Customer Reviews

Proof of Intent: A Charley Sloan Courtroom Thriller (Charley Sloan Novels)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a superbly written novel by two authors, William Coughlin and Walter Sorrells, where I have not had prior exposure to their writings. I do not proffer 5-star ratings unless the novel meets a few personal criteria:

1. Challenging, great command of English language, diction, and syntax.
2. Depth of main and supporting characters coupled with an engaging story line.
(Nowadays, notice how authors introduce too many minor characters that don't deliver substance to the novel?)
3. Logical and twisting plot. Suspenseful and thrilling.

Proof of Intent exceeded my expectations and is a fabulously written criminal defense novel. The main characters are richly developed and the minor characters have enough character-descriptions to identify with them lucidly. Recently, this is one of the best fictional books that I have read. I look forward to read additional books by these authors. This is a "must-read" for the spellbound enthusiast, who enjoys courtroom drama to its finality. Enjoyable!

William Coughlin has been dead for years, yet the books keep coming. His latest posthumous legal thriller is "Proof of Intent," written by Walter Sorrells. This novel brings back Charley Sloan, a slick criminal defense attorney who is a recovering alcoholic. Charley has a shaky relationship with his grown daughter, Lisa. She, like her father, is an alcoholic and she has recently dropped out of law school. While her father has remained sober for seven years, Lisa is having trouble staying on the wagon.

Charley and Lisa team up to defend Miles Dane, a writer of pulp fiction who is accused of bludgeoning his wife, Diane, to death. Miles claims that he worshipped Diane, and he would never think of harming her. Sloan faces a hostile judge, a skilled prosecuting attorney, and a mountain of circumstantial evidence that points to Miles Dane as the murderer. Charley and Lisa have their work cut out for them in this difficult case.

Sorrells does a creditable job of setting up the characters and making them believable. Charley is, as he has been in the past, sharp, funny, resourceful, and not above pulling shady courtroom stunts to help his client. His daughter, Lisa, is not fully fleshed out, but she is an intriguing character and I would like to see more of her.

The courtroom scenes in "Proof of Intent" are dramatic and suspenseful and the murder mystery is engrossing. The problem with this novel is the contrived ending, which seemed tacked on to "surprise" the reader. However, I still recommend "Proof of Intent," since it moves forward briskly and does what a legal thriller should do. Sorrells holds the reader's interest until the end and he does so with considerable style.

Pickeral Point, Michigan has its share of famous people like defense attorney Charley Sloan and mystery writer Miles Dane. These two men become very acquainted on the night of Oct 21 when Miles calls Charley and tells him his wife Diana was murdered. When Charley arrives on the scene, he sees Diana beaten to death in her own bed and calls 911.

From the time the police arrive, Charlie knows that he is going to have an uphill battle on his hands. Diana was killed with one of Mile's weapons, the fingerprints on the weapon belong to the defendant, and Dane's clothes soaked with Diana's blood are found on a neighbor's boat. A lesser man would quit in face of such overwhelming evidence but Charley is the type of lawyer who likes to try to pull off the impossible.

Now deceased William J. Coughlin created the triumphs and tribulations of Charley Sloan. Upon the death of the award-winning author, Walter Sorrels, a fine mystery writer in his own right, has begun writing legal thrillers starring Charley. It is impossible to figure out without knowing the facts, which writer wrote the book. Mr. Sorrels has done an excellent job of staying true to the character with the courtroom scenes particularly are a study of excellence. Hopefully, Mr. Sorrels will write more Charley books in the future.

Harriet Klausner

With great aplumb, Walter Sorrells revives the late Walter Coughlin's infamous alcoholic attorney, Charley Sloan. A middle-of-the-night phone call from local tough-guy writer Miles Dane propels Sloan into a case that appears as flimsy as tissue paper.
Charley, with the help of his drop-out, alcoholic, daughter, Lisa, set out to determine the truth of 'who bludgeoned to death Miles Danes beloved wife. "Proof of Intent" is non-stop action at its very best, a well crafted who-done-it that left me unprepared for its suprise ending. I hope Sorrells will pen more Charley Sloan narratives.
Beverly J Scott author of "Righteous Revenge" and "Ruth Fever" ...

I loved this book. The Characters were very enjoyable and the book flowed really well. I was very disappointed when I finished reading this book since I became very attached so, I'm getting another Charlie sloan book right away. Happy reading. Kath

Probably the best book that I have read in a year - all you that love legal thrillers will really like this!

I enjoyed this book, it was funny, the mystery was good and it kept you guessing to the end. I would definitely read this author again.

Walter Sorrells has brought Charles Sloan back to life; he was originally created by Willima J. Coughlin who died in 1992. His best-selling books included SHADOW OF A DOUBT, IN THE PRESENCE OF ENEMIES, THE JUDGMENT OF MYSTERY, etc. He was a judge and a defense atty. in Detroit in addition to his novels.

Sloan has been summoned to the mansion at Pickeral Point, Michigan, by Miles Dane at 4 a.m. to fine Mrs. Dane savaglely murdered in her bed. The police were called, and the first on the scene was a youngster who strung up the crime-scene tape. Fifteen minutes later, a woman with the unforunate name of Sandra Ham Denkerberg, showed up to investigate the murder.

She was a tall, handsome woman of about fifty, her severe black pageboy punctuated by a white streak over the left ear, with painted on eyebrows and false eyelashes. She asks Miles, "So your client is a liar. Does that make him a murderer, too?"

After an ordeal with mystery surrounding the death of his wife, Miles sold the house to a 16-yr-old rap star from Detroit and moved to Los Angeles. He became a squire of young actresses at movie openings. Then in the 'Free Press' a story appeared, "Controversial Author Dies of Self-Inflicted Gunshot."

He'd admitted to his attorney that he had killed his wife and gotten away with it, but who knows. As Daniel Rourke, a detective, said on the stand: "In the end, Miles Danes' creations always got their just desserts." Could it have been cake? This was printed by Thomas Dunne Books and attributed to Ruth Coughlin and Walter Sorrells. Hopefully, she won't be anothre V C Andrews clone.