Confessions abound — some of them quite unexpected — in Sheldon Siegel’s new legal thriller.
Mike Daley doesn’t go to confession much since he left the priesthood 20 years ago and became a lawyer, but that doesn’t stop his old friend, Father Ramon Aguirre, from trying to get him there. “It wouldn’t kill you to go to church once in a while,” he tells Mike. But it does kill someone.
For several … someone.
For several months, a ruinous sexual harassment suit has been building against the San Francisco Catholic Archdiocese, and when the plaintiff’s lawyer is found dead, an apparent suicide, an almost audible sigh of relief is heard in certain quarters. But that is before the police find evidence of murder. Even worse — the evidence points to Father Aguirre.
Mike and his ex-wife law partner, Rosie, jump in to take the priest’s case, but what started out as difficult soon appears impossible as forensics, witnesses, and secrets from Father Aguirre’s past all incriminate their client. Soon, their wits are the only things keeping the priest from a life sentence or worse, and wits simply may not be enough — unless they can conjure up a miracle of their own.
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4 stars for an entertaining easy read. This is book 5 in the Mike Daley/Rosie Fernandez series and it can be read as a stand alone, but I have been reading them in order and recommend doing the same. I have converted my wife into a fan of this series. She has almost finished book 1 Special Circumstances and plans to continue reading this …
Ex-priest Mike Daley teams with ex-wife (and current law partner) Rosie Fernandez to defend a priest accused of murder. Tightening the plot like a ligature around the neck, the victim is a plaintiff’s lawyer who was suing the Archdiocese. “Motive,” as we say. Siegel is in top form with this pulse-pounding crackerjack legal thriller. Highly …
Al
Great legal thriller with colorful characters, Mike’s dry wit, and wonderful descriptions of San Francisco. Even if you haven’t been to The City, I’ll bet you will feel as you have after reading a couple of Siegel’s books.