FALLS THE SHADOW **AWARD FINALIST**

NY.NY: William Morrow & Co, 2005. 1ST. ED. with complete number line beginning with 1. Fine in dust jacket, not price clipped, with protective mylar cover. A GUMSHOE AWARD NOMINEE. "*Starred Review* In maverick defense attorney Victor Carl, Lashner (himself a former trial lawyer) has created one of legal-thrillerdom's most interesting and morally ambiguous characters. Here, for instance, Carl begins his story by admitting to "my own utter selfishness"--and if you have read any of the previous entries in this series, you know he's not being coy. Carl really is selfish, along with being manipulative and more than a little shady, but he is also highly intelligent, quick witted, and somehow, despite his abundant flaws, likable. This time out he has accepted (very reluctantly) the appeals case of a man who has been convicted of murder but who insists he's innocent. There is also the matter of the police detective who might have used ethically shaky methods to convict the man. And we must not forget Dr. Bob, Victor's dentist, a charismatic and enigmatic fellow who works his own special brand of magic with Victor's shabby lifestyle. But what is this troubling connection between Dr. Bob and the murdered wife of Victor's client? This is a sordidly fascinating story, compellingly told (as usual) with wit, drama, and a delightfully fluid sense of morality. There really is no one quite like Victor Carl, and Dr. Bob is one of the most intriguing supporting characters ever to inhabit a legal thriller. Great fun and a wonderful antidote to the high seriousness of too many legal thrillers." --- BOOKLIST. First Edition. Hard Cover. Fine/Fine. Book.