Chicago lawyer Izzy McNeil has an idyllic life, marred only by her increasing panic over her impending nuptials. She has a plum job at a top-notch law firm and has a wonderful fiancé, financial advisor Sam Hollings. She owes both in part to media tycoon Forester Pickett. So Izzy is blindsided when Forester dies under somewhat suspicious circumstances and Sam disappears with thirty million dollars in bearer shares. In one day, Izzy's entire life has turned upside down.

Since Izzy's fiancé is a prime suspect in a theft and in a possible murder, Izzy's position at her law firm is in jeopardy. Pickett Enterprises is now under the control of Shane Pickett, Forester's son. Will he and the company continue using Izzy as their main attorney? Or will her work, and her position at the firm, go away? Izzy pairs up with private investigator John Mayburn to determine the facts behind Forester's death and Sam's disappearance. Izzy learns a little about investigating as she does a little quid pro quo undercover detective work for Mayburn.

Did Sam really steal the bearer shares? Or is he merely a scapegoat for the real thief? Was Forester's death of natural causes, like a heart attack, or was it something more? The more Izzy learns, the more she wonders about her relationship with Sam. Was it really the love of a lifetime? Or was it merely a pipe dream? What does the future hold for Izzy career-wise?

Ms. Caldwell has started off the Izzy McNeil trilogy with a bang! Readers will definitely be hungry to continue Izzy's story in the remaining two books. Flashbacks to prior events are present throughout, revealing details of the past. I think readers will find the ultimate resolution to be a huge surprise. RED HOT LIES is nail-biting suspense from beginning to end.

Book Summary

Usually I pride myself on my intuition. I listen to that voice that says, “Something bad is happening…” or maybe “Get out. Now.” But on that Tuesday at the end of October, my psyche must have been protecting the one remaining day I still believed life was orderly and the universe liked me. Because I didn’t hear that voice. I never saw it coming.

They say bad things happen in threes. When her fiancé, Sam, disappears on the same day her mentor and biggest client is killed, hotshot Chicago attorney Izzy McNeil starts counting. But trouble keeps coming. Sam is implicated in the client’s death, her apartment is broken into and it’s not just the authorities who are following her.

Now, to find Sam and uncover her client’s murderer, Izzy will have to push past limits she never imagined. Lucky for her she’s always thrived under pressure, because her world is falling apart. Fast. And the trail of half-truths and lies is red-hot.

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