Overview
An unsolved murder. A teenager in peril. Two cases, lives in turmoil, fates manipulated by officials who wield the power to help—or harm.
In the dead of night, on the eve of New York City's pandemic lockdown, a well-respected man is murdered, setting off a perplexing tangle of missed clues and political scandal. Former prosecutor Dana Hargrove, now an appellate judge, is determined to expose the media lies and false accusations targeting her friends and former colleagues. A limping criminal justice system fails to solve the murder by 2022 when another heartbreaking case is heard in Dana's court. A state agency has ripped a terminally ill teenager from her home to forcibly impose medical treatment against her will.
Hindered by ethics rules, Dana carves a role for herself in these cases only to come up against her own children. Her son Travis, now a rising star in appellate advocacy, takes a legal position in the teen's case at odds with Dana's strongly held beliefs. Her daughter Natalie, a doctoral candidate in cognitive psychology, has a personal reason for meddling in the murder investigation. Will Natalie's curiosity throw her into danger?
In a compelling story of families in crisis, Power Blind exposes the lure of power, blinding those in authority and control to the consequences of their actions.
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The sixth standalone Dana Hargrove novel: Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense!
"Power Blind has everything a legal mystery should have: characters you care about, ethical conundrums, ripped-from-the-headlines legal issues, a compelling subplot, page-turning excitement, and an author who clearly knows her way around a courtroom… A well-crafted and timely novel." — USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Amy M. Reade
"Family saga, mystery, and legal tale all rolled into one… The author did a fantastic job drawing me into the story through compelling observations, descriptions, and dialogue… Frankly, there is a lot to like in this one." — San Francisco Book Review
"An engaging read, with plot twist after plot twist that will keep readers guessing… Cinematic in nature, the novel's complex plot lines will remind readers of some of television's greatest legal dramas." — The U.S. Review of Books
"Kemanis writes with typical elegance and control, spinning the intricacies of the law into moments of humor and drama, by turns…. With this book, Kemanis has brought Dana into roiling legal battles of the present day, dealing with issues of bodily autonomy and police violence that feel particularly urgent and timely…. An adept and timely courtroom drama." — Kirkus Reviews
"V.S. Kemanis's engrossing legal novel Power Blind follows a murder in New York City [and] parallel cases [that] raise questions of whether those in power help or hurt society… A compelling procedural novel, its story takes on the criminal justice system and the nature of power." — Foreword Clarion Reviews
"All novels, whether grounded in reality or complete flights of fancy, need a sure-handed author to guide the reader. As she has demonstrated throughout her Dana Hargrove series, V.S. Kemanis is that author. Her ultra-clear writing style, encyclopedic knowledge of the courts and the criminal justice system, and conscientious plotting are on full display in Power Blind. A smooth as silk read." — Kevin Egan, author of Midnight
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940165435287 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Opus Nine Books |
| Publication date: | 01/25/2022 |
| Series: | A Dana Hargrove Legal Mystery |
| Sold by: | Draft2Digital |
| Format: | eBook |
| File size: | 434 KB |
About the Author
V. S. Kemanis grew up in the East Bay Area of California in a family with six amazing siblings and parents passionate about politics, social issues, theater, and music. Mealtimes were often raucous, stimulating, intellectual, and fun gatherings in a household full of family and interesting guests, musicians, actors, artists, professors, and university students.
Ms. Kemanis holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Colorado Law School, Boulder. In her legal career, she has been a criminal prosecutor of street crime and organized crime for county and state agencies, argued criminal appeals for the prosecution and defense, conducted complex civil litigation, and worked for judges and appellate courts, most recently as the supervising editor of appellate decisions.
Ms. Kemanis is also an accomplished dancer of classical ballet, modern jazz, and contemporary styles and has performed, taught, and choreographed in California, Colorado, and New York. During a wonderful time when her children were young, she took a decade hiatus from her legal career and owned and managed a popular dancewear shop.
Short fiction by Ms. Kemanis has been published in anthologies and magazines including Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, The Crooked Road Volume 3, The Best Laid Plans, Me Too Short Stories, and Autumn Noir, among others. She has published five collections of short fiction, including Your Pick: Selected Stories, winner of the Eric Hoffer Award for best story collection and finalist for the Montaigne Medal. Her novels of legal suspense, Thursday’s List, Homicide Chart, Forsaken Oath, Deep Zero, Seven Shadows, and Power Blind draw on her personal experience in criminal law, juggling a high-powered professional career with family obligations.
Ms. Kemanis lives in New York and is a member of the New York chapter of the Mystery Writers of America.