Line of Vision - Softcover

Ellis, David

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0425183769 ISBN 13: 9780425183762

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2002

Synopsis

David Ellis’ Line of Vision has won the 2002 Edgar Award for Best First Novel by an American Author!

Marty Kalish has been accused of murdering his lover's husband. He had a motive. He was at the scene of the crime. He manipulated evidence to hide his guilt. He even confessed. But that's not the end of the story. That's only the beginning.

About this title

Review:

Penzler Pick, February 2001: First-time author David Ellis captures the imagination from the very first page with the voice of Marty Kalish, an investment banker in a tony company. Marty recounts the night that led to the murder of Dr. Derrick Reinhardt, the abusive husband of Rachel, with whom Marty is having an affair. The highly original premise of this story is masterful. Although Marty tells us his involvement in the murder, we don't know exactly what that involvement is. Did he murder or did he cover up?

Marty is a hard guy to believe. Like most people, he doesn't always tell all there is to know, so when he is charged with murder and employs the best defense lawyers in the city, he changes his story more than once to insure that he comes out in the best light possible. This both exasperates and earns the respect of his lawyer (as well as the reader), because every story that Marty tells is plausible. He tells us that he meets with a PI, but we won't know why until the last page, and indeed the story does not come together completely until that moment.

In the meantime, Marty takes us on quite a trip. The courtroom scenes in this novel are among the very best. From jury selection to witness interrogation to sidebars with the judge, the scenes and dialogue crackle with authenticity. The only false note in the story is that although Marty is charged with murder, he remains free on his own recognizance both before and during the trial. There must be precedents here, but it seems odd. However, I was happy to overlook that for the sake of an otherwise convincing and spellbinding story. --Otto Penzler

About the Author:

David Ellis is the author of seven novels, including Line of Vision for which he won the Edgar Award. An attorney from Chicago, he currently serves as Counsel to the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives and was recently appointed the Impeachment Prosecutor in the Blagojevich trial. Ellis lives in Springfield with his family.

About this edition

• Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0425183769
• ISBN 13: 9780425183762
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• Number of pages: 448