Move to Strike

7/10
A page turner that felt a little cluttered to me, with the main murder mystery, the coincidental (?) plane crash deaths, and all the secrets and past intrigues floating around. This is the 6th book featuring defense attorney Nina Reilly, but the first that I've read, so perhaps the missing backstory that is alluded to and briefly explained would have helped me navigate this story more smoothly. But it certainly held my interest and I may look for earlier books in the series to flesh out that backstory.

This was a light, easy and somewhat entertaining read about lawyer Nina Reilly defending a teenage client accused of murdering her uncle. The story moved pretty fast but the dialogue was a bit soap operaish at times. The ending was over the top. Nina and her private investigator Paul Van Wagonner investigated many different people who were involved, which kept things interesting. This book was only ok and I'm not sure I would read more from this author.

The authors, for the first 95% of the book move comfortably, not over dramatically, towards a denouement, often developing interesting characters. The end is just silly. Often a there is padding. The book needs a lot of hard straightforward work.

My first go at a Perri O'Shaughnessy, and I wasn't much impressed. Pretty corny stuff, and although one half of the authorial duo is an editor, this book is loaded with editorial errors and weaknesses.

Read Dec 2009. A suspense courtroom thriller with attorney Nina Reilly.A real page turner.

3.5 stars