Trial by Fire

Dallas prosecutor Stella Cataloni persuades the Houston D.A. to reopen an old investigation into her parents deaths in an arson fire, only to find herself the prime suspect and the target of the ruthless Houston prosecutor, an old friend. 125,000 first printing. Lit Guild. Mystery Guild Main. Tour.

Pauline had few perils to equal the torments that Rosenberg thunders upon her heroines in her bestselling legal thrillers. Here, as in her debut novel, First Offense, the author puts a female prosecutor in mortal jeopardy, only to have her fight back fiercely; now, however, the emphasis is more on legal justice than vigilantism. Dallas prosecutor Stella Cataloni wins a high-profile murder/kidnapping trial against a child molester by suddenly baring facial scars (hidden for years by long hair) that were caused by the fire that killed her parents when she was 16. Shortly thereafter, Tom Randall, her former teenage beau and father of her miscarried baby, returns to Houston after 18 years in hiding, to tell a confusing tale of the night of the fire. His version differs from Stella's, however, which in turn differs from yet some other versions. When Randall, whom Stella has publicly accused of setting the fire, is shot to death, the prosecutor is charged with the murder. Now she must endure jail, make bail and clear herself. As events complicate, she also exposes a police corruption scam, saves her feckless younger brother from drug charges, divorces her husband, finds the love of her life and finally, using the computer technique of "forensic animation," learns the truth about the fire. The details about Texas's justice system are sharp, the story generally gallops along and?though it isn't Rashomon?most readers will still be eager, like Stella, to know what really happened on that fateful, fiery night. 125,000 first printing; major ad/promo; Literary Guild selection; Mystery Guild main selection; simultaneous audio from Penguin-Highbridge Audio.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Rosenberg, among the most successful authors of legal thrillers, offers her latest addition to the genre. Stella Cataloni, a D.A. in Dallas, is riding high from her latest courtroom triumph when she is arrested for two crimes: murdering a witness and setting a long-ago fire that killed her parents and left her badly scarred. Haunted by her memories, Cataloni believes she had nothing to do with the fire, but her tragedy-induced memory loss makes nothing about that time clear in her mind. The plot begins to twist from the first and tightens and turns on almost every page. Rosenberg sprinkles her story with plenty of mayhem, the requisite professional jealousy, a little cocaine, and even a romance for her heroine. The author's fans will probably find the fast pace exhilarating and admire the ability to pile clues upon clues. That's Rosenberg's strong suit, but her characters are as insubstantial as snowflakes, and her dialogue is almost laughable. Lines like "Beauty isn't superficial. . . . Beauty comes from inside" or "You played my body like a violin" don't help. Those looking for a quick read will find it here, where the plot's the thing--the only thing. Ilene Cooper

Rosenberg (California Angel, LJ 12/94) has done it again. Her new work is a riveting novel with a strong feminine center. Stella Cataloni is the Dallas district attorney's top hand. Shortly after winning a highly controversial case, she is accused of murder. And so a nightmare of buried memories, false friends, unknown enemies, love betrayed, and a family in conflict begins. The only flaw in this otherwise excellent legal thriller is the characterization of Stella. Rosenberg paints her as a shrill and strident woman; a stereotypical fiery Italian beauty. Stella flies into rages and assaults any and all who do her dirty. One can only hope that our purveyors of justice are a tad calmer, cooler, and more disciplined, even when under great stress. Small cavils aside, buy plenty of copies.
-?Dawn L. Anderson, North Richland Hills P.L., Tex.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.