Speak of the Devil (37 page)
Read Speak of the Devil Online
Authors: Allison Leotta
One of the most heartwrenching things to see is how the cycle of violence repeats itself, with children of abuse often becoming perpetrators of it. One of the most rewarding aspects of being a prosecutor is when you feel that your work has, perhaps, stopped some particular cycle in its tracks.
9. You skillfully weave together the story of Anna’s professional life and her personal life—which do you find more difficult to write? Do you find either more interesting to work with, as a writer?
I vastly prefer to write about her personal life! With the legal side of things, I agonize over getting the details just right, and spend hours talking to sources and checking statute books. The writing is slow and painstaking. But her personal life is pure fun to write; it flows. I hate to say it, but Anna’s worst personal day is far easier for me to write than her most triumphant legal victory.
10. What can we expect next from Anna Curtis? Are you planning more novels with this character? Are you working on any more stories that depart from the Anna Curtis storyline?
Anna’s going to need some time to recover from the events in
Speak of the Devil
. I’m thinking of sending her on vacation, or having her just hang out at Sergio’s restaurant for a while. Something to take her mind off Jack.
Eat, Pray, Love
on a smaller scale, because, of course, she won’t be able to stay away from legal drama for long.
I do have some ideas for a couple of stand-alone novels, which I’m really excited to write. I hope my readers will be as interested in a book where Anna takes a well-deserved break!
© TIM COBURN
ALLISON LEOTTA
was a federal sex-crimes prosecutor in Washington, D.C., for twelve years. In 2011, she left the Department of Justice to pursue writing full-time. She is the acclaimed author of
Law of Attraction
and
Discretion,
and founder of the award-winning blog
The Prime-Time Crime Review
. Leotta lives with her husband, Michael Leotta, and their two sons outside of Washington, D.C.
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ALSO BY
ALLISON
LEOTTA
“Leotta writes with authority and authenticity. Imagine one of the best episodes of the TV series
Law & Order: SVU
, but set in DC instead of New York City.”
—Associated Press
“Allison Leotta is quickly making her place at the table of DC’s finest crime and legal thriller novelists. . . . Another winner from this talentend writer.”
—George Pelecanos
“With this riveting debut legal thriller, Leotta joins the big leagues with pros like Lisa Scottoline and Linda Fairstein. A vulnerable, tenacious heroine, surprising twists and turns, and equal parts romance and danger are a recipe for success.”
—Library Journal
(starred review)
“This is a major debut, and Leotta is a female John Grisham.”
—The Providence Journal
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Touchstone
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2013 by Allison Leotta
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Touchstone Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.
First Touchstone hardcover edition August 2013
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Designed by Aline C. Pace
Jacket design by Ervin Serrano
Jacket photographs © Shutterstock
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Leotta, Allison.
Speak of the devil : a novel / Allison Leotta.—First Touchstone hardcover edition.
pages cm
1. Public prosecutors—Washington (D.C.)—Fiction. I. Title.
PS3612.E59S64 2013
813’.6—dc23
2013004983
ISBN 978-1-4516-4485-2
ISBN 978-1-45164487-6 (ebook)
Contents
