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Lily Forrester #1
Mitigating Circumstances
As Chief of the Sex Crimes Division, lawyer Lily Forrester is supposed to trust the system, but when her own teenage daughter is assaulted, she will seek a more personal vengeance. Reissue.
448 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
14 people are currently reading
735 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Taylor Rosenberg
45 books121 followersWith a BA in English and 5 years as a photographic model behind her, Nancy Taylor Rosenberg studied criminology. She served in the Dallas Police Department, New Mexico State Police, Ventura Police Department and as an Investigative Probation Officer in Court Services for the Country of Ventura where she handled major crimes. She lived in California.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 81 reviews
January 1, 2012
It started with the drama of a great legal/sex/mystery book. I was intrigued but eventually stopped caring. There really wasn't any character in the book that made me care for them.
The daughter, mother, boyfriend, and husband were all written so shallow that I didn't want to root for them.
The sensationalism of the sex and the graphic crime descriptions didn't make up for the lack of drama and plot development.
The daughter, mother, boyfriend, and husband were all written so shallow that I didn't want to root for them.
The sensationalism of the sex and the graphic crime descriptions didn't make up for the lack of drama and plot development.
June 22, 2016
A remarkable, perhaps iconic, example of the early 1990's thriller genre novel. From the Big Hair author photo on the cover, to the checklist plot, nothing in this book will surprise anyone who was an adult during the period except possibly the strength of the ending which sets up the series in an unexpected fashion.
This was obviously a story that was written backwards; a strong finish backed up with a collection of tropes robbed from 80s era Hollywood. The story here is of a woman in a sexless marriage, staying in the relationship for the sake of their daughter, and devoting herself to her work as compensation. As a result she is viewed as a castrating bitch who's success is resented by her husband and is not bothered by the fact that despite her drive, abilities, and ambition she only qualifies for a judgeship when "they need a woman" as a token. To a large degree she is assaulted because she dares to both enjoy and desire adulterous sex and to leave her horrible husband. It is because she chooses to live without a man that she was vulnerable. She is eventually redeemed through foregoing her ambitions and embracing her role as mother, and a woman in a correct relationship with an available man. Men are predatory monsters in this book, men cannot control their sexual urges, even on the day of a rape, women are expected to accept that their lovers will crave and deserve sex. Meanwhile, the legal system is so cynical and dysfunctional that even the people tasked with enforcing the law cannot believe in it. A woman who perfectly embodies the legal system, a woman with dreams of a judge's seat and works as a district attorney, refuses to accept the legal process in a violent crime that effects her and her family personally. There is also a back story that is lifted straight from the child trauma moral panic of the era.
So, although there is nothing in this premise to endear the novel to a present day reader and the bulk of the novel is a long dreary trudge through a sad romance/crime novel I was surprised by the very different tone and tighter writing of the final chapters. Yes, the pay off is as trite as the rest of the novel, but it is also like Rosenberg finally awoke to the potential of the setup and engaged with the conclusion.
This was obviously a story that was written backwards; a strong finish backed up with a collection of tropes robbed from 80s era Hollywood. The story here is of a woman in a sexless marriage, staying in the relationship for the sake of their daughter, and devoting herself to her work as compensation. As a result she is viewed as a castrating bitch who's success is resented by her husband and is not bothered by the fact that despite her drive, abilities, and ambition she only qualifies for a judgeship when "they need a woman" as a token. To a large degree she is assaulted because she dares to both enjoy and desire adulterous sex and to leave her horrible husband. It is because she chooses to live without a man that she was vulnerable. She is eventually redeemed through foregoing her ambitions and embracing her role as mother, and a woman in a correct relationship with an available man. Men are predatory monsters in this book, men cannot control their sexual urges, even on the day of a rape, women are expected to accept that their lovers will crave and deserve sex. Meanwhile, the legal system is so cynical and dysfunctional that even the people tasked with enforcing the law cannot believe in it. A woman who perfectly embodies the legal system, a woman with dreams of a judge's seat and works as a district attorney, refuses to accept the legal process in a violent crime that effects her and her family personally. There is also a back story that is lifted straight from the child trauma moral panic of the era.
