From Publishers Weekly
An abundance of plot twists, legal and personal secrets suddenly revealed, characters lying their heads off and dead bodies saves this first novel, though just barely, from its amateurish writing. Miami prosecutor John Geddy wins a conviction of a serial killer (the "South Beach Butcher") but is forced out of the DA's office for personal reasons and handed a top job with a prestigious Naples, Fla., law firm. Geddy's new celebrity lands him socialite Cynthia Dole as a client; she's out to collect $40 million from a family trust fund. But the trust won't dissolve, releasing its moneys to the beneficiaries, until 21 years after the last survivor of a group called "Measuring Lives"?five women included in the trust as infants in 1952?dies. Geddy learns that all five were victims of the long-ago "New Moon Murders," and links Cynthia's brother, Curtis, to the crimes. In his quest to nail Curtis, Geddy receives help?and some loving attention?from the fund's trustee, beautiful Morgan Gentry, and from a freelance reporter who'd covered the past murders. A sensational civil trial sees Geddy prove that Curtis is the serial killer. Or does it? Experienced legal-thriller readers won't be surprised by the ensuing romantic, financial and legal corkscrewing, nor by the identity of the serial killer. Foley's plotting is lively enough, but his characters are familiar and his writing is often flat, odd or just plain silly (as when Geddy, upon learning that he can try Curtis in civil court, cries out, "I'm back in the murder business!").
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Former assistant district attorney John Geddy intends to probate wills instead of prosecuting serial killers. But things don't go as planned. Geddy's first case is a trust. Cynthia wants her money now and doesn't want her brother, Curtis, to receive his share. It turns out that the trust vests now, primarily because the trust's five measuring lives are all unsolved murder victims. When the evidence points to Curtis as the serial killer, Geddy brings a wrongful death suit against him and wins. Then things go disastrously wrong, and Geddy is on the run trying to prove his own innocence. This is an ambitious novel despite its compact length; Foley writes interestingly and eloquently about the legal issues. What the story lacks is fully realized characters; motivations, except for Geddy's, are either unclear or predictable. Nevertheless, this is a solid first novel, complete with fast pacing, lots of action, and a surprise ending.
Jodi L. Israel, Westwood, Mass.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Jodi L. Israel, Westwood, Mass.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
