The Underground Man

Actor-turned-lawyer Steve Winslow defends his teenage client from the charge of having murdered his wealthy uncle in the New York City subway system, a seemingly impossible task considering the amount of circumstantial evidence and the youth's obvious motive. Reprint. PW.

Last met in The Anonymous Client , attorney Steve Winslow returns to defend a teenager who is charged with killing his wealthy uncle, in this highly entertaining courtroom drama. Discovering that his ungrateful relatives are after his money, septuagenarian Jack Walsh turns his assets into cash and assumes the life of a street person. His family has him committed to Bellevue, but his nephew, Jeremy Dawson, tips off Winslow, who had briefly advised Walsh on wills, and now proves there is no real reason to hospitalize the eccentric old man. Much harder for Winslow is proving that Jeremy did not subsequently shoot and immolate his uncle in a Manhattan subway station. At the time of his arrest, Jeremy has in his possession a will written by Walsh that names him as sole beneficiary. To make matters worse for Jeremy, the murder weapon and vials of crack are found in his locker, and his green Mohawk hairdo makes it easy for witnesses to place him at the scene of the crime. Former crime reporter Hailey hinges the denouement on a shocking surprise. His prose is lean and punchy, and his wit is enjoyably sharp.
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