Patterson makes a 200 mile snowshoe trek in 50 below weather to pick up the mail seem like slightly unusual walk to the post office!

"Dangerous River" is one of the finest Far North adventures ever written. R. M. Patterson and his partner Gordon Matthews were the last of a breed of men who tackled the Far North with nothing but stamina, courage, and consummate skill with rifle, pack and canoe. Trapping and searching for gold in the legendary South Nahanni River country in the 1920's, Patterson describes their adventures in language that makes the reader yearn to see one the premier rivers of the world. Patterson's style is laced with wonderfully dry British humor as well as a poet's skill in describing the breathtaking landscapes. You feel as though you're right beside him throughout his adventures and hungering to go there yourself. You can't ask more a writer and his book than that!

This tale of wilderness adventure is set in the unexplored region of the South Nahanni river valley in the Nortwest Territories, Canada. It tells of unexplained deaths (the reason it was called Dead-Man's Valley), and the survival tactics and techniques of explorers during the gold-rush days of the area. Patterson spins the tale in a way which makes you feel the icy cold winters and the lavish and wildlife filled summers. His writings are non-fictional, and he includes maps and photographs taken while he was there. It is exciting, and laden with danger about the rapids, ice-flows, and Indian legends. I highly recommend it to anyone with a love of the outdoors, adventure, or wilderness history!

Richard North Patterson continues his string of outstanding novels with this penetrating look at friendship, faith and love. Tony Lord, who we first met in "Private Screening" is the legal wizard who is called to his hometown after nearly three decades to defend his best friend of the murder of a sixteen year old girl. Tony himself left his hometown because he had been accused of murdering his girlfriend, Alison Taylor. Tony's guilt was never really clarified, because the only other person who could have murdered Alison was killed robbing a convenience store. We know Tony didn't kill Alison, but the townspeople believe he did.
So now his best friend (who also may have thought Tony was guilty) is facing similar charges, only he gets to go to trial with Tony as his lawyer.
A stunning novel, filled with secrets; heartbreaking scenarios that are so lifelike in their structure, you can't help but feel for those involved. The confrontational courtroom scenes, as always, are brilliant and riveting. The relationship between Tony and Sam is superbly etched; Tony's feelings about Sam's wife, Sue, are painstakingly real; the enigmatic Sam Robb is focal---is he capable of such a brutal murder; does he lie about everything? Is he really Tony's best friend? And is Tony justified in what he does to Ernie?
The novel cruises along with such intensity and fervor, one can't help but gasp in awe at its structure. The finale is devastating, although you can see it coming, you just don't want to admit it.
A brilliant, exceptional novel.
HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

My mother read SILENT WITNESS and recommended it to me. I reluctantly picked it up-and couldn't put it down! I liked the small-town feel of the book, with all of its dark secrets. I loved the Tony Lord character (although a bit too heroic-am I reading wish-fulfillment from the author here?). Patterson has written a carefully thought out novel, with enough surprises to keep the reader glued. I dragged out the last 50 pages because I didn't want it to end. For the genre, this is a book to treasure!

This is the fourth book I've read by Richard North Patterson, following "Degree of Guilt," "Eyes of a Child" and "Final Judgment," all of which were very well written. With "Silent Witness," Patterson easily surpasses even the lofty expectations I developed based on the stories I had read earlier and joins Elizabeth George and Dorothy Sayers as one of my favorite mystery writers. The story is masterfully crafted, weaving two murder mysteries separated by nearly thirty years into a seamless web of intrigue, betrayal and misguided loyalties. It is reminiscent of "Lone Star" in rooting its two mysteries in the small town social fabric with conflicts between Catholics, protestants and Jews; and between blacks and whites. The characters evolve in very credible ways. One can see the teenagers we first meet in the middle-aged characters we later visit, with their basic traits sometimes mellowed, sometimes entrenched; with dreams shattered and realities acknowledged. The book actually begins slowly, unlike other Patterson novels which firmly hook the reader in the first three pages. I found the ending a little less than satisfactory. I correctly guessed the identity of the guilty party and expected another character to do the same. The ending was good, but more satisfying to one of the characters than to the reader. The book is a must read and a real page turner.

