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SOLOMON VS. LORD
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Bantam Books,
October 2005
Reviewed by
Barbara Fielding
Steve Solomon and Victoria Lord are opposing
counsel on a case that lands the two of them in a holding cell. Steve
"Slash and Burn" Solomon is a thirty-five year old criminal defense
lawyer with an easy smile and brash personality. Victoria Lord is an
uptight rookie prosecutor. On Victoria's first day as a prosecutor for
Dade County, she lands in a cell across from "the most unethical
lawyer" she knows. Solomon intentionally provoked her into losing her
cool in court.
Steve thinks Victoria has a great legal mind
and great legs. He feels she will make an outstanding lawyer if
DA Ray Pincher doesn't ruin her first. Baiting Victoria was his way of
mentoring her -- molding her into the kind of trail lawyer he thinks
she could become. Of course, he never intended to get her fired.
After their unfortunate and volatile beginning you
would think they would avoid each other, but that wouldn't be any fun.
When Katrina Barksdale, a Miami socialite, is charged in the death of
her sixty year old husband, Solomon and Lord both seek to be retained
as her defense attorneys. Solomon needs the paycheck and Lord needs
the trial experience. They eventually enter into a reluctant temporary
partnership for the Barksdale trial. Now, they must find a way to work
together despite the explosive chemistry between them and the
complications of their personal lives.
SOLOMON VS. LORD is a fast-paced romantic legal
mystery. The banter and zingers flying between these two characters
is reminiscent of Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepherd in the old
Moonlighting television series.
The legal mystery is first rate. Author Paul Levine
certainly knows how to spin a legal tale. However, I found the
romantic element was a little rocky. I had a problem with some
inconsistencies in Victoria Lord's character. She is presented as an
ethical and slightly repressed person, but in a couple of scenes she
acts in a way that I found hard to accept in an
honorable character. There wasn't enough internal narrative to explain
why she would betray her own standards and act against type. Since
this novel is part of a series, I can only hope there will be
some explanation and growth in her character.
Steve Solomon is a playboy who dates many beautiful
women. He's the last person you'd expect to be a guardian of his
young autistic savant nephew, Bobby. Steve isn't the greatest role
model, but among his redeeming qualities are his devotion to family
and his desire to defend underdogs. Little Bobby is an appealing,
multifaceted character and I am looking forward to reading more about
him.
Paul Levine is a former journalist, trial lawyer
and screenplay writer. He was co-executive producer for the television
series First Monday and wrote for the JAG
televisions series. He is also the author of the Jake Lassiter
Mystery series. SOLOMON VS. LORD is the first novel in a new
series. A sequel, THE DEEP BLUE ALIBI: SOLOMON VS. LORD, is due out in
January 2006.
November 2005
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