In this 10th book in the 'Dismas Hardy' lawyer series, the attorney helps an associate in his firm defend a boy accused of murder. The book works well as a standalone.
*****
High school student Laura Wright and her drama teacher Mr. Mooney are rehearsing for the school play in his apartment when both are shot dead.
The prime suspect is Laura's on/off boyfriend, 17-year-old Andy Bartlett, reputed to be jealous of Laura's crush on the teacher.
Defense attorney Amy Wu, an associate in Dismas Hardy's law firm, gets the case. However Amy's dad died recently and she's been drinking and partying too much and using good judgment too little. Thus, without Andy's agreement, Amy makes a deal for the boy to "admit" to the crimes.
This is supposed to guarantee that Andy will be incarcerated in the juvenile system for 8 years rather than being tried as an adult and risking life in prison without parole. When Andy refuses to "admit" to the shootings, this "misunderstanding" leads to the wrath of the prosecutor and judge, who think Amy tried to pull a fast one.
To help Amy out of the hole she dug herself Hardy says he'll act as second chair (co-attorney) during Andy's subsequent court hearings. Once involved in the case Hardy launches his own investigation, questioning witnesses and examining evidence in the author's usual satisfying style.
Meanwhile, Hardy's cop friend Abe Glitsky, now San Francisco's Deputy Chief of Investigations, is dealing with a bizarre string of serial murders around town.
I thought the early part of the book - dealing with Andy's admitting or not admitting - was too slow and drawn out. Past that part, though, the action picked up, the story got more intricate, and the intermingling of Hardy's and Glitsky's cases was deftly handled. Overall a very good mystery book, recommended to fans of the genre.
Rating: 4 stars
The Long Island Hamptons are among the ritziest vacation
destinations in the country, with a robust service industry composed of
year-round residents. Summer visitors may date the locals, but that's
usually as far as it goes. So it's a big surprise when Jason Powell
proposes to Angela - the pretty Hamptons caterer he met at a party.
Jason
and Angela are something of an odd duo. Jason is a gregarious economics
professor at NYU and Angela is a reserved single parent who never went
to college. Still, the two wed and settle in Manhattan with Angela's
school-age son Spencer.
The couple lives quietly for a few years
until Jason becomes an unlikely celebrity. The professor - a strong
proponent of fairness in the workplace - publishes a book called
"Equalonomics", which posits that companies can 'maximize profits by
making corporate decisions based on principles of equality.' The book
becomes a best-seller and leads to Jason becoming a talking head on
television, opening a successful consulting business, and launching a
popular podcast.
Jason's newfound fame and wealth allows the couple to buy a carriage house in Greenwich Village.....
......send
Spencer to an expensive private school, and treat themselves to the
best of everything. You'd think all this would make Angela happy.....but
not so much. It turns out that Angela is hiding a big secret, which she
fears might be exposed by her husband's renown.
Still, the
couple's lives are rolling along smoothly until Jason is accused of
sexual harassment by a student intern named Rachel.
Rachel
claims that she went to Jason's office to deliver a memo, and - when
she took the opportunity to show the boss her new engagement ring - he
put his hand in his pants and made suggestive remarks. For his part,
Jason says that he happened to be changing his clothes when Rachel
entered his office, and the supposed 'suggestive remarks' were sardonic
comments about getting married too young.
It seems like this 'he
said - she said' incident might blow over until another woman, Kerry
Lynch - who works for one of Jason's consulting clients - accuses Jason
of raping her two months before.
This
time Jason suggests that Kerry is making false allegations to deflect
attention from her company, which was about to be exposed for
shenanigans related to supplying fresh water to poor African villages.
As often happens in cases like this, Angela stands by her man - asserting that she believes Jason.
Moreover, Angela doesn't want to upset Spencer, who thinks of Jason as his dad.
Still,
Angela becomes increasingly anxious, obsessively watching the news and
scanning social media - to see what it says about Jason.....and herself.
The
story is told from the dual points of view of Angela and Detective
Corinne Duncan - the investigator who's looking into the charges against
Jason.
Duncan
- who doesn't need all the Dunkin' Donut jokes.....thank you very much
😏 - knows that sometimes accusers are mistaken or untruthful about
accusations of sexual harassment and/or rape, but from a 'politically
correct' perspective, all allegations have to be treated as gospel truth
(at least at first).
