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A burned-out attorney investigates a strange small-town suicide in this mystery from the author of The Good Fight. Laura Di Palma's days as a high-profile San Francisco lawyer are behind her. Four hundred miles north of the city in her peaceful hometown, she now spends her days hiking in the woods and helping her lover cope with his war injuries. But their retreat is soon interrupted by a private detective--Laura's former flame--who's looking for help with his disturbing new case . . . show more Karen McGuin was a troubled woman. Her husband, Ted, claims that, after her first suicide attempt, he'd leave a loaded gun in front of her every day to force her to choose life. But one day she finally chose the gun. Now Karen's family wants Ted charged with murder. As Laura examines Karen's past, she's forced to question the status of her own life. But self-reflection quickly takes a backseat after Ted almost dies in an explosion. Suspicious of foul play, Laura knows she must uncover the truth before a killer strikes again . . . "Matera skillfully weaves Laura's dissatisfaction with her own circumstances into the investigation of Karen's death, taking a thought-provoking look at the dangers in relationships that grow too close." --Publishers Weekly "[A] welcome respite from the mystery-by-formula crowd." --Kirkus Reviews show lessTags
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Author Information
32+ Works 877 Members
Series
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- A Hard Bargain
- Original publication date
- 1992
- People/Characters
- Laura Di Palma; Hal (veteran, Laura's second cousin & lover); Sander 'Sandy' Arkelett (private investigator, Laura's ex-lover); Karen Clausen McGuin (Sandy's client's daughter, suicide or murder?); Ted McGuin (Karen's widower)
- Important places
- California, USA; cemetery atop a hill outside Dungeness, California; Ted McGuin's house, 5 miles from Dungeness
- Dedication
- TO BRENDAN REHON
scientist, naturalist, artist,
riddle-teller, and mess-maker,
with love. - First words
- The creek was a maze of shallow waterfalls and sudden deep spots, in places unfordable.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Maybe Hal was just more honest than I was.
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 64
- Popularity
- 483,400
- Rating
- (3.67)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 3
- ASINs
- 3