Reading the title of the book, we know that the defendant is guilty, it is to what degree of guilt the story takes us. Mr. Patterson writes believable, even likable, characters. They are not perfect, but nor are they caricatures. I was particularly intrigued by the courtroom manueverings. While they are believable, they are certainly fiction. The plot line was solid, with no real glowing inconsistancies. I agree that Mr. Patterson's books rise above John Grishams. They are not read as quickly & easily, but the extra work is worth it. I will read more from Mr. Patterson.

As I continue to read Mr. Patterson's books, I am in awe at this man's brilliance and writing skills. "Degree of Guilt" is an awesome book, filled with labrynthine plottings, excellently developed characters, and competent legal derring-do. As in all of Patterson's books, we find characters that are far from perfect, and whose personal secrets and disappointments can be both heartwrenching and disturbing. Unfortunately, I read "Eyes of a Child" which was written after this, so I knew some of what was going on with Mary and Paget and with Teresa and Richie. Patterson's development of the tension between Terri and her worthless husband is chilling; with no resolution truly in this book, one can find out what happens in "Eyes of a Child," but you would do best to read this one first.
Anyway, we know from the beginning that Mary Carelli murdered Mark Ransome, but why and what is all the intriguing things that Mary has done that she won't share with Paget? Patterson brilliantly unfolds a scenario that takes us back into Chris and Mary's past; and how Terri and Chris become the best of friends and more so. It's a great book, I don't want to go into too many plot details, but trust me, this one is a real winner!
HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

The book was enjoyable to read. The story itself was good and it was well written and it fit together. The court room scenes were well written credible, creative and the mystery was a little predictable but nonetheless did not detract from the enjoyment of the story. That's says alot. It shows that Mr. Patterson was a trial attorney. The book is well researched. The characters and dialogue was interesting and mature (which I have been surprised to learn can be hard to come by even with best-selling author novels). I enjoy stories that are well written and avoid being sloppy. I've read a Richard North Patterson's written in 1981 and I've read one published in 1996 and many in between and I highly recommend him to those who enjoy legal mysteries. A couple of excellent twists in this one.

If you have any experience at all reading the whodunit type of mystery story, you will know within the first two chapters who the murderer is in this story. If that's all you care about, you'll be tempted to stop. My advice? DON'T !!!

Eyes of a Child is one of the best mystery novels I have ever read, and I picked it up by accident, thinking it was by another author. Lucky accident! The story is told largely through the eyes of Teresa Peralta, a young hispanic legal assistant in San Francisco, whose husband of six years, Richie, is murdered just before she leaves to go to Venice with her boss and lover, Christopher Paget, a major character carried over from a previous Patterson novel. We know Chris can't possibly be the murderer, because he's the good guy in the previous book, so we're left with only one possible suspect-- so there's no mystery at all about 'whodunit.' In spite of that, the book is a terrific mystery-- not about who, but about how and why.

The 'victim' is a slimeball of major proportions. He's killed in the first few pages. Then, through flashbacks, we're taken through the last few months before his demise. By the time he finally gets what's coming to him, we're ready to go to SanFran and kill him ourselves!

The dramatic insensity picks up when Christopher is arrested and tried for the murder. We know he didn't do it, but his efforts to prove his innocence in the face of many facts that make him look guilty provides the terrific suspense. The outcome is unexpected and exciting.

But I'm missing the main point here: This is no ordinary mystery story, and the plot pales in comparison to some other issues. These are 'real' people. We care about them. We care what happens to them. We want Christopher to 'get off' without revealing to the authorities who the real killer is, because the murderer has done society an immense service and deserves to remain unidentified and free.

