The Dreamer: 11 (Mike Daley/Rosie Fernandez Legal Thriller)

The chefs knife was in the wrong place... wedged deep in the gut of celebrity chef Carlos Cruz. With her bloody discovery Mercy could lose it all. And not just for her her entire family is at risk too.San Franciscos hottest young chef rose from modest beginnings to getting a James Beard Award for his upscale Mission District eatery El Conquistador. In addition to creating cutting-edge cuisine the mercurial Cruz has been accused of sexual harassment multiple times.Smart ambitious and tenacious Mercedes Mercy Tejada was granted Dreamer status while studying to become a nurse. The waitress job wasnt the ideal but the tips paid the bills. When she finds Cruz dying in the alley behind his trendy bistro she knows shes in a lot of trouble.Mercys fingerprints and blood-splattered sweatshirt make her a prime suspect. It doesnt help that she and Cruz were seen fighting and Mercy threatened him.In THE DREAMER the eleventh installment of New York Times bestselling author Sheldon Siegels iconic San Francisco series ex-spouses and Public Defenders Mike Daley and Rosie Fernandez are thrust into the middle of this politically charged case and tasked with finding the truth.The case is personal for them too. Mercys mom Perlita is the longtime housekeeper for Rosies mother Sylvia. It is Sylvia who asks Rosie and Mike to handle Mercys case.There are political ramifications as well. Rosie is running for re-election as Public Defender. Her decision to handle a dreamers defense herself will not play well to a portion of the electorate.As Mercys case hurtles toward trial Rosie Mike and Mikes brother/private investigator Pete race between the tenements trendy restaurants and century-old churches of the Mission District in a desperate search for an elusive truth where everybody--including Mike and Rosie and their families--has something to hide.An intricate plot likeable characters powerful suspense and a touch of humor are Sheldon Siegels hallmarks. In THE DREAMER readers will discover once again why Mike Daley and Rosie Fernandez have been called two of the most compelling characters in contemporary crime fiction.