Law Can Be Murder

Three Sam McRae Mysteries

THREE HARD-BOILED PAGE TURNERS IN ONE EBOOK!

These novels will appeal to all fans of tough-talking female sleuths. Picture Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone if she'd gone to law school. If you enjoy characters like V.I Warshawski, Philip Marlowe, or Elvis Cole, you'll love Sam McRae.

“Debbi Mack has created a first-rate heroine in Sam McRae. Sam is tough, resilient, sassy and unstoppable. Good thing, too, as Identity Crisis moves at a slam-bam pace.”
– Simon Wood, author of SAVING GRACE

“Debbi Mack crafts a taut narrative with crackling dialogue.”
– Aimee Zuccarini, The Maryland Women’s Journal, Oct./Nov. 2009

BOOK ONE: IDENTITY CRISIS

A missing client, a dead body, the FBI, and the Mob.

How much can one lawyer handle?

Lawyer Stephanie Ann "Sam" McRae's life is upended when a client suspected of killing her ex-boyfriend disappears. When a friend asks Sam to find Melanie Hayes, the Maryland attorney is drawn into a complex case of murder and identity theft that has her running from the Mob, breaking into a strip club and forming a shaky alliance with an offbeat private investigator to discover the truth about Melanie and her ex-boyfriend.

With her career and life on the line, Sam's search takes her from the blue-collar Baltimore suburbs to the mansions of Gibson Island. Along the way, she learns that false identities can hide dark secrets, and those secrets can destroy lives.

MORE REVIEWS AND ENDORSEMENTS

"If you enjoy realistic legal thrillers--and dread the thought of 'identity theft' striking home--IDENTITY CRISIS will be a genuine treat. Debbi Mack has used her own experience as an attorney to craft a twisty yet completely credible plot. And her protagonist, Stephanie Ann 'Sam' McRae, is a perfect example of what every client should hope for in an advocate: a professional who's willing to take risks both inside AND outside the courtroom."
-- Jeremiah Healy, Author of RESCUE, TURNABOUT and THE ONLY GOOD LAWYER

"IDENTITY CRISIS is a well-written and well-plotted mystery which introduces lawyer-sleuth Sam McRae. She's an exciting new protagonist mystery readers will want to get to know."
-- Louise Titchener, Author of MALPRACTICE, BURNED IN BALTIMORE and BURIED IN BALTIMORE

"Of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock once said, 'There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it.' Author Debbi Mack nails that statement in this tightly written tale about a flawed Maryland attorney, 'Sam' McRae, and her relentless search for a killer when the domestic abuse case she has been handling kicks itself up a notch: The accused is found dead and his wife has taken off. Not good. Add to that the FBI, the Mob, identity theft, and a vulnerable main character involved with a married prosecutor and you have a darn good page-turner. Debbi Mack crafts a taut narrative with crackling dialogue."
-- Aimee Zuccarini, The Maryland Women's Journal, Oct./Nov. 2009.

BOOK TWO: LEAST WANTED

Can a lawyer defend two clients of murder before becoming the next victim?

Stephanie Ann "Sam" McRae's life as a Maryland lawyer takes a chaotic turn when two clients are accused of murder. A poor, black girl is accused of killing her mother. A young man suspected of embezzlement is accused of murdering his boss. The cases collide in a bizarre way involving girl gangs and computer pornography.

Sam ventures into the heart of DC's suburban ghettos to find answers. A maniacal killer who'll do anything to hide them stalks her. After a nearly disastrous confrontation, Sam must do business on the run. As the body count grows, Sam races to learn the truth and clear her clients before she becomes the next victim.

MORE REVIEWS AND ENDORSEMENTS

"LEAST WANTED is a brave, heartbreaking, and thrilling book with a complex plot that takes attorney Sam McRae on a dizzying tour of several circles of urban hell, against a backdrop of white-collar crime. I loved it, and I admire Mack for writing it without flinching or suggesting easy answers. It's a sequel that outdoes IDENTITY CRISIS and holds the promise of a great series."
-- Timothy Hallinan, author of THE QUEEN OF PATPONG and CRASHED

"In LEAST WANTED, Debbi Mack serves up a solid mystery plot wired together with high octane suspense. Washington, DC attorney Sam McRae is smart, tough and dedicated, but her latest cases in LEAST WANTED push her to her limits. Defending two clients accused of murder, she finds herself dealing with girl gangs, pornography and crazed killers. For mystery and suspense, it’s Laura Lippman’s Tess Monaghan in Baltimore and Robert B. Parker’s Spenser in Boston, but Sam McRae is the woman to have at your back in Washington."
-- Austin S. Camacho, author of the Hannibal Jones mystery series

