Mitigating Circumstances

D.A. Lily Forrester finds herself trapped in a nightmare of violence when her teenaged daughter is raped and she tries to seek revenge, only to be faced with an endless barrage of personal and professional obstacles. 100,000 first printing. $100,000 ad/promo. Lit Guild Main. Tour.

Unflinchingly brutal, this compulsively readable first novel grapples with ethically and psychologically insoluble issues. When California assistant DA Lily Forrester gets promoted to chief of the sex-crimes unit and finally separates from her weak husband, she sees the way clear to find new love and eventually achieves her goal of becoming a judge. Then a man bursts into her new house and forces her to watch as he rapes her daughter. Immediately afterward, Lily discovers his mug shot and address among some case files she has brought home; now she must choose between delivering the criminal to uncertain justice in court or avenging her child directly at the cost of the principles she has sworn to uphold. Addressing the subtleties of a personal tragedy within an intricate suspense format, former policewoman Rosenberg has crafted an assured novel firmly grounded in scenes of everyday life. It's possible to have retrospective qualms about the many plot convolutions, which seem designed only to give a beautiful redhead an airtight reason to kill an unknown Hispanic, but Rosenberg's overwhelming portrayal of the incendiary, universal emotions of vengeance and guilt definitely touch a raw nerve. Literary Guild main selection; film rights to Tri-Star; ad/promo; author tour.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Former policewoman Rosenberg has certainly hit the target with her women's action thriller. Protagonist Lily Forrester, a district attorney in Southern California, is an ambitious woman with a deteriorating marriage. Her life becomes a nightmare when both she and her daughter are brutally attacked. Recognizing their attacker, but unwilling to submit her child to the abuse of the legal system, Forrester moves to deal out justice herself. First novelist Rosenberg offers a compelling insider's view of the criminal justice system and a moving portrait of a woman bent on revenge. Book club and movie rights for this page-turner have already been sold, so expect the high demand it deserves. Literary Guild main selection.
- Sister M. Anna Falbo CSSF, Villa Maria Coll. Lib., Buffalo, N.Y.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.