Where Lawyers Fear To Tread & A Radical Departure — Lia Matera

For the first time in an omnibus edition, the first two novels in Willa Jansson legal mystery series.WHERE LAWYERS FEAR TO TREAD introduces Willa, described by The New York Times as, One of the most articulate and surely the wittiest of women sleuths at large in the genre.All Willa has to do is finish her last year of law school, and she'll get the job of her idealistic dreams. The lawyer who routinely keeps her social activist parents out of jail--or at least joins them on their courthouse soapbox--asks only that she graduate with honors and on law review. So far, so good. Willa is near the top of her class at Malhousie Law School in San Francisco's Tenderloin district, and she's an editor on its law review. But everything changes the morning the new issue comes out. The editor-in-chief is found slumped over a manuscript, dead from a blow to the head. And when another editor steps into her shoes, he's killed in exactly the same way. So Willa's not exactly thrilled to be next in line for that position.A RADICAL DEPARTURE, the second novel in the Willa Jansson series, was nominated for the mystery genre's two top prizes, the Edgar Allan Poe Award and the Anthony Award.Willa has taken a job with the renowned law firm of the famous political activist, Julian Warneke. Julian once defended Willa after a protest march got her arrested and hauled off to jail. The charge should have disappeared after a quick plea deal. But thanks to Julian's grandstanding, Willa spent two traumatic months behind bars. Now that she works for Julian, he's pushing her into a similar show trial... and never mind the client's best interests or Willa's best judgment. When Julian is murdered, Willa finds that the police haven't forgotten her. It's been two years since the so-called law school murders, but a certain Homicide Lieutenant is still in the habit of suspecting her. Robert B. Parker described A Radical Departure as, Funny, cleared-eyed and strong, and the San Jose Mercury News said it has almost everything a good mystery needs, a complex plot, social commentary, loads of atmosphere and a cast of unusual characters.