Clifford Irving's Legal Novels - 01 - TRIAL - a Legal Thriller

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A Literary Guild selection and New York Times best-seller. The movie starred Beverly D'Angelo, Peter Strauss, Ned Beatty, and Jill Clayburgh as "Judge Lou Parker." "The courtroom scenes are breathtaking ... gripping suspense ... riveting!" -- Publishers Weekly An adventure into the real world of criminal law, setting a new standard for legal thrillers, Clifford Irving’s powerful novel deals with murder, the perils of love, and the morality of justice, Twisting and relentless, TRIAL follows Texas lawyer Warren Blackburn as he defends two accused murderers in two separate cases. One of his clients, Johnnie Faye Boudreau, is a former beauty queen and now owner of a topless nightclub, who shoots her multimillionaire doctor lover - she claims - in self-defense. The other, Hector Quintana, is a homeless illegal alien accused of killing a man for his wallet. Without warning, the two cases merge and become one; as a result, Warren's entire life and career are threatened. William Safire in his "On Language" column in The New York Times called this "the novel of the year." "Don't begin this book at bedtime or you'll be up all night ... TRIAL is like a birchbark canoe or a seven-layer cake. You can go crazy trying to figure out how it's made, and it's made by a master." -- Caroline See, Los Angeles Times "Riveting legal edge-of-the-seater, has Texas and American justice by the tail." -- Daily Telegraph (London) "A lively plot ... the Texas atmosphere against which the story unfolds is sharply drawn. Fun, fast-paced, and solidly researched." -- The New York Times Book Review "Jet-propelled ... colorful, down-and-dirty characters ... most readers will want to read this at one sitting." -- Library Journal From Publishers WeeklyThe courtroom scenes are breathtaking in Irving's ( The Angel of Zin ) new novel. Warren Blackburn practices criminal law in Houston, in the same Harris County courthouse where his late father was a respected judge. When he executes a perjurious affidavit on behalf of a client whom he foolishly trusted, Warren is suspended from practice for a year. Upon his return, he is relegated to the detritus of criminal defense work, until he suddenly becomes counsel to two defendants in murder cases, one celebrated. Warren discovers that one of his clients was likely the actual murderer in the other case, but lawyer-client confidentiality prevents disclosure, and he is trapped in a Kafkaesque dilemma. Although the plot holds few surprises, Irving's development of the trial-related issues is masterful, providing gripping suspense. Similarly, while some of the extralegal parts of the narrative (Blackburn's marital problems, his predictable affair with a court stenographer) are rather contrived, the court proceedings, strategy and testimony are authentic and first-rate; and the cross-examination of the one pivotal "eyewitness" is riveting. Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library JournalFollowing the stigma of an ethics probe, attorney Warren Blackburn gets another chance--to assist a famous lawyer in a scandalous murder trial. At about the same time he agrees to serve as public defender for a poor Hispanic accused of capital murder. Wife Charm is getting tired of their lifestyle and leaves. After the famous lawyer dies, Warren takes over the defense of J.F. Boudreau, the beautiful manager of a notorious topless club, accused of shooting her lover. (There are several other crimes, all related.) The author has crowded his narrative with colorful, down-and-dirty characters, including a feisty woman judge, a wino, a court reporter attracted to Warren, and, especially, Boudreau, who is steamy, resourceful, and unforgettable. The legal points are artfully presented, and the story is jet-propelled. Most readers will want to read this at one sitting. Highly recommended.- Robert H. Donahugh, formerly with Youngstown & Mmahoning Cty. P.L., OhioCopyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.