Trial [Hardcover]

Parnell Hall (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1996

Actor-turned-sleuth Stanley Hastings finds himself ringside at a notorious murder trial when he is hired to investigate the alibi of accused wife slayer Anson Carbinder, but the case soon becomes complicated by another murder. By the author of Movie.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The low-rent tribulations of N.Y.C. PI Stanley Hastings (Actor, Blackmail, Movie, etc.) once fueled a bunch of enjoyable light crime yarns as Stanley cased out ill-lit stairways and injured clients for his shark-like, ambulance-chasing litigator boss, Richard Rosenberg. Now, after some darker detours in which the cases got nastier and Stanley's thespian aspirations were mistakenly given center stage, Parnell makes a partial recovery. This time the monster-egoed Rosenberg is defending a man accused of murdering his wife. Anson Carbinder has six buddies who will swear he won the biggest pot in a poker session the night of the murder. But he also has a busty bimbo in tow, and a brand-new insurance policy on his wife. Rosenberg is naturally determined to preserve the integrity of the alibi. But the complexities of the game make Stanley curious and a little uneasy, especially when one of the poker players suddenly gets scared-and then dead. This latest outing moves at a smart clip and nicely balances the convolutions of the alibi with a lot of very sharp turns in the courtroom.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Hall's latest one-word title describes the further adventures of Manhattan investigator Stanley Hastings. Attorney Richard Rosenberg, the personal injury specialist who usually employs Stanley, has him investigate the alibi of his latest client, a rich man accused of murdering his wife. The case has all the earmarks of notoriety?wealth, blood, and deceit. Looks good.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 311 pages
• Publisher: Mysterious Pr; First Edition edition (February 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892965703
• ISBN-13: 978-0892965700
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,402,985 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fun mystery novel, November 2, 2001

By 

S. Bowman (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Trial (Stanley Hastings Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

I wasn't expecting much from the book and it turned out to be a fun mystery novel. It is a traditional whodunnit, and is fun to read. The story is a bit predictable but Mr. Hall still makes the tale interesting, and the main character Stanely Hastings, is well-developed. Hall also throws in a fair share of witty, humourous lines that gives the reader plenty of opportunity to smile and laugh while reading the story.