Customer Reviews

Incriminating Evidence

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Special Circumstances was the best new legal thriller to come out in a long time. It was with much anticipation (couldn't wait for another Mike Daley story!) tempered by slight trepidation (could he do it again?) that I started reading Incriminating Evidence. I am happy to report that my fears were completely unfounded.

Sheldon Siegel is a master of his craft.

I ripped through this book in a few hours, oblivious to all around me. Murder, betrayal, and kinky sex coupled with intelligent humor kept the pages turning. Great characters and believable dialogue take the reader deeper and deeper into Mike & Rosie's world, twisting and turning along the way. There is enough intrigue and courtroom drama to please any fan of the genre.

Siegel creates a story that is totally engrossing and enthralling every step of the way! It will hold you spellbound. Don't miss it.

FINALLY!! In a field of novels that has started to become rather stale in the past few years, Sheldon Siegel has injected an impressive dose of adrenaline with his first novel, 'Special Circumstances' and now with his just-as-good sequel, 'Incriminating Evidence', the trend continues. By now we have become familiar with criminal defense attorney Mike Daley, who is fast becoming my favorite protagonist in the legal thriller genre.

Mike is an attorney with a conscience. A former Priest who maintains a legal practice with his ex-wife, Mike Daley is suddenly forced to deal with a situation which takes him literally by surprise: San Francisco DA Prentice Gates, a not-too-friendly competitor, is arrested when a male prostitute is found dead in his hotel room, bound, gagged and handcuffed to the bed. Decisions, decisions...as much as Mike would like to relish the situation and kick him while he's down, his conscience kicks in--as well as that little voice in the back of his head that says 'we need more clients'--and he accepts the job of defending his arch rival in a murder case with so much incriminating evidence against Prentice, that it looks like he will be defending a guilty man. Sheldon Siegel, knowing what it takes to make a good legal-thriller exceptional, teases us with just enough information to make us question over and over again
WHO actually did the killing? As I read this book, I began to suspect everyone from Prentice's best friend, his daughter, shady

business partners, the male prostitute's pimp, even his wife--and then back to Prentice himself...finely crafted and tuned just right, 'Incriminating Evidence' deserves to be an enormous best seller. For fans of Steve Martini, Richard North Patterson, Phillip Margolin and Grisham, do yourself a HUGE favor and add Sheldon Siegel to this short list of A-List authors...yes, he IS that good. I very much look forward to Mike Daley volume 3. Highly recommended.

Mike Daley, the unique, ex-priest turned criminal attorney, is back for his second outing. Sheldon Siegel, a California attorney, made some people sit up and take notice when he published "Special Circumstances", in which he introduced Mike Daley. This San Francisco based novel is every bit as good as his first, which is saying a lot!

One unique touch added by Siegel is his creative way of naming chapters, then giving a quote that would be taken from the fictional press at the time of his story. I particularly enjoyed Chapter 2, entitled "The A__hole Premium", accompanied by the quote "The Hall of Justice isn't a big tourist attraction"...from the SF Police Chief, in the SF Chronicle.

Siegel creates a real whodunit, where no one is sure until the closing chapters. The way in which the truth is parsed and stretched out by Siegel's client, who admits to it only when there is another unimpeachable source, is excellent and realistic. "Skipper", the San Fransisco DA, who was introduced in the first novel, takes center stage, but this time as an accused murderer of a male prostitute. One appealing new character is "Nick the Dick" Hanson, an 80+ and colorful PI who is legendary in the state, not just for his investigative skills, but for the way he controls a courtroom when he enters it. Siegel takes us back and forth to court, interspersing his story with the dilemma of Mike and Rosie (his ex-wife) who are law partners and still deeply committed to each other, despite the divorce.

A terrific novel, with great characterization, a compelling plot, and the promise of more good things to come in the series!

Ex-priest, now defense attorney, Mike Daley never expected to receive a phone call from District Attorney Prentice (Skipper) Gates. Skipper, now a front runner for California attorney general, has a history with Mike, a bad onenot only did Skipper aide in Mike losing his job, but he also went up against him, prosecuting a case Mike was defendingnow, Skipper needs his help, it appears Skipper has awoke in his hotel room to find a dead male prostitute in bed.

Arrested, Skipper needs Mikes help, for Mike is the best man for the job. Swearing his innocence, Skipper begs Mike to take on the case and clear his name. Mike, not a big fan of Skipper, hesitates, but does what any good defense attorney would dohe takes on the case, with the help of his partner, and ex-wife Rosie.

As Mike and Rosie begin their investigation they realize very powerful people are willing to do whatever it takes to keep some things from being found out. And the deeper the two become involved they chase a trail from the seedier side of town where drugs and bodies are always for sale, to the closed doors of the rich.

Mike and Rosie frantically race to put together the pieces of this puzzle for a mans life depends on it.

