When Hayley, the daughter of Russell Anatonovich, a prominent Hollywood director, is brutally murdered in a kidnapping plot gone wrong, Los Angeles Special Trials Prosecutor, Rachel Knight is assigned to the case along with her friend, Detective Bailey Keller. As the ladies work the case they soon discover that all the evidence points to former child star Ian Powers, agent and longtime best friend of Russell. Rachel and Bailey soon find themselves in a battle between Ian's high-priced lawyers, a doubting Russell, and tabloid media.
Clark definitely took her experience as a former prosecutor for California and put it into this novel. "Killer Ambition" is full of intricate detail to every step of a criminal case from the criminal investigation through the courtroom proceedings. I appreciated the fact that things didn't always come easily for Rachel. You got a real feel for how much hard work goes into putting a case together and the complexities of criminal law. However, at times, the book had a little too much detail. I may be nitpicking a bit here but the numerous notations of Rachel's various ringtones for friends and colleagues were repetitive and distracting. Rachel's frequent concern and fretting over what fashion choices would cause her to perspire the least also seemed odd for a California native. Aside from that, "Killer Ambition," is a great read. It's also the third in the "Rachel Knight" series but newcomers (like myself) will have no trouble starting with this novel to enter Rachel's world.
Look for "Killer Ambition," or the first two books in the "Rachel Knight" series "Guilt by Association," and "Guilt by Degrees," at bookstores everywhere.
