"Blood Money" (Harper), by James Grippando

James Grippando continues to deliver great legal suspense with his latest thriller, "Blood Money." His hero, Miami criminal defense attorney Jack Swyteck, has appeared in previous novels, but this case becomes his most personal.

According to the general public and the media, Swyteck's client Sydney Bennett is guilty of murdering her 2-year-old daughter. Everyone but the court has already convicted her, and when the verdict is not guilty, hysteria ensues. Swyteck receives death threats and is accused of taking blood money, but his main concern involves getting his client out of prison safely. On the night of Bennett's release, a woman who looks like her is assaulted and ends up in a coma. The media blames Swyteck, but the young woman's parents want answers and they go to Swyteck for help.