December Vaughn gives up a cushy job as corporate attorney in Ohio to open up her own practice in Florida. Beginning with the geriatric Mr. Ellison, who comes in brandishing a knife and invites himself to do odd jobs in her office, to a gentle giant of a kleptomaniac, December soon collects an odd assortment of clients even as her savings threaten to run out.

Her first big case is that of a man whose wife was one of thousands to die due to defective insulin. Being a brainy blonde, December smells a big fat rat when the drug company’s ruthless lawyer not so nicely suggests she hand over the case to the main plaintiff attorney, Sarah Greenberg.

Threats, bumps on the head, car defacing, and even rumors of drug use don’t faze December -or so she thinks, until she also starts encountering dead bodies, allergic villains, shotguns, stalkers and unwelcome alligators. Fortunately, along with all the nastiness, December also attracts the interested attention of sexy P.I. Jake Brody, who is more than ready to offer her his close and personal protection. But will Brody’s razor-sharp instincts and the growing coterie of December’s clients and friends be enough to save this blonde’s neck when she uncovers a shockingly massive conspiracy beneath it all?

Alesia Holliday’s creation, the Florida-based attorney-at-law December Vaughn promises to give well-established Jersey native Stephanie Plum a run for her money. Not only is December blonde and beautiful, she is also brainy. Her zany but dangerous exploits, together with a non-stop sense of witticism, will surely keep readers amused, suspenseful and entertained. On the work front, Vaughn learns the nuances of criminal law literally on the run. On the romantic front, she goes from an ex-husband to the sexy Jake, leaving the pages sizzling along the way. A couple of amusing sub-plots, a plethora of intriguing side characters, a growing cadre of loyal friends and clients, a mystery that is surprisingly difficult to solve and an ambience that is so realistic as to leave sweat beads on the reader’s forehand ensure the success of what shows every sign of being a stellar new series.