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First Victim
WILL SHE PULL THE TRIGGER? WOULD YOU?
The line between justice and revenge blurs when a judge takes the law into her own hands.
The Honorable Alice D. McKerrity is no stranger to violence. From the bench at Manhattan Supreme, she has seen the most hardened killers pass through her courtroom. But there’s something about this trial—a defendant charged with the murder of a pregnant woman–that affects her as no other case ever has. Her chaotic, stressful home life only adds to her mounting feelings of panic and fear. She’s also harboring a secret that if exposed could have far-reaching ramifications both personally and professionally.
And now, unbeknownst to Alice, her daughter has begun a search for her biological father.
As the trial progresses, Alice’s life starts to unravel. Nightmares she suffered as a girl return with a vengeance. Phantom sightings torment her. Is she being paranoid? Or are the specters real? Almost at the breaking point, she begins to doubt her own sanity. Then she makes a shocking discovery that sends her on a collision course with her past and a terror-filled night in the woods of upstate New York. Confronted with the unspeakable, she must face a decades-buried truth as she fights for her survival against a cunning adversary that forces her to question everything she ever believed about herself…and tests her limits as a woman, a judge, and a mother.
Narrated from the perspectives of three women—Alice, her daughter, and Alice’s girlhood friend–First Victim is a spellbinding tale of guilt, justice, and long-awaited retribution.
Praise
“This gripping legal thriller examines the fine line between justice and revenge…vivid courtroom drama builds to a harrowing, action-packed finale. Psychological thriller fans will be well satisfied.”—Publishers Weekly
“A taut, visceral thriller. From the first page to the last, FIRST VICTIM grabs you by the throat and hurtles you forward in a breathless need for answers, as the twists and turns keep coming. Buckle up for a wild ride.” —Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“First Victim is a first rate legal thriller. Debbie Babitt blends suspense, character and courtroom drama with the complications of everyday life and comes up with a real winner.” —Michael Connelly, #1 NYT bestselling author
“Setting the standard for top-notch thrillers, First Victim is smart, compelling and filled with utterly real characters. Author Babitt brings formidable storytelling talent to the game, and is quite the stylist. Once you start this novel, you won’t put it down!” —Jeffery Deaver, #1 international bestselling author of The Bone Collector and The Midnight Lock
“An intriguing legal thriller with twists you never see coming. Take a deep breath and enjoy this one.” —Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of The Omega Factor
“In this riveting novel by the author of Saving Grace, the life of a judge presiding over a brutal murder trial begins to unravel as the case unearths ghosts from her dark past – one she’s kept secret from everyone, including her grown daughter. Propulsive writing and a gripping story make First Victim one hell of a thriller!” —Wendy Walker, bestselling author of All Is Not Forgotten
“First Victim is a powerhouse—smart, suspenseful, sensational, and full of surprises. Debbie Babitt is a born stylist. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.” —William Bernhardt, bestselling author of The Last Chance Lawyer
EXCERPT
Do you believe everything happens for a reason? That our lives are predetermined before we’re born?
Or do you believe in karmic destiny? That we’re the masters of our fate and our actions have consequences none of us can escape?
What goes around comes around?
This wasn’t part of some preordained plan. Nor was it an accident of fate. No great cosmic mistake or tragic misalignment of the stars. Only a savage vendetta of violence that was the result of human thought and cunning.
Violence that shatters lives and drives good people to commit bad acts.
To do evil in return.
Is that justice? Or revenge? The instinct that reduces us to our most primal impulses. Exposing us for the bloodthirsty beasts we are. Isn’t the evolution of our brains what separates us from the animal kingdom?
Our ability to think. To reason. To make choices.
There’s always a choice.
And a cost.
She hears it now.
Under the sound of the water.
It reverberates in her head, drowning out everything else.
A plaintive wail that rips at her heart.
There is another primal impulse.
A mother’s need to protect her child.
She looks down.
She doesn’t have much time.
There won’t be a second chance.
She thinks about karmic destiny.
What goes around . . .
Slowly, she lowers the gun until it’s level with his heart.