Acts of Malice [Mass Market Paperback]

Perri O'Shaughnessy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 13, 2000

The New York Times bestselling Nina Reilly novels have dazzled both readers and critics with their crackling blend of legal suspense and taut human drama. Now Perri O'Shaughnessy, hailed as "smart", "gripping", and "complex" by the San Francisco Chronicle, brings us her best--and most explosive--Nina Reilly novel yet.

Amid the sparkling snow-swept mountains of Lake Tahoe, Nina Reilly has made a home, juggling the demands of her one-woman law practice and raising a teenage son alone. Now Nina has taken on a case that will threaten everything she holds dear, drawing her into a tangled web of loyalties and alliances within one of Lake Tahoe's most prominent families. Her client: a man accused of murdering his own brother--on the ski slopes of Tahoe. The law says Nina must give Jim Strong the best possible defense. But Strong's family has turned violently against him, and suddenly Nina is at the center of the storm. As she works a flawed and troubling case and gets swept into an unexpected love affair, the two sides of Nina's life come crashing together...in the ultimate act of malice.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Nobody in the exploding field of legal thrillers catches the day-to-day life of a working lawyer better than the O'Shaughnessy sisters--lawyer Pamela and writer Mary, who collaborate under the joint byline of Perri. This is the fifth in their series about lawyer Nina Reilly. O'Shaughnessy expertly balances Reilly's life between the working half and the private half (raising her 16-year-old son as a single mother and finding the time and place for romance). The fact that both parts take place in the heavenly venue of Lake Tahoe only adds to the reading pleasure.

Acts of Malice begins with a jolt: the manager of one of the area's largest ski resorts is charged with the murder of his brother, and hires Nina to defend him. But this will not be an easy case for Nina since the prosecutor, Collier Hallowell, is the man who shook up her life so violently by walking out on her a year before. Also, Nina and her immediate circle find themselves in danger from the very client that they are defending.

Other examples of the O'Shaughnessy expertise include Breach of Promise and Motion to Suppress. --Dick Adler --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Attorney and single mother Nina Reilly makes her fifth appearance in the bestselling author O'Shaughnessy sisters' (Breach of Promise; Obstruction of Justice) new legal thriller, this one set on the ski slopes of Lake Tahoe. Reilly's client in this case is Jim Strong, a local ski bum whose family owns the swanky Paradise resort. Jim stands accused of killing his younger brother Alex, who was stomped to death by someone wearing ski boots whose imprints on Alex's chest match the soles of Jim's footgear. But the suspect claims he's being framed by his adulterous wife, Heidi, who gave a statement to police and has gone into hiding. The case gives Reilly the willies, as disturbing events ensue that cast doubt on her client. Philip Strong, father of the dead youth and the suspect, is behaving strangely, and the victim's wife, a libidinous ski bunny made wealthy through inheritance, seems to have more feelings for Jim than for her dead husband. And the prosecutor, the passionate Collier Hallowell, warns Reilly off the case, hinting that Jim is a psychopath who killed animals as a kid and will seek vengeance on her if her defense doesn't get him off the hook. Reilly almost takes the latter advice, because she and Hallowell are in love and talking about having kids together. Their romance strains credibility and verges on syrupy: "He kissed her like he was searching for something, looking for her, only her." The central question of whether Jim is a murderer or a sap has an answer as predictable as the love scenes are corny. Sisters Pamela and Mary O'Shaughnessy (writing under their vaguely disguised pen name) do well to surround Reilly with a well-drawn cast of characters who provide a pleasant diversion even after the suspense has fizzled. $300,000 marketing campaign; author tour. (July)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Island Books; later printing edition (June 13, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440225817
• ISBN-13: 978-0440225812
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1.2 x 7.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #666,242 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars First time reader, January 26, 2000

By 

A. Kreger (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Acts of Malice (Hardcover)

This is the first O'Shaughnessy book I have read and I am hooked on the character Nina Reilly. The plot keeps the reader guessing and characters really come to life. The picturesque descriptions of Lake Tahoe are better than a travel brochure. The only drawback is the weak dialogue and occasional "diarrhea" of the exclamation point. Overall, a suspenseful story right up to the end.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unplumbed Depths, May 9, 2002

By 

Wendy Kaplan (Houston) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Acts of Malice (Mass Market Paperback)

No matter how well-written a mystery, and "Acts of Malice" is very well-written, it is not usual to wrench the reader from interest to warmth to fear to sobs--but this book does all that and more.