So, although there is nothing in this premise to endear the novel to a present day reader and the bulk of the novel is a long dreary trudge through a sad romance/crime novel I was surprised by the very different tone and tighter writing of the final chapters. Yes, the pay off is as trite as the rest of the novel, but it is also like Rosenberg finally awoke to the potential of the setup and engaged with the conclusion.
August 8, 2011
It was during college that I read this book. Liked it very much. I often catch myself thinking about its ending. Its moral dilemma & heightened emotions made this book hard to put down.
For a mother to witness her daughter being raped, and when vengeance is within reach, it was almost impossible for it not to end as what a reader would expect. A gratifying vengeance.
It was not ended that way....
For a mother to witness her daughter being raped, and when vengeance is within reach, it was almost impossible for it not to end as what a reader would expect. A gratifying vengeance.
It was not ended that way....
September 30, 2024
Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy any aspect of this book, and finishing it was a real struggle. The characters' behavior makes no sense; they constantly completely change their personalities for no apparent reason. The dialogues are terrible and unnatural. The crimes are horrible. The book feels outdated and poorly written, and I won’t be continuing the series.
October 6, 2017
This is an edge of your seat thriller that hubby and I both enjoyed.
September 17, 2023
A good read if you like legal thrillers, doesn’t end like your thinking, guess that’s a good thing.
May 16, 2012
ISBN 0451176723 - Almost a sister to Nancy Wagner's All Our Lives (ISBN 0380778084), Mitigating Circumstances is not quite as good. Both books deal with a family dealing with the rape of a daughter and a marriage that's fallen apart, but Wagner's is just a little bit better.
Lily Forrester is an ADA who has just been made head of the Sex Crimes Division and sees her goal of becoming a judge within sight when her marriage finally unravels. Her daughter chooses to live with her father, but spends a fateful night at her mother's. The timing couldn't be worse, as a man who has been watching Lily is released from prison and stalks her to her new home and assaults mother and daughter.
Her own childhood abuse coupled with the horror of watching her own daughter raped drives Lily right over that vigilante line and she seeks justice outside the courtroom for the first time in her life. Now her career, her daughter, her marriage, her freedom, her sanity and her budding relationship with a fellow ADA are all on the line as one very good detective looks for answers.
The sex in this book tends toward graphic and violent and some of it is remarkably unnecessary, which wasn't too surprising since the main character works in Sex Crimes, but I did find a bit much now and then. Also a little off-putting was the sense that "all Latinos look alike", although that does get explained as "she wasn't wearing her glasses" - not a good excuse, but an excuse. On the funny side, Lily is a lawyer with a young teenage daughter who borrows her clothes, which would be fine if they weren't her WORK clothes! No teenage girl wants to dress like their lawyer mother, unless their lawyer mother dresses really unprofessionally.
All in all, kind of an average book that would have benefited greatly if Detective Cunningham had had a larger role and if John, Lily's husband, had been an even remotely sympathetic character.
- AnnaLovesBooks
Lily Forrester is an ADA who has just been made head of the Sex Crimes Division and sees her goal of becoming a judge within sight when her marriage finally unravels. Her daughter chooses to live with her father, but spends a fateful night at her mother's. The timing couldn't be worse, as a man who has been watching Lily is released from prison and stalks her to her new home and assaults mother and daughter.
Her own childhood abuse coupled with the horror of watching her own daughter raped drives Lily right over that vigilante line and she seeks justice outside the courtroom for the first time in her life. Now her career, her daughter, her marriage, her freedom, her sanity and her budding relationship with a fellow ADA are all on the line as one very good detective looks for answers.
