The Writer's Voice 2015 Entry: Flawed Law

Dear Writer’s Voice Agents,

Attorney Daniella Montgomery’s twenty-fifth birthday present is a brand new outfit: an orange jumpsuit.

Mistaking Detective Jones for a hired stripper and trying to remove his clothes, Daniella lands in the back of his squad car for seducing an officer. Though she manages to clear up the misunderstanding, before she is taken home, DNA results from multiple crime scenes identify her as the only suspect in a serial homicide. After a short stint in jail and out on bail, Daniella decides to handle the investigation herself. With all the evidence against her, it may be the only way to clear her name. Luckily, she doesn’t have to go it alone.

After three years of working on a homicide case, Detective Malcolm Jones is more than ready to find the culprit. But when he learns Daniella is a suspect, he doesn’t know what to do with her. Ordered to charge her and put the case to rest, Malcolm hesitates. He doesn’t believe the mesmerizing woman is capable of murder but his attraction for her may be screwing with his judgment. Torn, he must decide if she’s worth losing everything.

But when the killer is revealed to be closer than they think, desperate to prove her innocence, Daniella may have to abandon every law she used to serve. But to stop a monster, sometimes one needs to become one.

FLAWED LAW is a dual point-of-view adult romantic suspense novel written in third person. It is complete at 75,000 words with series potential.

I am a member of RWA and SCBWI. While working on my Master of Science in Forensic Genetics, FLAWED LAW was inspired from the material I learned during my classes.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Nicole Payne

First 250

Screams ripped Daniella from paradise, shattering her dream world of no clients, crazy bosses, or court drama. She tried to ignore it, but the thing only rebelled, determined to steal away much needed sleep. She wanted it destroyed.

Daniella swiped her phone off the end table before it continued its banshee shrieking. Grumbling, she sent mental death threats to whoever was on the other end before accepting the call.

“Hello?” She asked, her voice thick with sleep.

“Hi, sweetie. Don’t be mad but I sent your birthday present over.”

Jackie. Always straight to point.

Daniella stretched –trying to loosen the crick in her neck from the uncomfortable recliner. She headed into the kitchen and bee-lined straight for the Keurig. No way was she delving into her best friend’s business without coffee in hand. “Why would I be mad?”

“It isn’t your usual cup of tea,” Jackie said.

“Neither are you but I still love you. Is it big?”

“Uh, yeah. And the packaging makes you want to quickly rip it all off to see the goods inside.”

 “So what’s the problem?”

“I did some crazy things…involving you. I justified you needed some fun and excitement on your big day so I…I…I don’t want to tell you this.”

A person as confident and talkative as Jackie stumbling over her words wasn’t a good sign. She braced herself, letting the freshly poured coffee soothe her. “Out with it. What did you do to me this time?”

“…You’re getting a stripper gram.”