It’s been a harrowing day. I appreciate this chance to tell you about it, with many thanks to Dru, a mighty force in the mystery community. And if you think of a new angle, I’d like to hear your opinion. It’s my job to listen to every viewpoint before drawing any conclusions.
My name is Dana Hargrove. I’m known as “Judge” to my staff, “Your Honor” in my courtroom, “the Dane” to Investigator Gil Herrera, “My love” to my husband Evan, “Mom” to my son Travis, and “Mommy” to my daughter Natalie. These are the people in my life, a balance of the personal and professional. It seems I’m always walking that tightrope, juggling conflicting demands, and when a criminal case throws me an ethical dilemma—well, you could say that I thrive on stress.
But I don’t let people see my angst. I remain composed, serene. Only the people closest to me will sense the inner turmoil. It runs deep and comes with the territory. Human drama, heartbreak, and conflict are unavoidable in the criminal justice system, where I’ve made my career. If I had to choose my lifepath again, I wouldn’t change a thing.
Compassion is essential for good judging, good mothering. In the courtroom, I feel the victims’ pain, the witnesses’ fear, the defendants’ anger, the attorneys’ frustration, the shortcomings of our justice system. I agonize over sentencing decisions. On the home front, I feel the challenge of my children’s uneven struggle into adulthood, the vacuum of my empty nest, and the worry beneath my husband’s sunny face and goofy jokes. His concern for me—for us.
Always inseparable, Evan and I are changing, now that the children are forging their independence, Travis in law school, Natalie in college. I’ve been pulling away from them—not completely—but it’s best to give them room. In quiet moments I miss them terribly, and the only cure is hard work. Lots of it. Don’t worry about me, Evan. You have enough on your plate, the complex litigation at your law firm and the law school classes you teach. (That disturbed student you mentioned… Is he stalking you?) I don’t want to talk about “us.” I’m dealing with two high-profile murder cases in my courtroom right now.
Doubts. I have them but can’t show them. It’s part of being a judge. I’m a believer in reason, logical deduction, and evenhandedness. I’ve been told that my voice is soothing like a warm blanket, authoritative when I rule from the bench. But, at times, a small quaver will crack the velvet surface—evidence that I’m breaking under the pressure. Especially when something like this happens. The past has come calling.
In my twenty-five years as a prosecutor before becoming a trial judge, I gained lifelong friends and a few people who won’t forget a grudge. Like this one. Today, I received another anonymous note from him. Maybe he’s a former adversary or an ex-con. I’ve put more than a few bad boys away. Contract murderers, soldiers in street gangs, narcotics kingpins, even a late-term abortionist. Or maybe he’s just a crank, a Joe Public unhappy with my job performance. The language is cryptic, ambiguous. Today’s note could mean one thing…or another. A veiled threat against me? My family?
I’m calling in my trusted advisers. I’m calling on you, dear reader, to give me your opinion.
Giveaway! Do you like novels with courtroom drama and psychological suspense? Leave a comment for a chance to win either an e-book or a signed print copy of Seven Shadows (winner’s choice of e-book or print, but U.S. residents only for a print copy). Giveaway ends April 20, 2020. Good luck everyone!
Seven Shadows is the fifth standalone novel in the “Dana Hargrove” legal mystery series, released January 28, 2020.
A criminal prosecutor is bound to make a few enemies over a decades-long career, and Dana Hargrove is no exception. Who has it in for her?
In 2015, the former prosecutor is in her second year as a trial judge in Manhattan. It’s a new world. Dana cut her baby teeth in the DA’s office during the crack epidemic, the ’80s and early ’90s. Now, the murder rate is a fraction of what it was, and public opinion about incarceration is softening. So is Dana. As a judge, she agonizes over every sentencing decision before her.
Midlife has also hit Dana hard on a personal level. She misses her children and adjusts to the empty nest by immersing herself in work. Instead of growing closer to her husband Evan, their relationship becomes strained. What is happening to them?
Tension builds as Judge Hargrove presides over two high-stakes media cases. The defendants: a glamorous dot-com millionaire who killed her business partner, and an orthopedist who runs a deadly pill mill. In the public mail bag, the judge receives a message from an anonymous crank. Then her family starts getting letters that sound all too personal. Someone with an agenda is harassing and shadowing Dana and her loved ones.
In Seven Shadows, the judge and her pursuer are on a collision course meant to teach Dana the meaning of empathy and the value of the people she cherishes most.
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Meet the author
Award-winning author V.S. Kemanis is an attorney with decades of experience in the criminal justice and court systems of New York. She is also a dance artist, ballet teacher, and mother of two amazing young women. The latest of her five volumes of short fiction, Your Pick: Selected Stories, won the 2019 Eric Hoffer Award for best collection, and her stories have appeared in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, The Crooked Road Vol. 3, The Best Laid Plans, and Me Too Short Stories, among others. Five standalone novels of legal suspense feature Dana Hargrove at distinct stages of her professional career and personal life, from Thursday’s List, set in 1988, through Seven Shadows, set in 2015. The sixth Dana Hargrove legal mystery will take place in 2022, the anticipated year of its publication. Ms. Kemanis currently serves on the board of the New York chapter of Mystery Writers of America.
