<div>A San Francisco student&rsquo;s about to discover law school can be murderous in this comic mystery series opener.Willa Jansson picked the wrong time to quit smoking. Exams are four weeks away. And if she&rsquo;s not sitting in class, studying, or sipping innumerable cups of coffee, then she&rsquo;s toiling away as the senior articles editor at the Malhousie Law Review. This job, and beingin the top 10 percent of her class, means she&rsquo;ll be able to land her dream job when she graduates. But at the moment, she has an even bigger problem to deal with . . .After Malhousie&rsquo;s editor in chief, super-student Susan Green, is found bludgeoned to death, strangers&mdash;curious reporters, angry professors, and high-profile lawyers&mdash;keep snooping around the office. Then another editor fights to take Susan&rsquo;s position, only to meet the same grisly end. Willa knows she must find out quickly who&rsquo;s killing her fellow students and why&mdash;because, as the new editor in chief, she could be next . . . Praise for the Willa Jansson Mysteries &ldquo;Willa Jansson is one of the most articulate and surely the wittiest of women sleuths at large in the genre.&rdquo; &mdash;The New York Times Book Review &ldquo;Readers will be shaken by Matera&rsquo;s rapier-sharp dissection of personal relationships and radical ideologies. Matera again demonstrates that she is one of today&rsquo;s best mystery writers.&rdquo; &mdash;Publishers Weekly</div>

Where Lawyers Fear to Tread

<div>A California lawyer&rsquo;s dream job becomes a nightmare when her boss is murdered in this mystery by the author of Where Lawyers Fear to Tread.Fresh out of law school, Willa Jansson nabs a first-year associate position at a family friend&rsquo;s law firm. Famous progressive attorney Julian Warneke has gotten Willa&rsquo;s hippie parents out of legal trouble on several occasions, though his reputation for grandstanding landed Willa in jail for two traumatic months after she was arrested during a protest march. Regardless, she&rsquo;s happy to be working for such an influential firm, even if it pays less than any other outfit in town and she&rsquo;s assigned to all the divorces, landlord-tenant cases, and drunk-driving defenses . . .Willa&rsquo;s caseload is the least of her worries when Julian&rsquo;s poisoned to death at a fancy work lunch. When the investigation begins, the authorities are drawn to Willa as a suspect in the &ldquo;law school murders.&rdquo; Then there&rsquo;s the matter of her mother being listed to inherit Julian&rsquo;s house. As Willa begins working to clear their names, she must dodge a terrible ex-boyfriend and a charming cop&mdash;not to mention a killer who&rsquo;s drawing ever closer . . .Praise for the Willa Jansson Mysteries &ldquo;Matera&#39;s wit, grace with language, irreverence toward the legal system, and wry dissection of being a child of the Sixties make this a standout.&rdquo; &mdash;Kirkus Reviews &ldquo;Intelligent and entertaining . . . Absorbing . . . With sharp descriptions and crisp dialogue . . . Admirably delivers the complex situations and memorable characters of a &lsquo;real novel&rsquo; while still managing to let the detective story have its day in court.&rdquo; &mdash;The Wall Street Journal</div>

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A Radical Departure

<div>A San Francisco attorney lands a great new job&mdash;and is framed for a gruesome murder&mdash;in this mystery by the author of A Radical Departure.After her boss at their radical law firm is murdered, Willa Jansson is desperate for a new job. But when a conservative corporate firm offers her a position out of the blue, she&rsquo;s a little hesitant to accept, considering the recommendation comes from a high-profile Republican named Bud Hopper whom Willa&rsquo;s never heard of. Then she learns her salary will be well over three times what she&rsquo;s currently earning, and she can hardly say no&mdash;even if her hippie parents disapprove.The elusive Hopper, meanwhile, doesn&rsquo;t stop pulling strings for Willa, securing her an invite to a swanky weekend retreat with her new firm&rsquo;s top partners and clients&mdash;and a big surprise awaiting her in her room. When her new boss is murdered in the exact same manner as her old one, Willa can no longer ignore her suspicions about her mysterious benefactor. Everything&rsquo;s been too good to be true, and now Hopper has framed her. Of course, it&rsquo;s going to be difficult to apprehend a man no one seems to have met . . .Praise for the Willa Jansson Mysteries &ldquo;Willa Jansson is one of the most articulate and surely the wittiest of women sleuths at large in the genre.&rdquo; &mdash;The New York Times Book Review &ldquo;Readers will be shaken by Matera&rsquo;s rapier-sharp dissection of personal relationships and radical ideologies. Matera again demonstrates that she is one of today&rsquo;s best mystery writers.&rdquo; &mdash;Publishers Weekly</div>

