In 2009, 25-year-old high school music teacher Bobby Nock was tried for the murder of his 15-year-old student Jessica Silver.
When Jessica - the daughter of billionaire Lou Silver - disappeared, the police found sexy text messages between herself and Nock and found traces of Jessica's blood in Nock's car.
The fact that Nock was black and Jessica was white exacerbated matters, and the teacher was quickly arrested and prosecuted.
Maya Seale was one of a diverse bag of jurors at Nock's trial, and though the evidence against the teacher was strong, Maya had reasonable doubt.
Thus, though the eleven other jurors wanted to vote guilty, Maya turned them one by one.....and Nock got a not guilty verdict. Nock's acquittal resulted in vicious backlash from the public.
The fallout caused many jurors to regret their decision to let Nock off. The most sorry of all was an African American juror named Rick Leonard, who wrote a scathing book that blamed Maya for the reviled verdict.
Ten years later Maya, who believes "it's better that ten guilty men go free than one innocent be wrongly punished" is a criminal defense attorney who'd prefer to hear nothing more about Bobby Nock.
Unfortunately Maya is out of luck because the producers of a podcast called 'Murder Town' are making an 8-hour docuseries about Nock, to be aired on Netflix.
The producers ask the original jurors to cooperate with the show, and Maya - who's still being excoriated by the public - refuses. However Rick Leonard claims that he's found definitive proof of Nock's guilt, which he'll reveal when he's interviewed for the podcast. Maya can't resist hearing this 'proof', and reluctantly agrees to participate in the program.
The jurors are assembled at the Omni Hotel in Los Angeles, where they were sequestered during the trial, and are even given their old rooms. The attendees meet for an ice breaker on the evening before the interviews, and talk about the trial and the podcast.
Later that night a juror is found dead in Maya's room. In the ultimate ironic twist, Maya is arrested for the juror's murder.
The book is a dual mystery in which two cases are highlighted: the killing of Jessica Silver and the murder of the juror. Maya, who's out on bail, aims to prove she's innocent. Hence she noses around against the explicit instructions of her defense attorney, Craig Richards, who tells her to lay low.
In fact Craig wants Maya to claim she killed Rick in self-defense - even if she's completely innocent - to ensure she doesn't go to prison. (Apparently Craig doesn't care if the 'real killer' is caught.)
The murder trial of Bobby Nock has a whiff of racism and classism, which continues later, when Nock is convicted of disseminating child pornography. As a result Nock has to register as a sex offender, which means that he'll be persecuted by the media forever.
The book is told from the rotating points of view of Maya and other jurors, so we know what people were thinking and doing during and after Nock's trial, and what they're up to at the present time. There are some surprising revelations and the strong suggestion that lawyers don't care who's innocent or guilty....they just want to win.
I'd recommend this novel to readers who enjoy mysteries and legal thrillers.
Thanks to Netgalley, Graham Moore, and Random House for a copy of the book.
Rating: 3.5 stars
In this 13th book in the 'Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery' series, Goldy Schulz, who's a professional caterer and amateur sleuth, sets out to discover who killed her neighbor. The book can be read as a standalone.
*****
Goldy Schulz, who has a catering business in Aspen Meadows, Colorado, caters delicious breakfasts for a local law firm and occasionally provides food for lawyer-client meetings.
Things take a bad turn when Goldy arrives at the law firm one night - to prepare for the next day - and stumbles over the body of her young neighbor Dusty Routt. Dusty had been training to be a paralegal for the law firm and was meeting Goldy for a cooking lesson.
Dusty's mother doesn't trust the police and begs Goldy to find out what happened to her daughter. Goldy, who's solved many murders in the past, agrees. To find Dusty's murderer, Goldy does her own sleuthing AND gets inside information from her husband Tom Schulz, who's a sheriff's detective.
As Goldy is snooping around she discovers that there have been shenanigans at the law firm, including extramarital affairs. Goldy also learns that Dusty may have stumbled on irregularities in the affairs of Charlie Baker, a deceased client and famous artist, whose possessions she was inventorying.
As all this is going on, Goldy caters a birthday party for one of the firm's lawyers; gives driving lessons to her fifteen-year-old son Arch (which are ALWAYS a disaster 😊); hosts Arch's recently discovered half-brother; prepares recipes with her assistant Julian; chitchats with her best friend Marla; snuggles with her hubby Tom; and so on.
