Good book. I loved the story line . So much potential but a bit too many overly descriptive filler words for me.

Guilt by Degrees by Marcia Clark is a thrilling journey through the world of LA courts, skillfully woven with suspense and intrigue. D.A. Rachel Knight finds herself entangled in a seemingly impossible case, the murder of a homeless man without any suspects. As she delves deeper into the web of clues, she realizes that someone is watching her every move, and this unknown adversary is just as intelligent but harboring malicious intentions.

With the unwavering support of Detective Bailey Keller, a tough and determined ally, Rachel is determined to seek justice against all odds. However, their investigation takes an unexpected turn when they stumble upon a connection to a brutal LAPD cop murder from the previous year. As the plot thickens, Rachel becomes convinced that someone out there holds the truth, and they are willing to go to any lengths to keep it hidden.

In Guilt by Degrees, Marcia Clark is a master storyteller, offering readers an immersive and suspenseful experience. This is a must-read for anyone who enjoys legal thrillers and mysteries, as it showcases the dark underbelly of the justice system and the tenacity of a remarkable protagonist in her pursuit of truth and justice.

GUILT BY DEGREES - Marcia Clark

#2 in the Rachel Knight series

FASCINATING - 4 stars

Plot - 4 stars - When a homeless person is stabbed and Rachel sits in on the case, she's annoyed with the lack of professionalism and caring from the DA, so she ends up taking over the case. The mystery caught my attention fairly quickly into the book and pulled me along.

Writing - 4 stars - We spend a lot of time following the clues along with Rachel and Bailey. Pretty tedious stuff sometimes, but I suppose that's what police investigation is all about at times. Clark is masterful at gradually letting us know what the case is about, building the clues and pulling us along with Rachel and Bailey as they discover what's going on. Plus, the reader also has an insight into the mind of the killer as well, but only in bits and pieces, just enough to capture our imagination but not enough to solve anything.

Characters - 4.5 stars - This is where the story shone for me. I like Rachel Knight as the heroine. She's a strong and confident lawyer, wanting to do the right thing (as evidenced by her working for the state rather than a private firm). She's tough and loves a challenging case. But she also has vulnerabilities. She is haunted by her past, she has some difficulty with commitment, and she works too hard. But she's likeable and loyal, with a dry and sarcastic sense of humor that made me laugh. Friends Tina and, more importantly, Bailey (at least in this book) are also professional women, smart and intuitive, and devoted friends.

Title - 3 stars - I'm not quite sure what the title means unless it refers to the various criminals involved in the case, with varying degrees of guilt, I suppose.

Cover - 3 stars - A bright color to catch the eye, but I have no idea what the rope is about and what it means to the story.

Overall - 4 stars - Now that we are getting to know the characters better and are feeling more comfortable in Rachel's world, it is much more enjoyable. I found the mystery to be a bit complicated, and I had to stop and think it through, but that's probably just because this is not my usual, comfortable genre. I loved the characters and enjoyed watching their slow and methodical deciphering of the clues and their creative thoughts about where to go next. The two main characters, Rachel and Bailey, are tough women, but their dry wit often made me smile. The potential love interest(s) for Rachel and Bailey's personal relationship with Drew added some romance, which is always a good thing. I look forward to continuing with this series sooner rather than later.

A great addition to the series. The plot was great and the legal investigation captivated me.
Many thanks to Mulholland and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Second entries in a series often like to delve deeper into the main characters from the debut as well as do some worldbuilding. Clark does that here. They also tend to set up things for future sequels (if they know they've got them greenlit). Again, Clark does that as well. These two factors lead to a novel that has a little bit of fat to it (i.e. it does tend to drag in parts) and one that does not have a fully satisfying ending (i.e. you're going to want to get the next book to find out where things continue). Still, I found it to be an interesting read - enough so that I will want to continue with this series.

This is the second book in the Knight series and I enjoyed the first one more so then I did this book. The mystery aspect of the book was good and all but the book at a whole was just to drawn out.

I gave this one a try as I was hoping it got better.. while the plot was a bit better this book had the same problems as book one. We're talking about a lot of food and clothing again and it doesn't help how things roll in my opinion. It makes it hard to focus on the plot and kept jumping around to different things. While we really didn't see Rachel in her office doing work, she was out of the office doing a lot of investigating. Which I can't help but to wonder about since the da's office has investigators so they don't have to get involved that deep or cops for the shoot outs that they had in the book.

Rachel's trying to figure out a murder of a homless person that leads to a cop previously killed. This is an interesting thing because the wife of the cop, is a suspect again and a lawyer who can get her way about anything. So I think that the plot is interesting but the subplot about Rachel's sister isn't exactly knee grabbing or the way the character acts about it. The way she acts seems childish and takes away from the character rather than build her up.

