FictionZeal

Lee Lawson is their first suspect.  Why?  He had been watching little five-year-old Dori Dauzat at his home while his close friends, her parents, were away.  Sometime late in the night, he awoke and checked on her; she wasn’t there.  He found her at the bottom of the stairs outside the house.  She was bloodied, but alive.  He called 911, but then seemed to resist handing her over.  She was also clinging to him.  Detective Curtis is taking the lead on this case.  After speaking with Lawson and the girl’s parents, he begins to rule him out as a suspect.  After some analysis, they found DNA of one Bruce Gurganus on the duct tape used to tie Dori’s wrists together.

New Orleans Assistant DA Sandra Morgan has been assigned to try Docket No. 76 – State of Louisiana vs. Bruce Garganus.  It takes her a while to recognize him, but then she remembers it well.  How can she forget?  This is the same man – she’s sure of it – who had hurt her when she was only eight-years-old.  If she can help it, he’ll never sexually assault another child.

This was an incredibly short read (175 pp), but that’s not to say anything is lacking.  In fact, it’s well-packed with sufficient detail and substance.  I did feel Sandra lost a bit of focus during the trial, but perhaps that was intentional on the author’s part since Sandra had also been abused by this same man.  I just wished she’d been able to put her own feelings on hold so she could do her utmost best for little Dori.  This appears to be the author’s debut novel, and as someone who loves Legal Thrillers, I couldn’t have asked for a better psychologically twisted ending.  Rating: 4 out of 5.