Although the adult characters make the plot move, it is a child who is the center of the story-- hence the title. Teresa's daughter is one of the most haunting and sympathetic characters you will ever encounter in literature. What happens to her along the way is far more important in the long run than the more prosaic question of who is 'victim' and who is 'murderer.'

I have only two minor complaints: 1. A couple of the characters easily arrive at insights into their own personalities that no real-life person could similarly achieve, and 2. They are able to articulate these insights more clearly than any similar real person could. In other words, the author puts words in their mouths for them. This damages the illusion of reality in a couple of spots. However, the book's many strengths far outweigh these piddly weaknesses.

A fascinating read. I can't recommend it highly enough.

RNPATTERSON WRITES BOOKS YOU JUST DON'T WANT TO PUT DOWN. THE CHARACTERS ARE WELL DEVELOPED AND I FOUND MYSELF HATING RICKY BUT LOVING THE OTHERS, EXCEPT CHRIS. I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT HE WAS UP TO BECAUSE HE WAS KEEPING SOMETHING TO HIMSELF AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHICH WAY TO GO WITH HIM. EVEN WHEN HE WAS ON TRIAL FOR KILLING A SOCIOPATH I ALONG WIH HIS LAWYER DIDN'T FEEL HE WAS REALLY NOT GUILTY. PATTESON HAS THE KNACK OF KEEPING YOU INTERESTED IN ALL THE ACTION, DETAILS, AND HOW A GOOD DEFENSE LAWYER HAS TO THINK AHEAD AND WEAVE THE LOOSE ENDS INTO A SOLID LEGAL DEFENSE FOR HER CLIENT. I THINK SHE'S BETTER THAN GRISHAM'S LAWYERS. AT TIMES I LOST PATIENCE WITH TERRI WHO WAS CONFUSED AS TO WHAT SHE SHOULD DO TO PROTECT HER FIVE YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WHO WAS ALSO CONFUSED RE HER PARENTS' LOVE FOR HER. THIS WAS AN EXCELLENT READ THAT KEPT ME GUESSING RIGHT UP TO THE UNEXPECTED ENDING. IF YOU HAVEN'T READ ANY OF PATTERSON' BOOKS, GET STARTED. THIS IS HIS 6th NOVEL SO START BACK BEFORE THIS 1994 BOOK.

This is only my second RN Patterson book, but wow, what a find! I can't wait to go back and get them all.
"Eyes of a Child" is one heck of a story, that grips you right from its chilling opening until it's shattering finale.
The characterizations are richly drawn and extremely credible. Patterson's way with setting up compelling dramatic scenes is amazing. There's one long scene in the book where Terri and her mother Rosa finally discuss why Rosa stayed with the abusive husband. It's forthright, somber, believable and sad, as well. Patterson does this kind of great work in other scenes, too, including the one where Terri comes to find out her daughter, Elena's, horrifying "secret."
Christopher Paget is a noble hero, and I didn't realize he has been featured in other novels, so I was beginning to think he was the murderer. His trip to the Goodwill is one factor; the "journal" is another.
All of the characters are brilliantly conceived: the evil and despicable Richie, whose death seems more than justified; Paget's teen-age son, Carlo, trapped in those waning years between adolescence and adulthood; Rosa, the mother, is compelling and one can't help but sympathize with her; Caroline Masters, Paget's defense, who is a brilliant lawyer and seems to be a true friend as well.
There are no easy answers in this well-crafted novel and our heroes do some foolish things, but it chronicles the tragedy of what happens when a child is placed in a "used" position, and how sometimes even love isn't enough.
EXCELLENT!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

I have deeply mixed emotions about reviewing this book. I also had an extremely difficult time finishing it. To be fair, Richard North Patterson is an excellent mystery writer--I discovered him 6-7 years ago and not only have read everything he has written since, but I went back and dug up paperback copies of all his early works. Some of his books are truly great, and all are above-average. All are recommended.