Hidden Agenda

<div>A New York Times Notable Book: Sour parents, a sleazy ex, &rsquo;70s radicalism, and murder spoil a California lawyer&rsquo;s homecoming in this mystery by the author of Hidden Agenda.Working in the LA office of a Wall Street law firm, attorney Willa Jansson was drowning in bankruptcy codes and mourning the loss of her love life. But now, after almost a year in that purgatory of dull men in thousand-dollar suits, she&rsquo;s landed a new position clerking for a federal judge back in her hometown of San Francisco.Driving up the coast, Willa should feel happy about her chance for a fresh start&mdash;except her hippie mother&rsquo;s still upset with her for becoming a corporate sellout, her despicable ex needs her to do a favor for his new girlfriend, and her new boss is getting hate mail about her. Plus, she&rsquo;s not even sure she wants to be a lawyer anymore.But when a murderer strikes, Willa is forced to set aside her self-reflection and dig into the victim&rsquo;s past, one full of lies, betrayal, and a few people holding grudges worth killing for . . .Praise for the Willa Jansson Mysteries&ldquo;One of the most articulate and surely the wittiest of women sleuths at large in the genre.&rdquo; &mdash;The New York Times Book Review&ldquo;Almost every paragraph is eminently quotable.&rdquo; &mdash;The Plain Dealer &ldquo;Blessed with pungent prose, an affecting, funny, realistic heroine/detective and pressing moral and emotional issues.&rdquo; &mdash;San Francisco Chronicle</div>

Prior Convictions

<div>Helping a family friend who&rsquo;s been framed for murder has a San Francisco lawyer living like a fugitive in this mystery by the author of Prior Convictions.Attorney Willa Jansson&rsquo;s found a new position in the growing field of multimedia law&mdash;it&rsquo;s the &rsquo;90s, after all. Given her track record, she&rsquo;s hoping this job will be smooth sailing. Unfortunately, during her morning commute through the Financial District, she sees a friend of her mother&rsquo;s&mdash;mythologist and pacifist Arthur Kenna&mdash;about to be arrested for holding a stranger at gunpoint. Willa does the first thing she can think of to save him: she pretends to be Arthur&rsquo;s hostage.Arthur explains that it was the alleged victim who&rsquo;d placed the gun in his hand, but Willa knows the police won&rsquo;t buy that&mdash;especially after Arthur&rsquo;s assistant is found dead. Forced to hide out in a Boulder Creek mountain cabin belonging to an old flame of Willa&rsquo;s, the fugitive duo soon realizes their only way out of the woods is to locate the real killer. Doing so means digging into Arthur&rsquo;s assistant&rsquo;s past, and divining the truth in a community of high-tech gurus, strange survivalists, a cybernetic shaman, and a nudist who thinks he&rsquo;s the demigod Pan . . .&ldquo;Effectively blending the seemingly incongruous elements of high-tech computing and ancient mythology, Matera has produced a first-rate mystery, exhibiting her usual hallmarks of excellent plotting, solid characterizations, and brisk pacing.&rdquo; &mdash;Booklist &ldquo;Few writers possess Lia Matera&rsquo;s wry humor, especially when it comes to putting down lawyers, or her eye for Northern California fauna.&rdquo; &mdash;San Jose Mercury News</div>

