As twists go to wrap up a mystery, this novel contains a mild tornado. That is all to the good after it begins rather sluggishly to build up to the climax. The plot is fairly complicated and begins with recounting Jason Kolarich’s mildly troubled boyhood, and his development as an athlete and eventually a talented attorney, while interspersing a major tragedy (the loss of his much-loved wife and child in an auto accident).
His best boyhood friend and next-door neighbor, Sammy, has been arrested for the murder of a pedophile believed to have kidnapped and probably murdered his little sister many years before. After a year in jail and a month away from trial, an unidentified benefactor offers to retain high-powered counsel for him. Sammy insists on Jason, who is reluctantly retained but warned not to postpone the trial, to concentrate on only two elements (the “benefactor” will handle the rest) and, of course, to win an acquittal. The reasons are not revealed until the blockbuster coda.
Being irreverent, Jason goes his own way, leading to all kinds of ramifications and consequences for him and his brother. Despite the pressures, Jason pursues in his efforts to discover the truth, solve the crime that took place three decades before, and put the current case to rest. The author’s legal background allows him to give sufficient insight into the legal process to keep the reader interested, while writing a slam-bang thriller.