"Protect and Defend" reprises familiar names like Kerry Kilcannon and Caroline Masters, something Patterson does very well in his novels. But while many of his stories center around solving a murder, this one deals with an abortion case and takes place in court. It's arguably Patterson's best writing--this is an extremely well-written novel and is most involving.

Problem is, Patterson doesn't just hint at his side of the abortion issue--he bludgeons the reader with it. There's no mistaking whatsoever that the pro-choice crowd are the good guys, from President Kilcannon to Supreme Court Justice Masters on down...these are the folks who are doing the right thing day after day, fighting the good fight and setting examples for the way things ought to be. There's a group moderate of Republicans who are looked upon quite favorably, but the tried and true conservatives are absolutely villified--Patterson paints this group as the right-wing-wacko good old boys who are making the sleazy, back-room deals, getting rich and taking care of their own while being out of touch with what's really going on in the world.

The best fiction often offers an agenda of some kind, but in my estimation, truly brilliant writers are able to write powerful books which weave in said agenda with finesse and subtlety. Patterson has done that successfully in the past, but his pro-choice stance is trumpeted so ferociously that it overwhelms what was shaping up to be a terrific novel. I barely made it through the book because of my disgust with the approach, and I've been so flattened by Patterson's politics that I have serious doubts about reading anything else of his in the future.

Richard North Patterson's newest is a follow-up to his excellent "No Safe Place" published several years ago. Kerry Kilcannon is now the recently elected Democratic President, and things begin to fall apart on his very first day in office. During Kilcannon's inaugural address to the nation, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court dies from a stroke while on the stage. Kilcannon's nominee for Chief Justice is a controversial female federal judge from California, Caroline Masters (also from his earlier novels).

In the midst of the intensely partisan confirmation process, a volatile late-term abortion case is moving its way up through the California courts and appears headed for the Supreme Court. Patterson gives us a look at the interesting inner workings of the federal courts and the Senate as they wrestle with difficult issues.

This book is a good read. I got a little tired of what seemed like overemphasis on the pros and cons of abortion, but I guess it was necessary in order to provide a balanced view. Nevertheless, this is one of those big, sprawling novels that you can really sink your teeth into. BUY IT.

PROTECT AND DEFEND is one of the most intelligent and exciting novels I have ever read. I couldn't put this book down. This book is what good writing is all about. It has drama, suspense and believability. The character development of all of the main players is superb. I think that this may be Patterson's best book to date.

Kerry Kilcannon is the new President of the United States of America. Caroline Masters is the President's nominee as the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. The nomination is not well received by a conservative Senate led by Majority Leader and presidential aspirant Macdonald Gage; and Gage sets about to defeat the nomination by any means necessary. Set against this backdrop is an ongoing trial (nationally televised) involving the pregnant teenage daughter of Christian fundamentalist parents challenge to the constitutionality of a law passed by Congress called the Protection of Life Act: favored by anti-abortionists groups and disfavored by pro-choice groups. Richard North Patterson has created a well-researched novel about the current political issues of our times. PROTECT AND DEFEND challenges our notions about campaign reform, abortion and whether or not those who aspire to public office have any right to or expectation of any modicum of privacy in their private lives. Reading this book will lead you out of the grip of any unconsidered opinion you may have had about these issues. A thoughtful reader will find here a certain level of skepticism that lifts the mind out of all certainties but doesn't then corrupt it with cynicism.

Be sure to read Patterson's acknowledgements at the end of the book. It will give you insight into why this novel was so well crafted.

is the best way to describe this story of Caroline Masters' defense of a young woman accused of murdering her boyfriend. Patterson vets will recognize Masters from Patterson's previous works, and her witty banter and courtroom theatrics remain intact; those elements make this book a worthy read. The story becomes mired, however, in flashback scenes that, except for one, do not add much to (and actually detract from) the tale at hand. Rather than place the story in context, the flashback scenes interrupt it. This, of course, is a familiar vehicle for Patterson (does anyone remember Degree of Guilt and Eyes of a Child), and though some may find it an element of suspense, in this book it reads like filler.

