One Man's Paradise

February 22, 2010
Perry Mason fans will best appreciate Corleone's undistinguished debut, the winner of the 2009 Minotaur Books/MWA First Crime Novel Award. Manhattan defense lawyer Kevin Corvelli blames himself for failing a client who was killed in prison after being wrongfully convicted. In an effort to make a new start, the attorney relocates to Hawaii, where, despite his resolve to stay out of the media spotlight, he soon lands another high-profile client. Joseph Ginaforte, a law student, stands accused of bludgeoning to death his ex-girlfriend, Shannon Douglas, on Waikiki Beach. Though the evidence against Ginaforte is overwhelming, Corvelli determinedly digs for a basis to establish reasonable doubt with the jury. In his spare time, Corvelli falls for a hot bartender. A convenient chance discovery revealing Douglas's killer won't leave readers impressed by the ingenuity of either the investigator or his creator.

April 1, 2010
Criminal attorney Kevin Corvelli leaves Manhattan after losing a major capital murder case and moves to Honolulu. Hired to defend Joey Gianforte, a law student accused of killing the girlfriend who dumped him, Corvelli must ferret out the information that can be used in the young man's defense while trying not to make the same mistakes that derailed him in New York. VERDICT This winner of the 2009 Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award by a former defense attorney will leave readers with a greater understanding of trial preparation and what constitutes professional integrity. Fans of John Grisham, Lisa Scottoline, and other legal thriller authors will enjoy this for the sheer pleasure of seeing a master defense attorney at work in the courtroom. [Minotaur First Edition Selection.]

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2010
This novel won the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award, and its no wonder. Former defense lawyer Corleone has created a crafty and memorable character and placed him in a suspenseful and layered story. Kevin Corvelli was a defense lawyer in New York until his apathy toward his clients led to the conviction of an innocent man, who was later murdered in prison. Now Kevin is living in Hawaii, still working as a lawyer but doing so purely to pay off his staggering student loan. I dont like my clients, he tells us, and I dont care if they like me. But when a law student is accused of murdering his former girlfriend, Kevin discovers that he actually does give a damn whether this particular client is guilty or innocent. This is a solid, well-written legal thriller with quite interesting ethical undercurrents. Kevins journey begins at personal and professional apathy and ends at some form of redemption. Perhaps the author plans to continue Kevins transformation in subsequent novels: a sequel to this fine debut would seem almost mandatory.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)