Under Fire by Margaret McLean

A superb courtroom drama with volatile emotional context is the theme of this book.

Sarah Lynch is an attorney is not practicing law, she is playing hockey.   As  this book takes place in Boston, her career change is not seen as terribly radical.   She had a bad experience that is alluded to but never explained.   Her eccentric Uncle Buddy Clancy, worried over her state of mind, entices her to the dark side, that of defending an accused criminal rather than the prosecution side she once practiced. 

Buddy Clancy would top the list of interesting people anyone has encountered.   He and his golden retriever, Rehnquist, both sport bow ties and both have a sweet tooth.   The case is fraught with current topics and undertones of intolerance.   The accused is a African Muslim who is regarded by the community as an “Arab” in the worse sense.   She is accused of killing a fireman who was attempting to rescue her from her burning store.

The plot is complicated and believable.   The current emotional attitude toward anyone different, particularly any one that can be considered related to terrorism, weighs heavily on all of the characters.   Greed, redevelopment and the pedestal fireman now occupy fill out the emotional provocative aspects of the book.

This was a very good book and an outstanding courtroom drama. 

I highly recommend it.

Body of  work of Margaret McLean </a>

Web Site: http://www.margaretmclean.com/

CSI Crime Scene Investigation, The Burning Season By Jeff Marriotte

 
This book reads like a script for the TV show CSI.  If you like the TV show you will love the book.  You find characters you already know immersed in fast paced action.
I happen to like the TV show CSI so I was predisposed to like the book.    I was not disappointed.  I think that someone who isn't familiar with the show might have a little difficulty because there is not a lot of background data on the characters. 

There are multiple scenarios running simultaneously.  The author sets a good pace and the book is an easy read.

I recommend the book.

Body of work of Jeff Marriotte

Web Site: http://www.jeffmariotte.com/main.htm

7th Heaven by James Patterson

I enjoy the Women’s Murder Club. I don’t know if the TV show was canceled or just lost in the shuffle but I enjoyed it as well. A young, rich scion disappears and is presumed dead. Boxer gets a lead which she tracks down with her new partner Conklin. Joe, the Fed, is now living with Boxer who is still unable to make a permanent commitment. In the midst of the search for the missing young man, a series of brutal, arson murders intrudes.

Typical of Patterson is the number of intriguing sub plots. The brevity of the chapters allows the numerous subplots to work. I enjoy the women of the Murder Club. They have each other’s backs. I have seen this characteristic quite frequently in women I know. They are extraordinarily supportive of each other, particularly in times of crisis. Sadly once the days of athletic teams are over, I haven’t seen the same level of camaraderie in the men I know. But as this is a book review rather than a psych eval, I shall move along. There is plenty of action, some solid head scratching to try and determine who the bad guys really are and plenty of human interaction. I enjoyed the book. However if you are planning on reading it at the beach, you may want to take two since you will breeze through it in no time at all.

I recommend the book.

Body of work of James Patterson

Review of the book:
Site: