't get the type of answer I had been anticipating.Anna Curtis is a relatively new prosecutor at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C. She's assigned to work domestic violence cases. The day after Valentine's Day, she begins working with Laprea Johnson, a young woman who is repeatedly battered by her boyfriend and the father of her preschool aged twins. Laprea's story quickly finds a way into her heart, just like the public defender charged with serving Laprea's boyfriend, Nick Wagner. The outcome and aftermath of Laprea's domestic violence case has a drastic impact on Anna's personal and professional life. She'll earn more than just her stripes as a prosecutor before the case is closed.Nearly as soon as I picked up the book, I fell in love with Anna. Her work with Laprea's case didn't sooth me into sleepiness. It engaged me. I cared about Laprea because Anna did. Her desire to live up to her promises no matter what it cost her personally made this book so interesting. As a green prosecutor, Anna's trying to make her way. Where her devotion and her learning curve collided were believable. It was when she was at her most lovable.Given Anna's place in her career, it made sense that she was likewise maturing in her personal life. There were no fewer complications there, but the sources of her strife handsome problems to have. With Nick as a public defender, there were sure to be sparks flying. It also lead to what must be a pet peeve of mine - questioning the integrity of those who work with defendants. The number of times Anna either had the "how can you defend those people?" argument with Nick or in her head was the only thing that needled me in this book. I keep thinking about how easy it is for those who don't have to deal with life's dirty work such as defend violent criminals or execute death row inmates to call into question those who do. We need everyone to keep society running and there can be immoral and corrupt people on either side. It's more about motivation than occupation.I really loved Allison Leotta's debut novel. I've looked on her website and others in hopes of seeing that Law of Attraction would be the first in a series with Anna. So far I haven't found anything, but the way Law of Attraction ended can support both a series and a stand alone novel. I know that Anna has a good, long career ahead of her. I hope I get to meet up with her again soon.
    • 4/5
      I have to give Allison Leotta credit, because I did not see the end of this book coming. In general it's a pretty standard mystery/legal thriller, but the plot twist at the end is excellently done.Also, I loved her descriptions of Washington, DC. So many of them were places I visit regularly so it was great to see a novelist acknowledge that there is life in DC beyond the federal government.
    • 4/5
      Anna Curtis is an an assistant U.S. attorney working in Washington D.C. As a prosecutor with a strong sense of ethics, Anna is initially empowered and hopeful when she gets involved in the domestic abuse case of Laprea Johnson. Laprea has been beaten by her boyfriend D'marco for what she says is the last time, but when she recants her testimony during her trial, Anna is left angry and bewildered. Cowed by her experience in court, Anna is at first cold when the defendant's attorney, Nick Wagner, takes an interest in her. Though she and Nick have attended the same university, Anna doesn't know Nick personally and the only information she has about him is that he is attractive and he is representing Laprea's attacker. When Nick and Anna start a romance, things seem to be going very smoothly until the day there's another confrontation between D'marco and Laprea, and Laprea ends up dead. Anna of course feels responsible for Laprea's fate and immediately breaks things off with Nick, who she can't forgive for defending D'marco and eventually allowing him to regain the freedom to kill Leprea. Now Anna has been pulled into the investigation of Laprea's murder and been assigned to work with Jack Bailey, a tough criminal prosecutor who also works for the U.S. Attorney's office. But when Anna and Jack begin to uncover clues that may prove D'marco is innocent, the guilt begins to point in some very incongruous and unexpected places. Both fast paced and surprising, Allison Leotta delivers a unique crime thriller that will keep its readers guessing all the way to the very last page.I'm not a big reader of the crime thriller genre, and usually when approached for a review of one of these books, I have to decline. My problems stem from the fact that a lot of these books feel very homogenized. When I do end up getting invested in them, it seems like they have all the same story elements, character archetypes and twists that I have come to negatively associate with this particular genre. Rarely do I find something new and unexpected, and when I do venture out and read one of these books on my own, I rely heavily on the perceptions and opinions of