Bernadette's Problem: A Novel

Can Henry Lindon somehow juggle a runaway grand jury and a misconceived art forgery?

Law professor Henry Lindon is astonished to find himself as the foreman of a dysfunctional grand jury in Dallas, Texas. While his inappropriately selected fellow jurists behave erratically, Henry’s stress accelerates when he receives word from his alluring friend Bernadette that she is in dire need of his help in Holland.

During a break from the grand jury proceedings, Henry flies to Amsterdam with his well-to-do, ne’er-do-well brother and learns that Bernadette has expertly forged a seventeenth century painting. The painting was intended as an elaborate prank to humiliate a pompous art professor who misappropriated her literary work as his own. But Bernadette’s plan is waylaid by her sociopathic daughter and her intended lesson in feminism is in danger of becoming a criminal fraud. Can Henry help Bernadette avoid charges of forgery by retrieving the painting before it is sold? And when he returns to his grand jury duties, can he steer his rebellious fellow jurors back to their sworn duties?

Bernadette’s Problem is a fast-paced and frequently humorous novel weaving together fascinating insights into forgery, Holland, and the little understood United States grand jury system.

Clay G. Small is the former Senior Vice President and Managing attorney for PepsiCo, Inc. In that position, he was responsible for PepsiCo's global legal issues and personnel. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at the Cox School of Business, where he teaches a variety of courses including The Legal and Ethical Environment of Business and Perspectives on American Business through the Lens of General Motors. Mr. Small was also an annual Visiting Professor at ESADE in Barcelona and Vrije University in Amsterdam.

Mr. Small is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University, where he was a two-time All-American soccer player. He was drafted by the Dallas Tornado of the North American Soccer League. He received his J.D. degree from Southern Methodist Law School and is an inductee of the school's Distinguished Alumni Society. He serves on the Executive Committee of the Dedman School of Law. He is also a founder of Inverdale Investments, a hedge fund in Dallas, Texas.

Mr. Small's first book, Heels Over Head, received the Texas Association of Authors' award for the best book in 2017 in its category.