In this thriller by “the female John Grisham,” prosecutor Anna Curtis must stop a vicious street gang before it destroys more lives—and her own family.
“Chilling and deftly done … an excellent book.” —Catherine Coulter
“The moment you start reading, you’ll realize Allison Leotta doesn’t just write about this world. She lives in it — and works in it. She’s absorbed all its darkest parts. That’s why Speak of the Devil comes to life in the most haunting and best way.” —Brad Meltzer
“Vivid … explosive.” – RT Book Reviews (four stars)
“Suspenseful … exciting.” – Publisher’s Weekly
“Absolutely a must-read!” –Fresh Fiction
“Leotta is on fire in the literary world.” — Deadline Detroit
Apple named Speak of the Devil one of the Best Books of the Month (August, 2013), and featured it in the iBookstore.
“Sexy and brutal, Speak of the Devil takes an unvarnished look at the seamiest side of life in the nation’s capital, and it does so with a wealth of convincing authoritative detail….this is an author who knows what she’s talking about. Leotta combines professional expertise with a breezy prose style and a flair for dramatic narrative. Watch out, George Pelecanos!” –– Seattle Post-Intelligencer via BlogCritics (*Editors’ Choice)
“Taut and fast-paced…intelligent, probing & clear-eyed…part morality tale, part riveting drama…and very, very good.”
– The Washington Independent Review of Books
“This is a true thriller, and this author—who was once a prosecutor—shows her immense judicial savvy when it comes to everything from the descriptions of the backrooms of power and the inner-workings of the Federal Witness Protection Program, to the gang rituals that speak only of evil. An excellent story!” — Suspense Magazine
“This entertaining novel is about one of the nation’s most dangerous gangs. Surprisingly, it’s also an intriguing romantic legal mystery.” — The Minneapolis Star-Tribune
“Leotta creates compelling worlds of intrigue and suspense that manage to shed a whole lot of insight on race relations, gender issues and the intricacies of law.” — The DC Moms
“Leotta so cleverly writes this novel with her craftily twisted plot and her ability to set each scene up to where you can actually close your eyes and imagine it before you, a rare talent.” — Mystery Net
“With Speak of the Devil, Allison Leotta has graduated from the hyphenated crowd of lawyer-novelists to become a full-fledged novelist. Her confident and mature style complements her impressive grasp of plotting and pacing. She is as skilled in ratcheting up tensions as she is in describing delicate moments of contemplation… Leotta leavens the intensity
with humor… and deftly weaves the story between Curtis’ private and work lives, reminding us that personal crises can be as fraught with consequence as the most terrifying professional quandary. Doubt and surprise creep in on both fronts, inspired by Leotta’s trademark whipsawing plot twists….terrifically entertaining.”
— JoAnn Baca, The Federal Lawyer