Shadow of a Doubt [Hardcover]

William Jeremiah Coughlin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1991

An electrifying courtroom drama of extraordinary power, reissued to tie in with the super release of In the Presence of Enemies. A failed trial lawyer and recovering alcoholic is swept back into the spectacular career he'd lost when a woman from his past asks him to defend her stepdaughter against a murder charge.

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

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Seldom does mystery/thriller fiction ring as true as in this lucid, emotionally demanding book from federal judge Coughlin ( Her Honor ). Attorney Charley Sloan has lost his lucrative Detroit practice, three wives and a considerable fortune--all to demon rum. Narrowly escaping disbarment, he has retreated to AA and the suburbs to pull his life together. Up pops Charley's high school girlfriend, Robin, who has gone from the backseat of his jalopy to the bed of multimillionaire septuagenarian Harrison Harwell. The mogul's daughter has just been arrested for his murder, and Robin offers Charley the chance to represent Angel Harwell--the media case of the decade--and reestablish his legal reputation. But the DA sees the case as a ticket to a congressional seat and drives full-tilt to discredit Charley. Coughlin so ensnares the reader that every threat--and they are fearsome and many--to Charley's legal success and precarious sobriety sends anxiety levels skyrocketing. The courtroom action soars and plummets its way to the trickiest, most unexpected denouement since Witness for the Prosecution.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

When Robin Harwell hires Charley Sloan to represent her stepdaughter Angel, it ' s a dream come true. Sloan, once a high-priced attorney and now a down-on-his-luck recovering alcoholic, knows things look bleak, for Angel has confessed to the stabbing death of her father, millionaire Harrison Harwell. Trying to figure out who killed Harwell and whether Sloan is capable of putting together an adequate defense for Angel keeps the book moving at a smart pace. Coughlin, a federal judge in Michigan and author of Her Father's Daughter (Putnam, 1986. o.p.), The Twelve Apostles (Putnam, 1984. o.p.), and ten other books, is a consummate sto ryteller and does not disappoint here. Even Sloan's repeated references to his problems with alcohol and his gullibility do not diminish the sharpness of the courtroom drama.
- Jo Ann Vicarel, Cleveland Heights-University Heights P.L., Ohio
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 390 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Pr; 1st edition (August 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312059612
• ISBN-13: 978-0312059613
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #529,113 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best ever, December 24, 2004

By 

Larry Scantlebury (Ypsilanti, MI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shadow of a Doubt (Hardcover)

I picked this book up in the early 90's when it was first published. I thought it remarkable then and now, re-reading it, even more so. It is scary to try a case, especially when the cards are stacked against you.

Charley Sloan beefed up his courage with alcohol, and the house of cards eventually came tumbling down.

Now he has a chance for redemption . . . . and those that hate him a chance for retribution.

This really captures the marriage of alcohol and litigation, regrettably often not that far apart. Coughlin has a strangle hold on the the self doubt of any lawyer who struts and frets his hour upon the stage and his descriptive powers of that fear are without parallel.

Nice view of the dark humor of the meetings, too. 5 stars. Could be 8. Highly recommended. Larry Scantlebury

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Two mysteries--whether Angel killed her father or Charlie Sloan will finish the case.., June 5, 2006

By 

R. Kyle (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shadow of a Doubt (Charley Sloan Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

Charlie Sloan has been around the bend and is slowly coming back. He's made millions of dollars, wed three beautiful women, had a prosperous career, and lost them all to the bottle.

When an old lover comes to him asking him to help with her step-daughter's defense in a case of murdering her father, Charlie sends her elsewhere, but she refuses to go. As he digs, he believes Angel hasn't committed the crime and is determined to get her off--because an NGRI plea isn't an option anymore and he's not willing to send a girl with a mental illness to prison.

The novel's fast-paced and interesting. The end was surprising if you weren't paying real close attention. A good read by an author I want to hear more from!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR..., December 16, 2010

By 

Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Shadow of a Doubt (Charley Sloan Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

This a well-written, compelling legal thriller, about a Charley Sloan, a lawyer who once had the whole world in his hands and was an extremely successful litigator. Then, through his abuse of alcohol, he lost it all.

Now, a recovered alcoholic, he is struggling to make a living. His future looks bleak, as his career is on the skids. Then, like a bolt out of the blue, an old flame asks him to defend her step-daughter, a young woman who is alleged to have killed her father.

At first, he is hesitant to take the case, but both his former lover and her step-daughter are insistent. So, he succumbs and takes the case. After all, it is his chance to once again grab the brass ring and maybe find redemption along the way. He soon finds out, however, that things are not always what they seem.

This is a fast-paced, well-plotted legal thriller that will keep the reader turning the pages. Fans of this genre will not be disappointed.