Last Chants

<div>A plucky lawyer&rsquo;s out of her element when she investigates a suspicious death that&rsquo;s out of this world in this mystery by the author of Last Chants.Overworked San Francisco attorney Willa Jansson&rsquo;s ready to go on her three-week vacation and relax on the beach in Mexico. But before she can leave the office, she gets a phone call from a friend whom she owes a favor . . .Willa heads to Santa Cruz to take on what at first sounds like a vehicular manslaughter and felony hit-and-run case. Alan Miller&rsquo;s Fiat fell on top of Francis Addenaur&rsquo;s Buick in a field of Brussels sprouts. The problem is the Fiat left no tracks in the field and Miller wasn&rsquo;t in his car. He says he was abducted by aliensAs Willa begins examining crop circles and subpoenaing UFO experts, she realizes this case could ruin her career. But with an angry widow packing heat and mysterious black helicopters circling the sky, discovering the truth feels like a matter of life or death . . .&ldquo;Matera&rsquo;s latest mystery is a hoot. It will drive the Pentagon non-UFO believers crazy and probably end up being the inspiration for an X-Files episode. . . . This fast-moving tale is peppered with eccentric characters, snappy dialogue and a creative plot.&rdquo; &mdash;San Francisco Examiner &amp; Chronicle &ldquo;Matera has proved more than once that she is the master when it comes to dabbling in Northern California flakiness for her mystery plots. This time she focuses on alien abduction. . . . Matera cleverly walks the line here between milking the material for humor and taking it all too seriously. . . . Mystery fans can&rsquo;t fail to be entertained.&rdquo; &mdash;San Jose Mercury News</div>

Star Witness

<div>A California lawyer finds herself on the trail of a murderer while searching for her missing mother in Cuba in the final entry of this mystery series.Attorney Willa Jansson&rsquo;s mother is a lifelong activist. So it&rsquo;s no surprise when she and the Women&rsquo;s International League for Peace and Freedom disregard federal regulations and head to Cuba for a goodwill tour. The real shock occurs when the group returns . . . with one less member.Worried about her mother facing a lengthy prison sentence or a hefty fine, Willa springs to the rescue, jetting off to Havana, where nothing&rsquo;s as it seems. There, she befriends two suspiciously helpful reporters and follows leads from fancy hotels to dark, underground tunnels, finding ample danger along the way. Soon, both the American and Cuban governments get involved&mdash;as does Willa&rsquo;s handsome ex, Lt. Don Surgelato of the San Francisco Police Department.But things really heat up when Willa&rsquo;s efforts get her mixed up in a murder. Now she must track down her mom, get home safely, and stay one step ahead of a killer. Willa&rsquo;s bailed her mother out before, but never like this . . .&ldquo;With its page-turning plot, self-realized setting, and terrific characters, one could fairly call this the best Jansson adventure yet&mdash;and that&rsquo;s saying a great deal.&rdquo; &mdash;Booklist &ldquo;The beauty of Matera&rsquo;s writing is that the story, fun as it is, doesn&rsquo;t shortcut a shrewd social commentary on the current state of the Cuban Revolution and U.S. policy toward that country.&rdquo; &mdash;Houston Chronicle</div>

Havana Twist

<div>A high-profile San Francisco lawyer scrambles to save her career, her client, and her life in this mystery by the author of Face Value.When a cash-cow client bails, attorney Laura Di Palma is certain her old boss is out to ruin her. She visits labor lawyer Jocelyn Kinsley to sue the creep for slander, but their meeting is cut short when Jocelyn is shot by an intruder. As she lays dying, she whispers a cryptic clue to Laura: &ldquo;Designer crimes.&rdquo;Assisted by her friend and former flame, private detective Sandy Arkelett, Laura searches for the meaning behind Jocelyn&rsquo;s last words. Meanwhile, she must defend her one remaining client, an old high school friend accused of murder. His girlfriend left town&mdash;a bucket of blood in her wake.Sandy wonders if the bullet that killed Jocelyn was meant for Laura, and when someone tries to shoot her, she begins to agree. Now, Laura must decipher who&rsquo;s out to kill whom and why&mdash;before someone makes certain her only client is her last . . .&ldquo;Complex and satisfying for Ms. Matera&rsquo;s faithful readers, who have come to expect such brain-burners from her.&rdquo; &mdash;The New York Times&ldquo;[Matera&rsquo;s] skill and literary flair are everywhere on display. Every word counts, and the pieces of the puzzle fit together with exhilarating precision.&rdquo; &mdash;ABA Journal &ldquo;Matera once again demonstrates her mastery of characterization, plotting, and pacing.&rdquo; &mdash;Booklist</div>

