Act of God
 Susan R. Sloan
 (Reviewer - Narayan Radhakrishnan)
 2002 Warner Books
  ISBN: 0446524514

Attorney Dana McAuliffe defends a young naval officer accused of bombing an abortion clinic.

Sr. Reviewer - Narayan Radhakrishnan writes:

Former Attorney & author of An Isolated Incident & Guilt by Association, Susan Sloan explores in this superb courtroom drama Act of God, an area that doesn't often become the theme of a legal thriller -- the question of abortion rights vis-a-vis the rights of the unborn.

Corey Latham, a young naval officer has been accused of bombing the Seattle Family Service Center -- a clinic that provided health services to the poor & homeless, as well as legal abortions. The bomb has killed more than a 100 people, most of them women & children.

Gritty & determined attorney, Dana McAuliffe is assigned the task of defending Corey. She gears up for action, but finds herself in the midst of a media frenzy, where the pro-choice & the anti-abortionists have decided to use the trial as an epitome of their agenda. Corey, it seems had every reason to feel hatred towards the Center, for it was in there that Corey-s wife had an abortion without his consent. With evidence loaded against Corey, a chance for acquittal seems almost nil.

McAuliffe hires her own investigator & begins to probe into the State-s case, slowly finding some points in favor of Corey.

The highlight of the work is the balance the author maintains in the courtroom action, & the “legalese” that is strong & steady for both sides, culminating in an exciting & even-sided battle in the courtroom.

Often we have seen courtroom drams dissolve into mere courtroom antics. Act of God is a noble exception, as Sloan maintains the sobriety of the issue throughout.

The question of pro-choice & pro-life have rarely made its presence so strongly felt in the legal thriller arena -- save for a Robert Shapiro's Misconception or Richard North Patterson's Protect and Defend.

Act of God also poses another important question of whether abortion should remain exclusively within the zone of individual privacy or whether, & if so, to what extent, the law or State can exercise control over such actions of a person.

Act of God is sure to excite the connoisseur of good legal-fiction. It makes a thrilling &, at the same time, poignant & savory read.
(06/16/02)

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