Author:James Sheehan,Vincent Marzello
A rich man parks his expensive car in downtown New York.
As he gets out of the car, he is surprised to see a young man in front of him, holding a gun. No need to panic. He's been in this situation before. It's surely about money, and therefore negotiable - isn't it?
There's a sharp crack of a gun and then silence.
A week later a small time crook has been arrested for murder. Two eye witnesses have put him at the scene of the crime, but did he pull the trigger?
He's facing death row and if there's to be a law of second chances, he needs a good lawyer fast.
Sheehan handles the courtroom stuff like a pro, dragging us through cross-examinations and procedural challenges with deftly hewn dialogue.
—— The TimesSheehan has written an outstanding legal debut full of rich characters. Full marks!
—— Independent on SundaySheehan's book is a powerful polemic against the American legal system and above all against the death penalty.
—— Literary ReviewA morbidly entertaining novel that outdoes the competition.
—— New York TimesExhilarating... I want to crown Ariana Franklin Queen of the Historical Mystery!
—— Tess GerritsenEntertaining, well researched and well written
—— JOANNE HARRISGreat fun! Franklin succeeds in vividly bringing the 12th century to life with this cracking good story. Expertly researched, a brilliant heroine, full of excellent period detail
—— Kate Mosse, author of LABYRINTHA skilful blend of historical fact and gruesome fiction
—— Publishers WeeklyTerrific... Wonderfully plotted. It's a historical mystery that succeeds brilliantly as both historical fiction and crime-thriller
—— Diana Gabaldon , WASHINGTON POST...A morbidly entertaining novel that outdoes the competition
—— NY TimesDelightfully original
—— LITERARY REVIEW, June 2007Brilliant...A ripper, peopled with vivid characters.
—— THE DAILY TELEGRAPHThe deserved winner of this year's Ellis Peters Historical Dagger is a cunningly plotted tale set in medieval Cambridge. A serial killer is at large, and the Jews are blamed. Henry I offers protection because he needs the money. He sends a medical examiner - a master of the art of death - to find the killer. Great stuff
—— THE OBSERVERGruesome and compelling
—— Evening StandardNorwegian star Jo Nesbo has obliterated most of his Scandinavian rivals in the bestseller stakes, with The Leopard published in paperback this week... The uncrowned king of Norwegian crime fiction is Jo Nesbo. Books such as The Redbreast (2000) and his imposing novel The Snowman have propelled Nesbo to the heights. Apart from its narrative finesse, his work also provides a coolly objective guide to fluctuations in Norwegian society. There is also a universal feeling that his work is more strikingly individual than that of most of his Scandinavian colleagues... Harry is a lone wolf, a chronic alcoholic separated from his wife and child but in touch with the zeitgeist of his country. And Nesbo gives us a sharp picture of Norwegian society in flux, crammed with relevant detail - as you might expect from an ex-freelance journalist, particularly where the role of the media is described
—— Barry Forshaw , IndependentNesbo has a skill for dispatching his victims with increasing inventiveness, and he barely lets you draw breath before delivering a virtuoso torture and death scene in the opening chapter
—— ShortlistThe plot is intriguing, and Nesbo's writing is as taught as ever
—— Sunday TimesIt's fascinating to discover, from the incident details, what it is like to live for much of the time in a world under snow... Nesbo writes beautifully
—— Jessica Mann , Literary ReviewThere are passages [which are] so anatomically gruesome...that they can only be properly read through the gaps between protecting fingers
—— ProspectNorwegian star Jo Nesbo has obliterated most of his Scandinavian rivals in the bestseller stakes, with The Leopard published in paperback this week...The uncrowned king of Norwegian crime fiction is Jo Nesbo. Books such as The Redbreast (2000) and his imposing novel The Snowman have propelled Nesbo to the heights. Apart from its narrative finesse, his work also provides a coolly objective guide to fluctuations in Norwegian society. There is also a universal feeling that his work is more strikingly individual than that of most of his Scandinavian colleagues...Harry is a lone wolf, a chronic alcoholic separated from his wife and child but in touch with the zeitgeist of his country. And Nesbo gives us a sharp picture of Norwegian society in flux, crammed with relevant detail - as you might expect from an ex - freelance journalist, particularly where the role of the media is described
—— Independent