Debbie Babitt follows up her outstanding debut novel, SAVING GRACE, with the equally impressive FIRST VICTIM.

Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Alice D. McKerrity is yearning for a bit of a break from her chaotic personal life. Her much older husband, Charles, is a former judge who has been stricken with early onset Alzheimer’s, and everything at home seems to be upside down. Her daughter, Alexis, is also being more difficult than usual, making work her only respite.

However, even that is about to change. Alice is preparing for her next case, but once she lays eyes on the defendant as he enters the courtroom, all of the nightmares that have been troubling her for the past 30 years come storming back in one giant wave.

"FIRST VICTIM is full of suspense and chills, but most of all, it is a fine character study that makes for a top-notch psychological/legal thriller."

William Henry Young is a hulking figure who appears to be completely in control. He is accused of torturing and killing a pregnant prostitute inside the car where he picked her up, which made for a violent and bloody death. While the jury is being selected and the trial is getting ready to start, the defense attorney claims that he is unable to represent his client. Various reasons are given, and while he and Alice argue back and forth, Young states that he will act as his own lawyer.

Alice quickly realizes that while Angel may have been his last victim, she is the only one in the courthouse who knows that she was his first victim. The court proceedings are tense and well-written, but readers will be hanging on every word to see how Alice responds to what is going on and wondering if Young has made the connection between them as well. Alice reaches her breaking point when she catches Young staring at Alexis as if he were lining up his next victim. This leads to a major shift in the narrative.

Debbie Babitt has plenty of twists and surprises up her sleeve in the final third of the book, which takes place deep in the woods of upstate New York. These unforgettable scenes will involve not only Alice and Young, but also Connie, Alice’s oldest friend from high school, and Alexis, who has reached out to Connie to learn what she can about her mother’s secret past. The creepy agenda that Young has in store for Alice will keep frightened readers up all night.

FIRST VICTIM is full of suspense and chills, but most of all, it is a fine character study that makes for a top-notch psychological/legal thriller.