James Sheehan The Mayor of Lexington Avenue

The Mayor of Lexington Avenue

James Sheehan

Yorkville, Sep 2005, $14.95

ISBN: 097674421X

In 1986 Bass Creek, Florida, Geronimo Cruz is drinking when he sees someone leave the trailer of Lucy Ochoa. He enters her abode to ask her who the youngster is, but she insists he was only the drunken kid from the convenience store who stayed a few minutes. Geronimo thinks he never expected the loose woman to remain faithful, but lying is unacceptable. He slits her throat.

Police Detective Sergeant Wesley Brume hones in on bi-racial Rudy Kelly as the prime suspect; Rudy worries because he had sex with Lucy just before she died. His mother hires lawyer Tracey James, who initially handles the case but drops it when her client can no longer pay her fee. The Cobb County public defender provides a poor defense while the prosecutor Clay Evans and Wes doctor "evidence" to insure that Rudy is convicted of first-degree murder. A decade later with Rudy's execution coming soon, trial lawyer Jack Tobin learns of the case and decides to take it on pro bono, but no one wants to admit that they framed Rudy and much of the trial evidence and related documents is officially "unavailable" in a timely manner.

THE MAYOR OF LEXINGTON AVENUE is a terrific legal thriller that will grip readers with its strong condemnation of the American capital punishment system. The story line is action-packed though flashbacks to 1950s-1960s New York slow down the pace yet provides the personal impetus for Jack to take on the case. The cast consists of multi dimensional people but the star is the abuse of power by the state in death row cases. Unless you're the state electrician, sub-genre fans will appreciate this deep cautionary thriller.

Harriet Klausner