Lia Matera: The Smart Money (USA 2021)

From the Publisher:
Murder halts a high-profile lawyer's revenge against her ex-husband in this series opener by the author of the Willa Jansson Mysteries.
Many years ago, attorney Laura Di Palma fled her rainy, gray hometown of Hillsdale in Northern California, leaving behind painful memories to make it big in San Francisco. Now, she's quite the controversial figure, having secured a client's acquittal of the murder of two senators. One would think she'd stay put to ride the wave of her recent success, but she's eager to get back at her ex-husband Gary...

The plan is to return to Hillsdale, nab the public defender job Gary wants so badly, make him squirm, and force him to feel remorse over the death of the man Laura almost left him for. But there are a few snags along the way: first, Gary is attacked before Laura has a real chance to speak with him; then two terrible murders quickly follow suit.

It's clear Laura's not the only one in town with an axe to grind, and if she hopes to survive the storm of violence ripping through Hillsdale, she'll need to remain a step ahead of a killer -- and watch her back.

Praise for the Laura Di Palma Mysteries
"Di Palma is one of the smartest, most open-minded sleuths in the lawyering trade... . [Matera] writes with intelligence and feeling about issues that still hurt and people who still care." -- The New York Times

"Di Palma certainly belongs in the same league as Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone and Sara Paretsky's V.I. Warshawski when it comes to brains, determination, and guts." -- Booklist

"[A] welcome respite from the mystery-by-formula crowd." -- Kirkus Reviews

Lia Matera: The Smart Money. A Laura Di Palma Mystery. Mysterious Press / Open Road Media, ISBN: 9781504066754 (June, 2021), eBook, 2419 KB (192 p.), $6.99.

Lia Matera: The Smart Money (USA 1991)

From the Publisher:
"Ms. Matera proves a tough-minded writer." -- The New York Times Book Review
Laura Di Palma finally has it made, Eleven years ago, she ran from a broken marriage and her small northern California town in search of fame and fortune. As the smartest and most controversial young defense aftorney in her high-class law firm, she found it. But she's got an old grudge back home that she cant let die. So shes mov- ing back to ruin her ex-husband's career by taking the job he wants as public defender-just long enough to make him squirm.

Once she evens up the score, Laura can go back to her big city life. Unfortunately, a few things get in the way, including two murders, a crazed killer on the loose, old wounds that haven't healed, and a forgotten feeling that Laura is almost afraid to name..

"(Matera is) poised for a breakthrough." -- Newsweek

Lia Matera: The Smart Money. Laura leaves her big city law practice to settle an old score in her hometown -- and then murder gets in the way... A Laura Di Palma Mystery. Ballantine Books, ISBN: 0345371275 (July, 1991), 149 p., $4.95.

Lia Matera: The Smart Money (USA 1988)

From the Publisher:
THE WRONG SIDE OF THE LAW
Successful young attorney Laura Di Palma made head- lines defending difficult clients. But suddenly, she's on the other side of the law. She moves to a sleepy Pacific Northwest town to wreak vengeance on another lawyer-her ex-husband Gary. She's got her rea- sons, of course.

Laura once got a man named Wallace Bean acquit- ted of murder by reason of insanity. Now he's free * and trigger-happy. And he just showed up on her doorstep with a Buntline special.

The local law wants Laura behind bars. Someone else wants her six feet under. Laura's about to learn how dangerous vengeance can be-and how swiftly the hunter can become the hunted.

But the smart money is on her.

Lia Matera: The Smart Money. This young lawyer is right on the money, but she's on the wrong side of the law. Bantam Books, ISBN: 0553272683 (June, 1988), 185 p., $3.50.