Books › The Alibi
The Alibi
First published 1999 · 838 pages
A steamy, high-stakes legal thriller where professional ambition collides disastrously with forbidden desire.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like being caught in a tightening vise of moral compromise and undeniable attraction. The narrative moves at a brisk, urgent clip, seamlessly blending the procedural tension of a high-stakes murder trial with the steamy, charged atmosphere of a forbidden romance. Set against the sultry backdrop of Charleston, the mood is heavy with secrets, hidden agendas, and the agonizing weight of a single, fateful decision. The prose is sharp and plot-driven, designed to keep the pages turning while ratcheting up the emotional stakes. It is a perfect fit for readers who love their legal thrillers laced with intense romantic chemistry, where the lines between right and wrong blur in the face of overwhelming desire.
- Mood
- steamy
- high-stakes
- shadowy
- charged
- Tone
- tense
- dramatic
- seductive
- urgent
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- moral compromise · forbidden attraction · ambition versus integrity · hidden agendas · the weight of secrets
- The writing
- Accessible, plot-driven, and heavily focused on building both romantic tension and courtroom suspense.
- The arc
- Moves from confident ambition to agonizing moral conflict, culminating in a high-stakes, emotionally charged resolution.
- Who it's for
- Readers who crave a blend of steamy romance, legal maneuvering, and agonizing moral dilemmas.
Content notes
- murder
- sexual content
- betrayal
About the book
An honorable man... a very sexy dilemma.
Hammond Cross is a man caught in a moral dilemma.
The plot of THE ALIBI centers around Hammond Cross, Special Assistant County Solicitor. (for those of you who don’t live in South Carolina and haven’t read THE WITNESS, you might not know that in that state, lawyers are called solicitors. In Texas we call them by other names.)
Hammond Cross hails from a wealthy Charleston family, but he eschews his heritage and the advantages it affords, even going far as to choose public service over a more lucrative career in criminal defense. He’s ambitious, and has his sights set on higher offices, but his goals aren’t strictly politically motivated. He’s also an aggressive prosecutor out to win for all the right reasons. He believes in what he’s doing and devotes himself to bringing criminals to justice.
He unwittingly becomes the alibi of an accused murderer.
The captivating and elusive woman with whom he had spent an overnight getaway — a meeting he mistook as happenstance — becomes the prime suspect in the most important criminal case Hammond’s career. If he prosecutes it successfully, he’ll inherit the top position from the retiring County Solicitor. If he doesn’t, he’ll have many people to answer to... not the least of which is himself.
To admit his own culpability is self-destructive. To fail is unthinkable. To win is to sacrifice the woman he’s come to love.
Description from Open Library.
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