There are plenty of suspects, but Goldy sorts through the flotsam and jetsam to solve the case.
The novel isn't as good as the early books in the series (IMO). The stories were more interesting when Goldy was a single mother struggling to make a living who had to deal with an abusive (but colorful) ex-husband named John Richard Korman (aka 'the jerk'). It was satisfying to see Goldy and her friend Marla plot against the troublemaker.
It's great that Goldy is now settled down and happily married, but the cozies are less exciting. Still, this is a pleasant read to pass an afternoon.
FYI: There's food preparation throughout the story, and - for people whose taste buds are stimulated - the recipes (including crustless asparagus quiche) are furnished at the end.
Crustless Asparagus Quiche
Rating: 3 stars
The work of a medical examiner (ME) is endlessly fascinating to the public, as evidenced by the many TV shows that feature forensic pathologists - like Quincy; Law and Order; CSI; NCIS; Rizzoli and Isles; Hawaii-Five-O and others. In fiction, pathologists often resolve their cases quickly - making lightning fast determinations, intuiting what happened, and (often) nabbing the culprit themselves.
This is very different from real life, where toxicology and DNA tests take months to process, coroners' findings are relayed to police detectives, and the cops (hopefully) nab the perp. Moreover, in reality, most deaths are due to natural causes, disease, accidents, undetected anatomical defects, mental illness, and so on - and no crimes are involved.
In this enlightening and entertaining book, Dr. Judy Melinek describes her two years as a forensic pathology fellow at the 'Office of the Chief Medical Examiner' (OCME) in New York, where she honed her chops as an ME.
Dr. Judy Melinek
The ME's job is to determine the cause and manner of death in cases where the deceased dies suddenly, violently, unexpectedly, in suspicious circumstances, etc.
When Melinek graduated from UCLA Medical School in 1996, she wanted to be a surgeon. The surgical residency was grueling, however, and Melinek feared making a mistake that would kill a patient. Thus, Melinek switched her specialty to forensic pathology. Melinek's interest in the field may have stemmed, in part, from the suicide of her father at age 38, when she was 13 years old - an event she discusses extensively in the book.
Melinek, her husband J.T. Mitchell (the co-author of this book), and their baby Daniel settled down in New York in 2001.
Dr. Judy Melinek and her husband J.T. Mitchell
There, Melinek began work at the OCME under the tutelage of Dr. Charles Hirsch - whom she describes as "a pipe-smoking, avuncular doctor out of a Norman Rockwell painting."
Dr. Charles Hirsch
Among other things, Hirsch held morning rounds and afternoon rounds, at which the medical examiners presented their findings and discussed what to write on death certificates about the cause and manner of death. These determinations were made using a variety of means, such as: the autopsy; visiting the death scene; reviewing medical records; speaking to witnesses; consulting detectives; and so on.....all while collecting evidence that might be used in court.
When assigned a body to autopsy, the first thing an ME does is examine the person's external characteristics, and make a record of bruises, cuts, scrapes, scars, tattoos, burns, needle marks, and so on. The ME then goes on to probe the inside of the body, and these procedures are thoroughly described in the book.
Medical examiner noting a body's external characteristics
During her two years at the OCME Melinek worked on a wide variety of cases, including victims of the World Trade Center disaster; people who contracted anthrax from a bioterrorism scare; and bodies from American Airlines Flight 587 - which crashed in NYC. To provide a feel for Melinek's job, I'll give examples of some of the cases she worked on or observed.
Cable Guy
A man dubbed 'Cable Guy' smoked crystal meth before walking his dogs, and accidentally locked himself out of his 9th floor apartment. Instead of calling a locksmith, Cable Guy tied his dogs to the doorknob, went up to the roof, tied a cable around his chest, and tried to rappel down to his open window one floor down. The cable broke and the man fell to his death. Melinek's autopsy showed a fractured skull and shattered ribs that cut through the victim's lungs, esophagus, aorta, and pulmonary artery. The death was ruled accidental. The dogs were fine.