Designer Crimes

<div>A lawyer is drawn into a dangerous case after a love guru shakes up San Francisco in this mystery by the author of A Hard Bargain.Leaving an expensive firm and toxic work environment behind her, attorney Laura Di Palma has opened her own practice. She&rsquo;s eager for business, and she&rsquo;s not about to turn away fellow lawyer Margaret Lenin.Margaret had been struggling with a midlife crisis. Full of deep questions, she sought answers from a spiritual master, a guru by the name of Brother Mike. He led videotaped group therapy sessions to help his followers explore their spirituality and sexuality. The trouble is those tapes are now available in the XXX sections of video stores . . .Taking the case pushes Laura far out of her comfort zone. She needs help from her ex, PI Sandy Arkelett, and their investigation leads them from stuffy boardrooms to strip clubs, porno shops, a private fantasy island&mdash;and a grisly murder scene . . .&ldquo;Absorbing . . . Multiple murders and delightfully complex characters help carry a plot that moves from a striptease bar to a guru&rsquo;s mysterious island retreat. . . . A fine, intelligent story.&rdquo; &mdash;USA Today&ldquo;This latest Laura Di Palma adventure is no exception to the tight plotting, good characterizations, and page turning suspense that have typified the earlier entries in the series and that make Matera one of the best contemporary mystery novelists. . . . Highly recommend . . . Matera is too good to miss.&rdquo;&mdash;Booklist</div>

Face Value

<div>Murder and a missing person disrupt a high-profile lawyer&rsquo;s climb up the ladder of success in this mystery by the author of The Smart Money.Everything&rsquo;s falling into place for attorney Laura Di Palma. She&rsquo;s about to become a partner at her prominent firm, she has a great apartment, and she&rsquo;s paid off her Mercedes. Then disaster strikes. Her sick boyfriend goes missing from his hospital bed, and her firm&rsquo;s detective&mdash;who&rsquo;s also her ex&mdash;is eager for a second chance.Meanwhile, work only adds to Laura&rsquo;s tension. Her newest client, activist Danny Crosetti, is accused of murdering an FBI agent, and her firm&rsquo;s top partner threatens to fire her if she doesn&rsquo;t drop the case. But Danny&rsquo;s an old friend from Laura&rsquo;s days of protesting. She can&rsquo;t turn her back on him.When another murder is thrown into the mix, juggling her demanding career and missing lover while keeping her ex at a distance&mdash;even though she really needs his help&mdash;will prove to be quite the challenge for Laura. But time is of the essence: she must find the killer before everything comes falling down . . .&ldquo;The Good Fight is sharply written, brilliantly observed.&rdquo; &mdash;John Leonard, NPR&rsquo;s Fresh Air&ldquo;Extraordinary, thought-provoking. Laura Di Palma is one of the most compelling characters in recent mystery fiction.&rdquo; &mdash;The Baltimore Sun&ldquo;Compelling . . . Matera writes with passion about debts to old lovers and old causes.&rdquo; &mdash;New York Daily News &ldquo;A satisfying blend of emotion, suspense and mystery.&rdquo; &mdash;The Pittsburgh Press</div>

