Breach of Promise: A Novel (Nina Reilly)

I just finished "Breach of Promise," and I am literally breathless. What a ride!The story begins fairly routinely, as Nina Reilly is hired to represent an incredibly wealthy woman, Lindy Markov, in a palimony suit. Knowing that such suits are notorious losers, but intrigued by the circumstances of the case--and by the money--Nina agrees to defend Lindy, and immediately finds herself in over her head.In order to compete in such a visible, high-stakes trial, Nina is forced to compromise some of her deeply held values, and to hire a fancy LA jury consultant, the obnoxiously confident Genevieve Suchat. She also hires an equally fancy co-counsel, high-profile LA lawyer Winston Reynolds. When (or if) they win their case, all three stand to become multimillionaires. But in the meanwhile, small-town lawyer Nina is footing the bill and running close to bankruptcy.The pretrial proceedings proceed apace, except that Nina is not in control, and not happy with everything her glossy compatriots are doing. She knows she needs Winston and Genevieve both--but she's not happy about it. Once the trial starts, Nina struggles to keep her sense of balance while trying to keep up not only with her new coworkers--but with Lindy Markov herself, who seems to be prone to lies and subterfuge, all of which emerge as scandalous surprises in court.Nina is in too far to back down, especially as her opposing counsel is the feociously obnoxious and self-satisfied Jeff Reisner, who delights in any humiliation he can throw her way. Even Nina's lover and confidante Paul is becoming difficult, as he sees what he considers to be an erosion of Nina's usual values. It looks like Nina is about to lose the trial, her reputation, her lover, and all her money.That's when a completely unforeseen twist changes the fortunes of everyone involved. And the spiraling, out-of-control incidents that follow this surprise continue to proliferate until the last sentence of the last page, leaving the reader literally gasping for air.This is truly a five-star read. I'd give it ten stars if I could. You want a book you can't put down? A book that will keep you happily oblivious to your immediate surroundings and your normal life? "Breach of Promise" is definitely it.

In Perry O'Shaughnessy's next novel, Breach of Promise, Nina Reilly takes on Lindy Markov. Lindy is a extremely wealthy woman who has built a multi-million dollar company with her husband, Mike. Mike dumps Lindy for a younger woman, and leaves Lindy with nothing. Lindy hires Nina to help her win half of their assets although legally, Mike does not have to give Lindy a dime, because all assets are in Mike's name alone, and because they actually never married, Lindy hardly stands a chance. Nina has to prove to a jury that Lindy is entitled to half of the $200 million, since Lindy and Mike built the company together and lived their lives as a married couple for years. Nina soon realizes that when that much money is at stake, people will go to extremes, even to kill if that's what it takes. With a combination of secrets, murder, and money, Breach of Promise delivers another suspensful thriller from the O'Shaughnessy's. Can't wait for the next one!!

As a first time reader of Nina O'Reilly, I had a hard time putting this book down. Also, as a former resident and casino worker in Lake Tahoe I enjoyed the references to real places. I found her characters to be well-written and while I didn't like them all, I felt that I knew them personally. The story and plot lines were interesting, and I didn't figure out whodunit until the end. I intend to go back and read the previous Nina O'Reilly books now!

When intrepid Tahoe lawyer Nina Reilly takes on a palimony suit, even she cannot imagine the twists and turns that may well determine both her own Fate and that of her client, Lindy Markov. With the prospect of netting huge profits warring against her fierce sense of morality, Nina faces an uphill battle against her arch-rival - defense attorney, Jeffrey Riesner - in a case that could literally make or break her.A page-turner from start to finish, BREACH OF PROMISE shines as O'Shaughnessy's best mystery to date. As in the three earlier novels, O'Shaughnessy skillfully weaves together a fast-paced, multi-layered plot that never feels forced or contrived. With enough intrigue and surprise to keep any reader guessing, BREACH OF PROMISE cuts to the heart of the basic dichotomy between men and women without bogging down in sentiment or cliché.Surrounded by a fascinating cast of characters, all wonderfully distinctive and deftly drawn, Nina Reilly remains refreshingly appealing and real. Both tough and vulnerable, she soldiers on through triumph and adversity alike without ever surrendering her values to expedience. And her droll self-deprecations, her wariness of commitment, and her insecurities about parenthood only render her all the more endearing.A wonderful story and a compelling mystery, BREACH OF PROMISE should be on everyone's summer reading list.

Going through a mid-life crisis, Mike Markov decides to leave his spouse for a younger woman, who happens to work in their company, which happens to be thebiggest employer in the Reno area. When Mike tells his wife Linda that he is filing for divorce, she hires Tahoe attorney Nina O'Reilly to insure she gets half of their multi-million dollar business empire. Mike, in turn, brings in his own top gun, slick lawyer Jeffrey Riesner. Feeling as if she is not ready for the big leagues that Jeffrey swims in, Nina asks Winston Reynolds to assist her. Ultimately, the case goes to court where Nina and her cohorts find twists and turns, some caused by her own client. Still, the intrepid Nina and her crack staff give their client the best representation an attorney can provide. BREACH OF PROMISE is a fabulous legal thriller because of the adept writing of Perri O'Shaughnessy to microscopically look at a male's mid-life crisis from various perspectives without placing blame. Though the story line bogs down a bit during the jury deliberations, the overall plot is action-packed and fast-paced with numerous twists. Still, this series is made great by the eccentric characters (Nina, her assistant Sandy, and her lover Paul) who bring real personalities to a sub-genre normally populated by Herculean individuals. This gripping novel and Ms. O'Shaughnessy's previous tales (see OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE, etc.) are all fun to read because the morality is not so clear cut.Harriet Klausner