Falls the Shadow

When you achieve a certain level of success in writing, you become the exemplar against whom all others are compared. In horror fiction, this would be Stephen King. In fantasy it would be Tolkien. For legal thrillers, this ideal would be John Grisham. That is not to say Grisham is good (or that he's bad), but he is the standard by which all are measured, and by this standard, William Lashner is not only better than Grisham, he is one of the best in his field. Falls the Shadow is Lashner's fifth novel about Philadelphia lawyer Victor Carl. Carl aspires to be a completely mercenary lawyer but despite his best efforts, seems to be plagued with integrity and a conscience. In this story, he takes on the case of Francois Dube, currently in prison for the murder of his estranged wife, Leesa. Not only has he been found guilty (despite having a top-notch lawyer), he has exhausted many appeals. The evidence is so clearly against him, the reader knows he must be innocent. Carl has no such doubts, but as long as the check clears, he's willing to handle the case. Besides looking for possible avenues to a retrial, Carl also must contend with some significant dental problems. In the course of his investigation, he is referred to Dr. Bob Pfeffer, an odd fellow who may be a good dentist but also seems somehow entangled in the Dube case. Is Pfeffer a good guy or a bad guy? Determining this will help solve the mystery as to who killed Leesa. There is more that Carl must contend with. His partner, Beth Derringer, seems to have developed an irrational attraction to Dube, a man who - even if innocent of murder - appears to Carl to be a sick human being. In addition, he has been forced into a pro bono case (the worst sort of case for Carl because it doesn't pay); he is to represent a four-year old named Daniel who is in a bad family situation. Carl is further drawn into this case when it appears Daniel has a missing sister. As with the other Victor Carl books, Lashner has done well with this one. It has a good plot and as always, the story succeeds because of Carl's witty narration. If you enjoy legal thrillers, this is one worth reading.

Setting his 5th thriller in Philadelphia (where he lives) was a good move for author Lashner as it enables him to accurately paint his setting, and give listeners much to smile about as he describes some of the nabobs in the City of Brotherly Love. Saying Lashner made a good move isn't exactly a news flash. Readers of his 2004 best seller, "Past Due, know that he seldom errs. Another of Lashner's better choices is the creation of defense attorney Victor Carl who isn't known for his strict observance of law and morals. Carl has a mind that won't quit and an ego that matches. He's also one of the most intriguing protagonists on the printed page. Carl has taken on the task of trying to get a new trail for convicted murderer, Francois Dube. Obviously, Dube is French; he also a chef and his supposed murder victim? His very beautiful wife. Almost as an aside, although it turns out to be much more than that, Carl develops a painful toothache for which he seeks relief from Dr. Bob. Now, Dr. Bob isn't just your ordinary drill and pay dentist, he's someone who very much wants to help his patients in every aspect of their lives. Very much wants is putting it mildly - Dr. Bob is obsessive about meddling and making changes in others where he feels they should be made. In true thriller fashion it soon appears that there is tie-in between the determined dentist and Dube's late wife. What a treat to enjoy enjoy Lashner's ever present humor, intricate plotting, and charismatic characters. - Gail Cooke

Anytime you want an exercise in reading good writing, writing that will cary you into the wee hours of the night, writing that will have you wondering how on earth it all turns out, writing that will give you fits of envy if you harbor any ideas of authorship yourself, then I recommend you slip into a William Lashner novel and his most recent is as good a place to start as any. Victor Carl has no illusions about himself. He would like to be witty, charming, a dragon in the criminal court room, a lion in the bed room, a fashion plate, and without fear. Alas, while he is far from being the schmuck he would like you to believe he is, life is a struggle for our hero. This episode starts with Victor and Beth Derringer, the smarter and better looking half of the team of Derringer and Carl interviewing a convicted murderer. He has paid them $500 for the opportunity to talk to them and to try and convince them to take on his quest for a new trial because, what else, he is innocent. A review of the basic facts of the case convince Carl otherwise and he has no intention of becoming involved, until he is asked "How about if I arrange for you to be paid whatever money you require?" When the sum of $10,000 is promised, Carl notes in an aside to the reader, "See, sometimes it is just that easy to fall down a hole." And down he falls. Perhaps no one since Alice in Wonderland has had such an adventure from such a fall. The first problem is to find grounds for a new trial. It will not spoil the read to disclose that finding the grounds is the least of Carl's problems. With the new trial secured Carl starts on an adventure that seems to be a true Don Qixote quest. As the trial suffers through various twists and turns there is a sub-story involving Carl's involuntary pro bono work in the family court. It is funny, touching, poignant and slightly interwoven with events that are transpiring in the larger issue in his life. Some years ago there was a movie entitled, "What About Bob?" This book could have had the same title and if that sounds like a non sequitur, then you need to read the book to find out about Bob. Carl describes Bob to the reader by noting that "...every so often, I run across a force of nature that shakes my sublime self centeredness to the very roots. Soomething that tears through the landscape like a tornado, leaving nothing but ruin and reexamination in its wake. Something like Bob." I assure you the read will be worth the time and that if you are not a Lashner fan yet, you will be.

