Under Oath: A Novel [Hardcover]

Margaret McLean (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 25, 2004

A swiftly paced first degree murder and conspiracy trial in Charlestown, Massachusetts. A homicide detective and the victim's sister battle Charlestown's code of silence to keep the case against a crime boss afloat despite his manipulations of the justice system.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A gritty look at townie justice by a new author who really knows the law and its wayward ways." -- Perri O'Shaughnessy, author of Unlucky in Law and Motion to Suppress

"An outstanding novel with a clever, twisting plot and credible characterizations. One of the finest courtroom dramas I've read." -- Jeremiah Healy, author of The Only Good Lawyer and (as

"Under Oath gives us a rare glimpse inside the courtroom where McLean's experience as a prosecutor provides frightening realism." -- M. Diane Vogt, author of the Judge Wilhelmina Carson legal suspense series

McLean knows what she is writing about. Her characters are fully realized. Oath is an accomplished first novel. -- Bob Hale, November 10, 2004

From the Inside Flap

The "code of silence" remains sacred in Charlestown, one of the most insular and historic neighborhoods of Boston, Massachusetts. This engrossing legal thriller features a murder and conspiracy trial against Charlestown’s most notorious crime family. Brothers Billy and Frank Malone stand accused of killing Trevor Shea, a suspected FBI informant, with a potent dose of Power 95 heroin. Boston Homicide Detective Michael Callahan and Michaela Shea, the victim’s sister, battle Charlestown’s infamous "code of silence" and the inherent flaws within the justice system to keep the case against the ruthless Malone brothers alive.

The trial explodes into a high-energy race to justice with chief witnesses being killed, jurors defying their instructions, and FBI cover ups blocking the way. Billy Malone, the cold-blooded crime boss, pulls all the stops to manipulate the justice system and intimidate witnesses. Prosecutor Anson Mitchell presents crucial evidence against the Malones while seasoned criminal defense attorney, Buddy Clancy, unleashes reasonable doubt with penetrating cross-examinations. The jurors oscillate between guilt and innocence as the courtroom drama unfolds. The plot twists into an unpredictable climax. While the jurors are deliberating, the prosecution discovers new and potentially incriminating evidence against the Malones. Time is of the essence as they race to the courthouse in a last ditch attempt to reopen the case and present the new evidence before it's too late. Their efforts appear in vain as the jurors are filing into the courtroom to announce their verdict. Will justice prevail?

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 280 pages
• Publisher: Hot House Press; First Edition edition (October 25, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970047681
• ISBN-13: 978-0970047687
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,904,382 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Utterly compelling from cover to cover, December 6, 2004

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Under Oath: A Novel (Hardcover)

Written by a former Assistant District Attorney with hundreds of criminal cases to her personal experience, Under Oath is a gripping and dramatic crime novel of the struggle to see justice done. A legal thriller following a murder and conspiracy trial in which jurors are intimidated, witnesses are killed and FBI cover-ups obfuscate the truth, Under Oath is haunting in its eerie accuracy and solid grounding in real-life courtroom experience. Utterly compelling from cover to cover.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Authentic Courtroom Drama, November 28, 2004

By 

Kevin O'Mahoney (Cambridge, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Under Oath: A Novel (Hardcover)

Margaret McLean grabbed my attention on the first page and never let go. Avoiding contrived and unrealistic twists in an effort at drama, McLean obviously relies on her experience as a prosecutor to craft a tightly wound and gripping novel. Characters are real people - multi-dimensional and layered. As a trial lawyer, I was impressed with how well McLean was able to weave a compelling drama around the hopelessly anacharistic legal system. Buddy, the criminal defense lawyer, is, perhaps, the most well-developed character - aggressive, charming and passionate. He never lets his feelings for his client cloud his judgment. For those Bostonians looking for a Boston based novel, you need look no further. From her descriptions of Charlestown, it is obvious that McLean is intimately familiar with the territory and lingo of Boston. McLean as a story teller is easily John Grisham's equal -- but her writing is much better.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good trial thriller, December 31, 2004

By 

Rebecca Brown "rebeccasreads" (Clallam Bay, WA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Under Oath: A Novel (Hardcover)

Rebeccasreads highly recommends UNDER OATH as a legal mystery that is also a courtroom thriller of the first order. Margaret McLean, an erstwhile criminal prosecutor & Assistant District Attorney, puts to excellent use her trial experiences as background in this superb tale about a high profile murder trial.

Presenting the case of two brothers accused of killing an FBI informant is a seasoned prosecutor; up against him is a flamboyant & cunning defense lawyer. What follows is fine courtroom action.

UNDER OATH is a great legal read, right up there with ANATOMY OF A MURDER & TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, & we look forward to more from this lawyer-cum-author.