Face Value, The Laura Di Palma Mysteries

A lawyer is drawn into a dangerous case after a love guru shakes up San Francisco in this mystery by the author of A Hard Bargain.

Leaving an expensive firm and toxic work environment behind her, attorney Laura Di Palma has opened her own practice. She’s eager for business, and she’s not about to turn away fellow lawyer Margaret Lenin.

Margaret had been struggling with a midlife crisis. Full of deep questions, she sought answers from a spiritual master, a guru by the name of Brother Mike. He led videotaped group therapy sessions to help his followers explore their spirituality and sexuality. The trouble is those tapes are now available in the XXX sections of video stores . . .

Taking the case pushes Laura far out of her comfort zone. She needs help from her ex, PI Sandy Arkelett, and their investigation leads them from stuffy boardrooms to strip clubs, porno shops, a private fantasy island—and a grisly murder scene . . .

“Absorbing . . . Multiple murders and delightfully complex characters help carry a plot that moves from a striptease bar to a guru’s mysterious island retreat. . . . A fine, intelligent story.” —USA Today

“This latest Laura Di Palma adventure is no exception to the tight plotting, good characterizations, and page turning suspense that have typified the earlier entries in the series and that make Matera one of the best contemporary mystery novelists. . . . Highly recommend . . . Matera is too good to miss.”—Booklist