It’s now November and Mary Magruder Katz has returned home after a much needed get-away in Vermont during the month of October. Already her office phone is ringing off the hook.

A popular athlete is accused of rape, the father of Katz’ boyfriend is summoned to a grand jury hearing as a witness in a possible banking scheme, her father is recuperating from open heart surgery, her mom wants to move back to Miami to be closer to Katz, and Catherine, her secretary/receptionist, takes a leave to deal with serious personal problems.

Katz takes on a couple of cases that hit too close to home. The first is the murder of Catherine’s ex-husband and the police are looking at Catherine as the murderer. And Katz boyfriend, Carlos, is severely injured at a football game while trying to protect Katz when a popular football player and friend are accused of rape.

Not only is she dealing with several personal and professional challenges, someone warns her first hand that her own life is in danger. Someone wants her gone and is willing to pay a high price to make it happen.

Can the high-powered lawyer stay safe long enough to help her friends and family overcome their challenges? And, will they be able to rally around Katz in her time of need?

Neurotic November, A Mary Magruder Katz Mystery, by Barbara Levenson is the fourth novel in this series following Fatal February, Justice in June, and Outrageous October. While each can certainly stand alone, starting with the first will help readers better understand the various relationships as they grow.

Levenson’s extensive experience as a lawyer, including time as a prosecutor, her own law practice focused on criminal defense and civil rights litigation, and elected to a judgeship in circuit court specializing in criminal law reveals itself in the realistic and detailed stories she writes.

The author writes in a somewhat unique way using short chapters and tight prose to move her stories along. The fast-paced novel will keep pages turning as readers strive to see what happens next. The twists and turns are in all the right places and the unexpected is to be expected.

Neurotic November is a fun read in spite of the serious topics, the relationships seem real to life, and the continuity of the series should keep readers hungry for more of this fabulous series.

A special thank you goes to the author for providing a complimentary copy of this book for our review. Neurotic November is available at Amazon.com.