Local Rules: Local Rules

Called upon to serve as the defense attorney for a young man accused of murdering his best friend, Jordan marshall quickly discovers that his client has been set up and is forced to confront an entire town to uncover the truth. Reprint.

Jordan Marshall, a San Antonio lawyer, is on his way to the beach when he's stopped for speeding in Green Hills, Texas. In lieu of paying a fine, he's asked by Judge Waverly to represent young Wayne Orkney, charged with attempted murder as a result of a beating administered to his best friend, Kevin Wainwright. Although confused by the severity of the charge and the prosecution's unyielding resolve to send Orkney to prison for a long, long time, Marshall agrees. When Wainwright unexpectedly dies in the hospital, the charge escalates to murder. Marshall, a step behind everyone in town, finally begins to piece the case together after he establishes a relationship with the judge's devoted court reporter, Laura Stefone. The court's attitude toward Marshall's hapless client is based on the fact that everyone assumes he killed local golden girl Jenny Fecklewhite just before he beat Wainwright. There's no hard evidence to tie him to the girl's death, but justice will be served if Orkney gets life for Wainwright. The resolution of the case lies in the not-so-distant past. Readers who place Grisham and Turow at the top of their courtroom suspense list will be forced to revise the rankings. Excellent. Wes Lukowsky