Product Description

A. Scott Fenney is a hotshot corporate lawyer at a big Dallas firm. At 33, in the prime of his life, he rakes in $750,000 a year, drives a Ferrari and comes home every night to a mansion in Dallas's most exclusive neighbourhood. He also comes home to one of Dallas's most beautiful women, with whom he has a much-loved daughter, Boo. For Fenney, life could not be better. But when a senator's son is killed in a hit-and-run, Fenney is asked by the state judge to put his air-conditioned lifestyle on hold to defend the accused: a black, heroin-addicted prostitute - a very different client to the people Fenney usually represents. And, more importantly, she is not going be paying Ford Stevens $350 an hour for the privilege of his services. Under fire from all sides, Fenney drafts in a public defender to take the case on. Yet as Scott prepares to hand over to Bobby, he feels increasingly guilty about the path he is taking, because Scott still believes in the principle of justice. The question is: does he believe in it strongly enough to jeopardise everything in his life he holds dear. And to what lengths is the dead man's power-hungry father prepared to go to test Fenney's resolve?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #30513 in Books
• Published on: 2007-01-11
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 512 pages

Review
'A good story, which Gimenez tells with passion and conviction' Sunday Telegraph ** ' I read it at one sitting ... Gimenez has created a complex and believable character who carries a story that still intrigues' The Observer ** 'Try it ... firmly in the John Grisham mould' Daily Mirror

About the Author
Born and educated in Texas, Mark Gimenez attended law school at Notre Dame, Indiana and practised with a large Dallas law firm. He is married with two sons. * www.markgimenez.com

Customer Reviews

Top of the holiday reading list
Will it change your life? Is it ground-breaking new fiction? Absolutely not, but if you like solid plot with likeable characters as I do for holiday reading, this should be in your suitcase.

There is a lot of comparison to John Grisham which I think is a little lazy. Yes it is a legal thriller, but in some ways it is not particularly Grisham-esque. Without trying to say whether it is better or worse, one of the differences I found was that the supporting cast are more roundly drawn than in Grisham and they don't disappear into the background when the court case swings into action as some Grisham characters do. There is much reference in the narrative to "To Kill A Mockingbird" which while valid in sentiment, Giminez does labour the point a little too hard. However, I put this down merely to debut novelist naivete and it doesn't ruin the story in the slightest.

The plot, I think, is pretty predictable from early on but I'm not about to let on its ending for those people whose brains don't work in the same way as mine. I will say, however, it was a good read from start to finish, with a show completely stolen by two great little girls who, while not cute in the traditional sense, certainly charm all the other characters and this very satisfied reader.

Move over Mr Grisham, there's a new kid in town!!!
I read this purely having seen somebody on the train miss their station - he was so totally engrossed in the story!
So here's an outline of the plot. A.Scott Fenney has made it. He has the partnership, the family, the boys toys, the great house and all the other trappings of wealth. But he has lost his sense of self. When he is tricked by a wily old judge into defending a prostitute accused of killing a senators son he tries hard to wriggle out of his responsibility.
But unable to do this he takes on the case. As the story progresses you start to like A.Scott Fenney. He begins to rediscover just what it was that made him want to practice law and his childhood fighting spirit resurfaces. He is up against the establishment and a corrupt senator in his fight to clear his clients name and soon realises that if he wants to do good it will come at great cost.
I won't spoilt the outcome of the book but it's well written, pacy and the ensemble of characters works well. I read it over an extremely wet bank holiday weekend and it kept me gripped. If you like John Grisham, Richard North Patterson or Steve Martini then you'll like this book too.

Supposedly the next John Grisham!
I bought this book because of the reviews it received in the press. Unfortunately, the plot and characterisation were lack lustre and, although the author is undoubtedly talented, the book as a whole fell flat.

The first 2/3rds of it is basically the set up. It takes too long to get started and is very repetitive (there's a moral dilemma which the author milks for all it's worth, explaining again and again what's to gain and lose). The actual legal drama is "blink and you miss it" short and feels tacked on. As for the ending... oh, don't get me started on that!

Basically, this is a straight forward book written with black and white values. The author keeps reminding us that law is rarely colour blind and that money wins trials. At the same time, all the black characters living in the projects are all in trouble with the law. All rich lawyers are soulless. All rich white people are unhappy and are racist, sexist homophobes.

After waiting so long on the actual trial, I was disappointed when it lasted only a few days. There was one of those horrendously bad "Perry Mason" moments and everything worked out as you knew it would. At least the author admitted that it was contrived by name checking Mason.

The ending was far too swift and happily ever after.

There was a lot lacking in the build-up to trial. For instance, the defendant played a very small part in the story. Fleshing her out more would have made the reader actually care about whether she lived or died. Instead, the author rather clumsily uses her daughter to humanise her.

Anyway, if you want Grisham, you'll be disappointed with this offering. I do think this author will improve, though, as he learns his craft. I would recommend skipping this novel and going straight to his next book.