"Sam McRae is back and as brash as ever, with a colorful cast, a relentless plot, and enough twists to leave you breathless. Debbi Mack has carved her own niche in the mystery pantheon."
-- Scott Nicholson, author of DISINTEGRATION

"LEAST WANTED hooks you from the start and never lets go. A fascinating and absorbing mystery."
-- Simon Wood, author of LOWLIFES

"Fast-paced and brimming with dark, twisting plot turns, LEAST WANTED will keep crime and mystery buffs off balance and guessing until the very end."
-- J.T. Cummins, author of COBBLESTONES

"From its clever—and ironic—title to the carefully drawn characters ..., LEAST WANTED is a worthy sequel to Debbi Mack's first crime novel."
-- Jeremiah Healy, author of THE ONLY GOOD LAWYER and A STAIN UPON THE ROBE

"Sam McRae is not your run of the mill attorney. She is a strong, intelligent, and fiercely committed advocate, who puts her life on the line in the pursuit of justice. Author Debbi Mack brings to the hardboiled genre, a fresh voice and direct writing style that gives this richly layered mystery a feeling of authenticity I found wholly compelling. The multifaceted plot grips the reader like a falcon's talons and never lets go."
--Lawrence Kelter, bestselling author of The Stephanie Chalice Mystery Series

BOOK THREE: RIPTIDE

A week at the beach could be murder.

Stephanie Ann “Sam” McRae’s stay in Ocean City for the annual Maryland bar association convention turns into a busman's holiday when her best friend Jamila is arrested for a murder she didn’t commit. All signs point to a frame, but Jamila’s local counsel must plea bargain, placing a permanent stain on the ambitious attorney’s spotless record, unless Sam and the private investigator on the case find evidence to clear her. Sam has her work cut out for her, given that the victim is the stepson of a local wealthy entrepreneur and poultry producer and no one will talk to her, including the investigator hired on the case. Even Jamila appears to be withholding information. Meanwhile, Sam's running from mysterious pursuers and comes under police scrutiny when another murder takes place.

With the clock ticking down to the convention and preliminary hearing, Sam must uncover secrets, lies, and fraud to find the real killer. At what cost will that knowledge come for Sam?

MORE REVIEWS AND ENDORSEMENTS

"I absolutely loved reading Riptide! ... Sam McRae is the best attorney sleuth ever."
--Jada Temple, reviewer, Thriller Ink Spot

"A fast-paced, compelling crime novel that leaves the reader as buzzed and breathless as the Running of the Bulls."
-- Benjamin Sobieck, author of CLEANSING EDEN

"Full of tension and suspense from cover-to-cover, RIPTIDE is a cracking good read."
-- Leighton Gage, author of A VINE IN THE BLOOD

"… a fast, smooth read, chock full of tension with an action payoff."
-- Frank Zafiro, author of WAIST DEEP and the River City Crime series

"The place is Ocean City, Maryland, a summertime paradise replete with sun, sea, sand, and ... murder. Thus begins this gritty tale and McRae's attempt to clear a dear friend, who has been charged with the heinous crime. Our hero must bring to bear all of her considerable investigative skills as she unwinds this tightly drawn mystery, which is sure to have you hooked until the satisfying end."
-- Lawrence Kelter, bestselling author of The Stephanie Chalice Mystery Series

"Sam McRae is my favorite new female sleuth!"
-- Scott Nicholson, author of LIQUID FEAR

"Sam's sleek, sarcastic narration propels this satisfying legal caper, which also manages to score points about lingering regional racial prejudice, providing a sad reminder that justice doesn't always prevail unless the just take action. Another winner from the pen of Debbi Mack, author of Least Wanted and Identity Crisis."
-- W.D. Gagliani, author of WOLF'S TRAP, WOLF'S EDGE, and SAVAGE NIGHTS

"Sam McRae is back— and just as sassy, smart and loyal as ever."
-- Donna Fletcher Crow, author of A DARKLY HIDDEN TRUTH, The Monastery Murders 2

"RIPTIDE is so riveting you might forget to turn over, but the pace is so hot you’ll want to dive in to cool down!"
-- Austin S. Camacho, author of the Hannibal Jones mysteries

"IDENTITY CRISIS and LEAST WANTED are tough acts to follow, but Debbi Mack meets her own high standards in RIPTIDE, attorney Sam McRae's third outing. Sam's attempt to help a friend who's been charged with murder leads her into an insular world where the secrets are so thick they create their own 'riptide.' A great read."
-- Timothy Hallinan, Edgar-nominated author of the Poke Rafferty and Junior Bender thrillers