Anna Curtis Series by Allison Leotta

A s a newly minted Assistant U. S. Attorney in Washington, D. C. , Anna Curtis has already developed thick skin to deal with the brutality she encounters with her daily stack of domestic violence cases. Yet when Laprea Johnson walks into Anna’s life — battered by her boyfriend on the morning after Valentine’s Day — there’s something about this particular case that Anna can’t quite shake, something that reminds the prosecutor of her own troubled past... moreA s a newly minted Assistant U. S. Attorney in Washington, D. C. , Anna Curtis has already developed thick skin to deal with the brutality she encounters with her daily stack of domestic violence cases. Yet when Laprea Johnson walks into Anna’s life — battered by her boyfriend on the morning after Valentine’s Day — there’s something about this particular case that Anna can’t quite shake, something that reminds the prosecutor of her own troubled past. At the trial, Laprea makes a last-minute reversal, lying on the witness stand to free her boy-friend. Shortly after he is freed, Anna is horrified to hear that Laprea’s body has been found in a trash heap. Hastily assigned to prosecute the murder case alongside intimidating chief homicide prosecutor Jack Bailey, Anna’s heart sinks when she learns that her own boyfriend, public defender Nick Wagner, is representing the accused. Torn between bringing the killer to justice and saving her personal life, Anna makes a series of choices that jeopardizes her career, her relationships, and her very life as she uncovers the shocking truth behind the murder. Weaving expert knowledge with deft storytelling, federal sex-crimes prosecutor and Harvard Law School graduate Allison Leotta takes readers on a thrilling ride through D. C. ’s criminal justice system. From the back rooms of the U. S. Attorney’s Office and the flirtations and machinations of Washington’s Ivy League lawyers to the struggles of its poorest citizens on the gritty streets of Anacostia, Law of Attraction is a gripping debut from an exciting new talent. less

From former federal sex-crimes prosecutor Allison Leotta, an eShort story about the secret life of Washington, D. C. ’s highest-paid escorts. Beautiful Georgetown undergrad Caroline McBride almost has it all—a loving fiancée, a promising academic career, and a college life of fabulous parties—but she can't afford it. When her father becomes ill, plunging her family into debt, she reluctantly agrees to meet Madeleine, the madam of a high-end escort service... moreFrom former federal sex-crimes prosecutor Allison Leotta, an eShort story about the secret life of Washington, D. C. ’s highest-paid escorts. Beautiful Georgetown undergrad Caroline McBride almost has it all—a loving fiancée, a promising academic career, and a college life of fabulous parties—but she can't afford it. When her father becomes ill, plunging her family into debt, she reluctantly agrees to meet Madeleine, the madam of a high-end escort service. Catering to the most powerful men in D. C. , Caroline can make more money in one night than in a month at her part-time college job. And no one has to know. All she has to do is follow the madam’s ten simple rules. A riveting story of D. C. ’s red-light underworld and the life of a modern courtesan, Ten Rules for a Call Girl is fascinating and addictive. Includes an excerpt from Allison Leotta’s new novel, Discretion ! less

For fans of Lisa Scottoline and Law and Order: SVU , former federal sex-crimes prosecutor Allison Leotta’s novel explores the intersection of sex and power as Anna Curtis investigates the murder of one of DC’s highest-paid escorts. When a beautiful young woman plummets to her death from the balcony of the U. S. Capitol, Assistant U. S. Attorney Anna Curtis is summoned to the scene. The evidence points to a sexual assault and murder... moreFor fans of Lisa Scottoline and Law and Order: SVU , former federal sex-crimes prosecutor Allison Leotta’s novel explores the intersection of sex and power as Anna Curtis investigates the murder of one of DC’s highest-paid escorts. When a beautiful young woman plummets to her death from the balcony of the U. S. Capitol, Assistant U. S. Attorney Anna Curtis is summoned to the scene. The evidence points to a sexual assault and murder. The victim is one of the city’s highest-paid escorts. And the balcony belongs to Washington, D. C. ’s sole representative to Congress, the most powerful figure in city politics. The Congressman proclaims his innocence, but he’s in the middle of a tough primary fight, and the scandal could cost him the election. For Anna, the high-profile case is an opportunity. But as the political stakes rise, she realizes that a single mistake could end her career. At the same time, her budding romance with Jack Bailey, the chief homicide prosecutor, is at a crossroads. Determined to gain respect in the office, Anna wants to keep their relationship under wraps. But the mounting pressure and media attention that come with the office’s most important case will inevitably expose their relationship—if it doesn’t destroy it first. The investigation leads Anna to Discretion, a high-end escort service that caters to D. C. ’s elite. But with each break in the case, the mystery deepens. And the further Anna ventures into D. C. ’s red-light underworld, the larger the target on her own back. From the secret social clubs where Washington’s most powerful men escape from public view to the asphalt “track” where the city’s most vulnerable women work the streets, Discretion is a gripping exploration of sex, power, and the secrets we all keep. less

In this thriller by “the female John Grisham” (The Providence Journal), prosecutor Anna Curtis must stop a vicious street gang before it destroys more lives—and her own family. On the same night that prosecutor Anna Curtis gets engaged, a terrifying man known as Diablo leads a vicious attack on a brothel. Anna is assigned to investigate and bring “the devil” to justice... moreIn this thriller by “the female John Grisham” (The Providence Journal), prosecutor Anna Curtis must stop a vicious street gang before it destroys more lives—and her own family. On the same night that prosecutor Anna Curtis gets engaged, a terrifying man known as Diablo leads a vicious attack on a brothel. Anna is assigned to investigate and bring “the devil” to justice. The challenge of her day job contrasts with the sweetness in her personal life, as she plans her wedding and shifts from being a single woman with a secret boyfriend to one half of a D. C. power couple and stepmother to a six-year-old girl. The investigation soon leads Anna to MS-13, one of America’s most brutal street gangs. As Anna uncovers the full extent of Diablo’s depravity, she also discovers long-buried secrets, official lies, and a terrifying danger that comes straight to her doorstep. The facts she unearths in the case not only threaten her plans for a happy marriage, but everything she thought she knew about the past and present, good and evil, and the price of justice. In this gripping thriller, Allison Leotta draws on her experience as a prosecutor to take readers into the back rooms of the US Attorney’s Office, the hidden world of the Witness Protection Program, and the secret rituals of one of America’s most dangerous gangs. Praised by top writers in the genre from David Baldacci to George Pelecanos, Leotta deftly weaves fact and fiction to create her best novel yet. less