The Prosecution

This book is a very good book. I like the way the book takes off into one case and in a twist heads into another case. You get 2 great stories for the price of one. The stories are very well written and holds on to you, keeps you in suspense. I like to guess who did it, can you. The Judgement is also an excellent book. I hope that Buffa continues to write. I am waiting for the next book. I know you won't be disappointed.

Buffa is a terrific writer and this book, the second in a series, is a great read. I really enjoy the characters in these novels and through the authors skill, I felt close to them and cared about them. Grisham wishes he could write this well. Don't read this book until you have read the author's "Defense" novel. You'll understand this one much better after the complete setup that occurs in that book. I read this book and then turned around and read it through again. I don't believe I've ever done that before. Enjoyed it both times.

If you like legal thrillers set in courtrooms, then who better to read than an author who has been a defense attorney for ten years. Buffa isn't your run-of-the-mill attorney turned author. His characters are a step above the rest and his storylines keep you guessing. While reading his books, you are as unsure of a guilty/not guilty verdict as are the attorneys prosecuting and defending the cases.In this book, Joe Antonelli, who was a defense attorney in Buffa's first novel "The Defense", resurfaces -- this time as a prosecuting attorney. Those of us who left Joe off, after reading The Defense, weren't sure if he would ever return to practicing law. He was so disenchanted by the events surrounding his last case, that he went into retirement. Fortunately for the reader, he is convinced to reenter the courtroom by another mentor and friend, Judge Horace Woolner. Since this case is so close to home for the Portland D.A.'s office, Antonelli is brought in as a special prosecutor. It turns out that Woolner has received information that could implicate the city's deputy district attorney in his own wife's death. Up until the verdict is given by the jury, you're not sure which way it's going to go. Of course, you'll have to read the book to witness one of the best legal minds out there today.And, just when you think that this one case may just put Joe over the edge again, he is asked to defend Horace's wife who has now been arrested in connection with the death of a member of a prominent Portland family, who also happens to be her "good" friend. Buffa gives us two mysteries in one in The Prosecution. I read his first book The Defense a few years ago and was immediately drawn to the main character Joe Antonelli. He's ruthless yet sensitive, educated but not overbearing and very, very vulnerable at this point in his life. I look forward to entering the courtroom once again with Joe Antonelli in the future. If I could give him one piece of advice, after reading these two books, it would be to pick better mentors and friends!!!

D. Buffa's book, "The Defense" was outstanding, as is "The Prosecution". I like his writing style. There's not an "F" word in every paragraph, and he seems not to waste a sentence. It's fiction, and the shortcomings I overlooked. This guy is a good writer, and has my attention.

His peers considered him to be one of the best defense attorneys in Oregon. However, after going outside the law to assure justice occurred, he quit his practice. Only Judge Horace Woolner, a person he highly respects, could entice him to return to the courtroom. Woolner appoints Joseph Antonelli as a special prosecutor in the case of Chief Deputy District Attorney Marshal Goodwin, accused of murdering his spouse. Joseph goes after Marshal with the same fervor he used in defending his clients. After winning the case, Joseph goes home wondering if the right person was convicted. However, before he can ponder any further, a new case drops into his lap. Horace's wife Alma has been accused of killing a co-worker. This time the accused is a close friend. Joseph is a person with a deep conscience. He strongly believes that in the justice system there is guilty or not guilty with no degrees of latitude in between the two poles. Though this philosophy enables him to be a perfect lawyer, it leaves his soul feeling bankrupt. This internal war is what makes THE PROSECUTION one of the finest legal thrillers in a long time. D.W. Buffa provides his readers with deep characters who use a courtroom as the background to a fabulous tale that, like the author's debut novel (THE DEFENSE), is extremely entertaining.Harriet Klausner