Marked Man

March 20, 2006
Bestseller Lashner's novels about the trials and tribulations of Philadelphia defense attorney Victor Carl are theoretically about crimes and criminals, but are really about the protagonist's soul-searching and deep personal involvement in the cases he takes. This solid sixth entry (after 2005's Falls the Shadow
) finds Carl's involvement entirely involuntary. After drinking rather too much one evening, Carl wakes up with a splitting hangover and the name Chantal Adair tattooed on his chest. Who is or was Chantal, and what does she have to do with the elderly lady who just called in a very large favor from Carl's father? Ogling every woman within a hundred miles and seizing any opportunity to drive someone else's flashy car or drink someone else's expensive booze, Carl works his grimy, self-deprecating charm for all it's worth as he searches for answers that are guaranteed to be unpleasant. This fun legal thriller may have more show than substance, but is no less entertaining because of it.

Starred review from May 1, 2006
The sixth Victor Carl novel from former Philadelphia lawyer Lashner ("Fatal Flaw") explores the process of redemption for lost souls. Carl is a hapless defense attorney just trying to pay the rent on his apartment and the lease on his office photocopier when he stumbles onto a case that might transform his life -or kill him in the process. This latest work revolves around rectifying past indiscretions, whether it -s a Rembrandt stolen 28 years ago or last night -s drunken escapade that resulted in a gleaming new tattoo. Carl -s ability to negotiate a deal outside the courtroom will determine the fate of several lives, including his own. Lashner, who could be considered an East Coast version of Michael Connelly, fills his narrative with frenzied plot twists, lovable characters, and a sharp wit. He paints the deeply flawed Carl as a pitiable figure trying to find his role in a nihilistic world and searching for a way to change his life for the better. Oddly, the answer lies within his new tattoo. Highly recommended for most fiction collections. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 1/06.]" -Ken Bolton, Cornell Univ. Lib., Ithaca, NY"

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