Jason's life goes down the toilet when the
indictments surface.....and heads to the bottom of the sewer when Kerry
Lynch suddenly disappears.
The investigation escalates at this point, and secret after secret after secret is exposed, leading to an explosive climax.
The
book has an interesting array of secondary characters, including
Angela's close friend (and former catering client) Susanna - an aging
television journalist who's worried about her job; Jason's best friend
Colin - a lawyer who has a secret crush on Angela; and Angela's mother
Ginny - a fierce woman who has Angela's best interests at heart.
The
book's biggest problem (IMO) is that - for purposes of plot secrecy -
the author withholds a lot of information. This makes Angela's behavior
appear dubious and distorts the flow of the story. Thus the book starts
off a bit too slowly, but escalates to a full on gallop by the end.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and recommend it to mystery fans.
Rating: 3.5 stars
In this first book in the 'Bone' series, a man is dead and a toddler is missing.
*****
Attorney
Jillian Ellington grew up in the idyllic town of Paradise, Tennessee,
then moved to Mississippi for college and law school. This 'desertion'
angered Jill's parents and allegedly 'killed' her father - so Jill
hasn't been back for years. Now, big trouble in Paradise has drawn Jill
back.
Jill has an identical twin sister Kate, who is suspected of
stabbing her husband to death.....and the couple's three-year-old son
is missing.
Moreover,
Kate can't explain what happened because she's in the
hospital.....beaten, bruised, and catatonic - unable to move or speak.
Stunned
by this occurrence - and desperate to help her sister and find her
nephew - Jill has returned to town. At the suggestion of her former law
professor, Richard Lawton, Jill has engaged the services of former FBI
profiler, Dr. Paul Phillips. Paul, who has psychic abilities, was once a
top FBI analyst, but quit after a case went bad.
The
profiler is now a lonely, hard-drinking depressive who rarely takes a
job. In fact Paul only agreed to help Jill because he owes Professor
Lawton a favor.
Jill and Paul don't hit it off right away but a
romantic attraction soon has them working together. Once the duo start
asking questions, though, they run into hostility from EVERYONE in
Paradise, including: Jill's mother; the police chief; the mayor; the
senator; and much of the local populace. It's pretty clear that the town
has a secret no one wants revealed.
Paul's
paranormal talents give him insight into what's going on, and he and
Jill start to suspect that Paradise's medical research facility - which
is very important to the town - had something to do with the death of
Kate's husband and the disappearance of the toddler.
In
fact, Jill and Paul fear the laboratory is engaging in unethical
Nazi-like research. During their investigation, the twosome look up the
experiments of the Nazi doctor, Josef Mengele - and there are graphic
descriptions of the disgusting monster's horrific 'research.'
Though
Jill and Paul face fierce opposition - including threats (and worse) -
they carry on to uncover an almost unbelievable conspiracy. 😮
I
enjoyed the suspense/mystery part of the story, which is interesting and
well-done. Nevertheless, the book has some problems (IMO):
-
First, it's hard to believe that Jill's decision to attend college in
another state would rip her family apart. This rings a false note.
-
Second, Jill's mother behaves very oddly. She actually gets angry
because Jill is trying to find Kate's vanished child. Who would believe
this? 🤨
- Third, the romance between Jill and Paul doesn't ring
true. It's hard to accept that an attractive successful attorney would
instantly fall in love with a gruff loser who's almost an alcoholic. In
addition, Jill and Paul's romantic thoughts about each other are
adolescent and goopy. And finally, the initial 'consummation' of the
couple's love is laughable, and a picture I don't need in my mind. 😝
All
that said, I'd mildly recommend the book to fans of romantic suspense.
Other mystery fans can probably find books they'd enjoy more.
Rating: 3 stars
I listened to the audio version of this book, narrated by the author in her unmistakable deep voice and New York accent.
Penny Marshall
Penny Marshall was born to Marjorie and Tony Marshall in 1943. Her show business career started in Marjorie's dancing school in the basement of their Bronx, New York apartment building. Young Penny, who wanted to run around the neighborhood and do her own thing, grumbled mightily about the mandatory dance lessons. However the numerous performances staged by Marjorie gave Penny confidence and stage experience.
Penny Marshall as a child
Though Marjorie Marshall loved doing shows Penny didn't become a child actress. She drifted through school and graduated with less than stellar grades. After searching for a suitable college Penny chose the University of New Mexico, which had a very lenient acceptance policy. Penny was surprised by her mom's acquiescence to this distant school....but came to realize that her mother thought all the "New" states (New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New Mexico) were clustered together. Ha ha ha. In any case, Penny headed west.