Having read Degree of Guilt, Eyes of a Child and Private Screening, The Final Judgement lives up to a publishers expectation of following a thread to develop another best seller. I liked the book because, as with other North Patterson novels, the author develops several suspects with motive, and keeps you guessing until the last of it. Focus on the evidence will lead the reader to the real killer

I absolutly love the books of Richard North Patterson. You can't put them down. I read Degree of Guilt, Eyes of a Child and I am currently reading The Final judgement. I can't imagine how these books could be improved. You are always given hints as to the ending but he'll still suprise you. If you love a good mystery I highly recommend this book.

I came deceptively close to purchasing 'Caroline Masters' before I noticed at the very bottom of the front cover these words: 'Formerly Titled Final Judgement'...I carefully put it back on the shelf and figured if I wanted to re-read the book I had originally read 4 years ago, I'd go back and open up my 1st edition hardback copy of 'The Final Judgement'. My question isn't why they re-released the book, but why totally changed the title? It seems like a plot to milk money from a book that had already stopped making money a couple years ago...now maybe that is a bit too harsh and it may not be true, but if not, why so soon? I know authors, or more accurately the publishers--do this actually quite often, but it usually happens after decades, not just 4 years after it originally was published...

All that aside, this really IS a pretty good example of the legal/thriller genre. Mr. Patterson has written a good number of superior murder/mysteries, and 'Caroline Masters/Final Judgement' I am happy to say is another literary home run. If you are a fan of RNP you know he has a predictable pattern to his novels...which is to say he'll start off a story, set the stage, and then before long we are going back in time re-visiting one (or more) characters' earlier lives to find out more of why they are who they are and usually this is staged to plant the seed of doubt as to their possible guilt or innocence. In this novel, Mr. Patterson again takes us back into the earlier lives of our main character and on this journey through time we also run across moments where we can see how and why the accused just MAY be a murderer. It kept me guessing all the way through, and made me feel that my $25.00 was well spent.

WARNING: IF you have already read Mr. Pattersons 'The Final Judgement' this isn't just the same story re-written, its the EXACT same story totally un-touched--all they did was change the title. If you HAVEN'T read it before, by all means, pick it up and enjoy a great court-room thriller.

I recently read and finished Patterson's last novel, Protect And Defend. My wife had bought me another Patterson novel entitled Caroline Masters thinking that I would probably enjoy reading about the woman who is one of the central figures in Protect And Defend. In perusing the book I realized that I had read this book before but under the title of The Final Judgement. Nevertheless I read it again before returning it to the bookstore. I enjoyed it every bit as much as I did the first time I read it. If you are a Patterson fan, you know that you

meet Caroline Masters in a couple of Patterson's other novels: in the novel Eyes of A Child she is a criminal defense lawyer representing another lawyer who has been accused of killing his girlfriend's husband. Masters appears again as a strong willed judge in Degree of Guilt. Caroline Masters is a good read from the standpoint that it gives you a complete view of Masters, her motivations, her ambition and most of all her devotion to her niece Brett. This book is an excellent refresher course for those who may have read Patterson for the first time in Protect And Defend...and even if you have read this book before it deserves another read.

Final Judgement was great. Vintage Patterson. It mixed mystery, suspense, and wonderful courtroom drama with family dynamics. Patterson has a way of making his characters real. He did so with Carolyn. Why re-issue a great book under a different title? It borders on devious. Makes it seem like something it's not. Same thing was done with a William Patterson book, Black Market. It was re-issued as Black Friday. Same book. Unless you read the small printing, you think you have bought a new novel. Final Judgement was a great book. Don't detract from it by giving it a different title. Don't detract from Richard North Patterson's greatness by misleading his readers with below the board tactics and misrepresenting books as new works when they are not.

Good fun reading a novel about a senator fighting through the preliminaries to become presidential candidate for his party and comparing it to the real-life saga of Bush v. Cain!

During the first 100 pages I thought, so old-fashioned: Focus on one character (Kerry Kilcannon) and provide flash-backs to his childhood (have you noticed, every Irish male at that stage is an alcoholic and a wifebasher!) and formative years, for the reader to understand the motivation behind every decision he makes, every action he takes in his later life.

And then the depiction of his loveaffair with Lara: Just didn't seem like end of twentieth century, too romantic to be true.

I don't understand why the author had to throw in the storyline of the fanatical pro-lifer, intent on killing Kilcannon. I didn't think it did anything to enhance the suspense. Maybe because of the twist in the end...

But afterwards, the author concentrated more on campaign and less on Kilcannon and that's where the book gained momentum: Journalists hunting for a story that could end Kilcannons race; Preparations for a TV debate with the other contestant; how to get the pro-choice votes; how to provide security for the candidate; the relation between Dick Mason (the incumbent Vice President who of course wants the Precidency) and Kilcannon.

For years, Patterson has written courtroom dramas that are like Grisham but just a bit deeper and not as region-bound. With Dymo-tape cover designs to boot. He apparently run out of Dymo tape for his dispenser one book back, and maybe he's sensing that the lawyer-book market has peaked. So he's going for political drama, and I have to say he's as good as any of them, and BETTER than Tom Clancy was in "Executive Orders" (which was a bit of a hybrid). What we have here is not an election campaign story, it's a nomination campaign story, so we don't get to see who gets elected. Our hero is Kerry Kilcannon, kid brother of "Private Screening's" James Kilcannon, following in his big brother's footsteps twelve years later. It's too much of a temptation to compare the two brothers to the Kennedys, so please try to resist, okay? You'll deprive yourself of a pretty decent story. There's a bit of lawyer stuff in flashbacks to Kerry's earlier career as a prosecutor crusading for abused children and their mothers. You see, he hadn't originally planned to be a politician, but he's successfully pressured into it by friends. He loses his wife in the process (maybe she's thinking of what happened to her brother-in-law), draws the ire of the far right on gun control, gains the attention of an assassin over the abortion issue, rekindles an old flame with a newscaster whose inability to be objective about him handicaps her reporting (neither of them have totally faced the fact that they still hold feelings for each other). And what's worse, he's got the current Vice President to run against--a guy he'd campaign FOR if it weren't for the fact that the Veep's a bit too politically elastic to be much of a statesman. So not only has Patterson apparently decided to switch genres, he's chosen to write about a different stage of the electoral process--the party nominations. Interesting.

My first RNP. The book made that made me a fan of Richard N Patterson. After No Safe Place, Silent Witness,Escape the Night and Degree of Guilt Richard North Patterson proved to be my most favourite author, even over John Grisham and Steve Martini.The campaign trail is amazing, the romance touching and the way RNP takes us to the past of the protagonist Kerry Kilcannon is just great. His feelings and character are well written. Kerry Kilcannon is a lawyer mostly dealing with cases of domestic violence. He then enters politics and runs for president. His brother James was assasinated in a campaign. Past memories,his love and emotions make a great read; u gotcha read this book, you'll surely get hooked.

My wife and I bought this tape for something to listen to while traveling cross country in the car. Though it's abridged, we felt the author's endorsement would ensure a quality presentation -- big mistake.

First of all, Ken Howard's voice offered little range and capability in offering distinctions between the various characters, and he clearly sounds nothing like a 29-year old protagonist. The novel's dialogue doesn't help on this last point, however, as I had difficulty being convinced that Paget could be both this jaded and self-assured at such a young age.

