An ambitious lawyer must put her ego aside while investigating her boss’s murder.

Great for fans of Caro Land’s Convictions, Robyn Gigl’s By Way of Sorrow.

MYSTERY/THRILLER Burned Out and Bled Dry Meredith Jacobowitz 198p, e-book, $5.99, ISBN 979-8-218-31720-1

Jacobowitz’s debut is a lighthearted legal mystery that centers on Tyler McCarther, an egotistical and insecure workaholic St. Louis defense lawyer who discovers the bloodless body of her boss, Kevin, in her car trunk. She views Kevin’s murder as a disruption to her career and, at first, lies to police about finding his body, which soon disappears, only to turn up in the firm’s garage. The cops are understandably outraged, and Tyler, ashamed, awkwardly starts investigating, slowly discovering connections between Kevin’s murder and several class action lawsuits against her law firm’s client, which, in Jacobowitz’s irresistible phrasing, is “a prominent men’s nose hair wax manufacturer.” Tyler is threatened by the real killer while juggling a heavy workload and a surprising spark between her and Tom Armstrong, the detective involved in the investigation, as Jacobowitz’s story deals with the law, love, ego, and more.

Jacobowitz deftly captures the cutthroat competition of a prestigious law firm, particularly in Tyler’s rivalry with another associate, the seemingly perfect Cerene, as well as the monotony of billable hours and document reviewing. Jacobowitz is fascinated by the toll such a life exacts on the soul, as Tyler obsesses over career, weight, and wardrobe while trying to numb her empty personal life with more work, drinking too much, and watching endless reality TV. The novel charts Tyler’s slow growth, though she’s often pointedly unlikable, to the point that even the killer complains about it, snapping “try to focus on one person other than yourself.”

Tyler’s a reluctant sleuth, one who resists interviewing Kevin’s family, friends, and colleagues, but readers open to prickly leads will enjoy her growth, her wit, and her burgeoning romance with Armstrong, which develops quickly. Armstrong is close-mouthed about his past and distracts her with sex, making his eventual moments of tenderness all the sweeter. Also satisfying: Tyler coming into her own as the case is cracked, still ambitious but warmer and worth toasting.

Cover: A- | Design & typography: A | Illustrations: – Editing: A | Marketing copy: A