The Tenth Case
Joseph Teller
Mira, Oct 2008, $7.99
ISBN: 9780778326052

The Judicial Panel informs Harrison J. 'Jaywalker' Walker that he will be suspended from practicing law for three years. He pleads with the members to give him time to finish his cases. They tell him to pick 5; a do-gooder he offers 17; that is trimmed back to 10.

Over the next nine months he completes nine of his cases. His last client is twenty something Samara Morsi; she who allegedly killed her sexagenarian multi-billionaire spouse with a knife through his heart. The evidence overwhelming points to her having murdered her husband of eight years to inherit his money and collect on insurance. As he begins to believe she did the crime, he feels certain he will go out a loser; his ninety plus acquittal rate meaningless. Still Jaywalker struggles to give his best even as his client refuses to say anything except she is innocent.

'The Tenth Case' is a fabulous legal thriller starring an interesting attorney whose outlook on defending his clients is much different than the typical literature lawyer. Besides a fascinating lead, the courtroom sequences and other legal wrangling that make up much of the novel will grip the audience as both Jaywalker and ADA Burke are consummate professionals. This is must reading for sub-genre fans.

Harriet Klausner