The chef’s knife was in the wrong place…wedged deep in the gut of celebrity chef Carlos Cruz.
San Francisco’s hottest young chef rose from modest beginnings to getting a James Beard Award for his upscale Mission District eatery, El Conquistador. In addition to creating cutting-edge cuisine, the mercurial Cruz has been accused of sexual harassment multiple times.
When Mercedes “Mercy” Tejada … times.
When Mercedes “Mercy” Tejada finds her boss dying in the alley behind his trendy bistro, she knows she’s in a lot of trouble. The waitress job wasn’t ideal, but the tips paid the bills. Smart, ambitious, and tenacious, Mercy was granted Dreamer status while studying to become a nurse.
With the bloody discovery, Mercy realizes she could lose it all. And not just for her — her entire family is at risk too.
In the eleventh installment of New York Times bestselling author Sheldon Siegel’s iconic San Francisco series, ex-spouses and Public Defenders Mike Daley and Rosie Fernandez are thrust into this politically charged case where they must battle the District Attorney, the immigration authorities, the political establishment, old family secrets, and each other in a desperate search for the truth.
The case is personal. Mercy’s mom, Perlita, is the longtime housekeeper for Rosie’s mother, Sylvia. It is Sylvia who asks Rosie and Mike to handle Mercy’s case. There are political ramifications as well. Rosie is running for re-election as Public Defender. Her decision to handle a dreamer’s defense herself will not play well to a portion of the electorate.
As Mercy’s case hurtles toward trial, Rosie, Mike, and Mike’s brother/private investigator, Pete, race between the tenements, trendy restaurants, and century-old churches of the Mission District in a desperate search for an elusive truth where everybody–including Mike and Rosie and their families–has something to hide.
An intricate plot, likeable characters, powerful suspense, and a touch of humor are Sheldon Siegel’s hallmarks. In THE DREAMER, readers will discover once again why Mike Daley and Rosie Fernandez have been called two of the most compelling characters in contemporary crime fiction.
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I can’t get enough of Mike Daley & Rosie Fernandez. These are two wonderful characters who carry Sheldon Siegel’s entertaining stories forward in a way that grabs the reader and never let’s him go. I’ve read every one of this series and can’t wait for the next one. Highly recommended.
i have read all of Sheldon Siegel’s 11 books. Great series and wonderful characters. like visiting old friends.
Mike Daley and Rosie Fernandez, ex-spouses who still defend murder trials together, are back in Sheldon Siegel’s highly authentic, gritty legal thriller “The Dreamer.” The victim is a celebrity chef, the defendant a former immigration program “dreamer,” so the case has political as well as legal issues. Mike and Rosie are Public Defenders, which I love, as they’re the underpaid, overworked heroes of the justice system. Siegel expertly brings their quotidian existence to life. The series is set in San Francisco, where the author practices law. I’m not sure if Siegel left his heart high on a hill, but he knows the city the way Dashiell Hammett knew it long ago. As a bonus, P.D. Mike Daley has as wry a sense of humor as Hammett’s P.I. Sam Spade who once told his client: “We didn’t exactly believe your story…We believed your two hundred dollars.”
4 stars for another enjoyable legal mystery by Sheldon Siegel. This is book 11 in the series, but all of them would work as standalones, because Siegel provides enough background information on the characters and their relationships in each book for the reader to read them out of order. However, there are developing relationships that progress throughout the series, so I read them mostly in order.
In this book Rosie’s mom Sylvia asks her to defend Mercedes “Mercy” Tejada, who is the daughter of Sylvia’s longtime housekeeper and friend, Perlita Tejada. Mercy is accused of murdering her boss, Carlos Cruz. Both Perlita and Mercy are undocumented.
Rosie is now the elected Public Defender and Mike’s boss. Mike is co chief of the felony division of the PD office. They usually don’t try cases, due to administrative responsibilities. But Sylvia’s wants Rosie to take on this case and Rosie can’t say no to her mom. The evidence against Mercy is substantial, and she has been in jail for a year, awaiting trial.
Two quotes:
Mike’s Uncle John “Besides,’ he continued, ‘I don’t like all of the nastiness directed at immigrants, legal or otherwise. It’s mean spirited. Most of them come here because they’re desperate to find work and feed their kids.–just like our ancestors.”
Cocktail–“Rivera ordered an El Chapo, a combination of mescal, prickly pear liqueur, lime tamarind and agave, served on the rocks with a cayenne salt rim.”
I read this kindle unlimited book in 3 days.
Siegel is always a good legal thriller!
I’ve read all 11 books in this series. I find them entertaining, quick reads. Love Mike & Rosie!
I love this author when ever I see his name I’m looking always a good story
I love this author and all of the characters he has created. Always look forward to new books from him.
The Dreamer is an easy read with two well known characters. It is the 11th book in the series and this time it is very relevant dealing with the DACA group of kids. One was named a murderer without sufficient evidence. Rosie and Mike are the public defenders and Rosie is running for office. You pretty much know how it will turn out but it is a fun and easy read.