Mayoral candidate Tony Pinelli is murdered in front of Stella. She sees it all but manages to escape. When she thinks back on it she wonders if she was the target but Tony's quick thinking saved her. Now she's involved in murder but does not know why. Nor can she figure out why a mob boss wants to save her by sending her out of town.

I enjoyed this story especially since it was set in my hometown. Ms. Sarai captures the flavor of Pittsburgh and its neighborhoods well. The story was first rate. Stella knows she has supposedly seen something but she does not know what. She also knows she will not be scared out of her home. She wants to find the murderer but does not know who to trust. I could feel her fear as she is attacked as is her house. I could feel her hesitation in trusting those she felt she should be able to trust. I also felt her disquiet in getting up close and personal with other characters when she did not trust them although she tried to talk herself out of the distrust.

When we find out who can be bought and who cannot as well as who will betray and who will be true, we've been on quite a whirlwind of suspense. I liked how Stella resolves it in the end. She knows her mind and will follow her instincts. Fantastic woman! ( )