In the Shadow of the Law
Kermit Roosevelt
(Reviewer - Narayan Radhakrishnan)
2005 Farrar, Strauss & Giroux
ISBN: 0374261873

Behind the scenes of a powerful Washington DC law firm as lawyers tackle two difficult & politically charged cases.

Sr. Associate Reviewer Narayan Radhakrishnan writes:

No need to mince words, The Shadow of the Law is one astounding work! Among the hundreds of lawyer-authors out there, the wannabe Grishams as well as the regular Grisham-clones, Kermit Roosevelt, a Pennsylvania law school professor, is sure to stand out.

For one thing, he's not your regular off-the-block legal thriller author, & secondly he doesn't follow the Grisham footsteps. His style, the plot delineation, etc., reminds me more of Scott Turow, (whom I consider a better author than Grisham), & in fact, there is a Turow touch throughout in the work. Similarities do not end there -- this book is also published by the same publishing house that brought out Presumed Innocent -- the book that made legal thrillers the ‘in-thing’ in the mystery writing genre back in the 1980s.

Kermit Roosevelt, a great-grand nephew of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, has set the action of his debut novel in the fictional world of the Morgan Siler corporate law firm where attorneys only think about money & billable hours. At the head is the venerable gentleman lawyer Peter Morgan -- the man who made the firm what it is today.

The firm is presented with two new cases: one a pro-bono death penalty case & the other a class action suit where a chemical company stands accused of killing many employees after an on-site explosion. Caught up in the cases is young associate lawyer Mark Clayton & his contemporaries including Walker Eliot, Katja Phillips & Ryan Grady. How these attorneys battle it out, their perceptions & handling of the two diametrically opposite cases, & the way the law works not only in the courtroom but also in the lawyers' personal lives, forms the theme of this work.

The Shadow of the Law is a powerful & elegant read, offering a deep look into the workings of top American law firms. The two lives of a lawyer -- the personal & the professional -- are craftily highlighted. However, I believe this book would be better enjoyed by readers well-versed in law, or have a passion for legal-fiction... I say this because the legalese might prove a bit heavy for the ordinary reader. This is not your usual travel or vacation read -- it is a book meant to be savored, relished & enjoyed.

Astoundingly unique! The Shadow of the Law is a worthy read & an even worthier buy.

Do catch Narayan's Interview with this author.
(07/03/05)

Narayan
2005©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