Trial lawyer Barbara Holloway has a reputation for taking on the toughest cases and winning them. But this time it looks as though she’s up against an unbeatable opponent—the lawyer who taught her everything she knows.
The trial involves the murder of Gus Marchand, a hard-working, God-fearing man who is found dead on his kitchen floor. The locals cast their suspicions toward Alex Feldman, Marchand’s hideously deformed neighbor, without any real evidence linking him to the crime. At the request of a fellow attorney, Barbara agrees to defend him.
The other suspect is the high school principal, Hilde Franz, who’d had an argument with the dead man earlier that week. But Hilde also happens to be an old friend of Barbara’s father, Frank, who has agreed to defend him in court. For the first time in her career, Barbara cannot turn to her father for advice. Quite the contrary: she has to stay one step ahead of him if she’s to have any hope of saving her client. Because she knows only too well what kind of legal mind she’s up against.
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"This book looks at how people are judged by appearances and what lies beneath these human surfaces. The main character tackles a case that revolves around the prejudices of society toward those with disfiguring accidents and appearances can work against a person." — Heather (4 out of 5 stars)
"This book looks at how people are judged by appearances and what lies beneath these human surfaces. The main character tackles a case that revolves around the prejudices of society toward those with disfiguring accidents and appearances can work against a person."
“As usual, Wilhelm devises a clever plot and peoples it with a cast of well-developed, fully human and complex characters...A solid page turner that should delight the prolific Wilhelm’s many fans.”
“Wilhelm’s sixth Barbara Holloway legal thriller sustains her reputation as a fine stylist who is able to craft compelling plots and characters.”
“Besides being a page-turner, the book offers real food for thought about attitudes toward the deformed physically as well as toward anyone who is ‘different’…These characters suffer the consequences of their actions and leave readers pondering their fates.”
“A satisfying read for thriller fans.”
“Fast-paced, plausible, and entertaining.”
" My favorite Barbara Holloway novel yet. It was well written, a good story, and compelling characters. I hope the trend continues with book 7. "
" I'm such a huge Kate Wilhelm fan. I always enjoy checking back in with Barbara, Frank, Bailey, and Shelley as they work through their cases. "
" This was another amazing mystery by Kate Wilhelm. It teaches us not to judge people by appearance and is truly a "Beauty and the Beast" story as advertised. This was an excellent vacation read for me. "
" Good Local color. Premise is different. No sympathy for the victim "
" I like this author's characters. Interesting story, I'll be picking up other books by her. "
" This is another easy read (listen) on my MP3 while I am on the treadmill. I enjoy following the legal adventures of Barbara Holloway. "
" I think this is the best Kate Wilhelm that I have read. Unique character interactions on top of the usual fine plotting and pacing. I will be very sad when I run out of these to listen to! "
" not to be judging by appearances "
" This is one of the best Barbara Holloway books that I have read so far. The first chapter started out very slow for me, but it picked up fairly quickly after that. "
" FANTASTIC, FANTASTIC, FANTASTIC!!!!! This whole Barbara Holloway series was Great! "
" This was an audio version that malfunctioned halfway through. It wasn't good enough to try to find another copy. "
" This was a great find and enjoyable saga... not only a great plot, but touches on so many issues in the process! "
" Interesting and entertaining, good job as usual by Wilhelm "
" I found this book tedious. I ended up skipping about 75% of it just to read what happens; I don't think I missed much. "
" Well-written and plotted and I do like a bit of courtroom action. "
" One of her best so far! "
" One of the things I've especially enjoyed in the Barbara Holloway series is the way Wilhelm weaves medical/scientific story lines woven into the mystery/court room action. This one certainly fulfills that aspect as well as further developing the main and recurring characters. Another good read. "
" Well-done mystery-as-morality tale, psychological and social commentary arranged as a puzzle, well-drawn characters and an ending I didn't anticipate till quite near the conclusion What's not to like? "
Kate Wilhelm (1928–2018) was the bestselling author of dozens of novels and short-story collections. Among her novels are the popular courtroom thrillers featuring attorney Barbara Holloway. Her other works include the science fiction classic Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang.
Marguerite Gavin is a seasoned theater veteran, a five-time nominee for the prestigious Audie Award, and the winner of numerous AudioFile Earphones and Publishers Weekly awards. She has been an actor, director, and audiobook narrator for her entire professional career. With over four hundred titles to her credit, her narration spans nearly every genre, from nonfiction to mystery, science fiction, fantasy, romance, and children’s fiction. AudioFile magazine says, “Marguerite Gavin…has a sonorous voice, rich and full of emotion.”
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