book review: Discretion by Allison Leotta

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The backstory: After enjoying Allison Leotta's first mystery featuring Anna Curtis, Law of Attraction, and the following e-short story, Ten Rules for a Call Girl, I was excited to read Discretion.

 The basics: The titular Discretion is a high-end, secretive escort company. When a young escort dies after falling from a balcony in the Capitol, U.S. Attorney Anna Curtis works the case as a sexual assault and homicide.

 My thoughts: Clearly drawing inspiration from real-life scandal, including Eliot Spitzer, Discretion offers a fascinating look at the role of escorts in Washington, D.C. One of the things I've come to like most about Leotta's books is the way she manages to write from multiple points of view. Anna is the main character, but she isn't the only window into the world. By seeing the world of high-end prostitution (and low-end prostitution) through multiple points of view, it's possible to better understand the world. It's a more complicated approach to storytelling, but its payoffs are huge. Leotta shines light onto these complex issues by writing such good characters, from cops and lawyers to pimps, johns, and prostitutes. None of these classes of people are one thing, and Leotta shows the good and bad of all.

The verdict: Discretion is a compelling mystery filled with political intrigue. It furthers the personal and professional storylines in Anna's life well without hampering the pace of the mystery itself. I'll definitely be reading the next in this series very soon.

 Rating: 4 out of 5
Length: 353 pages
Publication date: July 3, 2012
Source: Scribd

 Convinced? Treat yourself! Buy Discretion from Amazon (Kindle edition.) Better yet: start with Law of Attraction. Buy it from Amazon (Kindle edition.)

Want more? Visit Allison Leotta's website, like her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.

As an affiliate, I receive a small commission when you make a purchase through any of the above links. Thank you for helping to support my book habits that bring more content to this blog!

Comments

  1. KayMarch 27, 2015 at 9:13 AM

    I haven't read any of this author's books yet, but I have had her on my radar. I guess I need to figure out which is first and try one. This one sounds good!

    ReplyDelete

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