The sex in this book tends toward graphic and violent and some of it is remarkably unnecessary, which wasn't too surprising since the main character works in Sex Crimes, but I did find a bit much now and then. Also a little off-putting was the sense that "all Latinos look alike", although that does get explained as "she wasn't wearing her glasses" - not a good excuse, but an excuse. On the funny side, Lily is a lawyer with a young teenage daughter who borrows her clothes, which would be fine if they weren't her WORK clothes! No teenage girl wants to dress like their lawyer mother, unless their lawyer mother dresses really unprofessionally.
All in all, kind of an average book that would have benefited greatly if Detective Cunningham had had a larger role and if John, Lily's husband, had been an even remotely sympathetic character.
- AnnaLovesBooks
March 15, 2010
This was another book that I liked better after I got into it. Lily Forrester is a strong character who suffered incest at the hands of her grandfather as a girl. She and her husband John are separated, and planning to divorce, which leaves their daughter with the future of spending time with each of them. She is a very strong character, but then, due to a fluke, she and her mother are raped. Early in the book there is the suggestion that Lily has been targeted by a prisoner in jail who can see her and her car in a lot near where she works as Assistant District Attorney. The way that she gets back at the rapist can endanger her job. She is somewhat ambivalent about Richard, a co-worker, who loves her. Parts of the book are not very believable.
November 19, 2014
In the first installment of the Lily Forrester Legal thriller series, Mitigating Circumstances, by Nancy Taylor Rosenberg, she brought us a hard-hitting legal thriller with hard cope topics. Lillian "Lily" Forrester was the new chief in the Sex Crimes Division for the DA's Office. She was also a mother of a teenage daughter and a wife of a weak husband, she finally had the courage to end her failing marriage. In lieu of that, someone broke in their home and raped her and her own daughter. From there, she started her own investigation on the rapist and took matters in her own hands with dire consequences to protect her daughter Shana.
July 14, 2019
At first I was going to give this 4 Stars because of the content of this book, but decided against it and decided to give it 5 Stars. Parts of the content of this book is so shocking, because in all reality it's so so true..Very well written and my first book by this Author...
March 25, 2012
couldn't read this book, there was too much about sex crimes including to children. read 50 pages but just could not go on.
April 12, 2017
This book's description looked enticing, but I only made it through the first 30 pages. It includes way too many sexual references and cursing for my tastes, and I decided not to finish reading it.
July 6, 2022
I have tried to read this book, but I just couldn't go any further.
The main character is simply abhorrent.
She is an ADA, but everyone she sends to prison is "vermin." They all seem to be Latino, too, because White people don't commit unspeakable crimes in her world. All of the bad guys kill someone, spend a few years in prison, then get out and kill again. In the real world, this is a pretty rare occurrence, but the main character wants to bring back the guillotine.
Her husband hasn't had sex with her in years, and she hates him because he is not ambitious enough. Heaven forbid he take a nap. The hours of his government job have been cut to 30 hours a week, and she blames him for this, although I don't know how a government worker could be responsible for this. (A sneer toward all government workers, because, obviously, all government workers are lazy). /s
She, however, as a government worker, is NOT lazy. Her jobs is DIFFERENT, and NOT to be sneered at. Even though she COULD make a bunch more money in private practice, she's not ambitious enough for that. She literally blames her husband for not making more money, while she could easily do so.
Her husband encouraged her to go to Law School. He supported her, was patient, and cared for her as she healed from childhood sexual abuse that she had experienced. This is a rare thing to find in a partner.
So, our main character condemns him for taking a nap. In the meantime, he is home with their 13yo daughter, while she is out at a party, drinking several alcoholic drinks, offering to drive a coworker home while she is obviously intoxicated (by her own self-description), and then screwing her married coworker.
The next day, she and the coworker have sex at the office. He has her pretend to be on the phone and talk about a case file while he services her. She talks professionally about the case she is handling of a 10y0 boy who was violently raped by a pedophile...while her office boyfriend is giving her oral sex. ICK ICK ICK ICK ICK. Is that what excites them both sexually??? Recitations of a child being sexually violated??? ICK ICK ICK ICK ICK.
