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Trial by Fire
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Plot Summary of Trial by Fire
"

Putnam, April 2005, 24.95, 304 pp.
ISBN 0399152814

Famous defense attorney Joseph Antonelli and Berkley law professor Justin Sinclair met on the talk show “The Bryan Allen Show”, with lawyer Paula Constable and San Francisco assistant district attorney Daphne McMillan. There was a rapport between Antonelli and Justin from the start. Joseph represents all the goodness humanity has to offer while Justin admires the defense attorney and thinks of him as a defender of truth. It is to Joseph that Justin turns when he gets in legal trouble.

Justin calls Joseph early one morning and asks him to come over to his house. When he arrives, he sees the butchered up body of Daphne there. Justin admits she spent the night in his house but he never killed her or heard any intruder in the house. Joseph knows Justin is innocent and agrees to be his lawyer but before the case can go to trial, it is played out in the media. Justin is found guilty and is sentenced to life without parole but Joseph is determined to prove that Daphne's abusive husband killed her and he goes to amazing lengths to see that justice prevails.

Harriet Klausner

"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of Trial by Fire
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 50%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%




Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain? - Very obvious
Time/era of story: - present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 40%
Special suspect? - lover
Kind of investigator - skilled citizen investigator
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot? - feelings of fear/loss/inadequacy
Legal Thriller Yes
Legal Plotlets - finding out whether someone is really guilty

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - a lawyer creature
Age: - 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use? - none
Ethnicity/Race - White/American
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - wealthy
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist - revenge
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - California

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths? - 2
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
Most similar books to Trial by Fire
Jury of One by David Ellis
The Ties That Bind by Phillip Margolin
Reasonable Doubt by Philip Friedman
Seeds of Doubt by Stephanie Kane
Ties That Bind by Phillip Margolin


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D.W. Buffa Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Harriet Klausner  

SCHOLARS:
David Gordon  Susanna Marlowe  


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