Motion to Suppress [Paperback]

Perri O'Shaughnessy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1996

Returning from her late shift as a barmaid at a casino in Lake Tahoe, Misty Patterson struck her violently jealous husband in self-defense. She admits that--but did she kill him? She says she can't remember. Like so many times before, Misty blacked out and the rest of the evening is a blank. Now her husband has disappeared, leaving behind a trail of blood, and she's the number-one murder suspect with no one to turn to for help.

San Francisco attorney Nina Reilly is also on the run—from a bad marriage and a worse career setback. Relocated to Lake Tahoe, Nina is resolved to recover her spirit, give her young son a secure home, and build up a small solo practice. But, when Misty Patterson walks in the door, a blond Barbie doll of a cocktail waitress accused of murder, it triggers a harrowing series of events that will change both women's lives forever.

Common sense says Misty is lying. To win this case Nina will have to trust her own instincts, diving headlong into the dark convolutions of the human mind. This murder case—teeming with sinister secrets, unspoken betrayals, and jolting revelations—is going to change everything Nina Reilly believes about the law. It's going to rock everything Misty believes about herself. And if they can learn to trust each other, it's going to give both women their one and only chance to reclaim their shattered lives.

In a spellbinding novel that doesn't let go from the first page until the shocking unforgettable conclusion, Perri O'Shaughnessy delivers an electrifying legal thriller about two women risking all they have for the truth that could cost them their lives—or set them both free.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Debut legal thriller about a barmaid accused of killing her abusive husband.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

This first novel, the collaborative effort of two sisters, one a lawyer, the other a writer, is the story of hard-boiled San Francisco attorney Nina Reilly, whose failed marriage and terminal case of burnout send her seeking a slower pace of life in Lake Tahoe. But no sooner has she tossed away her briefcase and patent pumps than she gets involved in a bizarre murder case. Cocktail waitress Misty Patterson conks her abusive husband over the head after a violent quarrel, then goes off to bed, leaving an injured but still-alive hubby on the couch. When the man is found dead at the bottom of a nearby lake the next day, Misty is arrested for murder and begs Nina to take her case. Nina's determined to get Misty off the hook. And of course, Nina's got her own complicated life--son, lover, and ex-husband--to deal with, too. A good first effort from a promising new writing team. Emily Melton --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Island Books (July 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440220688
• ISBN-13: 978-0440220688
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1.3 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #395,969 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent beginning to a promising series, September 25, 2002

By 

Heartsong (Raleigh, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Motion to Suppress (Paperback)

Having just read "Motion to Suppress", the first in a series of legal thrillers featuring main character Nina Reilly, I've got the other succeeding books already on my reading list. What I like about this book, aside from it's fast-pace and intriguing plot, is that Nina is depicted as an independent woman with smart business savy, yet one with shortcomings and insecurities. In other words, she's human.

Having just left her husband and a prestigious corporate law firm in San Francisco, Nina relocates to Lake Tahoe where she sets up a private practice. There, she takes her first criminal case, Misty Patterson, accused of murdering her abusive husband. In the meantime, Nina has her own personal issues to resolve, including a pending divorce, and warding off intimidation from a another defense attorney, drivin by male ego, who's use to having the run of the town's clientele.

Other bright and colorful characters include Nina's private investigator friend who has hinted at being more than just colleagues, a sassy and witty secretary who has friends and relatives in high places as well as referrals, and a supportive family with whom she takes temporary residence.

If "Motion to Suppress" is an indication of what's to come, I look forward to more of Perri O'Shaughnessy's books.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! what a book, August 20, 1998

By 

Ron Kardos - See all my reviews

This review is from: Motion to Suppress (Paperback)

Do not start reading Perri O'Shaughnessy unless you want to get addicted. These books about defense lawyer Nine Reilly are excellent! There are familier refences to Lake Tahoe which I really enjoyed. One of the most enjoyable books I have read. Be sure to read the other 3.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I LOVED IT!, August 3, 2005

By 

MIA K "MIA" (OREGON) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Motion to Suppress (Paperback)

I CAN'T BELIEVE SOME OF THE REVIEWS I AM READING ABOUT THIS BOOK, I THOGHT IT WAS VERY WELL WIRTTEN AND IT GOT MY ATTENTION. I LOVED THE ENDING IT HAD THE BEST TWIST TO IT, NO ONE COULS HAVE SEEN THAT COMING. I AM STARTING ON INVASION OF PRIVACY NOW AND I CAN ALREADY TELL THAT IT WILL BE EQUALLY THRILLING.