After years of a sexless marriage, she is all-of-a-sudden ready to divorce her husband and break up her family over this guy who is still married. Yes. Over the guy that she has been screwing for less than 12 hours. What an idiot.
She also argues with her 13yo daughter for stealing her professional clothing. Her dd13 behaves like a normal 13yo, and the mom handles it by yelling at her daughter because the ONE outfit she wanted to wear is not available. Who is the immature teen here??? She could have just found another outfit (because she has a closet full of clothes) and offered to buy the daughter whatever professional clothes she wanted for herself. The main character is a Goddamn ADA, and they live in a ranch house (not a McMansion). I'm pretty sure they can offer to buy a few outfits for the teenager.
Meanwhile, at the office, she has a case to handle in which a victim was raped and killed by a group of young men. Three are tied by sperm samples; two are not and claim to have gotten in the car with their friends just a few minutes before it was stopped by the cops. She is determined to give them ALL Life Sentences in prison rather than to search for what the truth is.
I tried to give this book a "fair try" by reading at least 10% (more than 43 pages) of this book. The main character is NOT sympathetic; she is NOT a tragic flawed character; she is NOT relatable. She is nothing more than a first class bitch.
And this is just the first 10% of the book. I could be wrong about this book. Maybe the character changes dramatically. Maybe she becomes harder to hate. But life is too short to spend more than 10% of a book with a character that is so offensive.
The other book that I am reading right now is historical fiction love story with a Christian flavor. Speaking as an atheist, I find the characters in THAT book much more easy to like and relate to than the main character and style of this book.
The main character is simply abhorrent.
She is an ADA, but everyone she sends to prison is "vermin." They all seem to be Latino, too, because White people don't commit unspeakable crimes in her world. All of the bad guys kill someone, spend a few years in prison, then get out and kill again. In the real world, this is a pretty rare occurrence, but the main character wants to bring back the guillotine.
Her husband hasn't had sex with her in years, and she hates him because he is not ambitious enough. Heaven forbid he take a nap. The hours of his government job have been cut to 30 hours a week, and she blames him for this, although I don't know how a government worker could be responsible for this. (A sneer toward all government workers, because, obviously, all government workers are lazy). /s
She, however, as a government worker, is NOT lazy. Her jobs is DIFFERENT, and NOT to be sneered at. Even though she COULD make a bunch more money in private practice, she's not ambitious enough for that. She literally blames her husband for not making more money, while she could easily do so.
Her husband encouraged her to go to Law School. He supported her, was patient, and cared for her as she healed from childhood sexual abuse that she had experienced. This is a rare thing to find in a partner.
So, our main character condemns him for taking a nap. In the meantime, he is home with their 13yo daughter, while she is out at a party, drinking several alcoholic drinks, offering to drive a coworker home while she is obviously intoxicated (by her own self-description), and then screwing her married coworker.
The next day, she and the coworker have sex at the office. He has her pretend to be on the phone and talk about a case file while he services her. She talks professionally about the case she is handling of a 10y0 boy who was violently raped by a pedophile...while her office boyfriend is giving her oral sex. ICK ICK ICK ICK ICK. Is that what excites them both sexually??? Recitations of a child being sexually violated??? ICK ICK ICK ICK ICK.
After years of a sexless marriage, she is all-of-a-sudden ready to divorce her husband and break up her family over this guy who is still married. Yes. Over the guy that she has been screwing for less than 12 hours. What an idiot.
She also argues with her 13yo daughter for stealing her professional clothing. Her dd13 behaves like a normal 13yo, and the mom handles it by yelling at her daughter because the ONE outfit she wanted to wear is not available. Who is the immature teen here??? She could have just found another outfit (because she has a closet full of clothes) and offered to buy the daughter whatever professional clothes she wanted for herself. The main character is a Goddamn ADA, and they live in a ranch house (not a McMansion). I'm pretty sure they can offer to buy a few outfits for the teenager.