Incriminating Evidence packs a wallop, starting off fast, the reader is led on a maze of twists and turns, where no one is who they seem, and everyone has something to hide. Using powerful suspense, high drama, and hot courtroom scenes, Sheldon Siegel has crafted an excellent follow-up to his debut bestseller Special Circumstances, one that will keep readers up all night turning the pages.

Move over Grisham, Sheldon Siegel has arrived, and with this, his second novel, he has proven he is an author to reckon with. With his original plots, and page-turning twists Sheldon Siegel has joined my list of MUST READ authors!

With out question Incriminating Evidence will be a bestseller, and have fans anxiously awaiting the next appearance of Mike Daley.

Nick Gonnella

I had the pleasure of meeting the author at a book signing. At that time, I had never heard of him nor was I familiar with his novels. Although I was somewhat skeptical about reading a novel written about criminal defense tril work written by a civil attorney, I must admit I was pleasantly surprised. This novel should be entitled, "Never a Dull Moment". Not only did I find the writing superb, the plot was rich with characters who were well defined. Moreover, the author was able to accurately depict the nuances particular to criminal defense trial work. Since now I know who he is and have read one of his novels, I look forward to more of Mike and Rosie.

Sheldon Siegel's second novel, Incriminating Evidence, is every bit as good as his very good first book, Special Circumstances; and he deserves to be placed in the top-tier of legal thriller writers. Siegel's characters are very well-developed -- particularly his continuing protagonist, Mike Daley, and his ex-wife and law partner, Rosie -- and the plot is fast-paced and bristles with energy. Siegel's ability to combine excitement, surprises, humor and suspense makes Incriminating Evidence a book that you won't want to put down. Without going into detail for fear of providing information which might weaken some of the story's suspense for you, the only thing that kept me from rating this book a '5' is that I felt slightly--and I emphasize 'slightly'-- disappointed in the ending. Nevertheless, Incriminating Evidence is a book I know you'll enjoy and will want to recommend to your friends.

San Francisco District Attorney Prentice "Skipper" Gates III held a campaign rally for his bid for reelection at the Fremont Hotel that ended late. He stayed at the hotel overnight only to wake up with a male corpse sharing his room. The police arrest Skipper for murder and he then calls Mike Daley, his former partner in the Simpson and Gates law firm to get him out of jail and defend him in such a way that this campaign and his future efforts at statewide office are not damaged.

Besides courtroom rivals in recent years since Mike is a defense attorney, the duo had bad blood when they worked together. Still, a reluctant Mike accepts Skipper as a client though he feels the man is guilty or at least hiding something. As the prosecutors pursue a death penalty conviction, accompanied by his partner, his ex-wife Rosita Fernandez, Mike begins making inquiries throughout the Bay area to learn what went down that night.

Sheldon Siegel brings back the effective legal team of Daley and Fernandez (see SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES) in another captivating legal thriller. The story line provides a wonderful tour of San Francisco inside a strong courtroom drama that enables readers to follow Mike's thought processes. The INCRIMINATING EVIDENCE against Skipper and his attitude makes Mike and Rosita's work much harder and this much more enjoyable for the reader. Sub-gene fans will want more tales from Mr. Siegel starring his dynamic duo, but perhaps Rosita can take the lead so that the audience can understand her thinking better from more of her perspective than that of Mike's.

Harriet Klausner

Like the 1965 Ford Mustang, Siegel's first novel, Special Circumstances, was a big hit. So, just like Ford, when Siegel decided it was time for the next book, he simply reworked a few lines on the original and passed it off as "New." It isn't -- at all. It's déjà vu. In the many hundreds of books I've had the pleasure of reading, I've never encountered such a transparent rewrite. My mistake, I suppose, was in ordering the two books at the same time and reading them back-to-back. If I'd had a couple of years "between books" like some of the reviewers, perhaps it wouldn't have been so noticeable. Maybe his later books use new plots, secondary characters, courtroom scenes, legal and evidentiary arguments, etc. I for one am unwilling to find out. Suggestion: read just one of his books and you'll love it; if you read two, it'll be like "Groundhog Day."

Having read several of Siegel's tales of Michael Daley, I was greatly disappointed with this entry. Unlike the crisp, fast paced writing of Siegel's other works (try Special Circumstances), this book is very slow-moving with very little suspense. Even the usual appearance of Nick the Dick Hanson does little to save this book. Michael's client, Skipper Gates has nothing to like about him and the reader doesn't care if Daley gets him off or not. When all is revealed in the end you shake your head as the explanation to what actually occurred if very far-fetched.

It is so refreshing to pick up a thriller that is not about spies, high-tech devices and espionage. This one had me turning pages faster than a speeding bookworm. Siegal takes a situation and compounds it to the point where you say, "He'll never get out of this one!" And it held my interest right to the very end.

I would reccommend this book to anyone who's into a well-written, logical and suspenseful read. I very seldom go the distance and give out a full five stars to a book, but this one certainly deserves it. A must read!