The Darkest Place by Phillip Margolin

 

When Robin Lockwood returns to her hometown to grieve the loss of her fiance, she also walks into an intriguing legal case.  Marjorie Loman had agreed to be a surrogate for a family who couldn't have children.  But after delivery, she had been allowed to bond with the baby and wanted to change her mind and keep the baby she had carried and given birth to.  A few weeks later, she had burst into the house of the surrogate parents, pistol-whipped the mother and kidnapped the baby.  The baby was recovered a few hours later but Marjorie was arrested and charged with various crimes.

Robin believes that Margorie was acting under the influence of temporary psychosis brought on by her pregnancy and the trauma surrounding it.  She and her local partner line up experts and start the trial.  Robin believes in Marjorie even when she finds that Marjorie is under indictment in Portland, Oregon, for the murder of her husband and that Marjorie is not even her real name.  Can Robin win these cases?

Phillip Margolin is known for his work in the thriller genre.  This book is the fifth in the series but can be read as a stand alone.  Robin has spent her life fighting the odds and her career as a lawyer allows her to fight for those who otherwise might not have a voice.  I listened to this book and the narrator did a great job.  This book is recommended for mystery and thriller readers.