Publisher's Weekly Review
A San Antonio criminal lawyer, Brandon is among the best in the legal thriller business at catching the real atmosphere of a trial-that combination of tedium and terror that makes the courtroom such a popular literary arena. His latest book about San Antonio district attorney Chris Sinclair (after 2003' s Sliver Moon) has an absolute aura of authenticity, even though the plot contains many typical thriller elements. Because of Sinclair's zeal, police officer Steve Greerdon was sent to prison eight years earlier for taking part in an armed robbery. When new DNA evidence surfaces proving that Greerdon was innocent, Chris swallows his chagrin and gets him out of jail fast. But is Greerdon really the victim of bad justice or an incredibly clever killer? When two police officers who served with him are murdered, he's found on the scene, claiming a high-level police conspiracy to cover up the real criminals. Sinclair's lover, child psychiatrist Anne Greenwald, also gets involved in the case because of privileged information from a client, and Chris's teenage daughter finds herself being attracted to Greerdon's son. None of this is particularly new or earth-shaking, but Brandon makes his story move along smoothly by creating an involving portrait of a criminal justice system staffed (mostly) by people trying to do the right thing. Agent, Jimmy Vines at the Vines Agency. (June 2) FYI: Brandon's novel Fade the Heat (1990) was an Edgar finalist. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
An undersung hero of courtroom drama (Executive Privilege, 2001, etc.) returns with an admirably complex novel about bitter betrayal and sweet revenge. San Antonio DA Chris Sinclair is shaken when he discovers that eight years ago he helped put an innocent man--a cop, no less--in the slammer. It's no surprise that life in Huntsville has been nightmarish for Steve Greerdon, since ex-cops wear a "brutalize-me" patch on their denim backs assuring them special treatment. Now, however, Greerdon's free to chase the pound of flesh everyone assumes he's eager to exact from the cops who framed him and the DA who tried him so successfully. But hold on: Greerdon is saying astonishing things, like: "Who set me up, why it happened? What difference does it make?" The past is dead, he insists, and the good life beckons. For his efforts to spring him once he realized his mistake, Chris Sinclair deserves only gratitude. It's a nice attitude, even plausible in a way, but Chris is skeptical. Greerdon is still a certified tough guy. Is his ever-so-rational, bygones-be-bygones approach to be taken at face value? Or should Chris and others be deeply worried? Laboring long under the shadows of Grisham and Turow, Brandon has yet to earn the recognition he deserves. But his 13th case--featuring multifaceted characters caught in page-turning dilemmas, his best since his 1990 debut, Fade the Heat--just might be lucky. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.