Most of the characters were two-dimensional sterotypes with limited depth -- especially the women, of which there were too few. These guys are supposed to be big corporate and government hardball players, and yet get flustered everytime Paget talks tough (Ohhh, I'm sooo scared of you). There also appears to be virtually no sensory information in the narrative beyond a visual context -- we know almost nothing about any of the character's personalities or their appearance and mannerisms throughout the book. This applies to descriptions and sensations of the locales as well. I suppose this could have been what was cut as part of the abridged version.

The plot stalls for about half of the book, but picks up quickly at the end, but Paget's failure in attempting to analyze and interpret his first big clue (a written note) is a big investigative oversight right from the start.

Very disappointing.

This is Patterson's first book, and in his introduction he offers an explanation for its inception. Christopher Paget appears in two later novels, "Degree of Guilt" and "Eyes of a Child" which are far superior novels than this one. Be warned, though---if you read "Degree of Guilt" first you'll pretty much know what happens in this book. Paget is a little overbearing and cynical in this one and not as likeable in his mature years. The pace is pretty effective, and the villains are appropriately nasty. I found the ending a tad bit too brisk; it just seemed to end.
RECOMMENDED IN ORDER TO ENJOY THE BETTER SEQUELS.

This is the first of the "Paget Trilogy" and is a pretty decent book. Let's remember Patterson was 29 when he wrote this back in 1979. I guess that could explain the dope references, which didn't bother me at all. A flawed main protagonist??? Oh my God, The HORROR!!! Easy read that will set you up for the much better "Degree of Guilt".

There are few writers out there who can deliver a great book each time out. Patterson is one of them. Each of his books are similar in theme, yet the story seems fresh each time. Dark Lady is no different. I am always fascinated with Patterson's ability to weave events of the past with their impact on the present. Each of his characters is so well defined that we understand the reasons behind every move they make. What makes Dark Lady so great is that it is not only an amazing character study, but a fantastic mystery as well. Dark Lady may not be Patterson's best book(that title will probably always belong to Degree of Guilt) but it is an amazing read. I am surprised by some of the other reviews I have read about this book that describe it as slow and boring. I found it tense and absorbing and I was riveted starting on page one all the way to the great conclusion. Read this book and all books by Richard North Patterson.

I found this to be a fast paced book with true to life, believable characters and most certainly a provocative, suspenseful stunner. In Steeltown, a struggling midwestern city on the verge of an economic turn around, two important men are found dead within days of each other. The author has created a woman as fascinating as her world is haunting. Stella Marz is the Assistant County Prosecutor. She is so driven by her job; the defense attorneys call her "The Dark Lady" because of her relentless, sometimes ruthless style. Stella has earned the title because she has only lost one case in seven years. Tommy Fielding is the first death. He was a senior officer of the company that is building a new baseball stadium, which is the cities hope for a new future. Jack Novak, a former love interest of Stella's is the second death. Feeling that someone is already following and watching her every move, Stella must make her way through all the facts before it is too late. I really loved this book because it was fast paced. I loved the ending and I am confident you will too. Honestly I feel this is a superbly crafted, must-read thriller. Richard North Patterson has written 10 other novels and he is one suspenseful author that you should look up.

Richard North Patterson's latest, Dark Lady, is a well-crafted lawyer-cop-political tale which will hold your interest. The protagonist is Stella Marz, a single, 38-year old Assistant County Prosecutor who wants not to be the assistant. But that means she would have to be the first woman elected to the job. Her boss is running for mayor, but if he is elected will he back her or his long-time friend and political ally in the special election? The political environment in this rust-belt metropolis is complex, with the electorate fairly evenly split between African-American and the children of Central European immigrants. Stella is a tough, competent prosecutor who seldom loses and whose dedication and tough stance has earner her the sobriquet of "Dark Lady." Patterson deftly brings out Stella's background and its effect on her current viewpoint. A reader comes to know her and the difficulties she surmounted to reach what might have become the critical point in both her career and her life. Dark Lady may not be a great book, but it is a story well told.