The Colour of Law- Mark Gimenez

                                                    
Author: Mark Gimenez

Synopsis:
A. Scott Fenney is a Dallas corporate lawyer in the prime of his life. Raking in $ 750,000 a year, with a beautiful house, a beautiful wife and an adored daughter, life could not be better. But when a rich senator's son dies in mysterious circumstances, Fenney is asked by the federal judge to put his air-conditioned lifestyle on hold to defend the accused: a black, heroin-addicted prostitute.
Scott believes in justice- but is his belief strong enough to withstand the loss of everything he holds dear - his salary, his lifestyle, his wife, his child?

Excerpts:
"Now, that story(refering to "To kill a Mockingbird")  took place in Alabama in the thirties- in a different time and a different world, back when the color or law was black-and-white. But our story is taking place seventy years later, in Dallas, Texas. The world's a different place today, things have changed- not everything and not everywhere and not enough, but in our courts of law things have surely changed. Judges have changed. Juries have changed. The color or law has changed. It's no longer black-and-white. My former senior partner told me that the color or law is now green. Today, he said, the rule of law is money. Money rules. And he's right. Lawyers use the law to make money, politicians sell the law to special interests for money, people sue each other for money. Everywhere in the law, it's all about money- except one place. Right there where you are sitting, in that jury box. You're not here for money. You're here for the truth."

Maithili Speaks:
A Scott Fenney is too busy making money to live that perfect life. He was the poor child on the block while growing up. He went on to become a football star and then the star partner of his firm. He was a winner who left no stone unturned. From padding, to making clever negotiations, it was all about making money. But back home he is a faithful husband and adoring Daddy. 
When he makes a speech to impress the federal judge Buford, he has little idea of the hope he gave the judge. He is appointed as the lawyer of a black prostitute accused of murdering the Senator's son. The Senator is running to become the President and to make matter worse, Scott's senior partner- Dan is the Senator's lawyer!! 
To keep his clients, his beautiful house and his wife, Scott will have to take up the case and lose it. But Scott has never given up a game. But will he agree to give up on the life of a black prostitute just because she isn't a playing client? Is he ready to pay the cost of standing for the right with his perfect life and his wife?  


The book draws a parallel with my all time favorite- Harper Lee's To kill a Mockingbird. A. Scott has been inspired by his mother's narration of this book at bedtime. A.Scott has to stand up for all that Atticus did. A good read, not so much for the legal thrill but for that conscience pricking of a lawyer. Of a father. 


The book is also followed by another book "Accused", based on the events following 2 years after this book. The book Accused is reviewed HERE

Rating: 4/5

Price: Rs 295/-

Accused- Mark Gimenez

                                                  

A Scott Fenney novel

Author: Mark Gimenez
Best sellers: The colour of Law, The Abduction, The common Lawyer.

Synopsis:
After years of silence, Texan lawyer A.Scott Fenney receives a devastating phone call from his ex-wife. She has been accused of murdering her boyfriend, Trey- the man she left Scott for- and is being held in a police cell. Now she is begging Scott to defend her.
Scott is used to high-stake cases, but this one is bigger than anything he has handled before. If Rebecca is found guilty, she will be sentenced to life imprisonment. Her future is in his hands.
As he prepares to take the stand in the most dramatic courtroom appearance of his life, Scott is forced to question everything he believes to get to the truth- to save the life of the ex-wife he still loves.

Excerpts:
Scott stared at the bloody bed where his wife had had sex with another man.. and where that man had died. He thought he had long ago come to terms with the fact that his wife had lain with another man. He was wrong. He was just now coming to terms with that fact- with that image- of Rebecca and another man - in their bed- having sex.. and then someone stabbing that knife into his chest while he slept. Had Rebecca been that someone? His face flushed hot. He couldn't seem to get a breath in the stale air.

Maithili Speaks:
This is the first book on law that I have read other than John Grisham books and the book doesn't disappoint me.
The story is fresh and unputdownable. When Trey Rawlins- a pro athelete gets killed, all suspicions point to Rebecca Fenney whose fingerprints are found on the butcher knife and who was the only person with Trey when he was killed. Rebecca swears by the fact that she doesn't remember much from that night due to high alcohol and cocaine. Her lawyer and ex-husband is fighting her case for the simple reason that, she is his child's mother and he still hasn't got over her.
As Scott gets down to fight her case and starts his own investigation- lot of skeletons are out from the closet of the good boy Trey Rawlins. He was an addict and narcissist. There seems to be a long number of people willing to kill Trey and liable to benefit from his death whereas Rebecca got nothing from Trey's death.
Rebecca depended financially on Trey and is now bankrupt. If she is innocent then how does Scott explain her fingerprints and if she is guilty, then what was her motive?
The end leaves you shocked... No amount of guessing will help!

Rating: 4.5 on 5
Price: Rs 295/-