THE HALLS OF JUSTICE
Here is the knockout legal thriller of the year, a one-two punch of brilliant writing and complex plotting that firmly establishes Lee Gruenfeld as a worthy heir to Scott Turow and Richard North Patterson. The Halls of Justice is an electrifying novel that will call into question everything you think you know about justice and the law.
Out celebrating a surprise win in court, Diane Pierman, a prominent Santa Monica attorney, and her sister are brutally attacked, leaving them badly traumatized. Their case falls to Deputy DA Sal Milano, a man of strong moral convictions, and a brilliant legal strategist. Though the sisters feel victory is certain, Sal begins to have doubts, as departmental politics and his own growing attraction to Diane begin to overwhelm him.
Out celebrating a surprise win in court, Diane Pierman, a prominent Santa Monica attorney, and her sister are brutally attacked, leaving them badly traumatized. Their case falls to Deputy DA Sal Milano, a man of strong moral convictions, and a brilliant legal strategist. Though the sisters feel victory is certain, Sal begins to have doubts, as departmental politics and his own growing attraction to Diane begin to overwhelm him.
Also, Sal underestimates his opposition, an aging criminal defense attorney with many more years of experience in cleverly manipulating the law to the advantage of questionable clients.
Through an extraordinary misstep of justice, the trial takes an awful turn, leaving Diane and Sal in a state of shock at how the vaunted rules of law betrayed them. While Sal is able to walk away from the case, the sisters are not, and it is they who concoct a remarkable scheme to exact a terrible revenge on their attacker. Their plan is as shockingly bold to police investigators as it is to Sal, and sets off an amazing chain reaction of legal duplicity that will leave no one unscathed.
In this spellbinding novel of legal intrigue, Lee Gruenfeld delivers a galvanic and powerful tale that will resonate long after the last page is turned. Legal suspense has never been more compelling than in The Halls of Justice.
| Publisher Name | Date | ISBN | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dutton | 1996 | 0-525-94130-4 | 438 |
- Library Journal
"Engrossing...clever. Astounding plot twists and a genuinely surprising ending. A well-crafted legal thriller that will further Gruenfeld's reputation as a top-notch suspense writer. Highly recommended."
- Kirkus Reviews ( starred review)
"Gruenfeld returns in top form, this time delivering a first-rate courtroom thriller with a twisty two-track plot that will keep most readers guessing right up through the denouements. A worldly-wise legal shocker."
- Nelson DeMille
"A compelling novel of suspense that will keep you firmly in its grip. THE HALLS OF JUSTICE is a powerful tale, brilliantly told."
- Publishers Weekly
"Gruenfeld's latest thriller demonstrates that this up-and-coming author is as adept at legal twists and turns as he is at police drama (Irreparable Harm) and psycho-thriller chills (All Fall Down). The plot swivels on the delicious maneuvering of prosecution and defense...Gruenfeld handles the legal elements, including the trial, with aplomb. [The prosecutor] isn't the most likable hero around - which is one reason why he and his adventures are so refreshing."
- Baton Rouge Sunday Advocate
"A truly ingenious tale with one plot reversal after another, and surprise is part of the fun. It is the serpentine plot that is the novel's strength and the reason lovers of crime and trial drama should find this yarn to be one of the best to come along in a while."
- Booklist
"Gruenfeld packs this thriller with intriguing characters and a colorful narrative."
- Los Angeles Daily Journal
"Intricate plotting and intrigue, dripping in courtroom maneuvering and politics, by an engaging writer."
- San Francisco Daily Journal
"This is a novel of intricate plotting and intrigue, dripping in courtroom maneuvering and politics by an emerging California writer."
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch
"A grabber. The Halls of Justice will keep you reading."
- West Coast Review of Books
"Gruenfeld is a fine writer who marries a well-crafted plot with finely wrought characters. A legal thriller with both a heart and a mean left hook"
- Mike Sussman, America On-Line
"Move over, Grisham. The Halls of Justice is the best legal thriller I've read in a long time. Suspenseful and emotionally charged…truly compelling" (click here for full text of review)
- Sunday News Journal (Wilmington, DE)
"Intriguing. A lesson in the legal system's frailties and, yes, its strengths. The suspense is abundant, the surprises plentiful"
- San Antonio Express News
"Peachy prose. Gruenfeld delivers beautifully detailed images, and his scenes move forward with terrific levels of suspense."
- MLB News
"Lee Gruenfeld gives us another fascinating thriller."