Chuck Rosenberg's first novel is a treat to delve into. At first there maybe a feeling that it is just one more murder mystery, but as the plot unfolds, you begin to realize that the author, himself a lawyer, has written about a profession that he knows well and has practiced for many years in LA. From this background, the murder plot unfolds in unexpected ways, and draws the reader deeper and deeper into intrigues within a law firm that has evolved from an well established firm in Los Angeles to become a massive corporate entity with offices across the globe. But, almost all of the action is centered within the urban environment of downtown LA and its surrounding, freeway linked environs. Rosenberg speaks with authority about the legal process in criminal law that unfolds in this murder case, with intimate professional relationships and friendships thrown asunder. There are many, interwoven levels to the plot with historical insights into the world of coin collecting, the hierarchal politics of the legal profession, the lifestyle of a loner practicing criminal law in his eccentric way, and the hyperbole and insanity of the media and bloggers who hang on every word of real or imagined evidence as the case unfolds. The accused, himself a respected member of the firm and his community, falls from corporate grace into that of a shunned 'has been' who has to face his own reality, one that he has long ignored, and what it also means to become his own victim in a crime that tests the highs and lows of his well being.
The book is more than an airplane read, as it is well written, and carries you along to a conclusion that is somewhat expected, yet not, as the absence of 'cheap sex', so often prevalent in murder mysteries is lacking and this in itself provides a refreshing change from the normal genre. I will read it again and recommend it to those who like suspense sprinkled with a strong touch of reality.
