Description:
Lawyer Patterson's bloated sequel to his best-selling courtroom novel, Degree of Guilt (LJ 12/92), is already slated for television. His new work could have been cut in half by any diligent editor-30 pages of jury selection, for instance, is enough to glaze the eyes of the most dedicated crime reader. The intense dialog and plot, however, will grab fans of Scott Turow and John Grisham, and Patterson gives readers a convincing look at San Francisco's corrupt politics. The plot concerns the death of ne'er-do-well Ricardo Arias, who may or may not have committed suicide. Because of the widely publicized custody battle waged with Arias by his ex-wife and her lover, Christopher Paget (hero of Degree of Guilt), both are investigated and Paget indicted. The author's deeply felt antiviolence theme is smoothly integrated into the narrative. Expect demand.
--Joyce Smothers, Monmouth Cty. Lib., Manalapan, N.J.
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