HOT SHOT by Sheldon Siegel
For years now author Sheldon Siegel has been writing novels about the cases in San Francisco and the surrounding areas that have made their way to the law offices of Mike Daley and Rosie Fernandez. And for years now readers have been enjoying every word on every page. The latest in this series, HOT SHOT, is Siegel at his most interesting and most exciting.
The plot concerns the murder of a Silicon Valley mogul named Jeff King. One night he throws a party for some of his employees and associates and after the party is over he meets with a woman named Lexy Low. They had met on a website for older men and younger women. Jeff and Lexy’s arrangement involved her injecting him with heroin. On this night when she injected him he reacted negatively and died soon after.
Lexy was arrested by the police and the case was referred to the Public Defender’s office. Rosie Hernandez is now the Public Defender and Mike Daley, her ex-husband, is one of her attorneys on staff. Mike asks to represent on the case and off they go.
The relationship between Mike and Rosie has always been one of the most interesting points of this series. They have a can’t live with you, can’t live without you type of relationship. Thought they are divorced they still co-parent their two children, and though Mike has an apartment he still stays at Rosie’s place most of the time. They are completely loyal to each other but somehow the marriage arrangement just does not work for them. Still hope springs eternal they will one day rewed.
In this book the emphasis is mostly on Mike’s character. He is the one who assembles the team to work on the case, including hiring his brother Pete to do some investigative work for him. It is an uphill battle to find anything on which to base Lexy’s claim of innocence, but this team is determined to find the one fact that will prove her claim of innocence.
This novel is completely readable and enjoyable on many levels but the major one is how its story is told. There is a crime committed, a lawyer is hired\assigned, the case is investigated, the trial is held,and there is a verdict. There are no flashbacks per se. It is told in a linear manner and that is so refreshing in this day and time. I have read too many novels lately where the story starts in the middle or the end and then flashes back to the beginning. Give me a break – just tell me the story while going from point A to point B and then point C.
Sheldon Siegel knows his readers and he knows his characters. If he keeps writing books as enjoyable as HOT SHOT we will get to read Mike and Rosie’s adventures for many years to come.
HOT SHOT is available from Amazon.com.
Jackie K Cooper
www.jackiekcooper.com