other bloggers whom I respect. So I'll have to be honest when I say I wasn't expecting much of this book. Now, I didn't read a lot about it and knew only the barest information when I went into it. After an intense opening section, I began to plow right through its pages and wound up being excited that I had found something new and refreshing in this genre that I could really appreciate. I think Leotta ended up pulling off a one of a kind story within these pages, and it's one that earned my esteem.Anna Curtis was a wonderful protagonist. Though she has high standards and ideals, she's very human and has some self-esteem issues when it comes to her work. Part of my ability to bond with Anna came from the fact that she was so human, and that while she could be very tough, there was an underlying sensitivity and compassion in her that left her struggling at times. I wouldn't exactly call her troubled, but she was conflicted, and as the story moved forward, these conflicts come into play not only in her budding relationship with Nick, but in her protective instincts towards Laprea. She grew throughout this story, but a lot of the time it was uncomfortable growth spurred on by the situations she was caught up in. She never became so hard-boiled that she allowed the suffering of her client or the case itself to become something that she looked upon with jaded eyes, which I think is kind of rare. I think the thing I admired most about Anna was her persistence and her willingness to go to great lengths to find the justice that Laprea deserved, not matter what it cost her personally.I had a bit of a hard time with Anna's decision to start a relationship with Nick, and I think she did too. Caught up in a bevy of romantic feelings, I think Anna let her guard down and let Nick in hoping their relationship might be hidden from those who could make obvious waves for the couple. I didn't exactly like Nick, or trust him for that matter, and felt that although he treated Anna with a lot of respect and love that there was something utterly smarmy about him. I think he was a little ostentatious in his relationship with Anna, and truly never thought of the repercussions that dating her might result for them both. I was a little thrilled when things didn't work out for them, but Nick was very persistent and worked desperately to not let Anna slip through his fingers. That annoyed me. I wanted him to realize the kind of jeopardy he was putting her career into, but he never did, and it seemed like he turned a blind eye to a lot of rational and level-headed behavior. In some ways there were stark similarities between Nick and Anna's relationship and the relationship between Laprea and D'marco, but they weren't immediately obvious and it took some real cogitation to work out the ways in which the situations were similar and the ways in which they were different.The case between Laprea and D'marco was one that was fraught with intrigue and it seemed to be so clear for most of the book. There was never a doubt in my mind that D'marco had killed the woman, but in a stunning reversal, all that the reader knows to be true is flipped on its head and thrown out the window. The clues, motive and storyline said one thing, but as more and more is revealed, it's clear that D'marco is not what we first think he is. I thought Leotta did a great job with this reversal. She made D'marco just slimy and perverse enough to do something like this, and then revealed that there was more to this picture than met the eye. The relationship between Laprea and D'marco was something that was tense with emotion, regret and jealousy, and even when it was clear to me that D'marco was a horrible human being, it was also clear that there was no ultimate black and white where these two people were concerned. The conclusion of the book literally had me sitting rigid in my seat and ingesting the words compulsively, as darker figures than D'marco came tumbling out of the shadows and into the light. Though D'marco might have been capable of the murder, I questioned his innocence all the way throughout the story and came to conclude that he played a mighty part in this drama.With a fast paced plot and characters that are so recognizably flawed and human, Leotta had me in the palm of her hand throughout the whole story. Not only is this a suspense thriller, it also asks a lot of important questions about abuse and the role a victim plays when she consistently refuses to prosecute her attacker. It asks questions about the sticky ethical situations that those representing these cases can get into, and it had unexpected dashes of romance in all the right places. This would be a great read for a book group to discuss and disseminate, and I have to say that not only did I have a great time with it, it did a lot to eliminate my prejudices towards this genre in general. A highly suspenseful and original read. Recommended.
    • 5/5
      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!