Crimes of Fire
 Nick Katsoris
 (Reviewer - Narayan Radhakrishnan)
 2001 Step by Step Publications
  ISBN: 0970510004

Feisty young attorney Monica Hayes investigates the death of the wife of a Mafia head.

Sr. Reviewer - Narayan Radhakrishnan writes:

Lawyer Nick Katsoris, in his debut work, Crimes of Fire has combined the better elements of Mario Puzo's Godfather and John Grisham's The Firm to produce an action-filled, suspense-packed thriller.

Katherine Pirelli, wife of Mafia gangster Tony Pirelli, dies in a fire accident that engulfs her whole house, leaving behind a grief-stricken husband & son. However, Katherine's sister Deirdre, suspects that the fire was no accident, & that Tony might have had a hand in it. She voices her fears to rookie Assistant District Attorney Monica Hayes.

Though at first speculative, Monica Hayes, together with investigator Jeff Holloway, decides to further investigate the matter, & slowly discovers that there is a history of arson activity surrounding the Pirelli family. Soon husband & son are charged with murder.

What follows is an investigation that takes the reader through Greece & Italy, finally culminating in a top-notch courtroom drama, & a stunning, twist-in-the-tale finish.

Katsoris knows how to tell a good story, & knows how to keep the reader riveted. It is obvious that Katsoris has been inspired by the works of Grisham, & there is a 'Grisham-esque' flavor to the narration. The author keeps the suspense & action steady throughout, & there is never a dull moment! Crimes of Fire, though not in the league of Scott Turow's debut work Presumed Innocent or Grisham's debut novel Time to Kill, is a good beginning.

The author has the stuff to write a gripping thriller, & I believe in the near future, Katsoris will be a force to reckon with in the exciting world of the legal thriller genre.
(05/19/02)

Narayan
2002©Narayan Radhakrishnan
A RebeccasReads.Com Sr. Associate Reviewer

Reviewer's Bio:
I am a 26 years old lawyer practicing in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. Along with my legal practice, I have finished post-graduate studies for both Business Law & Human Rights. I am a self proclaimed numero-uno legal thriller lover & am the proud owner of all of Grisham's & Turow's novels. I enjoy John Mortimer's Rumpole & relish an occasional Martini & a rare Scot(ch)t-oline with a Patterson on the side.

My work A FICTION OF LAW is now about 500 pages in length & features 500 lawyer authors & 2000 legal thrillers covering a 300 year period - inclusive of entries from the USA, UK, Asia, Europe, China, Middle East etc. Still in search of a publisher.
www.keralatourism.org