The Last Appeal [Paperback]

Bill Blum (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1997

With a beautiful private investigator in tow, defense attorney Peter Harrigan races against time to save his client, a man wrongly convicted of murder, from the gas chamber, before the real killer takes them out.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Attorney Peter Harrigan is working on death-row inmate Harold Ashbourne's last appeal. Ashbourne's double-murder case has been the one constant in Harrigan's life for more than 10 years and gave him a reason to live when his family died and he lost his leg in a car accident. If he can save Ashbourne, then he may understand why he survived. With the help of beautiful, savvy investigator Josie Guzman, Harrigan sets out to locate his client's primary alibi, Henri Debray, who disappeared the night of the murders. As they retrace the steps of Ashbourne, Debray, and other members of the Saviours environmental organization on the night of the murders, Harrigan and Josie search for the real killers and find unexpected passion and danger as they near the truth. Blum is the author of Prejudicial Error (1995) and will appeal to fans of John Grisham and Nancy Taylor Rosenberg. For most collections. Melanie Duncan

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Onyx (May 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451183118
• ISBN-13: 978-0451183118
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,656,742 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fascinating legal thriller that questions the death penalty, April 11, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Last Appeal (Paperback)

Peter Harrigan was immensely enjoying his lifestyle. He lived in the foothills outside Los Angeles with his beloved wife and two children. He was a rising criminal defense lawyer about to argue a death penalty appeal before the California Supreme Court. All that changed in a car accident in which his breaks failed him, resulting in the deaths of his entire family dead and part of his own leg amputated. Now seven years later, he still works the Ashbourne case as he fights to keep his client from being executed for the fire bomb killing of a professor and his son. ....... Peter becomes emotionally attached to the case, even though his therapists warn him not to get to close to his client. Peter believes that his client is innocent. He hires San Francisco investigator Josie Guzman to try locate a slippery Marxist Henri Debray, who probably has information that would prove that Ashbourne is innocent. As Josie and Peter search for evidence, a link between Peter's car crash and the death penalty case surfaces. If Peter follows this thread, he may find the missing evidence that would free Ashbourne, but then again he may find himself joining his family faster then he expected. ........ Bill Blum provides an intriguing legal thriller that highlights the game plan of lawyers working death penalty appeals (delay of game is the golden rule). Peter is an interesting character and the supporting players are top notch. The courtroom scenes are worth the admission price, even though the private investigation seems a bit lame. THE LAST APPEAL will appeal to readers who enjoy a legal thriller, especially one that provides insight into the legal maneuvering and manipulating surrounding death penalty appeals (remember there is no sudden death for the defense). .......Harriet Klausner

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well Worth your Time and Money, July 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Last Appeal (Paperback)

With capital punishment increasingly in the spotlight and figuring in the current presidential campaign, "The Last Appeal" is a timely look at the process by which the ultimate penalty is imposed. Blum creatively weaves a plot line culled from recent U.S. history of environmental radicals (anyone remember those WTO riots in Seattle?)and creates fascinating characters.

I was particularly struck by the authenticity of the legal procedures in this book which are compellingly and more importantly, ACCURATELY, portrayed, unlike many of the books in this genre which get it all wrong.

In contrast to the one negative reviewer here, I found the book well written, carefully and intriguingly plotted and the characters deftly rendered. Well worth your time and your money. Check out another of Blum's books, "The Face of Justice," for a mystery that you'll NEVER uncover.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Am I the only one who didn't like this book?, July 15, 2000

By 

Joan W. Storm (Salem, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Last Appeal (Paperback)

The story line is predictable, the writing lacks polish, and what passes as a "twist" at the end is nothing more than an inexperienced (and failed!) attempt at suspense. Glad I bought this book at a used book store; it wouldn't have been worth full price. Hey, anyone out there interested in buying my copy -- cheap!