Family Claims
A Pinnacle Peak Mystery
By Twist Phelan

       Hannah Dain has put together a multi-million dollar real estate deal, and after its completion, she plans to leave the family law firm for a better job back East. She hasn't been able to connect with her family, consisting of a neglectful father and a hostile sister. She has always felt like an outsider, gaining no recognition for her success in her legal career. As she is ready to leave, she learns that there is a multi-million dollar case of fraud, resulting from the pending deal which will destroy the family law firm. She has to work to clear the firm, and finds occasional solace in long rides in the Arizona desert on her bike.

      She is assisted in her search for the truth by her former lover, Cooper Smith, the firm's computer consultant. In the course of their investigations Hannah unearths the buried secrets of her family and about her dead mother, whose case was the foundation of the law firm.

      There’s a lot of action and drama in this story of a dysfunctional family. Hannah comes across as a sympathetic heroine who works to find her place in her family, only to find there is no place for her there. The plot shows how a family and its secrets can shape and influence one's life. The characters are deftly drawn, showing their strengths and weaknesses. The suspense is kept at a steady pace with a surprising outcome. The atmosphere of the Arizona desert as viewed by Hannah on her bike rides is vividly and accurately envisioned.