This was my first experience with Victor Carl, an admitted benefactor of his own self-interests and ambiguous values. He also possesses an amazing wit, ever at hand with a wry remark or trenchant observation. Thanks to the good nature of his partner, Beth Dillinger, Carl takes on the appeal of Françoise Dube, a man previously found guilty of murdering his estranged wife. When the lawyers uncover grounds for an appeal and Dube is granted a new trial, Victor is less than thrilled, although the delivery of a hefty retainer does much to improve his mood. The office is buried in case files as Victor and Beth prepare for a new trial. An assortment of bizarre characters await: the murdered woman's sister, Velma, who is bankrolling the appeal; Seamus Dent, an apparently not-so-innocent bystander who placed Françoise at the scene of the crime in the first trial; a hard-boiled but soft-hearted detective who tries to save one of the desperate souls in his path; Dube's former attorney, now so wrapped up in his own dance with death that he turns a blind eye to the truth; Horace T. Grant, a curmudgeonly old man who directs Victor on the path of righteousness; and the ubiquitous dentist, Dr. Pfeffer, whose tentacles are everywhere, a self-proposed do-gooder who has no personal constraint when manipulating the lives of others. There are some choice moments to savor along the way, like the three crones gossiping on their apartment house steps, cackling like the three witches from Macbeth, karaoke night at the Elvis bar, King's Dominion, Carl's out-of-body experience while enjoying a romantic dalliance with a beautiful woman whose directions are more like a game of Twister than affection and the attorney's assorted torturous ordeals writhing in the avid Dr. Pfeffer's dental chair. Lasher knows how to stage a scene, eccentric characters, moody atmosphere and all. This engrossing mystery is a microcosm of life in the real world, where money and power hold sway and the ill-prepared, under funded everyman is the lowest rung on the food chain. But this lesson is taught with great panache, subtle twists of fate that prove, again and again, how precipitous arrogance can lead to a long fall. A great sense of the humorous, edgy dialog and a dynamite plot with plenty of complications add up to a story well worth the price of admission. But if you haven't been to the dentist for a while, some of the gruesome procedures described may keep you away for a few more years. Lashner is a master of cunning and innovative plot twists; a defense attorney, the author well knows the intricacies of circumstantial evidence and facile testimony, the easy deception inherent in human nature. In other words, he writes what he knows so well, trial law: the good, the bad and the ugly, all together in this highly imaginative novel that will set your teeth on edge. Luan Gaines/2005.

Leesa Dube was shot in the chest in her own home, the picture of her estranged husband Francois clutched in her hand. The couple was in the middle of a bitter divorce fighting for custody of their daughter. In his home they found a bloody towel and a blood spot on his boot, a perfect match to Leesa's blood. A jury convicted him of murder and sentenced him to life in prison. Three years after his conviction Francois hires attorney Victor Carl and his partner Beth to get his verdict overturned and to obtain a new trial. To Victor's surprise he finds suppressed evidence that earns the con a new trial. While preparing for the legal battle of his life, the courts appoint Victor to work pro bono representing four year old Daniel who is taken out of his home because of his mother's neglect. Weaving throughout Victor's life is his dentist Bob, who has a Messiah complex and works in the shadows to right the world's wrongs. Victor is not sure whether Bob is a Good Samaritan or a master manipulator with adulating followers who carry out his desires whether they are good or evil. Anyone who has a dental phobia will never want to visit a dentist after reading about Dr. Bob and the lengths he will go to in order to make the world a better place even if the methods he uses turn out to be illegal. Victor tries hard to remain uncaring and cynical but his nurturing nature propels him to lend a helping hand when he is needed. Readers will admire him and more so William Lashner who is one of the best writers of legal thrillers on the market today. Harriet Klausner