Synopsis:
A Legal Thriller…
When Judge Calvin Jeffries becomes the first sitting judge to be murdered while serving in office, charismatic criminal defense attorney Joseph Antonelli finds himself smack in the middle of a riveting case. As he works through the intricacies of a homicide audacious enough to strike at the heart of justice, the ensuing investigation and trial reveal a deadly trail of evil, shattered lives, and revenge.
While challenging traditional notions of crime and punishment, the novel also calls into question the very principles of our judicial system and marks the breakthrough of a master storyteller. D.W. Buffa’s The Defense (Henry Holt, 1997) received great praise and grossed more than 40,000 hardcover copies. The Prosecution (Henry Holt, 1999) was also lauded by critics and garnered equally impressive sales.
Accolades:
“This stunning book goes so much deeper than a murder mystery. Buffa delves into the concept of sanity and obsessions, be it with alcohol, love, justice, fear, etc. This has to be the best fiction I have ever read. Makes Grisham look like a simpleton. There are a few subplots in this story, but Buffa weaves them together and wonders who really is “normal?” A brilliant work that reads like a classic. Awesome!”
-– Kenneth Heard, Scholar
Buffa cooks up a convoluted legal thriller littered with plot-twist land mines that explode when least expected…Well-developed characters and the rich Portland, Ore., milieu add depth to this excellent thriller.”
— Publishers Weekly