I had forgotten what the synopsis of THE COMPETITION was all about. It was simply the next (by publication date) book on my long list of books to review. It started out telling about a particular high school student, Christy Shilling as she realizes her dream of being a varsity cheerleader. It is her first pep rally. She excitedly runs out into the gym. I read the story expectantly...and then all hell broke loose.

Marcia Clark proceeds to tell a story that shocks and reverberates with me. It brought back heartbreaking memories of that first monstrous school shooting at Columbine, Colorado. The school shooting in THE COMPETITION is fictional, but the details are alarmingly realistic. Two shooters commit a crime that is similar to the shooting in Columbine. These shooters, however, do not commit suicide, and are out to "break the record" in the numbers of victims they kill.

The investigation shows that they are planning another shooting, but where? Clark has tapped into the fear and anger that is felt every time one of these unforgiveable events happens. She builds the tension as LA Special Trials prosecutor Rachel Knight and Detective Bailey Keller race against the clock to figure out the next location and to identify the shooters.

Clark writes realistically and convincingly. Her former job (as a prosecutor) probably has something to do with this, but she is also practical in her handling of the crime scene and what the evidence can reveal. She doesn't put forth the ideas that fingerprints can always be found (on bullet casings or clothing for example) like so many fantastical crime stories.

The rapport between Rachel and Bailey contributes more realism. They are best friends, but that doesn't prevent them from giving each other a hard time. Their affection for each other is apparent, but not sentimentally so. And they are funny and crude because people who face the grim reality of horrible crimes every day have to cope. The references to the other characters in the investigation could have been a problem. There are so many. And while I get the idea that they are present in Clark's previous books, they make short cameo appearances just long enough to move the story forward. This book has a stand-alone story, which is a great thing in a book series. I understand that there are three books previous to THE COMPETITION.

The plot moves along at a dizzying pace and Clark fooled me a couple of times. After that, I was second- guessing everything even when it was true. She is a gifted storyteller and she shines in this genre. Her attention to details makes the story authentic. For example, when it is pointed out that witnesses' memory can be tainted by details that are suggested to them.

If crime and suspense is your preferred genre, and you like strong female characters that are sassy, you will enjoy THE COMPETITION as much as I did. I will admit that when I first started reading the part detailing the first shooting, I had to put the book away for a couple of days and go read a funny romance. It is that real. When I returned to THE COMPETITION, I was glad I did.

Book Summary

In Marcia Clark's most electrifying thriller yet, Los Angeles District Attorney Rachel Knight investigates a horrifying high school massacre.

A Columbine-style shooting at a high school in the San Fernando Valley has left a community shaken to its core. Two students are identified as the killers. Both are dead, believed to have committed a mutual suicide.

In the aftermath of the shooting, LA Special Trials prosecutor Rachel Knight teams up with her best girlfriend, LAPD detective Bailey Keller. As Rachel and Bailey interview students at the high school, they realize that the facts don't add up. Could it be that the students suspected of being the shooters are actually victims? And if so, does that mean that the real killers are still on the loose?

A dramatic leap forward in Marcia Clark's highly acclaimed Rachel Knight series, The Competition is an unforgettable story that will stay with readers long after the last page has been turned.