No Show of Remorse [Hardcover]

David J. Walker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 12, 2002

Chicago private eye Mal Foley was a lawyer once. Then he disobeyed a court order requiring him to reveal a client's role in a shootout that left three people dead, one of them a cop, and his law license was revoked. Now years removed from that fateful day, Mal is filing a petition to get his license reinstated. It quickly becomes a problem, however, as Mal is expected to "express remorse for his misconduct" in order to satisfy the court, something he steadfastly refuses to do.

In fact, he would withdraw the petition -- if people would only stop trying to frighten him into doing just that. Anonymous notes turn into death threats, then into savage beatings, and finally into murder. It seems no one wants Mal's petition to lead to a hearing, where testimony might reveal what really led to the shooting so many years ago.

The person with the most to lose should the truth come out seems to be Jimmy Coletta, a second cop shot that night. Coletta survived, but has spent his life since in a wheelchair. Whatever part he played in the shootout, he seems a good man now, spending his life helping minority kids who have disabilities. Mal doesn't want to bring Jimmy down, but soon an innocent man's life depends on Mal pressing ahead with his petition, no matter who gets destroyed in the process. Set in Chicago, No Show of Remorse is a startling novel about crime, corruption, and their devastating consequences.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The fourth novel in Walker's Malachy (that's Mala-key) Foley series (Fixed in His Folly, etc.) takes a while to warm up, but once it's got up a head of steam, it moves nicely along. Chicago-based Malachy is a man of great principle or is simply pig-headed, depending on how you look at it. Years ago when he used to be a lawyer, he promised a client that he wouldn't reveal a confidence. Although the court ruled that under the circumstances the attorney-client privilege didn't apply, Malachy refused to go back on his word. The court took his license to practice law, but Malachy wasn't particularly upset (and he found he liked playing private eye). But when he later petitions to have his license reinstated, the case comes back to haunt him. On the one hand, someone is determined to discourage him with threats; on the other, it seems that some people in high places want to help his case for no good reason. It all comes back to an old drug deal gone bad, one that got three crooked cops shot while someone who was involved made off with a half-million dollars and a load of cocaine. Whoever it was thinks Malachy knows too much, but Malachy would be content to forget everything that is, until a friend of his winds up nearly beaten to death and his principles get the better of him again. This may not be the best in the series, but it's still a solid read. Agent, Jane Jordan Browne. (Mar. 25)(Forecasts, Nov. 6, 2000) and other novels in the Wild Onion, Ltd., series.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

A threatening letter featuring a squashed spider has a bracing effect on ex-lawyer, current Chicago private eye, and sometime jazz pianist Malachy Foley. Until the arachnid caught his eye, Foley was half-heartedly pursuing a renewal of his law license as a promise to his now-vanished lady love. But the spider and the threat move him to stay the course out of sheer cussedness. As Foley proceeds, so do the threats, escalating to acts of vandalism and, finally, to murder. Walker has a gift for atmosphere--his Chicago, encompassing downtown with the University of Chicago on the south and Northwestern University to the north, is vividly rendered without being painted solely in "private eye noir." He also has a gift for action that takes sudden, startling, but eminently credible turns. His detective, however, is a bit off, coming across more as an immature teen than a hard-bitten grown-up. In its fourth installment, this series may not have quite found its groove, but it's coming close. Connie Fletcher
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1st edition (April 12, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312252404
• ISBN-13: 978-0312252403
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,692,545 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars strong private investigative tale, March 23, 2002

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: No Show of Remorse (Hardcover)

In Chicago, Malachy Foley tries to regain his license to practice law in the State of Illinois, but he deals poorly with the bureaucracy, which in turn delays his achieving his objective. Five years ago, Mal refused to reveal what his client confided in him despite a State Supreme Court order stating that this was not privileged information. Three people including a cop subsequently died. Mal lost his license and turned to private investigating work.

Besides his inability to cooperate with the bureaucracy, someone does not want Mal to petition for his license while other individuals try to assist the barred attorney. Everything returns to the case that started Mal's downfall when it went bad for everyone except for one person who cleverly escaped with five hundred thousand dollars and plenty of cocaine to sell. That individual is willing to kill to insure Mal never uncovers the full truth.

The fourth Mal Foley tale, NO SHOW OF REMORSE, provides greater insight into the values and principles of the key character than the previous books. However, as the audience learns more about Mal, the story line takes a bit slower to leave the launch pad. Once the plot attains orbit, it never slows down as readers gain a novel that switches from a character study to an action packed who-done-it. David J. Walker entertains his fans with a strong private investigative tale with some touches of a legal procedural that adds spice to the fine mix.

Harriet Klausner