Meanwhile, at the office, she has a case to handle in which a victim was raped and killed by a group of young men. Three are tied by sperm samples; two are not and claim to have gotten in the car with their friends just a few minutes before it was stopped by the cops. She is determined to give them ALL Life Sentences in prison rather than to search for what the truth is.
I tried to give this book a "fair try" by reading at least 10% (more than 43 pages) of this book. The main character is NOT sympathetic; she is NOT a tragic flawed character; she is NOT relatable. She is nothing more than a first class bitch.
And this is just the first 10% of the book. I could be wrong about this book. Maybe the character changes dramatically. Maybe she becomes harder to hate. But life is too short to spend more than 10% of a book with a character that is so offensive.
The other book that I am reading right now is historical fiction love story with a Christian flavor. Speaking as an atheist, I find the characters in THAT book much more easy to like and relate to than the main character and style of this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2024
Que espectacular, mi primer 5 estrellas del año. No quiero reseñar tanto del libro porque al ser thriller mezclado con suspenso es mejor ir a ciegas y dejarse sorprender a medida que vas leyendo, esa es la gracia.
Tenemos a nuestra protagonista Lily Forrester una prestigiosa abogada y fiscal de distrito quien atraviesa por uno de los peores crímenes que puede experimentar una persona junto a su hija. Veremos como la toma de decisiones frente a situaciones tan difíciles y crudas repercuten en el día a día y como el dilema ético forma parte de su vida hasta consumirla. El libro además nos retrata con detalles la vida pasada de Lily, su vida matrimonial y materna y como ha logrado avanzar en su trabajo. Sumado a esto, la historia va resolviendo un caso policial paralelo con acontecimientos de la protagonista que podrían tener conexión, ¿de qué forma? tendrás que leerlo para averiguarlo.
Como mencioné arriba, este libro me gustó mucho y para ser de los años 90 siento que ha envejecido bien. La forma en que está escrito genera adicción y ganas de seguir leyendo, siempre quieres saber más y cómo se resolverán las cosas. Lo detallado del libro me hizo pensar cada día en los personajes y me metí mucho en el mundo, literal me sentía viendo un capítulo de CSI o esas series de crímenes y policías famosas. Aparte el libro trae varios POV'S haciendo que la historia sea más completa y muy real.
Antes de leerlo hay que tener en cuenta las siguientes advertencias, TW: lenguaje y escenas explícitas, v1ol3nc1a, 4bus0s s3xual3s y v1olac1on. Contiene escenas +18
Tenemos a nuestra protagonista Lily Forrester una prestigiosa abogada y fiscal de distrito quien atraviesa por uno de los peores crímenes que puede experimentar una persona junto a su hija. Veremos como la toma de decisiones frente a situaciones tan difíciles y crudas repercuten en el día a día y como el dilema ético forma parte de su vida hasta consumirla. El libro además nos retrata con detalles la vida pasada de Lily, su vida matrimonial y materna y como ha logrado avanzar en su trabajo. Sumado a esto, la historia va resolviendo un caso policial paralelo con acontecimientos de la protagonista que podrían tener conexión, ¿de qué forma? tendrás que leerlo para averiguarlo.
Como mencioné arriba, este libro me gustó mucho y para ser de los años 90 siento que ha envejecido bien. La forma en que está escrito genera adicción y ganas de seguir leyendo, siempre quieres saber más y cómo se resolverán las cosas. Lo detallado del libro me hizo pensar cada día en los personajes y me metí mucho en el mundo, literal me sentía viendo un capítulo de CSI o esas series de crímenes y policías famosas. Aparte el libro trae varios POV'S haciendo que la historia sea más completa y muy real.
