Indefensible by Pamela Callow

Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Series: Kate Lange # 2
Copyright: Dec 2010
Pages: 502
Book Source: review copy courtesy of Harlequin Books & NetGalley

When Elise Vanderzell plummets from her bedroom balcony one gorgeous summer night, her children awaken to a nightmare.

Their mother is dead.

Their father is charged with her murder.

Lawyer Kate Lange knows all about nightmares. She's survived the darkest period of her troubled life and the wounds are still raw. Now she's been handed a case that seems utterly unwinnable: defending her boss, high-profile lawyer Randall Barrett. A prosecutor's dream suspect, Randall is a man who was cuckolded by his ex-wife. A man who could not control his temper. A man who had argued bitterly with the victim the previous day in full view of the children.

With limited criminal law experience, Kate finds herself enmeshed in a family fractured by doubt. Randall's teenage son is intent on killing him. His daughter wants only to feel safe again. And the entire legal community would like nothing better than to see Randall receive a public comeuppance. As Kate races to stay a step ahead of the prosecution, a silent predator is waiting for the perfect time to deal the final blow.

Review:

Pamela Callow enters the illustrious realms of favoured suspense/thriller authors after turning out a brilliant 2nd book in the Kate Lange series. I was sceptical trying Pamela's debut novel, Damaged but that scepticism proved to be completely unwarrranted and I'm now convinced that Pamela Callow is a writer to be reckoned with in this genre.

Indefensible is a thrilling page turner with great character development, a clever plot and the necessary suspense and pace to keep you enthralled. I really enjoyed seeing Kate's growth from book 1 and I also got my wish to learn more about Kate's enigmatic boss, Randall Barrett. The cast of characters is very well portrayed; Nick and Lucy (Elise & Randall's children) Eddie, (Randall's disbarred lawyer) & furry characters Alaska & Charlie. I did have an inkling about the identity of the baddie before the author actually revealed it but that inkling came late in the book so it was quite refreshing to be kept in suspense for so long.

I guess Indefensible could be read as a stand-a-lone novel but as I'm rather obsessive about reading a series in order I recommend reading Damaged first. I'm sure it makes for a more cohesive, enjoyable experience.

The next installment, Tattooed is due for release January 2012 and as a Kate Lange fan I'll be keenly awaiting this one :) Visit Pamela Callow's website to find out more.

See my review for Pamela Callow's debut novel and the first book in the Kate Lange series - Damaged

This month on The Eclectic Reader 2 readers will win a copy of Delirium by Lauren Oliver or The Tudor Secret by C W Gortner, or Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning. Check this blog post for details. Open Internationally.