Losing Faith

February 2, 2015
Mitzner (A Conflict of Interest) offers an effective variant on themes Scott Turow explored in his classic Presumed Innocent, albeit with less depth. New York attorney Aaron Littman is widely regarded as one of the country’s top litigators, but he’s guilty of one major ethical lapse: he represented a client in a case before judge Faith Nichols while conducting an affair with Faith—a conflict the two of them have naturally kept secret. Faith, who ended the relationship right after the trial, hopes to be nominated to the Supreme Court. Then hedge fund owner Nicolai Garkov, “the most reviled figure in America,” approaches Aaron. Suspected of involvement in a terrorist bombing, Garkov is facing trial for money laundering, and once his case is assigned to Faith, he demands that Aaron insure an acquittal or risk exposure of their affair. Mitzner sustains interest with complex plotting and effectively uses his own background as a defense attorney to add color. Agent: Scott Miller, Trident Media Group.

February 1, 2015
A tightly plotted, fast-paced legal thriller in which lies may serve justice better than the truth. Defense attorney Aaron Littman should have known better. The chairman of a prominent New York law firm is a married man who once carried on a secret affair with a married federal judge. Unfortunately, someone knows. Rumor has it that Judge Faith Nichols may be in line for a Supreme Court nomination so long as the trial she's currently presiding over results in the conviction of the Russian "terrorist and murderer" Nicolai Garkov. The defendant has waived a jury trial, so his fate will be determined by Judge Nichols alone. Then Littman receives an offer of $100,000 to represent Garkov, who is widely considered to be guilty. Absolutely not, Littman replies, until Garkov blackmails him over the affair. And then the nasty surprises begin. Littman himself is falsely accused of murder. How can he defend himself without destroying his career and his marriage? You have to believe me is a refrain Littman frequently hears from his clients, and now he desperately wants the court and his wife to believe him. And then a trusted colleague reminds him that "[t]rials aren't about the truth. They're about winning." That's a good thing in this case, because the truth is damning, and lies may be the only way to an acquittal. The story moves along at a brisk clip, with a main character who's sympathetic despite his flaws. Maybe Littman will lose his wife and daughters. Maybe he'll spend the rest of his life in federal prison. Given the evidence that piles up against him, it's hard to see how he escapes a guilty verdict. The ending is startling but feels contrived, the only blip in a well-crafted story. A worthy courtroom yarn that fans of John Grisham and Scott Turow will enjoy.

COPYRIGHT(2015) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

February 15, 2015
Aaron Littmann is leading an enviable lifeas chairman of prestigious law firm Cromwell Altman Rosenthal and White, married to physician Cynthia, with twin teenage daughtersbut he has a secret. His former affair with federal judge Faith Nichols would damage their careers as well as personal lives if it were known. Russian businessman Nikolai Garkov, suspected of murder and financing terrorism, uses his knowledge of the affair to blackmail Littmann into defending him in his trial before presiding judge Nichols, whose U.S. Supreme Court prospects hinge on the case. When Nichols denies Garkov bail and his threats escalate, Littmann meets with the judge to warn her, and shortly afterward she is killed. Despite both Garkov and Nichols' husband being likely suspects, Littmann is charged with murder and represented by Sam Rosenthal, who's like a father to him, and partner Rachel London, who adores him. Defense attorney Mitzner's third legal thriller (after A Conflict of Interest, 2011, and A Case of Redemption, 2013) includes some surprisingly questionable behavior as the plot builds to a final twist. Solid courtroom drama, if low in suspense.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)