Death Penalty: A Novel [Hardcover]

William Jeremiah Coughlin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1992

A discredited lawyer fighting his way back from alcoholism takes on a shady case in the hopes that it will pump life back into his career. By the author of Shadow of Doubt. 50,000 first printing. $50,000 ad/promo.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Coughlin ( Shadow of a Doubt ) delivers another thoughtful, brisk-paced and fully satisfying legal mystery. Though his drinking caused his near-disbarment, former hot-shot Detroit attorney Charlie Sloan, now practicing from Pickeral Point, a small town outside the Motor City, gets a chance to rescue his career. The recovering, thrice-divorced criminal lawyer hits the headlines when his client, a physician labeled Dr. Death, is convicted of murder for helping a wealthy, terminally ill patient speed his demise. While appealing that conviction and advising a waitress who has accused a Pickeral Point bigwig of rape, Sloan is asked by an old drinking buddy and fellow lawyer to take charge of the appeal of a $5-million personal injury suit brought against Ford by a man paralyzed in an auto accident. Sloan soon finds himself being lured into a extortion scam that seems to incriminate his mentor, a much-respected judge. As the rape case evolves into homicide, Dr. Death is jailed again on another murder charge, and the personal injury appeal confirms Sloan's suspicions of high-court corruption. In Coughlin's deft handling, Sloan triumphs in each case with his credibility and self-respect intact--and without taking a drink. Readers will regret that Coughlin (Shadow of a Doubt) died earlier this year. Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club alternates; R e ader's Digest Condensed Books selection.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Detroit trial lawyer Charley Sloan ( Shadow of a Doubt , LJ 7/91) is defending a doctor accused of helping his patients die--for a fee. At the same time he is asked to handle the appeal in a $5 million lawsuit involving Ford and a man injured in an accident. Sloan, whose reputation for alcohol consumption and legal shenanigans far outweighs his current nondrinking, now-honorable life style, is approached by a former appellate judge who offers him a way to win the appeal. Juggling both cases, Sloan demonstrates a high level of heroism and professional ethics and the courage to implement both. Coughlin, an attorney and judge himself, brilliantly captures the corruption of the legal system by human error and greed. This 14th in a long line of well-written novels is thought-provoking and timely. Bravo! Literary Guild alternate; previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 6/15/92.
-Jo Ann Vi carel, Cleveland Heights-University Heights P.L., Ohio
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 353 pages
• Publisher: Harpercollins; 1st edition (October 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060177012
• ISBN-13: 978-0060177010
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,983,659 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 4 1/2 Stars -- Never A Dull Moment!, May 22, 2007

By 

bobbewig (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Death Penalty (Charley Sloan Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

Criminal attorney Charley Sloan is a very, strong, well-developed character, and Death Penalty has so many interesting goings-on that I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to see what will happen next. My attention was held from the first to last page. Coughlin nicely ties together all of the subplots, although some are somewhat predictable. Nonetheless, Death Penalty is well-worth reading, as are each of the other books featuring Charley Sloan.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Winner, April 12, 2004

By 

Schmerguls "schmerguls" (Sioux City, Ia USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Death Penalty: A Novel (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is a gripping read, and does not insult a lawyer's intelligence. The central character, outside of his personal morals, is an admirable lawyer with whom one cannot help but empathize. And tho there are evil lawyers and judges portrayed, the book does not seek to demonize the profession, and at the end the lawyer hero does not go off to some tropical island so he won't have to practice law any more. A most welcome relief to the lawyer-bashing books a la Grisham. One of the best legal thrillers I have ever read.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Satisfying on all levels, August 3, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Death Penalty: A Novel (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a simple, direct story that works. It doesn't let the reader down in any way, from first page to last. The plot is sensible, the side-plots are engaging, and the characters are deftly drawn with a few short sentences.