Gini Hartzmark

Azor Pharmaceuticals, run by Kate Milholland's boyfriend and client, Stephen Azorini, is going broke with its search for the miracle drug ZK-501, and a deal with the Tokyo-based Takisawa Corporation is its only hope to stay in business. Then Danny Wohl, Azorini's best friend and company lawyer, is murdered and Kate, as Wohl's reluctant replacement, finds herself embroiled in the politics of drug research and Japanese business culture as she helps the police search for Wohl's killer. While the entries in the Milholland series are always solid, this latest is exceptional: Hartzmark paints a fascinating picture of the world of drug research with characters who are believable, varied and likable (even the villains are the kind you love to hate). The intensity of the complex plot never wavers, and the ending explains just enough to satisfy without being too pat.… (mer)

It's no secret that Chicago corporate attorney Kate Millholland went to law school to avoid the gauntlet of parties and shopping that in her parents' wealthy world fills the gap between debutante and bride. But once Kate began her studies, she found herself falling in love with the law--and forever fighting the cozy, privileged image cast by the shadow of her family tree.
Now, at the request of a dying colleague, Kate Millholland agrees to represent the Cavanaugh family business and finds a nest of vipers. Patriarch and CEO Jack Cavanaugh, who built Superior Plating & Specialty Chemicals into a stunning success, runs a tight ship and sails it intrusively into the lives of his four children, all of whom have problems of their own. The oldest son, Philip, the heir-not-so-apparent of the company, wrestles with agonizing guilt and a shameful secret; his sister, Dagny--a polished, educated, charismatic executive--is not as loyal as her father thinks when it comes to taking over the helm; Eugene, a tough-talking ex-marine, may never outgrow a tragedy from his past; and Lydia, the baby of the family with the loudest scream, loves trouble. As Kate enters the picture, Lydia is threatening to sell her shares of stock and the family be damned.
Kate finds her hands full with this fierce clan. But when murder strikes, she must delve into a dark and twisted family history--where she uncovers oily opportunists, emotional scars, and fatal passions on a collision course with disaster and unexplained death.
B… (mer)

When lawyer Katharine Millholland arrives at the home of Bart Hexter, one of Chicago's most powerful players in the futures market, she finds him behind the wheel of his Rolls Royce, clad only in a pair of red silk pajamas, with two bullets in his head. The police investigation focuses on those closest to Hexter including his spoiled wife, his recently displaced mistress, his disgruntled personal assistant, an ambitiious floor trader,and the three hot-tempered children who will inherit his business. But topping the list of suspects is Kate, whose scheduled meeting with the dead man makes her the prime candidate.
As Kate sorts through the tangle of the dead man's complex financial dealings, she finds herself dangerously drawn into his affairs and in a virulent web of potential enemies. And as she zeros in on the killer, she realizes that she may be the next victim.
With riveting suspense, Final Option takes us deep inside the cutthroat world of the commodities exchange, where life is expendable and making money is the only game worth playing… (mer)