Innocence

After spending 15 years in prison for an attack on a Boston policewoman, Vincent Salvador's case is reopened. Scott Finn is asked by a lawyer from the Innocence Project to take the case. Falsified evidence, tainted cops, and complex conspiracies combine with romance and a healthy dose of humor to make this an engrossing story. George Guidall seems to be totally absorbed by the intrigue as he narrates with energy and outstanding pacing. He accelerates appropriately when the action picks up and delivers the sometimes funny dialogue with good timing. Convincing Spanish accents and voices that reflect the characters' personalities all contribute to a hard-to-turn-off audio presentation. S.S.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

May 14, 2007
I
n Hosp's strong third novel (after 2006's disappointing The Betrayed
), Boston lawyer Scott Finn, the hero of Hosp's debut, Dark Harbor
(2005), has resigned from his white-shoe law firm and gone into practice for himself, along with cop-turned-PI Tom Kozlowski and legal intern Lissa Krantz. Finn gets roped into the case of Vincente Salazar, an illegal El Salvador immigrant with gang ties who was convicted of shooting a policewoman. Salazar has spent 15 years in prison, but new DNA evidence might exonerate him. Finn bitches and moans about pro bono cases, but readers know that underneath his cynical shell lies an honest straight shooter who loves the law and will go to his grave defending it—which he nearly does as a host of bad guys set out to convince Finn it's unhealthy to reopen the Salazar case. Clever banter, interesting legalities and compelling characters put Hosp, an attorney who has worked on New England's Innocence Project, back in the running for a top spot in the Boston legal thriller stakes.