First Offense

Book 4 in the Innocent Prisoners Project Series

by Marti Green

Twelve-year-old Frankie Bishop is a model kid: quiet and bright. So everyone, especially his family, is shocked when he’s arrested for drug possession—and horrified when he’s sentenced to juvenile detention at Eldridge Academy. His uncle, Bruce Kantor of the Help Innocent Prisoners Project, wants to help but knows he’s too close to the case.

His associate Dani Trumball has family worries of her own to deal with, but she knows Bruce wouldn’t ask for help without cause. Just as she and her team begin to investigate, the case gets even thornier: Frankie is missing, and evidence points to an Eldridge cover-up.

As the FBI launches a hunt for the boy, Dani knows something isn’t right. Why would a minor’s first offense earn such a harsh punishment? Unconvinced by the court documents, Dani is dogged in her pursuit of the truth that will save Frankie’s future—if he still has one.

About the Author

Marti’s enjoyment of mystery books began as a child, when she first discovered the Bobbsey Twins series before moving on to Nancy Drew. As she grew, her reading tastes became more eclectic, but once she read Scott Turow’s Presumed Innocent, she was hooked on legal thrillers. John Grisham’s The Firm sealed the deal for her and she now seeks out legal thriller writers like Michael Connolly, John Lescroart and Phillip Margolin. Although she loves the tales told by those writers, there seemed to be missing from the literature a hard-working woman attorney, torn – as are so many women – between her commitment to her job and to her family. And so she created Dani Trumball – an ivy league trained lawyer devoted both to seeking justice for the wrongly convicted and to her husband and son.

 

Marti’s inspiration for writing about innocence stems from her experience counseling drug users who had pending criminal cases. She discovered that if the defendant continued to maintain his innocence after conviction, he would be deemed unrepentant and get a harsher sentence. Once a jury voted to convict, the defendant was considered guilty regardless of the truth. That exposure to the court system prompted an interest in the law, and she entered Hofstra Law School, where she was a member of the law review.

 

Marti now lives in central Florida with her husband, Lenny, and her Siberian cat, Howie. In addition to writing, she enjoys reading, jogging and golf. She heads back to New York regularly to visit her two sons and their wives, and her five beautiful grandchildren.

 

Unintended Consequences won first place in the suspense category of the Royal Palm Literary Awards.

Follow Marti Green and her books at www.martigreen.net

Marti Green