Criminal Intent
 Sheldon Siegel
 (Reviewer - Narayan Radhakrishnan)
 2002 Penguin Putnam
  ISBN: 0399149171

Defense Lawyer Mike Daley faces some unpleasant truths while defending his wife's niece on charges of murder.

Sr. Reviewer - Narayan Radhakrishnan writes:

Sheldon Siegel's latest mystery Criminal Intent is a superb legal thriller -- one that would be enjoyed by any lover of good thrillers & in particular the connoisseur of good legal mysteries.

Mike Daley has enough & more problems than he can handle -- his ex-wife & partner, Rosie Fernandez's cancer; his clandestine affair with a judge that can put both their careers in jeopardy; a senior partner in the firm whose son is involved in a drug case, & more -- it is at this time a HUGE CASE comes their way -- the defense of a movie star accused of murdering her husband -- an Oscar-winning movie director.

The case for the prosecution is taut & tight -- no obvious loopholes, enough & more evidence that points straight to the guilt of Angel, the movie star -- including the murder weapon -- funnily enough, an Oscar Statuette.

A dream case that sure can roll in big time publicity -- but there is a teeny weenie problem -- the accused is Rosie's niece. Abandoning all other jobs, Rosie & Daley investigate the matter -- exposing Hollywood secrets & financial manipulations, taking the reader through an exciting ride with a stunning finish.

Criminal Intent makes exciting reading -- the ways of Hollywood, where truth & justice take a backseat to cash & fame. In the author's words -- “The movie business is all about creating illusions. You should never let the truth get in the way of a perfectly good story” -- sums up the essence in the hidden magic of movie business.

Siegel's narration, with a touch of humor, makes the book an interesting read. I particularly liked the way Siegel ridicules the legal jargon the lawyers use to say a thing that can be told straight -- euphemisms “not entirely forthcoming about certain statements”, “misstatement” & others where just plain “lying” would do. I expected the unexpected ending -- it is stunning -- rather like what Steve Martini did with Undue Influence & Compelling Evidence or what William Diehl gave us in Primal Fear.

This lawyer-author's earlier works Special Circumstances & Incriminating Evidence -- also featuring Mike Daley -- were bestsellers, & I have no doubt, Criminal Intent is destined for the same fame.

Highly recommended!
(09/22/02)

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