Criminal Intent - Hardcover

Siegel, Sheldon

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0399149171 ISBN 13: 9780399149177

Publisher: Putnam Adult, 2002

Synopsis

A new thriller by the author of Special Circumstances and Incriminating Evidence follows the adventures of an ex-priest, and ex-corporate lawyer, and an ex-wife who open their own criminal defense firm. 50,000 first printing.

About this title

About the Author

Sheldon Siegel has been a lawyer in private practice for eighteen years.

Reviews

The charm and originality that marked Special Circumstances and Incriminating Evidence, Siegel's first two legal thrillers about former priest and ex-public defender Mike Daley, are wearing a bit thin in this third outing. Mike's firm has moved from a shabby office over a martial arts studio in San Francisco's Mission District to a spot around the corner that used to house a tarot reader. He practices criminal law with his ex-wife, Rosie Fernandez, and another former girlfriend is also a partner in the struggling firm. Mike is having a secret affair with a sitting California Superior Court judge; Rosie is undergoing treatment for breast cancer; their 10-year-old daughter, Grace (and everyone else except Rosie and Mike), thinks they should get back together. But the real fireworks are provided by various members of Rosie's extended family, which seems to be even vaster than Sharon McCone's giant clan in Marcia Muller's books. Rosie's niece, Angel, a top model married to a fading film director, is accused of beating her husband to death with his Oscar statuette, while Angel's father, Tony, a respected produce merchant, gets involved in a kickback scheme to build a movie studio in the China Basin area. Siegel is still adept at detailing the workings of criminal law from the inside and his sense of nostalgia for the rapidly vanishing working-class enclaves of San Francisco is palpable. But this installment meanders a bit and relies too heavily on the familiar personality quirks of its protagonists.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Mike Daley, former priest and public defender, returns in his third San Francisco-based adventure. He and his law partner, ex-wife Rosie Fernandez, find themselves squarely in the middle of several disasters--all involving their extended family. Rosie's niece, Angel, an up-and-coming actress, is accused of murdering her much older husband, a has-been movie director who was about to release his comeback hit--starring Angel, of course. Rosie's brother, a hardworking business owner in the Mission District, is being pinched by politically connected wiseguys to support a controversial business development. As if that pressure weren't enough, Mike is forced to keep his intimate relationship with a judge under wraps for fear of ruining her career, plus Rosie faces her own personal struggles. Despite the cumulating setbacks, Mike and Rosie forge ahead to defend Angel, which brings them to the doorsteps of the elite, in both San Francisco and Hollywood. Their discovery methods are meticulous and ingenious, which should keep those who crave legal details from complaining about the relative lack of courtroom scenes. The relationship between Mike and Rosie continues to be the strength of this series, and a surprise ending will keep readers yearning for more. Mary Frances Wilkens
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

In Siegel's third fast-paced legal thriller (after Special Circumstances and Incriminating Evidence) featuring the San Francisco criminal defense team of Mike Daley and Rosie Fernandez, the couple rushes to aid Rosie's niece, Angelina, after she is arrested for the bludgeoning death of her husband, an Academy Award-winning movie director. Family ties are also tested when Rosie's brother, Tony, is ensnared in a subplot of graft and extortion. Siegel does a nice job of blending humor and human interest into the mystery. Daley and Fernandez are competent lawyers, not superhuman crime fighters featured in more commonplace legal thrillers. With great characters and realistic dialog, this book provides enough intrigue and courtroom drama to please any fan of the genre. Recommended for all public libraries. - Jill M. Tempest, Jackson-George Regional Lib. Syst., MS
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Putnam Adult
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0399149171
• ISBN 13: 9780399149177
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 416