Synopses & Reviews
A brilliant new legal thriller, set on colorful Cape Cod, from the author whose debut novel, Absolute Certainty, won raves for its fresh voice and its passion for the law.When can a citizen become a killer? Is homicidal insanity ever a moral or legal justification for murder? And what should a jury do when the facts are clear but they don't tell the real story?
Cape Cod attorney Marty Nickerson, until recently a Massachusetts prosecutor, must ask herself those questions in her new role as defense attorney for client Buck Hammond.
The charge is murder one. When Buck's seven-year-old son was raped and killed by pedophile Hector Monteros, Buck took justice into his own hands. Unfortunately, the TV cameras were rolling as Buck aimed his hunting rifle at Monteros's head.
The only viable defense is insanity, but the grieving father refuses to say he was crazy when he pulled the trigger. Marty, teaming with Harry Madigan, her partner in love and law, has a tough case. How can the jury acquit Buck when the shooting is right there on the screen for all to see?
Marty and Harry and their young assistant, Kevin Kydd, are already stretched thin when, on the very eve of the trial, a battered and bleeding woman staggers into their office. She's in deep trouble -- her attacker's body has just been found, viciously stabbed, and he's an officer of the court. Now Marty has two seemingly impossible battles to win against her former colleagues.
But losing a verdict may be the least of Marty's worries, as her efforts soon lead to shocking revelations that bring fear to the Cape and devastating changes to Buck's trial. Well, who said being a defense attorney was going to be easy?
With her energetic prose, her insider's expertise, and her exuberant storytelling, Rose Connors establishes herself as a unique and refreshing new crime-writing star.
Review
Linda Fairstein
Author of The Bone Vault
A gripping combination of crime novel, courtroom drama, and psychological suspense. Connors is a wonderful new voice.
Review
Perri O'Shaughnessy
Author of Presumption of Death
An engrossing tale of one woman's struggle with the elusive nature of truth and the random nature of evil.
Review
Kirkus ReviewsConnors's strong sense of pace and skeptical reflections about the morality of the legal system could help her ride...into Scott Turow territory.
Review
Booklist[A] poignant debut novel. Recommend Connors to fans of Perri O'Shaughnessy and Lisa Scottoline.
Review
Los Angeles TimesWhat brings Absolute Certainty into tight focus is Marty herself, an earnest single mom who's not immune to the charms of her rumpled courtroom adversary turned unlikely ally, Harry Madigan.
Review
Chicago Tribune If you get into a legal jam while on vacation in Cape Cod this summer the lawyer to call is definitely Marty Nickerson.
Review
Publishers Weekly Excellent...smart, sassy and exciting.
Review
The Washington Post First-rate, suspenseful entertainment.
Synopsis
IS HOMICIDAL INSANITY EVER A LEGAL JUSTIFICATION FOR MURDER? Cape Cod attorney Marty Nickerson, formerly a prosecutor, faces hard questions as defense attorney for Buck Hammond. With TV cameras rolling, Buck took justice into his own hands. Now he is charged with murder one but he refuses the only viable defense: insanity. Marty and her partner in love and law, Harry Madigan, are already stretched thin when, on the eve of Buck's trial, a bleeding woman staggers into their office. Her attacker has just been found -- dead -- and he's an officer of the court. Now Marty has two seemingly impossible cases. But legal motions and courtroom strategy may be the least of her worries, as shocking revelations soon bring fear to the Cape and devastating twists to Buck's trial....
About the Author
Rose Connors, whose debut novel, Absolute Certainty, won the Mary Higgins Clark Award, grew up in Philadelphia and received her law degree from Duke in 1984. A trial attorney for eighteen years, she's had experience from the prosecutorial and defense sides of the courtroom, and has exasperated any number of judges in both capacities. She is admitted to practice in both Washington State and Massachusetts and lives with her family on Cape Cod, where she is at work on the next Marty Nickerson novel.