Grisly Industrial Accident
An egg roll factory has a combination shredder-mixer that fills a whole room. The shredder in a Manhattan plant blew apart while spinning, and sent the central drum and blade flying. The blade amputated the arm of one worker, and shrapnel injured two other employees. The metal cylinder landed on the upper chest and neck of a fourth worker, who was pinned to the floor and crushed. Melinek found that the man's head was uninjured and he was fully conscious until he died of suffocation. The unfortunate victim's death was ruled accidental.
Alcoholism
Melinek performed scores of autopsies on people who died of acute or chronic alcohol intoxication. Melinek's last autopsy in New York was on a victim who died of acute AND chronic alcohol poisoning. A man's dead body was found on the steps of a church in winter. After getting the results of toxicological tests, Melinek determined that the deceased - a chronic alcoholic who had lived on the streets for 30 years - was fall down drunk when he fell asleep and died of hypothermia. The death was ruled an accident.
Drug Overdose
Deaths from a drug overdose are fairly common, the typical victim being young and otherwise healthy. To fill out the death certificate, Melinek would usually just wait for the toxicology report and write in the cause of death. Drug overdose autopsies were usually quick and easy.....unless the family of the victim couldn't accept the truth.
Robert Ward was a 28-year-old white man with a history of alcoholism and drug abuse. One day Robert went out with friends, and was later found dead in his apartment. His mom, Mrs. Ward, didn't want her son autopsied: "Don't touch my baby." An autopsy was required by law, however, and the toxicology report took four months to reach Melinek's office.
During that time Mrs. Ward called Melinek at least twice a week, insisting 'Bobby didn't do drugs', and offering other theories for his death. These included: bad sushi, poisonous beer, misuse of a friend's asthma medication, anthrax, NyQuil, and dust mites.
When the toxicology report was finally completed, it showed a lethal concoction of heroin, cocaine, and the sedative diazepam.....and Melinek ruled Ward's death an accident. However Mrs. Ward couldn't let it go, and now insisted that Bobby's death was a homicide, the fault of the dealer who sold him the drugs.
The Bucket Bugaboo
A police officer brought the OCME a goop-filled bucket that looked like it might contain a dead fetus. An ME carefully emptied the pail, which contained a statuette of kissing angels, maraschino cherries, and a couple of two-foot-long donkey dongs. No fetus. The consensus was that this was probably a Santeria love potion.....not a case for the OCME. (LOL)
Suicides
Melinek saw many suicides. These cases were fairly easy to diagnose, especially when they required premeditation and planning - like suicide by hanging, which causes ligature marks on the neck and purple hands and feet. Other suicides during Melinek's tenure at the OCME included people who jumped into the East River, and victims who leapt from the balcony of the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square. The hotel jumpers might have expected a smooth fall to the ground, but they generally pinballed and bumped into structures, severing their limbs and scattering their brains all over.
Sometimes apparent 'suicides' were actually homicides or accidents, and the ME's final determination depended on investigation of the death scene; information provided by families and police detectives; a suicide note; and so on.
Attack on the World Trade Center
On September 11, 2001 - nine weeks after Melinek started work at the OCME - two planes collided with the World Trade Center, causing thousands of deaths. The bodies of the victims came to the OCME, and Melinek was one of 30 doctors who worked to identify the remains and assemble evidence of mass murder. Many of the victims had been smashed to bits, and the MEs had to treat each specimen - be it a hand, a toe, a scrap of tissue, etc. - as if it were an entire body.....the goal being to identify the deceased.
The bodies and body parts arrived by the truckload, and after DNA was collected, each 'specimen' was assigned to an ME. Melinek's first 'body' was a smashed head and torso - limbs gone, body missing below the naval - which was burned black and smelled of jet fuel. The MEs' sole task was identification, so each doctor tried to use fingerprints, distinguishing marks, personal possessions - whatever they could find - to ID the victims. This was a daunting task that took eight months, during which 'ordinary' autopsies also had to be done. Needless to say, Melinek and her colleagues were overwhelmed.
Anthrax Scare
The World Trade Center situation was exacerbated by the anthrax scare, which began a week after 9/11. Someone started sending letters containing anthrax germs to news agencies in New York and Florida, and to politicians in Washington DC. Several people died, and the OCME began to get myriad phone calls from frightened citizens. Moreover, the OCME's technicians were too scared to assist with autopsies, so Melinek and the other MEs had to work alone (or assist each other).
