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Summary
Summary
Judge Richard Quinn is young, idealistic, and honest to a fault. That's why he's handed the most sensational homicide case in Oregon history. Locked in a race for the U.S. Senate, Ellen Crease gunned down the intruder who murdered her wealthy husband. In a single, brutal instant she became a widow, a victim, and a hero. Yet disturbing questions remain. What secrets did the man who started his fortune running mortuaries keep that might have cost him his life? What about the son frozen out of his will? Or his wife's political enemies? And what about Ellen Crease herself? Soon it becomes clear that a deadly plot of murder, blackmail, passion, and double cross is unfolding around Judge Richard Quinn. And unless he breaks the rules, justice will not only be blind, it will be the final victim.
Reviews (3)
Kirkus Review
A tale of an ill-starred Oregon judge proves itself to be more than the sum of its parts. And there's a lesson in that. Create a likable hero, put him on the rack, keep him there with might and main, and such flaws as wooden dialogue and gratuitous twists of plot still won't sink your story. Like his legendary father, Richard Quinn is a state supreme court justice, and it's almost irrelevant that he's also sweet-natured, since what defines him is his being a man of principle and conscience. Early on, a fellow judge convicted of bribery appears before him for sentencing, and Quinn hits him hard, giving him jail time when no one, including the prosecution, would have frowned at probation. In fact, a strong argument-and one Quinn sees merit in-could be made that probation would have been the fitter punishment for the crime. Except that it's a judge, Quinn says, and a judge must adhere to a higher standard, or what's a courtroom for? Soon enough, however, the judge at a moral crossroads is Quinn himself. For reasons he only half Understands, malign forces have suddenly focused on him. Willy-nilly, he's being framed for murder. And blackmailed. And threatened with bodily harm. There's a way out, of course, but it requires breaking the law. The case before him involves powerful people to whom moral codes are the stuff of farce, people who will balk at nothing. If Quinn agrees to preside dishonestly, he can save himself and those he cares for most. But if not, his ruin seems certain. Though this is Margolin's fifth time out (The Burning Man, 1996, etc.), his prose has gotten no more elegant with practice, but, still, he'll have you rooting for the good Richard Quinn. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
In his past few novels, Margolin has proven that he can write a legal thriller rivaling Scott Turow but with the cheeky storytelling savvy of Danielle Steel. Here, the popular author again brings the two influences together (though, thankfully, a little less from the Steel side), and the result is a wonderful, fast-paced thriller. Richard Quinn, having served only three years on the bench, is appointed to the prestigious homicide division. Although a novice, Quinn earned the lofty appointment by being one of the most honorable, veracious jurists Portland, Oregon, has known--at least, since the death of his highly respected father. The young judge has every intention of upholding his father's scrupulous reputation when he is assigned to hear his first case, which involves the murder of state representative Ellen Crease's husband. Tough-as-nails Crease, a former cop, finds herself accused of committing the murder. Judge Quinn suspects a setup and risks his own safety so that justice may prevail. Margolin gives his material immediacy by making readers privy to Quinn's thinking through every twist and turn of the plot. With the popularity of Margolin's last novel and significant publicity for this one, library demand will be high. --Mary Frances Wilkens
Library Journal Review
Best known for his stunning thriller Gone but Not Forgotten (LJ 8/1/93), Margolin disappoints in this new novel. Wealthy Portland, OR, businessman Lamar Hoyt Sr. is shot to death in his bed. His wife, Ellen Crease, fires upon and kills the shooter. When the forensic scientist studies the photographs of the crime scene, he sees a discrepancy in the blood spatters, which points to Crease's lying about what happened. Her arraignment and bail hearing is before Richard Quinn, an honest, by-the-book judge who is being blackmailed into ruling against Crease. Despite Margolin's storytelling ability, the novel features unadorned prose and is thin on characterization and shallow in plot. The one bright spot here is Mary Garrett, an attorney with a great deal of aplomb and courtroom savvy who should be considered for her own novel soon. For most fiction collections because of demand for the author's books. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 1/98.]Jo Ann Vicarel, Cleveland Heights-Univ. Heights P.L., OH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.