Calla Gentry is a trial consultant in Tucson, Arizona.  Calla has pretty much forfeited her own life and well being to take care of her beloved sister Amaryllis who she calls Amy.  Calla lives her life now dressing in drab clothes, not bothering about her hair or her make-up.  Her main goal in life is to keep working, stay a step ahead of her bill collectors and somehow manage to keep her sister Amy in a good nursing facility rather than to transfer her to a state institution.  Beautiful fun-loving Amy was brutally attacked and raped and left for dead in a motel in Nogales.  Somehow Amy managed to call Calla who came and picked her up.  Although Amy refused to file a police report Calla did insist on taking her to the hospital.  Amy's nightmares and depression became worse and worse until she finally made an attempt at suicide which left her in a coma, unable to speak or communicate in any way.

Calla has refused all assignments from her boss that involves criminal cases but has come to a point where she can no longer refuse.  Jessica, her boss, has insisted that she work on the case of Raymond Cates, a wealthy land-owner's son, who has been accused of rape and murder.  Working on the Cates case has brought back all the memories of Amy's attack and Calla can't put them out of her mind.  She begins to believe that Cates may be her sister's attacker.

Calla's friend Selena and her brother Enrique have agreed to try and help her.  Enrique, a law enforcement officer, comes up with names of other victims that have been victims of similar attacks.  Enrique also introduces Calla to Tonio Strike, a private investigator, who agrees to try and help sort out what happened so long ago.

As Calla sorts through Amy's belongings left undisturbed since the attack she is faced with knowing that Amy may not have been telling her the whole truth about the incident.  Although Calla's suspicions keep taking her back to Cates as the offender as she meets and talks with other women who have been attacked new names and more information come to light and Calla is more confused than ever.

I don't want to give away anything else but I am sure you will find the book a very fast read and quite enjoyable.  Selena runs the Alphabet Restaurant.  She picks a letter of the day and several things that start with that letter are the only thing on the menu for that day.  As you can imagine the menus are quite different and not at all like your usual restaurant fare.  Aunt Giulia who raised Calla and Amaryllis after the death of their parents is also an interesting character.  She works for a newspaper and designs cross-word puzzles for extra money.   The vivid descriptions of the landscape and life-styles in Arizona added a lot to the book.

I feel this is one of the best books I've read this year and would certainly highly recommend it.

REVIEWED BY PATRICIA E. REID

DO NOT REPRINT WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE REVIEWER, PATRICIA E. REID