Tahoe lawyer Nina Reilly takes on a case that makes her uneasy from the first, but she doesn't know why. She agrees to defend Jim Strong, a young and handsome champion skier accused of the brutal murder of his equally young and handsome brother, Alex. The brother supposedly died in a skiing accident, but the coroner uncovers what he thinks are signs of horrifically foul play. And the District Attorney's office believes him.

Nina is soon pitted against the man she was interested in a while back, but who had left Tahoe to mend from a personal tragedy. Assistant DA Collier Hallowell has returned, healed, happy--and eager to renew his budding interest in Nina. As a beautiful and meaningful romance develops between the two, they must somehow keep their personal lives out of their professional milieu, and it isn't easy. Collier is convinced that Jim Strong is a particularly violent and vicious murderer. Nina is ethically bent on defending Strong--but for the first time in her career, she has nagging, secret doubts about her client. And so does the reader.

Did Jim Strong really stomp his injured brother to death? Is he an evil psychopath, as the prosecution, including Nina's own boyfriend, believes? And if he is, is Nina in danger? Can she ethically drop a client, and even if she could, will she do so?
As she struggles with these doubts and fears, Nina's feelings for Collier deepen and blossom, so that the reader, like the principals themselves, bounces back and forth between the beauty of human love and the horror of human violence.

The last third of the book is almost painful in its suspense, as the mystery of who killed Alex and why begins to include Nina's loved ones in its terrifying grasp. "Acts of Malice" is the best of the three Nina Reilly mysteries I have read so far, and truly one of the best I have read by any other author. It has real depth, as deep as the unflagging snow that grasps Tahoe in its icy unreality all through the story. A good metaphor for what can only be called a chilling plot.

Again, I must strongly praise the O'Shaughnessy sisters, Mary and Pamela ("Perri"), who have shown a depth of brilliance and talent not often seen in this or any other genre.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Was it a Skiing Accident or MURDER?!, May 11, 2001

By 

thebookhaven.net (Los Angeles CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Acts of Malice (Mass Market Paperback)

Tragedy strikes Tahoe. Jim and Alex Strong, brothers of the prominent Paradise Ski Resort family, set out for a friendly ski race. Alex fell over a cliff. Jim himself narrowly escaped death.

The coroner says the death of Alex Strong was no accident. Jim is the number one suspect.

The defendant hires Nina Reilly. In her heart, she believes Jim is innocent, but is puzzled by the Strong family's reaction. They want nothing to do with him.

"Acts of Malice" follows Nina Reilly as she tries to get to the bottom of the case. She complicates matters herself by renewing a past romance with Collier Hallowell--the prosecutor in the Jim Strong case.

Nina is a dedicated lawyer with a good heart. She believes her client is innocent. Unfortunately, when she discovers the truth about Alex's death, such devotion might cost Nina her life. Will the case be solved? Are Nina and her family in danger? The stunning facts are revealed in "Acts of Malice."

When it was released, this sixth installment in the Nina Reilly series was a Main Selection of the Mystery Guild and rightfully so. Pamela and Mary O'Shaughnessy, writing under the pen name Perri O'Shaughnessy combine their talents to provide readers with a great story set in the snowy Lake Tahoe area.

Nina Reilly is a refreshingly normal character. She's smart, pretty and kind, but not so perfect that she's fake. The romance scenes blend nicely into the story and have a sense of purpose rather than being added just for the sake of sex.

Suspense abounds from the beginning of the novel to the end. Fight the urge to read the last page first. Let the conclusion stun you.

As mentioned, there is a series of books featuring Nina Reilly. O'Shaughnessy doesn't provide much background information from the previous installments, but you should have virtually no trouble beginning the series in the middle.

Consider "Acts of Malice" to be an ideal vacation read. O'Shaughnessy knows how to please picky readers. Read this novel and you'll be going back for more, guaranteed.