Plane Crash
As if 9/11 and the anthrax scare weren't bad enough, New York experienced a major plane wreck in November, 2001. American Airlines Flight 587 crashed soon after taking off from JFK International Airport, killing all 261 souls aboard, as well as five people on the ground. Again the victims' remains were taken to the OCME, where the mauled, twisted, charred, kerosene-contaminated body parts were identified. The cause of the crash - at first thought to be terrorism - was determined to be pilot error.
In spite of it all, Melinek enjoyed her job and the 'trial by fire' she endured while working at the OCME. During her time there, Melinek performed 262 autopsies, made 13 court appearances, and had another baby. After completing her two-year fellowship in forensic pathology in 2002, Melinek did a one-year fellowship in neuropathology, then took a job in San Jose, California. Since then Melinek has performed thousands more autopsies.
In summary, Melinek notes that she loves the work, the medicine, and the science; she also loves the non-medical aspects of the job, including counseling families, collaborating with detectives, and testifying in court. Sounds good to me!
I enjoyed the book, which contains numerous compelling stories about Melinek's - and her colleagues - work, as well as amusing tidbits about the authors' personal lives. I'd recommend this memoir to everyone interested in forensic pathology.
Rating: 4.5 stars
I'm a long time Agatha Christie fan, and I recently decided to re-read some of her novels.
*****
'The Mysterious Affair at Styles' is Agatha Christie's first published book, and it's less sophisticated than her later work. The story does, however, introduce three well-known Christie characters: Hercule Poirot, Captain Hastings, and Inspector Japp.
Hercule Poirot
Captain Hastings
Inspector Japp
As the book opens Hastings has been injured in WWI and is recuperating at Styles Court, a manor house in the country.
Styles Court belongs to the Cavendish family, and is currently occupied by a diverse assemblage of people, including: Emily Inglethorpe - the widow of the late Mr. Cavendish. Emily inherited a lifetime interest in the house AND a large sum of money; Emily's new - much younger - husband, Alfred Inglethorpe; Emily's adult stepson, John Cavendish; John's wife Mary; John's bachelor brother Lawrence; Evelyn Howard - Emily's longtime friend and companion; Cynthia Murdoch - the orphaned daughter of family friends; and Dorcas, the maid.
There's a tense atmosphere at Styles because of simmering resentments and secrets. For example:
- John Cavendish - who'll inherit the manor house when his stepmother dies - thinks it should have been his all along; in addition, John is suspected of dallying with the pretty wife of a neighboring farmer.
- John's wife Mary, in turn, spends a lot of time with Dr. Bauerstein - the local toxicologist who hails from Germany. To add to this 'quadrangle', Captain Hastings has a crush on beautiful Mary.
- Evelyn Howard hates Alfred Inglethorpe, convinced he only married Emily for her money.
- Alfred Inglethorpe's thick beard looks like a disguise, and he has long poorly explained absences.
- Lawrence Cavendish resents Cynthia Murdoch, who's very aware of her status as an 'outsider'; Cynthia supports herself with a job in a pharmacy.....and she seems to be the only one of this bunch who's actually employed.
As it happens, a group of Belgian refugees, including Hercule Poirot, are living in a house near Styles Court - an arrangement facilitated by Emily Inglethorpe. Hastings is thrilled to see Poirot and lauds the former policeman's detective skills - so it's clear they've met before.
In the midst of the testy atmosphere at Styles Court Emily Inglethorpe dies from strychnine poisoning - in a locked room.
Hastings suspects foul play and prevails on Poirot to investigate, and the Belgian complies.....with Hastings as his partner. To round out the 'detective trio', Inspector Japp is assigned to the case.
During the investigation Poirot learns that Emily had a loud fight with an unknown male on the day before she died; Emily's latest will is missing; there have been shenanigans with Emily's locked document box; someone bought strychnine at the town's pharmacy; coffee and cocoa were consumed on the evening of the murder....and a cup has been smashed; there's something suspicious about Emily's medicine packets; etc.
As often happens in these stories, Poirot makes shrewd deductions about everything.....but doesn't share them; Hastings tries to demonstrate his investigative skills but misinterprets most of the clues; and Japp hares off after the wrong suspect(s).
The book is chock full of misdirection and red herrings, but - in the end - Poirot gathers the suspects and reveals the truth.
