The Heart of Justice [Hardcover]

William Jeremiah Coughlin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1995

The last novel from the author of Shadow of a Doubt and In the Presence of Enemies offers a thrilling courtroom drama about a federal judge facing a decision that threatens everything he holds dear.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A corporate takeover leads to a moral dilemma in this archly written but truncated posthumous novel from Coughlin (In the Presence of Enemies). The dilemma belongs to Judge Paul Murray, who unwittingly has received his recently acquired position on the federal bench thanks to his new wife, beautiful socialite Hope Scott. Hope asked powerful corporate raider and old boyfriend Jordan Crandell to recommend Paul for the judgeship; Crandell obliged. Now Crandell is in a headline-grabbing legal fight with takeover king Lew Valentine to buy up the computer company Starwares. As fate and plotting would have it, the Starwares case ends up in federal court, with Paul presiding. Coughlin devotes most of the novel to building up a world where amoral types like Crandell and Valentine will be judged by people who are flawed but essentially moral and upright, like Paul. But what the author offers is nearly all setup: instead of giving it the space and weight it deserves, Coughlin deals with Paul's moral dilemma?to rule on the case or to step down??in only a scant few pages. Perhaps Coughlin's death in 1992 is the reason behind this sketchy and unsatisfying climax; otherwise, the book is a sharply observed tale of self-interested sharks who tear away at each other during a corporate takeover. 75,000 first printing; $75,000 ad/promo.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Newly appointed federal judge Paul Murray's first case is a corporate takeover war that rivals in magnitude the QVC/Viacom battle for Paramount. It's a media circus and a potential legal nightmare-not to mention a feather in Murray's cap if he handles it well. As the mud flies, a young reporter for the Wall Street Journal quietly digs away, looking for the story of a lifetime while he courts a member of the defense team. Furthermore, Murray's new wife, heiress Hope Scott, is drawn into the case through her long-time friendship with one of the warring moguls and the evil deeds of her trust's executor. Threats to blackmail Murray and his wife make a mistrial a distinct possibility. Should he recuse himself from the case? Another solid legal thriller, this posthumous publication by the author of Shadow of a Doubt (St. Martin's, 1992) yields taut drama and great courtroom action. Fans of this popular genre will love it. Recommended for popular fiction collections.
--Susan Clifford, Hughes Aircraft Co. Lib., Los Angeles
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 327 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Pr; 1 edition (January 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312115342
• ISBN-13: 978-0312115340
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 1.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,543,665 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars DISAPOINTED!, November 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Heart of Justice (Mass Market Paperback)

I just recently discovered Wm. Coughlin by reading "The Judgement". I loved it and started searching for others. I read Heart of Justice after reading 5 others and cannot believe this was written by the same aurhor as the others. It is far inferior and I'm sure not written by a man (not saying a man could do better) as the way characters are depicted implies to me a woman is writing the prose.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars May be a phony one?, July 7, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Heart of Justice (Mass Market Paperback)

This one was published after the author died over one or two years. It's a totally bad story and bad writing. Didn't look like a genuine work of Coughlin's

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Who wrote this book??? Surely, NOT William Coughlin., August 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Heart of Justice (Mass Market Paperback)

This book could not possibly have been written by William Coughlin!! The writing style is completely different...and greatly inferior to his. The plot is slow and ponderous, and the dialogue is dull and amateurish compared to his other books. It's a shame that his name has been attached to a book that is so poorly written.