All in all this book is a 3 star, the writing jumps all over the place and focuses too much on clothing/food rather than the actual case and the character doesn't seem to have much development.

The preview for Guilt By Degrees by Marcia Clark made me sit up and take notice, wanting to read more.

I remember short pants…floods. Do you? Made me smile. Nice touch, Marcia.

I love that Rachel has to finish every book she begins…regardless…

The romance is slow burning and I think she takes as many cold showers as he does. LOL She hold her secrets close to her vest, sharing with no one, not even her BFFs.

Step by step, danger hovering. The writing for the Rachel Knight series keeps getting better and the suspense more intense.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Guilt by Degrees by Marcia Clark.

I am reading everything I can find by this author now. The book was well paced and I enjoyed the protagonist very much. Will be looking forward to more in this series.

Such high hopes for this series but it was a no go for me. I had a hard time getting into this one just like the others in this series.

I found this second book in the series somewhat more engaging than the first; certainly more of Rachel Knight's personal history, and her emotional baggage, were revealed in this one. I want to continue this series.

A little better read than the first. I do like how these can be read as stand alone. Will keep reading.

The description was great in theory, but really paled in execution. I think Clark's life as a DA was much more interesting than Rachel Knight's in fiction, and even though she knows her stuff in her professional lawyering world, I don't think it translates well to the written page. The suspense falls a bit flat for me. I do, however, like Detective Keller. To Clark I would say: skip the mundane details. Show, don't tell, details.

I received this free from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.
Just as good as the first, but with more twists and turns and surprises that will keep you guessing until the end. It is a good read but with so much sadness that at times it was a little hard to get through. Very good sequel.

I love a good mystery/thriller series, but I rarely read them back to back. I like to spread them out and savor them. This series has been an exception. After I read the first one, Guilt by Association, I wanted to move right on to the next one. Guilt by Degrees is even more compelling than the first in the series. There are surprising connections and twists throughout the book, and it all came together very nicely. The same characters, humor, and action was there from the first book. Once again, I combined reading with listening to the audiobook, which is narrated extremely well by January LaVoy. This was an excellent continuation of the series.

Copy provided by Netgalley and Mulholland Books in exchange for an unbiased review.

I AM SO EMBARRASSED ... JUST NOW FINDING THIS ONE ON MY KINDLE/AMAZON. WAS NEVER READ SO NO REVIEW COMING AT THIS LATE DATE. MY SINCERE APOLOGIES.

Sorry I was not able to read you book but it went to archive before I could get to it. Sorry once again.

I got all four of these when they were offered....and they just weren't for me. I'd hoped for something different, and they were, the writing was good...I just wasn't feeling it.

A winning legal mystery by Marcia Clark ! This is book two in the Rachel Knight series and a enthralling book that every legal crime fiction and mystery reader will enjoy. The author has a gift for legal drama and this is a outstanding addition to her series. I recommend the first in series as well as highly recommend this next in series.
Rachel Knight is a smart tough DA who is investigating a case of the murder of a homeless man. She has help from her side kick and pal Detective Keller. They are tight friends and as two ladies in the legal professional tough as nails. As they turn up clues they find shocking clues and are running into problems investigating the case. Rachel is not aware someone is watching her investigation and she is in danger. The courtroom drama is thrilling and exciting throughout the case. its heart pounding suspense throughout.
This is a book that captured my attention from page one. I like all her books and this second in the Rachel Knight series is one of my favorites. This is classic Clark with a hefty dose of humor, suspense and witty dialogue. Well done to the author. I look forward to the next in series.

Guilt By Degrees is the second book in the Rachel Knight series by former L.A. district attorney Marcia Clark. I found this book just as enjoyable as the first book. This story reunites tenacious D.A. Rachel Knight with Detective Bailey Keller on a case that spins a web of deceit and intrigue, revealing dark and sinister layers as they proceed in the investigation.

While awaiting her turn in court, Rachel witnesses a fellow prosecutor drop the ball on his case of a murdered homeless man so badly that she feels compelled to refile it, which is just the tip of the iceberg. When Rachel discovers a connection to the murder of a police officer, the investigation quickly escalates into an intense and frightening ride into the seedy side of L.A. as Rachel and Bailey try to draw out the killer.

This book was a fast read and I thoroughly enjoyed the interactions between Rachel and Bailey. Ms. Clark does a fantastic job with the character development, building the personalities of all of the characters on a personal level, which gives the reader a real sense of knowing the characters and feeling empathy for them. I especially liked that Rachel finally shares some of her past history with Bailey, Toni and Drew and I am excited to see what happens next between Rachel and Graden.

My Final Verdict: I highly recommend Guilt By Degrees, but make sure you read the series in order. This series offers action, suspense, mystery, romance and humor. I look forward to joining Rachel and Bailey on their next adventure.