From Amazon.com
Whoever shot and killed U.S. Senator Jeremy Fullerton may have wanted more than his wallet--the ambitious politician had as many enemies as supporters. Portland criminal lawyer Joseph Antonelli is hired to defend the young black Berkeley student who was caught fleeing the crime scene, since no local lawyer wants to risk his reputation on a case that might uncover secrets some very powerful members of the San Francisco establishment would prefer to keep buried. Joe doesn't believe Fullerton died in what the bench, bar, and press have characterized as a "random act of violence"--furthermore, he's convinced that his client, Jamal Washington, is innocent. But in order to prove it, he must uncover those same secrets others have killed to protect, and if he's not careful, he may end up as their next victim. The key to Washington's defense is a
Manchurian Candidate-like conspiracy set in motion long ago, one that ultimately unfolds in an Italian village in a surprising denouement only the most discerning reader will have guessed at. D.W. Buffa excels at describing the courtroom tactics of his smart, thoughtful protagonist--he's more of a pro than most other writers of legal thrillers--and he's a deft hand with pacing, too. Fans of Grisham and Turow who haven't yet made Buffa's acquaintance are in for a very satisfying read.
--Jane Adams
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
From Publishers Weekly
Like Buffa's other legal thrillers starring Portland, Ore., attorney Joseph Antonelli (The Judgment, etc.), this one has a first-class premise: a U.S. senator has been shot and killed in his car in San Francisco, and a young black man, wounded by the police while apparently trying to escape the scene, is accused. Enter Antonelli, brought in by an elderly San Francisco lawyer who wants to help the boy for his own mysterious reasons. It soon becomes clear that because of the political implications the senator was a likely presidential candidate and the victim's local network of powerful friends and rivals, no one wants anything to do with the case. When a new acquaintance of Antonelli's, a former KGB man who says he has dynamite information on the senator's past, is blown up in his office, the stakes are dramatically raised. Taut, well-paced scenes of Antonelli in court and investigating the senator's death alternate with long, meandering passages describing outings with his brother, Bobby and a new woman in his life, the glamorous and enigmatic Marissa. In the end, the trial reaches an improbable conclusion, Antonelli reacts out of character, and the book's resolution comes out of nowhere in a plot twist that's more sleight of hand than organic to the tale. It's a disappointing windup to a book that offers some strong scenes and characterizations.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
