Product Description

Debut author Sheldon Siegel bursts into the legal thriller arena with a riveting courtroom drama, exposing the world of big-time law firms and lawyers in a fresh, sharp-witted, wonderfully sardonic page-turner.

Meet Mike Daley. Ex-priest. Ex–public defender. And as of yesterday, ex-partner in one of San Francisco's most prominent law firms. Today he's out on his own, setting up practice on the wrong side of town. Then his best friend and former colleague is charged with a brutal double murder, and Daley is instantly catapulted into a high-profile investigation involving the prestigious law firm that just booted him.

As he prepares his case, Daley uncovers the firm's dirtiest secrets. It doesn't take long for him to discover that in this trial, ambition, friendship, greed, and long-standing grudges will play just as important a role as truth and justice.

Brilliantly paced, crackling with energy and suspense, Special Circumstances reminds us why we love to hate lawyers — but can't get enough of courtroom drama when it's done this well.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #205504 in Books
• Published on: 2001-06-26
• Released on: 2001-06-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 576 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780553581928
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com Review
With over a hundred mysteries and thrillers published each month, it's rare that a new book by an unknown author makes a splash, both with critics and with the public. John Grisham's The Firm was a cult hit among lawyers that exploded into New York Times bestsellerdom. Tom Clancy's The Hunt for Red October, first published by the Naval Institute Press, was discovered when Ronald Reagan labeled it a "perfect yarn." Sheldon Siegel's debut legal thriller, Special Circumstances is likely to take its place among these precious few.

The novel begins with the distinctive voice of Siegel's ex-priest hero: "After my five years as an underproductive partner in our white-collar criminal defense department, our executive committee asked me to leave. I was, in short, fired. On Monday I'll open the law offices of Michael J. Daley, criminal-defense attorney, in a subleased office in a walk-up building in the not-so-trendy part of San Francisco's South of Market area. Welcome to the modern practice of law...."

But on his final day of work, a senior partner turns up dead. A close colleague of Daley's is the most likely suspect, and Daley--in his new walk-up practice--takes the case. In a series of brilliantly executed twists and turns, he uncovers one layer of deception and intrigue after another to get to the root truth of the case. Meanwhile, Siegel--a San Francisco attorney himself--continues to pepper his first-person narrative with Daley's dead-on jabs at the world of courtroom warfare. Of the new San Francisco DA, for example, Daley comments: "As an attorney, he's careless, lazy and unimaginative. As a human being, he's greedy, condescending and an unapologetic philanderer. As a politician, however, he's the real deal."

While Special Circumstances is not a "perfect yarn," it is nearly so. As well-executed as most classic legal thrillers, it slips effortlessly into a distinctive narrative voice to capture Mike Daley's world and elevate the thriller story line to a deeper commentary on the state of the legal profession and the quest for true justice. Welcome to the big time, Sheldon Siegel. --Patrick O'Kelley

From Publishers Weekly
San Francisco attorney Siegel's debut pits a likable lead against a giant law firm run by villains and fools; the result is a well-made courtroom page-turner, skillful and taut right up through the surprise ending. Siegel's hero and narrator is the competent, low-key Mike Daley, former priest and onetime public defender, now a 45-year-old partner at San Francisco's glossy Simpson and Gates. Daley hasn't brought enough business to the criminal department, and the senior partners have asked that he resign. Also leaving the firm is Prentice Marshall "Skipper" Gates III, son of the firm's founding partner: Skipper has just been elected district attorney. "My partners are thrilled," says Daley of Skipper's departure. "They have never complained about his arrogance, sloppy work and condescending attitude.... What they can live without is his $400,000 draw..." On New Year's Eve at Simpson and Gates, Daley is packing up his office, Skipper is enjoying a glitzy farewell party and other lawyers are working to close a lucrative property deal. But when the deal falls apart, two of those lawyers--a slimy master litigator and an ambitious young female partner--are found shot to death. At first it seems to be a murder-suicide brought on by greed, sex and depression. Then one of Daley's few friends at the firm, the son of a prominent rabbi, is charged with the murders. Daley and Skipper clash in a high-profile court case with echoes of several recent real-life media circuses. If the trial itself takes up too many pages, Siegel redeems himself elsewhere by focusing on the flawed, often-desperate Daley: Siegel humanizes his hero by depicting Daley's charged, still-sexual relationship with his ex-wife, a tough lawyer who retains custody of their six-year-old daughter. With a winning protagonist and a gripping plot, Siegel's debut is sure to make partner at its first-choice firm: the expanding empire of Turow, Grisham, Lescroart, Wilhelm, Margolin and Baldacci. (Feb.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Another lawyer, another highly touted legal thriller debut. Here, down-on-his-luck Mike DalyAa former priest dumped from his law firm's partnershipAfinds himself in a tacky office defending a friend against a murder charge.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Read This Special Book!
"Special Circumstances" is a well-written, suspenseful book, that has a lot of humor sprinkled throughout. Whether you love lawyers or hate them, you will love this book. Siegel's writing had me hooked from the first sentence of the first page, up to the very end. There were some great twists and turns that made this book a real page-turner. The main character, Mike Daley, has a great, dry wit, and I laughed out loud several times at comments he made. I look forward to reading Sheldon Siegel's next book and seeing what mischief his characters get themselves into. In my opinion, Siegel is a much better writer than Grisham. Buy the book and decide for yourself!

Brilliant, unputdownable courtroom drama
Having read hundreds of similar genre novels, I consider this one of the best and the writer the most promising of all legal thriller masters. The story is well-structured, the characters realistic and the courtroom scenes are purely the work of an experienced trial lawyer. But the most fascinating aspect of the book, and what distinguishes it from other efforts, is the development of the main character. He is not impeccable, and not attempted to be depicted as the perfect lawyer. He has shortcomings both professionally and in the personal level. He is more human than any of the heros in similar books. The writing is gripping as well as funny, a rare combination. The situation between the writer and his ex-wife is a nice twist, and painfully realistic. I reccomend this book to all courtroom drama lovers, but those who enjoy other kinds of action might be disappointed. I am looking forward to a new book by Siegel, hoping it will feature Mike Daley.

A Legal Thriller for the Ages
Special Circumstances is a book you just can't put down. After having read books by everyone from Grisham to Turow to Father Greeley, this is the best. The characters are well drawn out and believable. Anyone who has ever worked at a law firm can identify with these people. The protagonist, Mike Daley is your basic neighborhood guy who wound up at the wrong law firm and basically got out just before he was asked to leave. He's easy to identify with and you really pull for him if not for his client the cheating son of a rabbi. The people who were murdered are basically lawyers who deserved their fate. Everybody has this fantasy about the boss and his fluzzy getting knocked off and this book hits the mark perfectly. The great thing about this book is Mike Daley. He's a good guy in above his head trying to get his best friend off on a murder rap. Daley's funny, smart and caring. All things none of the other lawyers are in this book and probably in real life too. Basically, if you don't like lawyers, its a great book. Basically, if you don't like fancy lawyers from the right schools from the right big firms across the US its an even better book. This is a wonderful book and Mike Daley is the type of lawyer we'd all like to represent us if we got into trouble.