Pursuit of Justice [Paperback]

Mimi Latt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1999

A gripping novel of murder, passion, betrayal, and legal intrigue played out against the high-stakes world of cutthroat lawyers and ruthless power brokers, by the national bestselling author and former trial attorney, Mimi Latt.

Young and idealistic L.A. lawyer Rebecca Morland had a rosy future. She and her husband, Ryan, had a happy and passionate marriage and planned to start a family. Then Ryan vanished. Recently named a partner at one of the city's most prestigious law firms, Ryan was last seen at a yacht party thrown by a wealthy and politically ambitious businessman. Two days later his body was found and Rebecca's life was turned upside down.

The death is ruled a suicide by police eager to close the case, but Rebecca refuses to accept this verdict. She knew Ryan had been hiding something from her, yet with each fact uncovered, the truth becomes more elusive. Without judge or jury, Rebecca must test her cunning against a list of suspects that includes a Senatorial candidate; Ryan's jealous ex-lover; a multimillionaire real estate developer; a rival for partner; and a sinister political insider -- as she blindly enters a dangerous and depraved game of justice where the penalty for failure is death.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Young lawyers Rebecca and Ryan Morland are in love and he's on the partnership track at a top Los Angeles law firm. When Ryan falls from a yacht and drowns, his death is ruled a suicide. Rebecca is convinced that her guy was not the type, but her attempts to prove otherwise are hindered at every turn, until a handsome district attorney takes an interest. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Latt (Power of Attorney) strives for breathless intrigue, but daytime-drama values render this legal thriller unintentionally droll. One minute, Rebecca Morland is slow-dancing on a "huge private motor yacht" with husband Ryan; the next minute, his drowned body is savaged by circling sharks. The L.A. County Sheriff's Department declares Ryan a suicide, and Ryan's law partners readily agree, announcing that he's been embezzling from the partnership. But Rebecca, herself a lawyer, is incredulous: Ryan was not a thief and was too much in love to take his own life. Why, they were even nervously awaiting blood-test results to confirm her much-desired pregnancy. So, patting her queasy tummy, Rebecca launches into her own investigation of Ryan's unsavory partners: jilted vixen Catherine Dennison (who says "very well" instead of "okay"); "perpetually cunning" John Evans; "stately managing partner" Brandon Taylor, who has unfathomable ties to sleazy Republican power-brokers. Like the makers of TV soaps, Latt characterizes by coiffure: Rebecca's "red hair cascaded over her should in a mass of curls," but the hair of dubious characters is "streaked," "sleek," "dirty-blond" or "scraggly." When Rebecca meets a deputy DA with "curly brown hair worn rather long," we know she won't be grieving forever. The many tinselly details (such as a mustachioed villain's "fawn-colored jodhpurs") border on self-parody, but what is most preposterous here is the wooden dialogue. Says a "top investigator," "I take it something's wrong or you wouldn't have wanted to meet me away from the office where we can't be overheard." If only.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Pocket (August 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671034111
• ISBN-13: 978-0671034115
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,821,487 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:

1.0 out of 5 stars Practically unreadable, April 29, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Pursuit of Justice (Paperback)

It is unbelievable to me that anyone could actually praise this book. As a lawyer, I found it totally without credibility in any respect. The characters are amateurishly drawn. This book gives new meaning to the word "cliche."

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ENGROSSING FROM THE FIRST PAGE!, September 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Pursuit of Justice (Paperback)

PURSUIT OF JUSTICE opens with attorney Rebecca Morland's husband Ryan mysteriously disappearing from aboard a yacht. Investigating the mystery, our heroine tries to reconstruct the final days of Ryan's life. What she discovers is both riveting and engaging from start to finish. Author Mimi Latt takes the legal thriller genre to new highs in PURSUIT OF JUSTICE. Add this book to your shopping cart, you won't be disappointed.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional-not to be missed, December 19, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Pursuit of Justice (Hardcover)

Rebecca Moreland, a senior staff attorney at a local legal clinic, is happily married to Ryan Moreland, a partner in the prestigious law firm of Taylor, Denison, and Evans. They are desperately in love and hoping for a baby. Their future seems even more secure when Brandon Taylor announces his candidacy for the senate and promises to bring his protégé with him to DC when he wins. On the night of a fund raiser at a yacht, Ryan disappears.

Two days later, Ryan's body washes ashore. The officials want to declare his death as a suicide because the partners claim that it was soon to be public knowledge that he embezzled company funds. Rebecca knew her spouse would never have killed himself even if he had committed a criminal action which she doubts he did. She thinks he was murdered and intends to prove it even if it means going up against the most powerful people in the state.

PURSUIT OF JUSTICE is a very forceful and believable modern day rendition of David (actually Davidette) vs Goliath. The female protagonist is a heroine who is unafraid to battle with foes who could easily crush her if she was not so resourceful and intrepid. Although there is a lot of action and compelling sub-plots, the heart of this mesmerizing tale lies in the character of Rebecca who never loses faith that her beloved spouse never killed himself, let alone committed a criminal action. Mimi Lott, author of the best selling POWERS OF ATTORNEY, shows that she is a real force in the legal thriller sub-genre.

Harriet Klausner