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Marcia Clark’s latest book, Killer Ambition, is an informative
novel about the duties of a Los Angeles prosecutor, specifically
one that works in the Special Trials Unit. This book intertwines
investigative work with courtroom drama. Clark seems to know
something about high profile crimes and trials since people
should remember her as the lead prosecutor on the O.J. Simpson
case.
The plot takes off from the very beginning when the daughter
of a Hollywood director is found murdered. At first it appears
to be a kidnapping gone wrong, but through riveting investigative
work prosecutor Rachel Knight and Detective Bailey Keller
find that a powerful Hollywood player was at the center of
the killing. The Hollywood media machine declares an all out
war to discredit Knight and her case, through trying the case
outside the courtroom, and publicizing facts about her private
life, mainly by implying she is a fame-seeker.
Clark stated, “In all my books I try to show the world
of the prosecutor, whether it’s in the courtroom or
out in the field. In my case, the connection between my books
and my life experience is obvious. I was a deputy district
attorney for fourteen years, spending ten of them in the Special
Trials Unit. I wanted to show how the prosecutor and the detective
work very closely together. In Killer Ambition, I
decided to take the reader through the entire process of a
high profile trial, from the first report, to the investigation,
to the arrest, and then the trial.”
The book is very informative in that it allows the reader
to be a hidden bystander. They are able to get into the minds,
personalities, and strategies of everyone involved in a trial
murder case. In fact, this book allows the reader to follow
Rachel Knight to get a glimpse of what it is like in the day
of the life of a special prosecutor.
Because of her previous experience, Clark stated she is able
to draw upon “some kernel of truth and then weave from
there. For example, I knew of a case in which a woman was
charged with having hired someone to kill her husband. Though
the prosecution did a good job, she was acquitted. I got to
wonder what her life would be like after having been accused
of murder. That led me to my second novel, Guilt by Degrees,
which featured a female villain.”
Yet, as a prosecutor she also knows what it is like to try
high profile cases. In Killer Ambition she shows
how the press can be too influential. Clark noted, “Judges
and lawyers behave differently when there’s a camera
in the courtroom. It is all about the spotlight, including
for some witnesses.”
There are also numerous scenes that show trial tactics and
how during a trial the lawyers must, at times, think quickly
on their feet, almost like a chess match where each move has
a consequence. Clark skillfully shows how trial work requires
quick thinking and “the ability to roll with the punches.
You have to do your best to anticipate what might go wrong
and what the other side will do. Trials are roller coaster
rides.”
Although Killer Ambition was more plot driven than
character driven, there are still scenes that show the interaction
between characters. Rachel Knight and her supporting cast,
Robbery Homicide Detective Bailey Keller, a fellow prosecutor,
Toni LaCollette, Lieutenant Graden Hales, and newcomer Declan
Shackner are shown to be connected through work; yet, have
a camaraderie and friendship that include many humorous and
sarcastic communications. As Clark states, “I personally
like to see and read stories that involve buddies who work
and play together.”
Personally, Clark has another job which none of her characters
have as yet, that of being a working single mother, first
as a prosecutor and now as a writer. She noted, ‘There
is enormous joy in having children and there is great satisfaction
in doing a job you love. The hard part is finding the balance.
There are often days when you feel as though you run from
one end to another to try and fit it all in. It can never
work out perfectly. You just do the best you can.”
In the case of Killer Ambition she did her best.
Of the three novels, this is by far her finest. It is an all-too-real
portrayal of both the investigative and trial work of a Special
Units prosecutor. This is a must read for anyone who enjoys
legal thrillers.
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