A Criminal Defense: A Former Detective Confronts a Conspiracy of Murder and Betrayal(2013)

Steven Gore

"A Criminal Defense is a compelling and strikingly intelligent thriller thatcrackles with legal and psychological authenticity. The story is rich,gritty, and terrifically twisty." Lou Berney, author of Whiplash River and Gutshot Srtaight .What do you calla criminal defense attorney hanging by his neck? When he's MarkHamlin, every cop in San Francisco calls it justice. Over three decades, Hamlin'spractice devolved into just another intimidating witnesses, suborningperjury, destroying evidence, laundering money. But is he the victim ofmurder--or of a dangerous sexual encounter gone wrong? And when law enforcementbelieves justice has already been done, who can be trusted to find out? Once again in the city where hiscareer came to a shattering end, former detective Harlan Donnally resolved itwouldn't be him. He had no desire to immerse himself in the deceit that wasHamlin's career . . . nor entangle himself in the corrupted loyalties that turnedthe dead lawyer's associates into both co-conspirators and suspects . . . normake himself the proxy for the hatreds and betrayals Hamlin left behind. But the presiding judge demandedotherwise--and that might cost Donnally his life.