Eyes Of A Child - Hardcover

Patterson, Richard North

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0679429883 ISBN 13: 9780679429883

Publisher: Knopf, 1995

Synopsis

A high-powered San Francisco defense attorney becomes the defendant in a scandalous murder case involving accusations of adultery and sexual abuse, divorce, an ugly custody battle, extortion, and conflicting loyalties. 250,000 first printing. $250,000 ad/promo. Lit Guild Main. Tour.

About this title

Reviews

Patterson has recycled some of the characters and one of the subplots from last year's hit, Degree of Guilt, into a new novel that can still be enjoyed without knowledge of the previous one. Young Latina lawyer Teresa Peralta, aide and lover to Degree hero Christopher Paget, is fighting to get away from creepy husband Richie Arias and take daughter Elena with her, when Richie is found dead, in what looks like murder disguised as suicide. Paget is the prime suspect, and most of the book is a detailed account of his trial. It's obvious he knows more about Arias's death than he's willing to tell, to the frustration of his brilliant defense lawyer (she was the judge in Degree). Local San Francisco politics and an accusation of child molestation against Paget's teenage son contribute to this complex brew, in which, as before, narrative skill and legal know-how take precedence over characterization and credibility. The court scenes are absorbing, covering such issues as jury selection, and the lawyerly give-and-take is convincing, but the romantic interludes fail to take wing (Paget remains a cipher throughout). Any seasoned reader will spot the murderer quite early. Still, it's a long, luxuriant read that is also refreshingly free of gratuitous violence. 250,000 first printing; author tour; Literary Guild selection; simultaneous release in large-print edition and as Random House Audiobook.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the only trauma San Francisco superlawyer Christopher Paget was spared in his previous appearance (Degree of Guilt, 1993) was being put on trial for murder himself--an omission Patterson rectifies here when Chris is charged with killing the estranged husband of his associate and lover, Teresa Peralta. It hasn't been easy for Terri to leave Richie Arias, despite his manipulative irresponsibility. As the child of an abusive marriage herself, she worries that she'll never really be free of him, especially since he's ready to use threats about their five- year-old daughter, Elena, to force her to give up Chris. As Terri stumbles through Elena's custody hearings, charming, sociopathic Richie polishes his image for the psychologists and judges, extorts spiraling alimony and child support payments, sells his story to a scummy tabloid, and finally sues Chris's adored son, Carlo, for molesting Elena. Desperate Terri, watching the deadline for Carlo's hearing loom, wishes Richie were dead--and then suddenly he is, leaving her and Chris in even hotter water. The police have Chris's fingerprints at Richie's apartment, an eyewitness who saw him leaving the scene, and what looks like a clumsy attempt to stage an alibi. Chris's lawyer, Caroline Masters (the judge in the Carelli trial in Degree of Guilt), has to make do with a wacky suicide theory nobody believes, Chris's refusal to take the stand himself, and a killer instinct for the weak spots in each witness's testimony. The trial is a tour de force that will keep you holding your breath for 200 pages, but the most cunningly prepared surprises--foreshadowed by a psychologist's persistent therapy with an unresponsive Elena--don't come until after the verdict is in. Patterson's new thriller is a miracle of agonizingly focused suspense. The adversarial nature of American criminal justice has never been more brilliantly dramatized. (First printing of 250,000; Literary Guild main selection; author tour) -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Lawyer Patterson's bloated sequel to his best-selling courtroom novel, Degree of Guilt (LJ 12/92), is already slated for television. His new work could have been cut in half by any diligent editor-30 pages of jury selection, for instance, is enough to glaze the eyes of the most dedicated crime reader. The intense dialog and plot, however, will grab fans of Scott Turow and John Grisham, and Patterson gives readers a convincing look at San Francisco's corrupt politics. The plot concerns the death of ne'er-do-well Ricardo Arias, who may or may not have committed suicide. Because of the widely publicized custody battle waged with Arias by his ex-wife and her lover, Christopher Paget (hero of Degree of Guilt), both are investigated and Paget indicted. The author's deeply felt antiviolence theme is smoothly integrated into the narrative. Expect demand.
--Joyce Smothers, Monmouth Cty. Lib., Manalapan, N.J.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Patterson's Degree of Guilt (1992) was a runaway best-seller, so it's a good bet his latest will generate reader enthusiasm, big sales, and media hype, too. There's no doubt it's a page-turner. Despite the shallow morality and severe case of yuppie-itis affecting the main characters, the book has all the right stuff for commercial success: illicit affairs, sex and lust, murder, child molestation, a cute kid, and a gripping courtroom scene. Terri Peralta and Richie Arias have been married for six years, but the only good thing they have to show for the union is their daughter, Elena. Now Terri has left Richie and fallen in love with her lawyer-boss, Chris Paget; meanwhile, Richie, a manipulative slimeball capable of deceptive charm, convinces the judge he's a caring father who should have custody of Elena. Terri, devastated, goes off to Italy with Chris to decide if they really love each other. When they return, Richie is dead, supposedly a suicide. Of course, the police have doubts, and the ensuing trial, where Chris must defend himself against murder charges, is the book's main event. Wicked crossfire in the courtroom and a surprise ending make this one entertaining, but by no means great literature. Of course, with a 250,000-copy first printing and a national advertising campaign, who needs literature? Emily Melton

Edition details

• Publisher: Knopf
• Publication date: 1995
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0679429883
• ISBN 13: 9780679429883
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 593