Brutality

Ingrid Thoft, author of the critically acclaimed novels Identity, Loyalty, and Brutality, was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and is a graduate of Wellesley College. Her desire to create a believable P.I. character led her to the certificate program in private investigation at the University of Washington.

The return of gutsy, relentless Boston PI Fina Ludlow, who faces her most hard-hitting case yet in the critically acclaimed series by Ingrid Thoft. Fina Ludlow isn't looking for a case independent of Ludlow and Associates, her family's personal-injury law firm, but when Liz Barone is attacked in her kitchen, Fina sees a golden opportunity. A former college soccer star at New England University, Liz has experienced a serious cognitive decline that soured the memories of her athletic glory days, and she is determined to hold someone responsible. Fina considers this an entrée into the burgeoning world of sports-injury litigation, and if her freelance work annoys her father? All the better. Lots of people have a stake in the trouble Liz is stirring up, and the more Fina digs, the more she learns that the case transcends sports. Was Liz attacked to stop her lawsuit, or were there dangerous secrets in the seemingly innocent woman's life? Where is the line between toughness and savagery? What is the price, and ultimately, who pays it? Fina discovers that wading into the financially lucrative and emotionally charged world of collegiate sports requires nerves of steel. As the list of suspects grows and hidden agendas are revealed, she navigates the rough waters of conflicting values and beloved traditions and begins to wonder: Is any game worth the price?