But when Randall is brutally murdered, his death puts the arson case in a new light and gives Houston D.A. Holly Oppenheimer the ruthless opportunity to put Stella behind bars for both crimes. Once Stella's friend, Holly becomes a formidable adversary, willing to use her knowledge of Stella's personal secrets to her own advantage. As headlines scream BATTLE OF THE WOMEN D.A.'s and the media circus begins, Stella's key hope of proving her innocence is to do what the police cannot or will not do: find the killer who has mocked the law not once but twice.

Stella finds herself in a maze of intrigue and corruption stretching back fifteen years and leading to ugly revelations behind flawless masks of innocence. Plagued by suspicions that seem too horrible to be true yet refuse to be denied, she realizes she is being shadowed by a murderer as she seeks the truth in her own defense. Even as she uses every tool from forensic animation to virtual reality to turn the tide of the courtroom battle, Stella must apply every ounce of her nerve and brains to escape the unseen enemy who will stop at nothing to see her dead.

With tension that turns tighter at every searing exposure and disclosure, and total authenticity in every line, Trial by Fire proves that Nancy Taylor Rosenberg is the most compelling writer of legal thrillers today.