The Hidden Man by David Ellis

An attorney suffering agonizing, debilitating grief over a personal tragedy is thrust into defending a childhood friend against murder charges. A mysterious Mr. Smith pays a inordinate retainer for Jason Kolarich to defend his childhood buddy. Child molestation, violence, kidnapping, the mob, threats, corruption are all a part of this outstanding mystery.

Jason’s guilt was initially annoying. The guy seemed completely unable to cut himself a break. Further reading helped to bring the perspective of the overwhelming personal tragedy clear. Accepting responsibility and guilt for other’s actions characterized Jason. I empathized with his proactive approach to being threatened. We all are susceptible to the flight or fight syndrome and when loved ones are threatened, overwhelming, massive retaliation seems reasonable. The overwhelming revulsion toward child molestation explained the overt behavior of many of the characters.

Ellis did a terrific job on creating his characters. It was inspiring to see Jason pulling himself out of the morass of grief onto the path of tepid sunlit normalcy. The fruits of the mystery tree did not fall prematurely; Ellis let them ripen slowly keeping a tense interest throughout the book. This is one darn good story.

I highly recommend this book. Jason Kolarich’s climb off the sliding board of despair would be a sufficient reason to read the book, the nail biting mystery and resolution of issues were a delightful bonus.

Body of work of David Ellis

Review: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Hidden-Man/David-Ellis/e/9780399155796

Web site: www.davidellis.com/