Pleading Guilty

Ron McLarty is the good narrator his reviews declare him to be. He has a voice that catches one's interest immediately. His characters differ from one another by a sound slightly changed. His enthusiasm for the job at hand can push the listener to the enjoyment of the story. But none of his talents can rescue this novel from being a tale of a thousand characters who have nothing to do with the plot. Mike Malloy must find the missing Bert Kamin, a lawyer in his law firm. He reports his findings to a dictating machine into which he recollects his earlier experiences, with all the names of clients, friends, family, and family friends. The skeleton plot would make a good story, and the novel would benefit greatly from bowdlerization. J.P. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine

May 31, 1993
Murder, embezzlement, bookmaking, offshore banking, and the politics of a high-powered law firm supply varying shades of corruption as Turow ( Presumed Innocent ; The Burden of Proof ) returns to Kindle County in this wise, surefooted legal thriller. World-weary attorney Mack Malloy, 50-ish ex-cop and recovering alcoholic, is the protagonist and narrator. Despite humiliating annual pay cuts, Mack plods on at Gage & Griswell, nearing the end of his usefulness. When another partner in the firm disappears, along with several million dollars, Mack is assigned the difficult and potentially dangerous job of discreetly discovering his whereabouts. During a one-month time span, Mack dictates his account onto six tapes corresponding to the book's chapters. It is an engaging, street-wise narrative full of plain talk and homespun philosophy, as well as a candid account of the behind-the-scenes workings of a powerful law firm. Though every element of the novel is polished and professional, the charisma of Mack's narration is its triumph. Add that to a taut, twist-filled plot, expert pacing, colorful and well-rendered supporting characters, and an appealing whiff of larceny, and Turow surpasses Grisham hands down. 875,000 first printing; Franklin Library First Edition; BOMC and QPB main selection; paperback to Warner; author tour.