A betrayed wife and dedicated mother suddenly forced to raise her six-month-old daughter alone, Melanie Vargas is also an ambitious, hard-working professional who has had to bite and claw for recognition in the federal prosecutor’s office. Then, while strolling with her baby girl on a steamy New York night, Melanie stumbles onto the kind of high-profile case that could make a career: the burning townhouse of a wealthy former prosecutor, its owner’s tortured, murdered corpse smoldering within. Melanie Vargas wants this chance – she needs it – and she’ll do whatever it takes to get it. But a headline-grabbing opportunity of a lifetime could cost Melanie more than she ever imagined, as it pulls her closer to a dangerous affair with a secretive, enigmatic FBI agent – and closer still to a sadistic human monster moving expertly through the city’s darkest shadows. *** “Michele Martinez’s Most Wanted is taut and crisp, as well-crafted a mystery as you’ll read this year.” – John Lescroart “Michele Martinez, a former New York prosecutor turned author, skillfully shows the promise of an exciting series in this debut. Most Wanted succeeds as an intense legal thriller, a police procedural, and a look at the treachery of the workplace, with a bit of romantic suspense added for good measure.” – Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel “ Martinez pairs a dedicated prosecutor with a streetwise cop in a city story of nonstop suspense. The pages turn in a blur! Edgy and fresh.” – Iris Johansen “ Martinez joins Linda Fairstein in the ranks of prosecutor turned authors, bringing real-life detail and emotion to this thriller.” – Library Journal “An effervescent debut thriller… Martinez has crafted an enormously appealing heroine and a breezy, entertaining tale.” – Publishers Weekly “Who but a former prosecutor could have created this bright and fearless heroine-in-peril? And I loved Martinez ’s edgy mix of New York grit and glamour, set to a galloping, can’t-put-it-down tempo. Most Wanted is an utter page-turner.” – Tess Gerritsen

Michele Martinez, author of the critically acclaimed Most Wanted, which USA Today called "a breakout," brings back savvy, sexy federal prosecutor Melanie Vargas in a new case that pits her against a very clever, very scary killer In a glittering penthouse high above Park Avenue, two beautiful teenagers, students at an exclusive Manhattan girls' school, lie dead under suspicious circumstances. Feeling pressure from the top to solve the high-profile case fast, Melanie breaks all the rules and goes undercover. Teamed with Dan O'Reilly, a hard-to-resist FBI agent with a talent for making her pulse race, Melanie embarks on a wild chase from the rarefied world of New York 's elite private schools to the darkest recesses of the city's nightlife. And, ultimately, into a fight for her life against a devious killer who has no intention of getting caught

Прокурор Мелани Варгас давно мечтает о серьезном деле, которое поможет ей подняться по служебной лестнице. И наконец ей действительно поручают расследование громкого преступления. Кто убил знаменитого адвоката Джеда Бенсона, искалечил его маленькую дочь и поджег особняк? ФБР и полиция предполагают, что мотивом послужила месть нью-йоркской криминальной группировки, имевшей старые счеты с адвокатом, или ревность бандита, у которого Джед отбил любовницу. Однако Мелани убеждена: истинную причину трагедии следует искать в прошлом жертвы. В прошлом, где скрыто немало темных историй и незаконных сделок…