The Expert [Hardcover]

Lee Gruenfeld (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1998

Drawing rave after rave from established masters of suspense, Lee Gruenfeld continues to reinvent the legal thriller with this brilliantly told tale of a female defense lawyer who must defend an American computer genius against charges of treason. For attorney Rebecca Verona, defense seems easy: her expert witness, Rado Terescu, says the computer chip supposedly sold to the Chinese is so advanced, there's no way current technology could have actually produced it. But in court, the prosecutor-and Rebecca's former lover-claims to have the actual chip, and stymies Rebecca's effort to examine it, citing national security. As the legal maneuvers move into high gear, the deck seems stacked against Rebecca and her client. Could it be that her own expert has set her up for a fall? Suddenly, there seems to be much more at stake than one man's guilt or innocence.
•Lee Gruenfeld combines the legal complexity of Richard North Patterson with the rich plotting of Scott Turow.
•Lee Gruenfeld has served as an expert witness himself in many high-tech litigation cases.
•Lee Gruenfeld's Halls of Justice will be published as an Onyx paperback in July 1997.
•Lee Gruenfeld's previous titles received high praise.
•Lee Grunefeld's previous books have been optioned for film and television, and have sold to the book clubs.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Lee Gruenfeld was a computer scientist before he began writing sharp, successful legal thrillers such as All Fall Down, and both sides of his brain are at work in The Expert. Next time you watch a so-called "expert witness" spouting scientific gospel on the stand, consider the dilemma faced by defense whiz Rebecca Verona, whose expert witness in the case of a computer executive charged with treason seems to be working for the other side. Even if you don't know a computer chip from a potato chip, you'll appreciate the intelligence and excitement of Gruenfeld's story.

From Publishers Weekly

There's a jungle of technical information awaiting the reader of this wonderfully complex courtroom thriller?facts and theories about computer technology, chip manufacturing and cryptography techniques?and all of it centers around James Perrein, head of Tera-Tech Integrated. When the government retrieves a Tera-Tech chip from China, Perrein is accused of selling advanced technology to the Chinese, but his claim of innocence is bolstered by computer expert Rado Terescu, who maintains that the chip, as described, is beyond the technology of anyone in the world. Perrein's lawyer, hard-edged Rebecca Verona, is confident that Terescu's testimony will exonerate her client?until Terescu finally takes the stand, and her carefully presented defense blows up in her face. Gruenfeld (The Halls of Justice) has written a comic opera of a novel with four main characters who pretend to be objective about each other when, in fact, they are linked by old grudges and attractions. By using Rebecca's point of view to tell the story, Gruenfeld guides the reader through a maze of facts and motives with skill and daring. The excellent courtroom scenes keep the data clear and understandable, while Gruenfeld builds tension about the motives of Terescu and the guilt (if any) of Perrein. Considering the daunting challenges he meets, readers might be excused for thinking that the title of this novel refers to Gruenfeld himself.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 470 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Adult; First Edition edition (April 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525944060
• ISBN-13: 978-0525944065
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,824,948 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars OH, THE HALLS OF JUSTICE, April 16, 2003

By 

Beverly C. Sanders (USA, Baltimore, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Expert (Audio Cassette)

Wow, how I enjoyed this book. I am completely surprised that Gruenfeld did not receive more reviews here on Amazon.com--only 9... Truly, the cost should have sent a message that this was not one of the usual novels. And, I surely agree. This was a fabulous read. I enjoy legal stories and this one tops Grisham's books. I also have an affinity with this book as I, too, have a computer background. Thanks to Gruenfeld he had the ability to marry the two fields with the human experience and walked away with my heart.

Rebecca Verona was an ace attorney and her client was betting his life (or prison term) on her ability to set him free. Notwithstanding the fact that he (a computer business millionaire) had aborted a recent love affair with her, he knew if she would defend him inspite of their past relationship (well know by all) that her defense would send the message that he was innocent of the charge of treason.

Weaved into the plot was the workings of encryption, sabatoge, computer theft, and oh yes--the prosecuting attorney who also was a recent ex-lover of Rebecca. Can't you see this being reality. Life is often very complicated as this story plays out. I highly recommend this book and hope that Gruenfeld keeps these wonderful books coming.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed it . Hard to put down., December 12, 2005

By 

S. Gunsolus (Western NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Expert (Hardcover)

Though a fairly long read I really enjoyed the technical jargon and the way it was explained. You can read it as a techno or courtroom mystery. Would recommend to anyone. I will have to read some of his other books.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Really 3 1/2 Stars!, January 17, 2002

By 

"kash02" (San Francisco, Ca. USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Expert (Paperback)

I like this author. I read "All Fall Down", which was thoroughly enjoyable, unique, and intelligently written. This book is the same, just not quite as. Again, his writing is so intelligent and insightful, and this is what escalates this novel to a higher realm. This is a good story, a good read, and has plenty of twists. Definitely recommend it, especially if you like this author.