From the wainscoted conference rooms of an old-money Philadelphia law firm to the deserted grounds and stables of a once-grand Main Line estate, author/lawyer Bonnie MacDougal has crafted a masterful, richly detailed novel with fast-paced suspense rivaling the best of John Grisham and Richard North Patterson. . Breach of Trust takes us into the '90s-style looting and plundering of a multimillion-dollar trust, an intricate conspiracy fueled by financial cunning and lethal greed, set against an unexpected white-hot love affair between Dan Casella, street fighter turned corporate lawyer, and Jennifer Lodge, his resourceful, winsome associate.. A recent law school graduate, Jennifer is thrilled when Dan brings her on board to assist with a major case - the theft of two million dollars from the trust fund of a rival firm's client. Dan's job is to defend Scott Sterling, a naive, well-connected young attorney who swears that he took the money in a desperate attempt to cover up devastating stock market losses in the private investment account of the fund's trustee, coal baron Curtis Mason - who had been like a father to Scott. Now Mason is suing - for fifteen million dollars.. Late work nights and a killer snowstorm bring Dan and Jennifer together - and the passion they've been suppressing finally explodes. But after an intense, unforgettable weekend at the Jennifer's rural carriage house, Dan is pulled back into South Philly's streets and a family crisis he can't ignore. Mistaking Dan's strict business ethics for cold-bloodedness, Jennifer makes a crucial career decision, followed by a personal one that will drastically affect her future - and draw her deeper into the case. As their lives and careers intertwine once more, Dan and Jennifer enter a deadly vortex of scandal, jealousy, blackmail, betrayal, and murder - and expose a fraud that will rock the city's legal community, and the very foundations of Philadelphia society.. Studded with an array of vividly realized characters, including charismatic corporate shark Jack Stengel; earthy police detective Mike diMaio; elegant, vodka-belting Cassie Chapman and her aristocratic father, Reese; and Dan's brother, Tony Casella, a volatile teenager flirting with crime, Bonnie MacDougal's BREACH OF TRUST is a savvy tour de force. Delivering deft plot twists, sharply observed players, an in-depth command of legal chicaneries, and an authentic feel for Philadelphia's rough streets, courtrooms, and elite preserves, it is an exceptional debut.. "BREACH OF TRUST is wonderfully exciting, a first-rate 'Once-upon-a-time-there-were-two lawyers' adventure. Bonnie MacDougal knows those three-piece pin-striped suits - and she also understands the hearts that beat beneath them." - Susan Isaacs, author of Lily White.
