The third victim
(Book)

In rural Oregon, two women are found dead after being tortured, battered, and burned. A third woman escapes with evidence that points overwhelmingly to a local man. When a young lawyer joins the team defending him, she uncovers corruption, lies, and secrets that threaten to shake up not only her firm but the entire town-- Rural Oregon. A woman stumbles onto a road; she tells a horrific tale of being tortured, battered, and bound. She's the lucky one-- two other women, with similar burns and bruises, were found dead. Evidence found at the scene, Alex Mason's summer home, is damning. The prominent local attorney insists upon his innocence but his wife gives evidence about his sexual sadism. Criminal defense attorney Regina Barrister agrees to take on the case. But she's got a secret, one that threatens her skill, her reputation, and, most of all, her clients.