Deep Zero
a Dana Hargrove legal mystery
It’s one a.m. Do you know where your teenagers are? Prosecutor Dana Hargrove makes it a point to know. But one night, in the dead of winter, she should have known more.
In February 2009, Dana is the newly-elected district attorney of a suburban county north of Manhattan, where she lives with her husband, attorney Evan Goodhue, and their two teenage children. The Great Recession has seen a rise in substance abuse and domestic violence. It’s also the era of burgeoning social media, an intoxicating lure for wayward and disaffected teens who find new methods of victimization: a game to some, with no thought of the consequences.
During an arctic cold snap, the body of a high school student is discovered, lodged in the ice floes of the Hudson River. People are crying for justice, but there doesn’t seem to be a law that fits. Days later, in one hellish night, Dana’s children are sucked into a criminal investigation against several of their classmates, making her a convenient target for community outrage.
In Deep Zero, the fourth stand-alone legal mystery featuring the dynamic prosecutor, Dana walks the tightrope like never before in her tricky balance between professional ethics and family loyalties.
“Dana walked right into the fray. ‘Stand back!’ Indigo shouted, holding out a hand. As they pushed through, reporters blasted Dana with questions. ‘How can you charge Dr. Bohr when your own daughter was there?’ In the ruckus, the nastiest jab was hurled behind her back. ‘Madam District Attorney! What do you say to people who call you Hypocrite Hargrove?’”
— from Deep Zero