Twenty-two years ago in Eugene, Oregon, beautiful and brilliant college student Jill Storey was found strangled outside her own apartment. After investigating a few leads involving a party she attended the night before, the police quickly run out of clues and blame an unknown transient for the murder. Now two of those partygoers are temporarily residing under the same roof, albeit reluctantly, and history rears its ugly head.

State senator Robert McCrutchen, host of the long-ago party, begins looking into the old case file. Shortly thereafter he's found murdered in his own home. The prime suspect is his former classmate and current tenant, controversial author David Etheridge. With near-riots occurring in cities hosting his lectures, Etheridge is a popular scapegoat for both the old murder and the new one. Defense attorney Barbara Holloway must try to defend an unlikable client against innuendo and rumors, with little hard proof indicating guilt or innocence.

As Barbara wades through the evidence from Jill's murder and Robert's, she's convinced that the same person killed both though logic tells her otherwise. Will her intuition lead her astray? What secrets still remain hidden some twenty-two years later? Will there ever be justice for Jill? Will Etheridge be convicted for his religious and political beliefs rather than actual proof? And will anyone associated with the case be safe while there's a murderer on the loose?

COLD CASE is a riveting legal suspense novel. Although I figured out the main part of the mystery early on, the author does a good job leaving subtle clues for the reader to pick up on. None of the clues are beat-you-over-the-head obvious, which are often detested in mysteries. Ms. Wilhelm's latest Barbara Holloway book will be enjoyed by fans of her series and newcomers alike.

Book Summary

With no strong evidence, attorney Barbara Holloway's legal instincts are all she has. If they can't lead her to the truth, her client will die. But if she succeeds, her own life will be on the line.

Controversial author and scholar David Etheridge is not the kind of company an aspiring politician wants to keep. But ambitious state senator Robert McCrutchen has a history with Etheridge—a history he's desperately trying to keep under wraps.

Twenty-two years ago, while attending the University of Oregon, both men were investigated in the death of a young coed, but the case was never solved. A circle of secrecy guaranteed it. But the old stories resurface when Etheridge returns to Eugene, Oregon. Tied to their past, McCrutchen is his grudging host—until the senator is found shot dead.

Now Etheridge is back where he was more than two decades ago—suspected of murder. Only this time, with the cold case reopened, he's facing a double charge. And Etheridge might not be so lucky again.

Barbara must battle the prosecution and the court of public opinion, which has already tried and convicted Etheridge for both murders. As the pressure mounts, Barbara ties the past and present together, risking her own life to protect a client and preserve justice.