The Alibi by Sandra Brown

Born into a fine old Charleston family, Hammond Cross is determined to be the city's next district attorney - without sacrificing his integrity. Prosecuting the sensational murder of a real estate magnate could be his ticket into office. Yet, while Hammond anticipates his success, someone near him is plotting his downfall. Is it Steffi Mundell, colleague, ex-lover and rival? Rory Smilow, homicide detective and Hammond's avowed enemy? Is it the dead man's widow, wily, beautiful and Hammond's lifelong friend? Or is it Hammond's prime suspect, the mysterious woman who shares the secret that would be fatal to Hammond's ambitions?

 I found "The Alibi" very enjoyable reading indeed. I was too busy enjoying the story to try and figure out the killer's identity and motivation. I got caught up in the magnetic pull between the two main characters. Ms. Brown made me care about them. Hammond's struggle with issues of integrity and Alex's battle against her dark past were compelling, believable reading. The interaction between these two hot,hot,hot. It was steamy, in part because there wasn't that much of it. [This is a mystery after all, not erotic fiction.] The author let me use my imagination to fill in details. She later expanded on what I thought I knew, which made it even better. Ms. Brown introduced several intriguing subplots and characters that I would have liked to get to know better, like Davee. Sadly, some of these were left dangling at the book's conclusion, prompting me to ask, "what happened to them?" There were a number of clever plot devises. I liked how the story skipped back and forth between past and present. If Ms. Brown did this to keep me guessing and paying attention, it worked.Sandra Brown's choice of title was perfect and accurate. Hammond Cross is continually checking suspect's stories, and his alibi, and fearing he might be the alibi for Alex Ladd. The idea of unknown or hidden character alibis made the story interesting and exciting. I definitely would recommend this book to anyone. The characters are well developed, the plot is suspenseful, intense, and the ending is completely unexpected. These aspects make The Alibi a wonderful book. The ending alone would make the book a best seller. The ending was a complete surprise yet logical when all the events, facts and dialogue were added up and put together.  In general, I love this author and enjoy all of her books. If you want to read a terrific book, do yourself a favor and read The Alibi.