Learn more about V.S. Kemanis on her website at vskemanis.com.
All comments are welcomed.
Novels in a courtroom setting filled with lots of drama are one of my favorite mystery/suspense reads. I’d love to read this!
I’m with you, Jeanne! Courtroom drama is one of my favorites to read and write. Dana thanks you for stopping in!
I enjoy courtroom drama and psychological suspense. Both in books and TV shows.
Nice to meet you, Sharon. Thanks for reading about Dana’s day. Yes…both in books and TV. The Good Wife was one of my favorite shows of all time.
Sounds very interesting. First book by her for me. Always looking for new authors books to read. I have been reading a bunch lately. Books about judges and the criminal justice system sound exciting. It seems like someone is after this judge and her family. Would love a chance to figure it out. If I won I would prefer a print copy. Thanks for a chance to win.
An intriguing character. Love the spacing in time of the series. Great concept.
Hello, Jane! It’s been such fun to write about Dana at very different stages of her life and career, from age 26 to age 53. In the sixth book she will be 60. Thanks for stopping by!
Linda, I’m glad this one piques your interest. I’m also always on the lookout for new authors to read…so many great stories out there! Thanks for checking out a day in Dana’s life.
I like novels with courtroom drama and psychological suspense. It sounds like a really interesting book, very intriguing. Thank you for sharing.
My pleasure to share a day in the life of Dana with you, Diana. Thank you for stopping by. I appreciate your interest!
The intrigue and courtroom drama makes this book captivating.
Thank you, Laini. I love intrigue! Thanks for stopping by and for your comment.
I do like to read books with a courtroom setting . Sounds like a great book.
Hi Dianne, Thanks for spending some time with Dana today and for your comments!
I do enjoy psychological suspense stories & those with courtroom drama.
Nice to meet you, Jana! Dana thanks you for taking time in your day to check out hers.
I love psychological suspense and courtroom dramas and I often read them as a break from my equally loved cozy mysteries (and vice versa). Dana sounds like a compelling protagonist.
Hello, Autumn. I love your name! Thanks for taking the time to enter Dana’s life today. I hope you’ll have a chance to get to know her better.
I love courtroom dramas–as an attorney it’s always fun to read these and compare them to real life. I love the idea that attorneys are able to write about the law and the courts and make them compelling to others.
I’m with you on this, Rochelle! The criminal courtroom is an arena of high drama and human emotion. The cases and ethical dilemmas in my books are based on NY law. Nice to meet a fellow attorney. Thank you for your comments.
I love Dana. She’s such a fully developed character, and her troubles and conflicts feel so real.
Hi Emilya! Thanks so much for stopping by and entering Dana’s life again today. [P.S. Dear Readers: Emilya is an amazing writer who makes an appearance on the acknowledgments page in Seven Shadows!]
The legal thrillers can offer such interesting perspectives. I enjoy the trial unfolding: presenting the evidence, the opposing sides, the back and forth of testimony and tearing testimony apart, the legal maneuvering, the strategizing. I think it would be very difficult to judge!
Hi, Pat! Good points here about why legal thrillers are so compelling. Along with all the different stages of a criminal case, I also like to get into the heads of different players in the system: defense attorneys and prosecutors, defendants and victims, witnesses and police officers, and of course, the judge who, as you note, has a difficult job. In Seven Shadows, Dana goes through some angst in making some of her rulings. Thanks for your comments.
V.S.,
Ooh, the story crackles with intrigue. The reader can feel the quiver of fear rippling through Dana’s mind. It’s certain to be a tense cat-and-mouse chase for the truth and justice.
Hello, Daniella! Thank you for taking time out from the life of your compelling protagonist, Emmeline Kirby, and entering a moment of Dana Hargrove’s life. Your comment crackles with excitement–another example of your talent as a writer.
I love courtroom drama, How to get away with murder is one of my favorite shows! Would love to get a copy of this.
So nice to meet you, Teresa! Thanks for stopping by to learn a bit about Dana Hargrove and the drama in her life.
These are new to me. Sounds interesting.
Hi, Alicia! Glad we could introduce you to something new. Thanks for taking some time with Dana today.
Hi,
Your character sounds interesting and the story very compelling.
Hi, Cathi,
Wonderful to see you! Dana and I thank you for visiting and reading about her day.
I’ve enjoyed the few courtroom dramas I’ve read.
Hello Sandy,
Thanks for stopping by for a preview of Dana’s story. I hope you’ll get a chance to know her better.
**** WINNER ****
Seven Shadows is Rochelle
Congratulations!