The Perfect Witness

A good book that starts out slow, but becomes much better as the book develops. I almost quit but I decided to finish it and I'm glad I did. If you like a good legal read then I would recommend The Perfect Witness.

A great read for anyone who wants to get away, at least for an evening or two. Vivid in its narrative and true in its dialogue, the book lets the reader become a fly on the wall as the story unfolds. Characters are people you'd want to be friends with (or in some cases not). Keeps you going down to the end, then you wish it wasn't over.

This is the first book by Barry Siegel that I have read, and I am looking forward to reading his previous ones. The book has excellent characterization and makes you ask yourself how you would react if you were one of the characters--a bit of an ethical question or two. It is predictable up to a point, but it keeps you wanting to get to the next chapter to find out how an innocent man can be freed when up against huge odds.

Barry Siegel's legal thriller The Perfect Witness begins like a typical murder mystery, but develops into much more as Siegel begins to weave a complex plot that reveals all of the foibles of the legal system and the elusive search for the truth. The conclusion, that only by playing by the corrupt rules of the game can an innocent defendeant find relief are sobering. Siegel is very convincing in showing how things can go very wrong. The portrait of a power hungry prosecutor more concerned with getting a conviction that convicting the guilty party has a ring of truth. Siegel writes with the assurance of one who knows of what he speaks. He also does a good job at conveying a sense of place in the foggy California town. Personally, I didn't feel the characters were fully realized, but the complex plot structure and intriguing ethical issues carry the book. The Perfect Witness is a good read that got steadily more exciting as I went along. I found at the end, I couldn't put it down, and I was a bit disappointed when it was over. I highly recommend this book!

In La Graciosa, California, Ira Sullivan is accused o killing his neighbor Bob Wilson. Ira turns to his former law partner Greg Monarch to defend him. Initially, Greg figures that he can easily get his client, who does not remember anything due to drug usage, off the hook. The murder weapon and $33,000 was found in the possession of Sandy Polson. However, Sandy, who is a witness for the DA, explains that Greg gave her the gun and cash and she was too scared to say no to him. Greg begins to tear apart Sandy's story, but she conveniently rewrites it to fit every objection he can find. His plan to prove Sandy a liar on the stand fails and is his client is convicted of murder. Greg knows that Sandy is a pathological liar and that the DA wants a scapegoat. Ever the idealist who believes in the justice system (though shaken a bit), Greg has just begun to fight, but the forces opposing him are growing ever stronger. THE PERFECT WITNESS is a phenomenal legal procedural because of a profound story line that accentuates the conflict between justice and an adequate defense. Greg is a great character as his ideals and friendship are tested to the max. For that matter, so is the American judicial system tested to the max, but unlike Greg, seems to have come up lacking. Fans who read Barry Siegel's novel will bear witness that this is a near perfect novel. Harriet Klausner