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0312928831 From Publishers Weekly Reed's marvelous sequel to The Verdict puts attorney Frank Galvin on the horns of a dilemma. Tina Alvarez, a lawyer from downtrodden Fall River, Mass., asks Galvin for help in suing an English pharmaceutical company whose miraculous heart medicine, she alleges, has caused birth defects in a number of Portuguese-American children. Galvin, now working for a Boston Brahmin firm, agrees to take the case until he learns that his own firm represents the company in question. Although he is assigned the task of defending it when Alvarez proceeds with her litigation, Galvin remains spiritually tied to the opposition's case, especially as he has successfully urged Alvarez to enlist the help of his mentor, Moe Katz. Ethics turn dangerously murky when Galvin's colleague alters a legal agreement to make it appear as if the English company does not have full authority over the U.S. concern that markets the drug stateside, with the result that Alvarez and Katz have to sue in England, where liability laws tend to favor defendants. Galvin is furious when he discovers the alteration, and is further dismayed to learn that the man who patented the heart drug had been aware of its risks. A series of ostensibly unrelated murders forces Galvin to reconsider the morality of his defense. Ingenious plot twists build to a memorable and gripping resolution. Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From Library Journal Frank Galvin is at the peak of his legal career with a blue-chip Boston law firm. As chronicled in The Verdict ( LJ 5/15/80), he has risen to the height of Boston's legal set through a brilliant performance in a highly publicized hospital case. When he is approached by a young and inexperienced attorney with evidence that a highly touted new wonder drug may cause birth defects, he sees it as an opportunity to exert his firm's sense of humanity. However, the firm is the principal legal counsel for the drug's manufacturer. What seems at first to be a simple matter of potential conflict of interest rapidly escalates into an intricate web of intrigue involving both U.S. and British law as well as medical ethics. The highly charged atmosphere of big-time law and tense courtroom drama rapidly unfolds. The specter of Paul Newman (who starred in the film version of The Verdict ) is seen at every turn. A compelling, exciting novel. Highly recommended. - Susan Clifford, Hughes Aircraft Co. Lib., Los Angeles Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. |
