It’s inevitable that every American, legal, courtroom, thriller , I read gets measured against John Grisham. Few get an equal billing but this book is right up there with any of his.
Keera Duggan is an attorney in Seattle. Formerly she worked for the state prosecutor’s office, which she left after a short but ill advised affair with her boss.
Now she’s back working in the family law firm trying to salvage its reputation. Her father, Patsy, was once a fearsome defence attorney, but over the years he has became more dependent on booze and is ruining his own fearsome reputation as well as his firms.
When Vince LaRussa, a rich investment fund manager returns home to find his disabled wife shot dead in their kitchen, the Police do what Police do and instantly suspect the husband.
He is aware of Patsy’s reputation off old, and hires his firm. He doesn’t get Patsy who is recovering from his latest bender, he gets Keera, who is yet to defend at a murder trial.
The case is a strange one. It’s a locked room mystery that LaRussa seems to have an airtight alibi for. But Keera’s ex-boss and lover, wants to get it to trial quick, he wants to use the case to humiliate her.
What follows is an excellent courtroom drama.
As is usual in American courts Keera’s defence is that somebody else, unknown, killed LaRussa’s wife.
There are at least two suspects but why would either of them want Anne LaRussa dead.
There are twists in this story that leaves the final verdict in question all the way up till the end, and even then there is a vicious sting in the tail.
I like books which are fast paced, with a bit of grit, and that are totally realistic. This story ticks all of those boxes.
There is no spurious writing. Every page holds meaning to the story.
Although Keera’s relationship with her father is an important part of the story it doesn’t get over relied on in the plot, a mistake I’m finding more and more writers make these days.
This is book one in a three book series.
I have a big to-be-read pile, and it speaks volumes that they have all gone on hold whilst I download and read the other two in this series first.
Pages: 396. Publisher: Thomas & Mercer. Audiobook length 11 hours Saskia Maarleveld
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