Christopher Paget is a trial lawyer with a famous past: as a young investigator in Washington he unearthed a scandal that brought ruin to the President - and an abrupt end to his affair with journalist Mary Carelli. Now, fifteen years later, Carelli is a famous TV journalist in New York and Paget is leading a relatively tranquil life raising their son in San Francisco. Until a charge of murder changes everything. The victim - a world famous (and infamous) novelist. The accused - Mary Carelli. When Paget agrees to defend her, largely for the sake of their son, her claims of attempted rape and self-defence seem water-tight. But gradually secrets from her past come to light and Paget is suddenly facing an explosive mix of public trial and personal conflict leaving his own and his son's fates vulnerable and exposed.
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The core of Richard North Patterson's legal thrillers is characterization, and Degree of Guilt, the novel that relaunched his career in 1993, features two captivating individuals: Christopher Paget and Mary Carelli. Paget, the upstart hero of Patterson's 1979 Edgar-winning The Lasko Tangent, is now a sophisticated trial lawyer doing his best to raise a teenage son in San Francisco. He's a man to be admired: famous for bringing down the president in a financial scandal, he has settled into the comfortable life of a successful attorney. His life is transformed, however, when his former lover (and mother of his son), Mary Carelli, pays a visit.
The novel begins in a San Francisco hotel room as Mary, now an NBC journalist, surveys the torn landscape of author Mark Ransom's apartment. Ransom is, or was, America's most eminent writer. As she tells the police, Ransom had uncovered new recorded evidence of an affair between a long-dead starlet and a now-sainted senator (shades of Marilyn Monroe and JFK). While Ransom and Mary were listening to the tapes, she claims, he tried to rape her and she killed him in self-defense. Mary turns to Paget to defend her in what becomes a complex case of missing and conflicting evidence. Old emotions are stirred between the two just as Paget begins to doubt Mary's innocence.
The suspense of Degree of Guilt is grounded in the twists and turns of the trial at the novel's center, but just as compelling is the emerging history of Mary and Paget, and Paget's struggles to keep his son out of the media frenzy surrounding his mother's case. As well, Patterson addresses the deeper ethical questions that face many lawyers as they decide which cases to take and which evidence to use. Capturing archetypal characters and situations, Degree of Guilt becomes a parable of American law. --Patrick O'Kelley
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Seller: Adelaide Booksellers, Clarence Gardens, SA, Australia
Hardback. 1st Edition (Australia). Octavo Size [approx 15.5 x 22.8cm]. Very Good condition in Very Good Dustjacket. DJ protected in our purpose-made plastic sleeve. A nice copy. Light creasing to top edge of front dustjacket. Robust, professional packaging and tracking provided for all parcels. 547 pages. A shocking death. A claim of attempted rape. A tale of sexual pathology. These are the elements of Degree of Guilt, Richard North Patterson's stunning courtroom novel. Seller Inventory # 322029
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Seller: Book Express (NZ), Wellington, New Zealand
Hardcover. Condition: Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Good. 548 pages. Text tanned.Christopher Paget is a trial lawyer with a famous past: as a young investigator in Washington he unearthed a scandal that brought ruin to the President - and an abrupt end to his affair with journalist Mary Carelli. Now, fifteen years later, Carelli is a famous TV journalist in New York and Paget is . Seller Inventory # 721i
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Seller: Manyhills Books, Traralgon, VIC, Australia
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Good. 1st Australian Edition. Hardcover. 545 pages. *** PUBLISHING DETAILS: Random Century Group, Australia, 1993. 1st Australian Edition. *** CONDITION: The book itself is in very good condition and comes in good dust jacket. *** ABOUT THIS BOOK: Christopher Paget is a trial lawyer with a famous past: as a young investigator in Washington he unearthed a scandal that brought ruin to the President - and an abrupt end to his affair with journalist Mary Carelli. Now, fifteen years later, Carelli is a famous TV journalist in New York and Paget is leading a relatively tranquil life raising their son in San Francisco. Until a charge of murder changes everything. The victim - a world famous (and infamous) novelist. The accused - Mary Carelli. When Paget agrees to defend her, largely for the sake of their son, her claims of attempted rape and self-defence seem water-tight. But gradually secrets from her past come to light and Paget is suddenly facing an explosive mix of public trial and personal conflict leaving his own and his son's fates vulnerable and exposed. *** Quantity Available: 1. Category: Fiction; Crime; ISBN: 0091828015. ISBN/EAN: 9780091828011. Inventory No: 08020186. The photo of this book is of the actual book for sale. Seller Inventory # 08020186
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Seller: Manyhills Books, Traralgon, VIC, Australia
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. First Australian Edition. Hardcover. *** PUBLISHING DETAILS: Random House Inc, Australia, 1993. First Australian Edition. *** CONDITION: The book itself is in very good condition and comes in very good dust jacket. *** ABOUT THIS BOOK: Christopher Paget is a trial lawyer with a famous past: as a young investigator in Washington he unearthed a scandal that brought ruin to the President - and an abrupt end to his affair with journalist Mary Carelli. Now, fifteen years later, Carelli is a famous TV journalist in New York and Paget is leading a relatively tranquil life raising their son in San Francisco. Until a charge of murder changes everything. The victim - a world famous (and infamous) novelist. The accused - Mary Carelli. When Paget agrees to defend her, largely for the sake of their son, her claims of attempted rape and self-defence seem water-tight. But gradually secrets from her past come to light and Paget is suddenly facing an explosive mix of public trial and personal conflict leaving his own and his son's fates vulnerable and exposed. *** Quantity Available: 2. Category: Fiction; Crime; ISBN: 0091828015. ISBN/EAN: 9780091828011. Inventory No: 07110262. The photo of this book is of the actual book for sale. Seller Inventory # 07110262
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Seller: Books@Ruawai, Kaipara District, New Zealand
Hardcover. Condition: Good - Some Wear. Seller Inventory # 053949
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Seller: Reading Habit, Buttaba, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
Large Hardcover. Condition: Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Fair to Good. First Australian Edition. Large hardcover with black boards and pictorial dust jacket, first Australian edition, 802gms, 547 pages, blank endpapers. Book is in good condition with minor general wear and tear and moderate page discolouration/spotting throughout. Boards are in good condition with only light shelf wear. Dust jacket is in fair to good condition with a small tear to the bottom right front corner, otherwise no other pre-loved markings. Seller Inventory # CRIFIC3222
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