The Good Fight

<div>A burned-out attorney investigates a strange small-town suicide in this mystery from the author of The Good Fight.Laura Di Palma&rsquo;s days as a high-profile San Francisco lawyer are behind her. Four hundred miles north of the city in her peaceful hometown, she now spends her days hiking in the woods and helping her lover cope with his war injuries. But their retreat is soon interrupted by a private detective&mdash;Laura&rsquo;s former flame&mdash;who&rsquo;s looking for help with his disturbing new case . . .Karen McGuin was a troubled woman. Her husband, Ted, claims that, after her first suicide attempt, he&rsquo;d leave a loaded gun in front of her every day to force her to choose life. But one day she finally chose the gun. Now Karen&rsquo;s family wants Ted charged with murder.As Laura examines Karen&rsquo;s past, she&rsquo;s forced to question the status of her own life. But self-reflection quickly takes a backseat after Ted almost dies in an explosion. Suspicious of foul play, Laura knows she must uncover the truth before a killer strikes again . . . &ldquo;Matera skillfully weaves Laura&rsquo;s dissatisfaction with her own circumstances into the investigation of Karen&rsquo;s death, taking a thought-provoking look at the dangers in relationships that grow too close.&rdquo; &mdash;Publishers Weekly &ldquo;[A] welcome respite from the mystery-by-formula crowd.&rdquo; &mdash;Kirkus Reviews</div>

A Hard Bargain

<div>Murder halts a high-profile lawyer&rsquo;s revenge against her ex-husband in this series opener by the author of the Willa Jansson Mysteries.Many years ago, attorney Laura Di Palma fled her rainy, gray hometown of Hillsdale in Northern California, leaving behind painful memories to make it big in San Francisco. Now, she&rsquo;s quite the controversial figure, having secured a client&rsquo;s acquittal of the murder of two senators. One would think she&rsquo;d stay put to ride the wave of her recent success, but she&rsquo;s eager to get back at her ex-husband Gary . . .The plan is to return to Hillsdale, nab the public defender job Gary wants so badly, make him squirm, and force him to feel remorse over the death of the man Laura almost left him for. But there are a few snags along the way: first, Gary is attacked before Laura has a real chance to speak with him; then two terrible murders quickly follow suit.It&rsquo;s clear Laura&rsquo;s not the only one in town with an axe to grind, and if she hopes to survive the storm of violence ripping through Hillsdale, she&rsquo;ll need to remain a step ahead of a killer&mdash;and watch her back.Praise for the Laura Di Palma Mysteries&ldquo;Di Palma is one of the smartest, most open-minded sleuths in the lawyering trade. . . . [Matera] writes with intelligence and feeling about issues that still hurt and people who still care.&rdquo; &mdash;The New York Times&ldquo;Di Palma certainly belongs in the same league as Sue Grafton&rsquo;s Kinsey Millhone and Sara Paretsky&#39;s V.I. Warshawski when it comes to brains, determination, and guts.&rdquo; &mdash;Booklist &ldquo;[A] welcome respite from the mystery-by-formula crowd.&rdquo; &mdash;Kirkus Reviews</div>

The Smart Money

<div>Twelve suspenseful stories from the author of the Willa Jansson and Laura Di Palma mystery series.A killer&rsquo;s using freezing weather and plenty of water to eliminate the city&rsquo;s homeless population, and a lawyer must identify the culprit before her client&rsquo;s arrested for the bizarre murders . . . An off-the-grid, clandestine meeting between an attorney and her recently acquitted lover takes a twisted turn . . . In 1918, as the flu pandemic decimates America, a nanny for a wealthy family is mistaken for dead, but that&rsquo;s only the beginning of her troubles . . . On a quiet Oregon beach on Native American land, a couple is debating whether or not they should get married when a stranger interrupts them . . .These are just a few of the mysterious tales in this collection that has &ldquo;tight plotting, good characterizations, and page-turning suspense. . . . Matera [is] one of the best contemporary mystery novelists&rdquo; (Booklist).Praise for Lia Matera&ldquo;[A] welcome respite from the mystery-by-formula crowd.&rdquo; &mdash;Kirkus Reviews on A Hard Bargain&ldquo;A satisfying blend of emotion, suspense and mystery.&rdquo; &mdash;The Pittsburgh Press on The Good Fight &ldquo;[Matera&rsquo;s] skill and literary flair are everywhere on display. Every word counts, and the pieces of the puzzle fit together with exhilarating precision.&rdquo; &mdash;ABA Journal on Designer Crimes &ldquo;This fast-moving tale is peppered with eccentric characters, snappy dialogue and a creative plot.&rdquo; &mdash;San Francisco Examiner &amp; Chronicle on Star Witness</div>

Lia Matera
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Books By Lia Matera (13 Books)