Heart vs. Humbug — M.J. Rodgers

He said the law couldn't afford a heart...

Attorney Brett Merlin -- alias the Magician -- was certain he'd squashed one senior citizen's Christmas crusade against his Scrooge of a client. Until he met opposing counsel, the fiery, flame-haired Octavia Osborne... and his open-and-shut civil suit escalated to murder in the first degree.

Suddenly, the magician of law found himself up against a mistress of abracadabra, who pulled more countersuits out of her attorney's brief than Santa did presents out of his sleigh.

What Brett saw was a matter of law, Octavia saw as a matter of heart. Either way, he was out to set some surprising new precedents -- both legal and personal.