A Patent Lie

In the genre of legal thriller, patent infringement might seem like rather dry fare. Paul Goldstein, however, mixes enough action, intrigue, romance, and drama, along with appealing characters, to make his story captivating and satisfying. Narrator Paul Michael propels the listener through all the intricacies of the plot as well as the details of patent law. His brisk, clear delivery moves the action well, and his characters are, for the most part, credible. The production's one weakness lies with Michael's presentation of female characters, but that's a minor distraction from an overall strong performance. M.O.B. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

April 21, 2008
Goldstein, a Stanford law professor and intellectual property expert, delivers on the promise of his thriller debut, Errors and Omissions
(2006), with this outstanding sequel. Michael Seeley, who's living in seclusion in Buffalo, N.Y., agrees at his estranged brother's urging to travel to San Francisco to take on a patent infringement case that Vaxtek, a small company, is bringing against St. Gall, a Swiss pharmaceutical giant, over an AIDS vaccine. Robert Pearsall, the lead plaintiff's attorney, apparently committed suicide on the eve of trial. Surprised that Pearsall, known for his meticulous preparation, didn't depose Lily Warren, a St. Gall employee who claimed to have invented the vaccine, Seeley pursues that loose end, only to find that Warren's version of events raises questions about not only Seeley's clients but also his predecessor's death. In lean prose, Goldstein masterfully portrays the intricate courtroom maneuvering and the ethical dilemmas of trial attorneys. Scott Turow fans will welcome this complex protagonist.

November 15, 2008
In this follow-up to Goldstein's 2006 debut novel, "Errors and Omissions", we learn more about what motivates and haunts intellectual property attorney Michael Seeley. The author is a Stanford University law professor, but this is no legal treatise; rather, it is an enjoyable story about "corporate science" and its implications for patients, shareholders, researchers, lawyers, and global health-care systems. In an authoritative, well-modulated performance, Paul Michaels ("The Da Vinci Code") tackles the intricacies of patent litigation, its jargon, and the personalities of the novel's key players. Recommended for medical and law libraries with fiction sections and for libraries whose patrons enjoy legal thrillers by John Grisham, Brad Meltzer, and Scott Turow. [Audio clip available through www.booksontape.com.Ed.]Gwendolyn E. Osborne, Evanston, IL

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