SALEM'S FALL

A lawyer’s involvement in a murder case leads her to a much bigger and potentially deadly secret in Ross’ thriller.

One small but crucial mistake in her last case continues to haunt junior associate James Woodsen. If she wants any chance of climbing the ranks at her Boston criminal defense firm, she needs a big win. That opportunity may lie with the firm’s newest client: Damien Blackhollow, a billionaire CEO who’s been arrested for his fiancée’s fatal stabbing. James looks at the evidence that points to Damien, wondering if he could be responsible for the ritualistic symbols carved into the victim’s body. James follows a lead to Salem’s Fall, a nearby town famous for its 17th-century witch trials. Her dubious client suddenly shows up, under the pretense of “helping," as James learns local legends of rituals and human sacrifices. Someone sends James anonymous messages to warn her off the case—but the warnings are closer to threats. Ross builds a solid narrative foundation by first establishing an absorbing legal case. Readers will also be engaged by James’ troubles at work, including a desperation to “make up” for her blunder, a scornful male colleague, and some dismissing her professionally simply because she’s pretty. While mystery awaits her in Salem’s Fall, the story offers only intermittent suspense—James rarely seems worried about a killer possibly targeting her. There’s nevertheless a lot to keep readers turning the pages, from James’ own history (her father is in jail for her mother’s murder) to the discovery of other homicides that likely tie together. Hints of romance are yet another draw, as James has connections with both the “objectively yumable” (her best friend’s words) Damien and her firm’s senior partner, Quinn Kensington, who treats her like the skilled lawyer she is. What’s really happening in Salem’s Fall may not surprise savvy mystery fans, but the memorable climax will certainly shock many.

This curiously dark legal tale boasts an undaunted, complicated hero.