Claim Of Innocence (An Izzy McNeil Novel, #4)

by Laura Caldwell

[Cocktails and Books]

Izzy McMeil has returned to the world of Law after having left it a year ago. When her friend, Maggie, calls her and urgently tells her she needs her help on a case, she rushes to her aide. When she meets up with Maggie, it's to find out she needs Izzy's help with a criminal case involving a woman who's been accused of murdering her best friend. So Izzy, who's only tried civil cases, signs up to help Maggie co-defend their client.

Just as Izzy's about to jump, feet first, into the case, her ex-fiance Sam calls her. He's gotten engagement, but he'll break the engagement if Izzy will take him back. After all she's been through with Sam, she wonders if she can try to reclaim what was lost a year ago with Sam's disappearance or if she future really lies with her much younger, but extremely hot boyfriend Theo.

On top of all this, Izzy's trying to figure out what kind of relationship to carve out with the father she's assumed was dead for most of her life.

***SPOILER ALERTS***
You've been warned. I'm going to delve into plot lines here, so if you like this series and don't want to know....STOP!

Here's my problem with this book.
Legal aspect: I know enough about law to keep myself out of trouble, but the items below just seemed troubling.
*Would a lawyer, who's been gone from practicing law for one year, and only tried civil cases prior suddenly step up and agree to taking on a murder case? And if they took on the murder case, wouldn't they pretty much be working in the background and watching the lead attorney so they could learn the ropes? For God's sake, Izzy didn't even know that certain arguments were allowed in a criminal case when they weren't in a civil. C'mon! If I were Valerie I'd be completely horrified at my choice of legal team!
*Would lawyers really standing in their client's kitchen and allow that client's child to falsely accuse someone of a crime the client just admitted to committing? I know about double jeopardy so Valerie couldn't be retried. But honest to God to just let that slide?

The whole thing with Zavy bugged me. Sure, he had been convicted of statutory rape in Louisiana, but he hadn't broken the law during his marriage to Amanda. He may have started having an affair with Layla immediately after she turned 18, but having that affair and assuming he's going after his step-daughters (even though he was) grounds for 2 woman deciding they were going to poison him and kill him? Why not just divorce him?

The Sam Storyline: I haven't read the other 3 books, but I got the gist of their story from what was in this one. So I'm left wondering. Why wasn't this storyline wrapped up? Sam told her he probably wouldn't wait for her if she needed time. Seemed to me, she had the answer she was looking for (especially since she couldn't really say if she'd wait for Sam). So I'm not sure why the property storyline was left hanging and why he was still texting her 3 months later.

Theo: Is the man around just for sex? It seemed like she just figured out that perhaps this guy had a brain in his head and could have a real conversation with her, rather than lying there and looking pretty. Pretty is nice, but it seemed she kept discounting him as a sounding board because he wasn't Sam. Why they hell are you with him then?

The storyline is easy to follow, even if you haven't read the previous books. If your one that can read a story without getting hung up on some of these little nuances, you'll have no issue with the book.

2.75 Cocktails