The book is just so-so. Though Christie's nascent writing skills are apparent, the plot is overly convoluted (to the point of unbelievability); Poirot talks too much (yak yak yak); and there's a whiff of Antisemitism and classism (though this is common in Christie's books.....a sign of her times.)
If you're a long time Agatha Christie fan, this book would make a fun re-read; and if you're new to the famous author's works, this is a good place to start.
Rating: 3 stars
The town of Vineland, New Jersey - about 35 miles from Philadelphia - was founded by Charles Landis in the 1800s to be an alcohol-free community with pleasant homes, small farms, and enough space for shade trees and flowers.
This dual timeline novel, set in Vineland, revolves around two families who live on the same block 150 years apart.
In the 1870s, Thatcher Greenwood, his wife Rose, his mother-in-law Aurelia, and his preteen sister-in-law Polly move to Vineland to reside in the home where Aurelia grew up.....and which she's now inherited.
Map of Vineland, New Jersey in 1885
Parade in historic Vineland
Aurelia's fortunes dipped since her husband passed, and Rose 'married down' when she wed Thatcher. However the ladies hope to regain their status in society by acquiring the accouterments of success and socializing with Vineland's wealthy families.
Thatcher, who came from humble beginnings, is a scientist who got a job teaching 'elementary school' in Vineland - a job that doesn't pay near enough to support Rose and Aurelia in the style they expect. Moreover, the Vineland house is falling down around their ears, and there's no money for repairs.
In the modern day, Willa and Iano Tavoularis move to Vineland when their fortunes wane. Willa is a journalist whose magazine closed and Iano is a political science professor whose college shut down. Now Willa works freelance and Iano is an adjunct professor in Philadelphia, earning too little to get by and getting very minimal benefits.
Vineland in modern times
Vineland Christmas Parade in modern times
Willa and Iano led a peripatetic life chasing tenure for Iano - to the detriment of the family - and now have nothing to show for their sacrifice. In addition, their Vineland house is also falling apart, and - according to a contractor - almost unfixable. Willa tries to get the house declared a historic landmark, so she can get a grant to repair it, and she haunts the historical society in pursuit of her quest.
Vineland Historical and Antiquarian Society
The Tavoularis household includes the couple's 26-year-old daughter Tig and Iano's father Nick. Nick is a traditional Greek patriarch whose legs are melting away from severe diabetes. Unlike Willa and Iano, Nick is a right wing bigot who loudly disdains minority groups and welfare recipients - and feels free to spout off in private AND public. Because of Iano's almost non-existent healthcare benefits Nick has to be put on Medicare, which the family keeps secret because the old man would blow his stack.
Tig is the polar opposite of Nick. She recently returned from a couple of years in Cuba, whose socialist society she greatly admires. Tig is an anti-capitalist who believes exploitative humans are ruining the planet. She's a proponent of recycling, upcycling, and dumpster diving.....even for food. Though Tig disagrees with her grandfather's politics, she's devoted to the old man and steps up when he needs diapers....or dressings for his constantly bleeding limbs.
The Tavoularis's also have a son Zeke, who aspires to be a business mogul in New York. Zeke is an unpaid intern with massive student loans who just had a baby with his girlfriend Helene. When Helene commits suicide, Zeke and his infant son Aldus (aka Dusty) are forced to move in with the family in Vineland.....but Zeke isn't really dad material.
Barbara Kingsolver's books unabashedly push her liberal views, and she infuses her beliefs into the characters and plot. For the record, I agree with Kingsolver's opinions, but still find her a bit too didactic.
In the 1870s, Thatcher is an open-minded scientist who admires his Vineland neighbor Mary Treat, a talented naturalist who corresponds with Charles Darwin and other great minds of the day. (Mary Treat was a real person.)
Mary Treat
Thatcher would like to teach his pupils about evolution, but Headmaster Cutler finds the idea horrifying and blasphemous. In fact, Cutler constantly preaches creationism, both in school and in public forums. Cutler's obsessive evangelism - purposely designed to shut Thatcher up - becomes almost comical.
Kingsolver also exposes the hypocrisy of Charles Landis, who created a community that profits mostly himself.....where young children are forced to leave school forever to help support their families. (Charles Landis was a real person.)