Antes de leerlo hay que tener en cuenta las siguientes advertencias, TW: lenguaje y escenas explícitas, v1ol3nc1a, 4bus0s s3xual3s y v1olac1on. Contiene escenas +18
October 14, 2020
So I’ve still got nothing new to read so I found another book of my mums. This book was written 27 years ago but it didn’t feel dated or out of touch at all.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. I could’ve rated it 5 stars except the ending was a let down; a bit rushed & silly with a touch of Mills & Boon! Other than that, a great storyline. It was fast paced & I enjoyed the whole ‘cops & robbers (murderers)’ storyline that ran parallel to the main story. There was probably an element of silly romance to lighten it which at times was a bit teenagerish but it didn’t detract from the main plot of a mother seeking revenge for her daughters rape intertwined with her own issues of being a victim of incest as a small child.
I definitely recommend this to read despite being nearly 30 years old!
I thoroughly enjoyed it. I could’ve rated it 5 stars except the ending was a let down; a bit rushed & silly with a touch of Mills & Boon! Other than that, a great storyline. It was fast paced & I enjoyed the whole ‘cops & robbers (murderers)’ storyline that ran parallel to the main story. There was probably an element of silly romance to lighten it which at times was a bit teenagerish but it didn’t detract from the main plot of a mother seeking revenge for her daughters rape intertwined with her own issues of being a victim of incest as a small child.
I definitely recommend this to read despite being nearly 30 years old!
April 4, 2023
Had I not read the author’s bio about her experience in law enforcement, I wouldn’t have believed how hard it is to prosecute a rapist. That coupled with the victim’s embarrassment and guilt, it is no wonder that many of these crimes go unreported and unpunished.
The book starts out intriguing, and the act of revenge takes place early in the narrative. But the rest of the book drags on. You can guess the ending half way through the book. But the finale makes no sense. Why would Lily confess to murder, and thereby endanger her support of her daughter, her career and her budding relationship with her workmate.
The book starts out intriguing, and the act of revenge takes place early in the narrative. But the rest of the book drags on. You can guess the ending half way through the book. But the finale makes no sense. Why would Lily confess to murder, and thereby endanger her support of her daughter, her career and her budding relationship with her workmate.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 25, 2018
Lily Forrester is an Assistant District Attorney newly promoted to the Sex Crimes Division. Lily and her 13 yo daughter are raped in the new house Lily rented after she and her husband separated. Lily thinks she recognizes the assailant and goes to his house and kills him. The majority of the book revolves around the moral dilemma and the adjustment of the daughter. This would be a great book club read - there are lots of discussion opportunities. This was a first book and it is a page turner.
May 21, 2021
Can't be too good if it took me 4 months to finish it, right? A district attorney and her 13 year old daughter are raped; the d.a. recognizes the guy from her files and kills him, then worries about being caught while also worrying about keeping her daughter okay.
February 26, 2018
I liked this book, the first in a series, a lot. I had a hard time dealing with the ethical position posed in the book, as did Lily. It almost broke her. But, I just accepted it. Have already read the second book in the series (also very good) and am looking forward to the third.
April 29, 2025
Mitigating Circumstances is a gripping legal thriller with a strong, complex heroine. Nancy Taylor Rosenberg weaves suspense and emotion into a fast-paced story that tackles tough issues. Some moments feel a bit over the top, but overall it’s a compelling and memorable read.
November 16, 2025
Good plot with some intrguing twists and well paced but a very flat ending at least for me. Other than Lily the other characters seemed to change shape throughout the book. The plot did seem authentic though.
December 15, 2017
A very captivating read, crispy, treachery and artful twists and turns brought life to unpredictable scenes that literary blew me away. Loved it all the way.
July 21, 2019
I still need to write something about this other than just saying "I liked it".
March 13, 2020
I can't wait to read the next in the series!
May 14, 2020
A good yarn. Never a big fan of the whole he was so handsome and she was so beautiful plot lines which was off putting. Believable and yet not. Mixed feelings!
March 7, 2021
Read in 1994. This dead-on convincing thriller about a woman law enforcer's pursuit of a criminal abounds with authenticity since she was a former investigator.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 81 reviews