"Fatal Judgment" by Irene Hannon

All my reading friends have had nothing but good things to say about Irene Hannon's books, and I was excited when I was able to read this one. I'm happy to report that her writing lived up to the hype, and I'm very interested in reading more of her books in the future!

Judge Elizabeth Michaels' sister is visiting when the unthinkable happens: Stephanie is shot and killed in Liz's living room. Stephanie's abusive husband is the first suspect, but it quickly becomes apparent that this might have been a hit gone wrong on Liz's life. Whisked away into protective custody, Liz must face the long days of questions and isolation while dealing with her grief.

U.S. Marshal Jake Taylor can't believe it when he's assigned to protect Judge Michaels. She had been married to his best friend, and Jake had always thought their unhappy marriage was a factor in the accident that caused his friend's death. After blaming Liz all these years, Jake isn't too excited to be on her protection detail. He's surprised when time spent with Liz puts her in a whole new light.

The killer is disappointed when he finds out he's killed the wrong woman. His top priority becomes concocting a plan for locating the judge and succeeding with his next attempt. Can be outsmart the marshals before their investigation runs to his door?

Irene Hannon's writing style is very similar to that of Dee Henderson. If you liked the O'Malley books, these are sure to be a hit. The suspense throughout the plot is very well done. I would highly recommend this to any readers who enjoy fast-paced tales of intrigue.