No Physical Evidence

A complicated moral man wrestles honorably with the unpredictable complexities of evil, and the plot is great, and somehow you can't put the book down. Gus Lee reminds me of Scott Turow. The style is different, Lee's spare and vivid and Turow's discursive and courtly, but the moral center holds with both, and the superior writer's touch. I hope Gus Lee is hard at work on the next one, because this guy is really, really, really good.

Joshua Jin is a brilliant prosecutor with a heart trying to recover from the loss of his young daughter, an emotional trauma that threatens both his personal life and his career. The case he takes on, proving the horrific rape of a 13 year-old girl without the aid of physical evidence, is not only extremely difficult from a legal standpoint, it is politically unsound for a career already in jeopardy. Josh's deep compassion for the girl underscores a brilliant, passionate performance in which both the helpless victim and the downtrodden prosecutor may be vindicated. Filled with well-developed characters and an ever-changing plot that tugs at the emotions, this finely-spun story keeps the reader turning pages to its exciting conclusion.

The story tracks the lives of many wonderfully developed characters all revolving around the horrendous rape of a 13 year old girl. The book reaches deep into your emotions as the author relates the efforts of district attorney Joshua Jin to save the girl, his marriage and the very fabric of the California legal system. This is a must read by anyone who loves a good Follett or Grisham tale. Placing this book in a particular genre would be almost impossible as it covers: love, detective, mystery, suspense, courtroom drama. The unabridged audio reading is superb.

Gus Lee scores again in this fast-paced and evocative legal drama with some characters you love to hate, and an unlikely hero you love to love. Unlike most writers, Lee creates a central character who, in the middle of his life, is overcome by personal tragedies that have depleted him, and as the book progresses, we can cheer him on as he rises from the ashes. It's refreshing to see a hero who feels not only his own pain, but also the pain of all the other hurting people around him. I love a book like this that combines great character development and a compelling story line into a wonderful morality play. If you like crime dramas with a human interest twist, you'll love this book. It will keep you guessing until the end when you're left marvelling at the Hitchcock-ian twist!

Although I'm not a fan of courtroom dramas, I had read Gus Lee's books before, and had especially enjoyed "Tiger's Tail", so I thought I'd give his new book a try.What I really liked was the character of Josh. He seemed to be able to get past his own miseries when it was really important. He is not what you think of when you think "lawyer" - that stereotype was epitomized for me by the defense lawyer. He's actually a nice person. Had I been on that jury (and if jury selection is actually done they way it's described, you can see why people avoid jury duty like the plague), I would have found his case the more compelling. Definitely worth reading.