A Poisoned Mind

This is a mystery, a legal drama and a psychological study of some very disturbed persons, whose sufferings are due to others, circumstances, and themselves. It is a page-turner, and yet there are no needless bodice-ripper type episodes of mortal danger for the heroine, no prologue where an obvious yet unnamed villain plans his/her crimes, and none of the fluff and violence that seem part of the "suspense" genre. It really is excellent, and I look forward to reading earlier volumes in this series.

In Natasha Cooper's "A Poisoned Mind," Trish Maguire is a senior barrister who lives with her partner, George Henton, a London solicitor, and her half-brother, David. When Trish's boss and Head of Chambers, Antony Shelley, is seriously injured in an accident, she is assigned to take over his case--the defense of the Clean World Waste Management company. Her opponent is Angie Fortwell, whose husband was killed when CWWM's chemical tanks, which were housed on the Fortwell's farm, blew up in a spectacular explosion. Trish's clients allege that John Fortwell, who at fifty-five was depressed after spending twenty-five futile years trying to make his farm a success, purposely blocked the vents in the tanks. They claim that John caused the explosion that took his life and assert that CWWM should bear no responsibility for the disaster. Although there is evidence that John was upset over his mounting bills, Angie insists that her husband would never have committed suicide. Since she is acting as her own attorney, Angie is worried that McGuire will make her look like a rank amateur. However, Frances Showring and Greg Waverly, two members of FADE (Friends Against the Destruction of the Environment), are providing Angie with much needed advice and financial support. Meanwhile, from his hospital bed, Antony urges Trish to keep her defense simple--to go for contributory negligence and mitigate the damages. However, as she delves deeper into evidence, Trish suspects that there is more here than meets the eye--perhaps a matter of conspiracy or even sabotage. Although the FADE advocates are passionate and tireless on her behalf, Angie resents Greg's controlling and manipulative manner. She is also chagrined that her estranged son, Adam, has not shown up to comfort her after John's untimely death. Not only does Angie have to cope with sudden widowhood, but her farm is now a wasteland, not fit for man or beast after the poisonous chemicals released by the explosion have seeped into the air and soil. Trish has some personal problems, as well. David has taken up with an antisocial classmate, Jay Smith, whose mother is an alcoholic wastrel and whose brutal older brother, Darren, beats him regularly. Jay, like David, is fourteen, and is prone to sudden rages and acts of violence; Trish likens him to "an unlit Molotov cocktail." Still, George and David feel protective towards this young man and they are determined to give him the help that his miserable family has denied him. Trish is even willing to contribute to Jay's school fees so that he will at least have the benefit of a decent education. However, subsequent events cast doubt on the wisdom of allowing Jay to infiltrate their lives. "A Poisoned Mind" is a literate and well-constructed mystery that explores the ways in which emotionally disturbed individuals release their own brand of toxicity into the environment. Although Trish and George get along well, Trish is surprised to learn that her