From Publishers Weekly
With this engrossing sequel to Death Qualified , prolific Wilhelm claims a leading place in the ranks of trial suspense writers. At a restaurant in Eugene, Ore., attorney Barbara Holloway regularly holds office hours for those who can't afford downtown representation. Lucille Reiner meets her there to complain about the court-appointed attorney defending her sister, Paula Kennerman. Dubbed the "Baby Killer" by the press, Paula is accused of murdering her young daughter before setting afire the home for abused women to which she and the child had recently fled. Lucille says her sister is innocent but has become withdrawn and uncommunicative and is giving in to the public defender's pressure to plead guilty. Barbara, still emotionally shaken by her fiance's recent death, meets Paula and breaks through her defenses, but then the public defender has his client severely sedated and bars Barbara from seeing her. Despite her reluctance to take on another high-profile case, Barbara becomes drawn into Paula's story and intrigued by suspected legal wrongdoings. Wilhelm provides suspense and excitement while adeptly portraying Barbara as a wily and sympathetic heroine. Author tour.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
Attorney Barbara Holloway, introduced in Death Qualified (LJ 6/15/91), here defends Paula Kennerman, a battered wife accused of killing her daughter and burning down the safe house in which they had been sheltered. As in her previous appearance, Barbara is ably assisted by her lawyer father, Frank, and backed by the resources of their prosperous law firm. The Holloways' crack team of private investigators assures that important clues are developed in time to use as evidence as Barbara skillfully conducts the defense in a suspenseful trial. The ambitious plot-subplot net threads together abortion rights, antifeminist backlash, and the inequities of legal aid for rich and poor. Unfortunately, the story is badly flawed by the author's apparent ignorance of domestic violence shelters and support networks. Even in the rural Northwest, such shelters and networks provide better care than the leaderless, ad hoc housing pictured here. Barbara, however, is a complex and appealing woman; her next court appearance will be eagerly awaited. Wilhelm's presence in the suspense genre is impressive; already a master of fantasy, she brings a competent voice and a thoughtful eye to her new territory.
Elsa Pendleton, Boeing Computer Support Svcs., Ridgecrest, Cal.Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
