Crime

When Mr Singh, a newspaper delivery person, arrives with the paper for a well-known radio personality he expects the usual repartee, instead he is greeted by his customer with bloodied hands claiming that he "killed her". But the problem is, he won't speak to anyone, including his attorney or the police. Detective Ari Greene must work with defense and prosecution to try and find out what happened.

Excellent writing, well-developed characters, and a strong sense of place, brought together by the Stanley Cup playoffs where Toronto's team, the Maple Leafs have a chance at the cup, this is an intriguing mystery, enhanced by courtroom drama. Rotenberg has worked as a criminal defence lawyer based in Toronto since the 1990s so his legal knowledge is solid.

The title comes from Toronto's old city hall that was re-purposed as a court house. This is the first in a series that I read in 2009 and enjoyed so much that it deserved a revisit. ( )

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.

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I liked this legal thriller - a genre I'm usually not interested in. The writer has a warm and engaging style and I found the characters very appealing.I hope to read about them again - the book has the feeling of being first in a series. ( )

Another excellent book by Rotenberg. I have to again remark that I am surprised he is not a more well known author. His characters and plots are believable, his writing style is smooth and unforced, and his story holds up from beginning to end. Can't wait for his next book. Heartily recommend! ( )