Misconception [Mass Market Paperback]

Robert Shapiro (Author), Walt W. Becker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 4, 2002

A small-town Louisiana physician is poised to win confirmation as the next Surgeon General of the United States. But on the eve of his greatest professional achievement, Daniel Wyatt finds himself accused of gross infidelity...and the murder of his unborn child. In the midst of a media frenzy -- as a trial looms that will cast the nation's explosive pro-choice/anti-abortion debate into a blinding new light -- the accused stands to lose more than his reputation, his career, and his freedom. Because an issue that has dangerously polarized America has inspired the bloody wrath of a faceless killer. And Dr. Daniel Wyatt is suddenly more than front-page news -- he's a target.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Best known as a member of O.J.'s Dream Team, attorney Shapiro now teams up with fiction writer Becker (Link) for this issue-driven legal thriller. Though the plot bears a general resemblance to the Simpson case (national figure on trial in a televised courtroom), readers looking for dish not supplied in Shapiro's nonfiction account The Search for Justice will be disappointed. The action centers around Dr. Daniel Wyatt, "a southern white male, courtly, handsome and pro-choice," just nominated for U.S. surgeon general. Everyone considers him a shoo-in for the post, especially his colleague at a women's health clinic in Lafayette, La., Claire Davis, "a strong-willed lawyer" exuding a "powerful sexuality." But just as he steps up to the podium to accept the nomination, Wyatt is paged by Sarah Corbett, an unstable beauty with whom he recently had a fling. Sarah tells him she's pregnant, and though she professes no desire to derail Wyatt's nomination or his marriage to explosively jealous Ellen, she hesitates to get an abortion. Wyatt panics, until Claire procures some RU-486 to give to Sarah. Sarah's sudden miscarriage exposes the affair, and Wyatt finds himself accused of slipping her the abortion drug, thereby "murdering" the unborn child. Meanwhile, Peter O'Keefe, an antiabortion extremist already responsible for the deaths of several ob-gyns in Canada, plots to assassinate Wyatt, and is tracked down by handsome Latino FBI agent Eduardo Costilla. Despite the authors' musings about choice, religion, "human hubris" and destiny, this is pedestrian stuff. The characters are dull-witted and monotonously attractive, and the plot twists might be cribbed from Presumed Innocent and Fatal Attraction. Of course, the courtroom scenes are expertly rendered, but they're nothing we haven't seen on TV. Agent, David Vigliano. National ad/promo; 4-city author tour. (May 21) Forecast: The publisher plans national ad/promo and a four-city author tour, but word of mouth on this novel will be weak, and sales will drop off after a brisk kick-off.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Dr. Daniel Wyatt is at the peak of his career. His successful practice is booming, and he is in line to become the next surgeon general. All he has to do is survive the confirmation hearings. But there is a skeleton in his closet that would surely sink the nomination, wreck his career, break up his wonderful marriage, and cost him the comradeship of his trusted attorney and friend, Claire Davis. His mistress is pregnant, and she is convinced that keeping the baby is the only way to keep them together. The good doctor, however, has another plan, encouraged by Claire, whose own future depends on Daniel's success. Just when it seems as though Daniel might sail right through the hearings, the Senate inexplicably delays its vote. That's when the real circus begins, culminating in a trial for the ages--and that's a topic that Shapiro, of O. J. Simpson fame, knows a little something about. Shapiro's keen courtroom knowledge and coauthor Becker's sharp prose combine for a powerful, fast-paced political thriller. Mary Frances Wilkens
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Avon (June 4, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380733234
• ISBN-13: 978-0380733231
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,925,709 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars i'm exhausted!!, May 29, 2001

By 

kkgame "Family game lover" (Foxboro, ma United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Misconception (Hardcover)

i read this book in one day... neither my husband nor i could put it down!! We had heard Imus and Shapiro discussing it on the radio, and it sounded intriguing. Nothing prepared us for the twists and turns the book would take, right up until the very last paragraph!!! This would be a great discussion group book because it prompts so many legal and moral questions for the reader, without passing judgement.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put this one down!, May 22, 2001

By 

Bling It On "ShootingFish" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Misconception (Hardcover)

Besides being a fast paced story, the writing style was excellent. Lots of food for thought and good entertainment. Would highly recommend.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Non-stop Thrill Ride from Start to Finish, January 16, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Misconception (Paperback)

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. I could not put it down. It makes you wonder, could this really happen?