Charles Landis
Landis avidly endorses the local newspaper that touts his views and is infuriated by a rival publication. ("Fake news" anyone?)
In Thatcher's time, his wife Rose and mother-in-law Aurelia idolize Landis and won't hear a word against him. This view is diametrically opposed to Thatcher's and makes things awkward at home.
In modern times, Willa is horrified by a presidential candidate she calls "The Bullhorn" - the hatemonger who claims he'll make American great again; the loudmouth who denies climate change; the bully who says he can shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and people will still vote for him. Willa can't comprehend The Bullhorn's popularity, and despairs for the country. On the other hand, Nick the racist falls right in with The Bullhorn's views. (The Bullhorn is a real person.)
The Bullhorn
The parallels between Landis and The Bullhorn are obvious and - in a way - encouraging. Vineland survived Landis, and the country may survive The Bullhorn.
When Kingsolver puts aside politics she focuses on families, including the large Hispanic family that befriends the Tavoularis clan. There are all the usual permutations seen among kinfolk: love; loyalty; trust; distrust; sibling rivalry; sibling affection; infidelity; divorce; etc. This adds up to a compelling story, and there are even some amusing parts. For example, young Polly loves her dogs, Scylla and Charybdis, and her mother Aurelia 'can't find' the Bible passage that contains these names. 🙂
Scylla and Charybdis in Greek Mythology
And Iano's student Gwendolyn - who has a crush on the handsome professor - comes to his Vineland home to pursue him.....and Willa answers the door. 😕
Some of the best chapters are about the scientist Mary Treat. Mary studies living spiders she hides in jars with flowers, so they won't frighten her female friends.....and she lets a Venus Fly Trap suck on her finger for research purposes.
Venus Fly Trap
Finally, the trial of a character accused of homicide is riveting, and based on a true story.
All in all, a book worth reading.
Rating: 3.5 stars
Morgan Finney is a bioengineering and math genius whose cutting edge technological advancements amassed him a fortune. Finney adored his wife Jenny, and the couple were thrilled about Jenny's pregnancy. Then Jenny got appendicitis and died as a result of a botched surgery. Finney was devastated by his loss and made a fateful decision.
He would kill Jenny's surgeon, Dr. Rita Wu.....but first he would make her suffer.
Skip ahead a year and Dr. Rita Wu wakes up strapped to an operating table, naked and woozy, with a terrible pain in her left ear. Rita soon learns that Finney has embedded a diabolical gadget in her brain. Through this device Finney can not only speak to Rita, he can send signals that induce her to follow his instructions.....like a hypnotized person with no free will.
Finney implanted the device last night because - later this morning - Rita is scheduled to demonstrate the hospital's new acquisition, an innovative surgery robot called Delores.
During the demonstration - to which hospital administrators, physicians, surgeons, the press, and other VIPs have been invited - Delores is going to remove a patient's gall bladder using Rita's programmed instructions.
Rita knows she's in no condition to do the surgery - with or without Delores - but Finney, who has a fiendish agenda, forces Rita to go ahead with the program. As you might imagine, things take an unexpected turn, and Finney's nefarious plan is put in motion. To say more would be a spoiler.
The story is presented from the rotating points of view of four people: Morgan Finney - who's gone crazy with grief; Dr. Rita Wu - who botched Finney's wife's operation because she'd been drinking; Dr. Spencer Cameron - a hunky surgeon who carries a torch for Rita;
And Sebastian - a biotech wizard who Finney hired to help execute his plan. Sebastian sometimes poses as a hospital worker, to snoop around and follow Rita.
Other characters in the story include Rita's sister Darcy - who's starting to pull herself together after a problem-filled youth; Chase Montgomery- Rita's self-aggrandizing boss; a journalist; and gossipy hospital personnel who provide (a little) comic relief.
The story begins at a leisurely pace but steadily picks up speed, and - towards the end - speeds along like the Indy 500.
The author, Kelly Parsons, is a board-certified urologist, and his detailed descriptions of surgery seem authentic. This is his second medical thriller, after Doing Harm.
Author Kelly Parsons
The fictional biotech device in Rita's head is terrifying, and it boggles the mind to consider the implications if such a thing was ever really invented.
I like the book and recommend it to fans of medical thrillers.
Rating: 3.5 stars
