The dynamic crime-solving duo of Butch Karp and his feisty wife, Marlene Ciampi, is back, and this time they have an extra set of brains: their 7-year-old daughter, Lucy. Falsely Accused is Robert K. Tanenbaum's eighth book in this ongoing series featuring Butch and Marlene as they uncover big-city misdeeds, sleaze, and corruption. In this edge-of-the-seat thriller, Butch is working as a litigator for a New York law firm, defending a bigwig client named Murray Selig, who was recently fired as chief medical examiner. The circumstances surrounding Selig's dismissal are questionable to say the least, and very soon a veritable hot pot of political wrongdoings is exposed. Meanwhile, Marlene is busy burning the candle at both ends--she's a full-time mom to the precocious Lucy, and she also heads a detective agency specializing in the protection of battered women--here she encounters more troubles. Tanenbaum brilliantly blends together several subplots and mininarratives--what is the secret of the two refugee children? What are the mayor and D.A. hiding? What is the story behind the deaths of several New York cabbies? Tanenbaum convincingly (and amazingly) pulls together these separate plots into a gripping conclusion. Falsely Accused is more than just a suspenseful thriller--it is a fascinating exploration of legal and courtroom procedures, recounted in scrupulous detail. Fans of Butch and Marlene (and Lucy!) will not be disappointed.