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A review by martyfried
Old City Hall by Robert Rotenberg
5.0
I'd give this 4+ stars, but I'm rounding up to 5 because it's a first in the series, and I didn't expect it to be so good.
I loved the twists and turns of the story, but perhaps even more, I loved the characters. Almost all of them were likable except the ones who were not supposed to be. Even the prosecutor was interested in justice rather than just winning his case. He had said that his role was not to win or lose a case, but to ensure that the integrity of the system is upheld. Of course, most people are too jaded to believe something like that, but it turns out that he really did believe this. Very much, it seems.
The client was a real mystery. The only words he spoke were basically "I killed her". So, of course, any astute reader would know he didn't do it - much too easy. But how does a struggling defense lawyer defend a client like that?
Speaking of which, I loved the defense lawyer, Nancy Parish, a divorced woman in her late 30s struggling to get by with a wry sense of humor which I found very entertaining. I'll look forward to future appearances for her.
Lots of other interesting people in this story. I liked it so much, I'm going to jump right in to the 2nd book of the series while they are still fresh in my mind.
I loved the twists and turns of the story, but perhaps even more, I loved the characters. Almost all of them were likable except the ones who were not supposed to be. Even the prosecutor was interested in justice rather than just winning his case. He had said that his role was not to win or lose a case, but to ensure that the integrity of the system is upheld. Of course, most people are too jaded to believe something like that, but it turns out that he really did believe this. Very much, it seems.
The client was a real mystery. The only words he spoke were basically "I killed her". So, of course, any astute reader would know he didn't do it - much too easy. But how does a struggling defense lawyer defend a client like that?
Speaking of which, I loved the defense lawyer, Nancy Parish, a divorced woman in her late 30s struggling to get by with a wry sense of humor which I found very entertaining. I'll look forward to future appearances for her.
Lots of other interesting people in this story. I liked it so much, I'm going to jump right in to the 2nd book of the series while they are still fresh in my mind.