Knight crusader

 Guilt by Degrees, by Marcia Clark, Mulholland Books, RRP£17.99, 448 page

If you’re going to read a crime series about a tough-talking attorney working in the underbelly of LA, you could do worse than Marcia Clark’s thrillers.

The former Los Angeles deputy district attorney was the lead prosecutor in OJ Simpson’s trial, so she knows the territory better than most.

Guilt by Degrees is the second outing for Clark’s workaholic special prosecutor Rachel Knight. Here, she investigates a homeless man’s death that may be linked to a murder within the LAPD.

Once again, the case places her at risk. Knight’s exhausting lifestyle propels her between meetings, interviews, deals and meals snatched in Mexican restaurants as she cadges favours, strikes bargains and smart-mouths her way through the law.

Spying on the system’s inner workings proves increasingly addictive, and it’s refreshing to find a lead character pursuing a stressful life because she actually enjoys it. A blade-sharp read.