Young Penny Marshall
Penny liked college, especially partying and hanging out with the football team. Before long Penny - who was a little naive about sex - was pregnant. Soon afterward she was married and living in a cramped apartment with her husband Mickey and baby girl Tracy.
Penny Marshall and her baby daughter Tracy
The marriage soon foundered and twenty-year-old Penny lit out for Los Angeles, where her brother Garry Marshall was becoming a successfully writer/producer/director and her sister Ronny was a producer and actress.
Garry Marshall
Ronny Marshall
Penny Marshall (right) with her sister Ronny and brother Garry
Penny was an indifferent mother and left little Tracy with Micky and his parents in Albuquerque. I was put off by Penny's casual attitude about her child.....but mother and daughter grew closer when Tracy grew up.
Penny Marshall with her grown up daughter Tracy
In Los Angeles Penny, helped by her brother Garry, got small parts in various movies and TV sitcoms. Penny married Rob Reiner (star of "All in the Family") in 1971 and they bought a nice home where they entertained family and friends - including many Hollywood bigwigs and celebrities.
Penny Marshall and Rob Reiner
Penny Marshall and Rob Reiner got married
Over the course of her career Penny seems to have met almost everyone in show business (she names names.....lots and lots of names), and many of these folks became her close friends. People were always welcome to drop by Penny's house to eat, drink, do drugs, and sleep over....and some guests stayed for months (or even years). I thought this was very generous.
In 1976 Penny landed a role in "Laverne and Shirley" - she played "Laverne" and Cindy Williams played "Shirley."
Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams starred in 'Laverne and Shirley'
The program became a runaway success and Penny talks about the scripts, cast, crew, filming, locations, etc.
Cast of 'Laverne and Shirley'
She also mentions how pleased she was to be able to hire friends who needed a job. Cindy Williams left the show in Season 8, after which the two women didn't speak for 15 years. Penny was bewildered by Cindy's actions and suggests that Cindy's husband, Bill Hudson (Goldie Hawn's ex), wanted her to quit.
Cindy Williams and Bill Hudson
It's not clear exactly what happened but Penny never badmouths her co-star. In fact this isn't a 'tell-all' book at all and Penny doesn't 'dish the dirt' on anyone.
Penny and Rob divorced in 1980, a few years before "Laverne and Shirley" ended. This was a difficult period in Penny's life. Afterwards she turned to directing movies. Penny goes into great detail about each movie she helmed, including who auditioned for the leading roles, how the stars were chosen, the film crews she selected, and all the nitty gritty of movie making. I found all this very absorbing and these were my favorite parts of the book.
Penny generously acknowledges the professionals (including Steven Spielberg) who helped her learn the craft and expresses no bitterness about being overlooked - again and again - for (well deserved) Oscar nominations.
Steven Spielberg
Penny says she's satisfied doing the work she loves and entertaining people.The movies Penny directed are: "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (I love that movie); "Big"; "Awakenings"; "A League of Their Own"; "Renaissance Man";"The Preacher's Wife"; and "Riding in Cars With Boys." Penny also made a documentary about basketball player Dennis Rodman, called "Rodman Rebound."
Penny's personal life was eclectic and intriguing. She talks about flings with various beaus and a long romance with singer/songwriter Art Garfunkel.
Penny Marshall and Art Garfunkel
Penny also traveled all over the world; threw numerous joint birthday parties with Carrie Fisher (featuring fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and a roster of A-list guests);
Penny Marshall and Carrie Fisher
Penny mourned the deaths of friends; welcomed the birth of grandchildren; took care of her aging parents; repeatedly went to the Pritikin Spa to get healthy and stop smoking (the smoking part didn't work); obtained season tickets to the Lakers and the Clippers; and much more. Penny also speaks about her 2010 diagnosis of lung cancer - which spread to her brain. Penny reports that - right after she heard the news - she asked someone to go out and buy her White Castle hamburgers.
The actress glosses over the illness but mentions that she went into remission after treatment.
I enjoyed Penny's book and think it would be fun to join her for pizza (or hamburgers) and beer and hear more stories about television, movies, and Hollywood personalities. This is a fun light book that I'd recommend to fans of celebrity memoirs.
Rating: 3.5 stars
