Kensington, Dec 2001, 6.99, 416 pp.
ISBN 078601322
Jay Hutchin is a circuit court judge assigned to the criminal division of Tango County in the Florida Keys. He dresses right, makes the right kind of marriage, goes to society social events to see and be seen by the elite, and acts like a man who is totally in charge of his life. That is a false image because Jay is totally obsessed by Hollywood actress Diane Jackson, who is buying property in the area.
When he spots her stepping out on him, he becomes so enraged and jealous he strangles her to death. Jay tries to go on his way as if nothing happened, but two things stand in his way. He is on the short list to be the Attorney General of the United States and an innocent man is going to trial for the actress's murder. The defense council is Kit Parish who has only lost one case in her years practicing law. Jay was the one to mentor and train her. In a spooky turn of events, Kit's son seems to know too much about the murder and having killed one person, Jay will not hesitate to do so again if he feels his life is in danger, even Kit's son.
Although readers know from the very beginning who the killer is and that the jailed suspect is innocent of any crime, this work of psychological suspense fascinates the audience into making it a one slippery ride. The paranormal elements circling around Kit's son serve to enhance the feeling of believability in the plot and adds dimension to the story line. T.J. MacGregor has written another winner.
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of story:
- 1980's-1999
Spying/Terrorism Thriller
Yes
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Legal Thriller
Yes
Legal Plotlets
- fighting judge/jury tampering
- story of crooked lawyer
Crime Thriller
Yes
Crime plotlets:
- vigilante getting revenge
Who's the terrorist enemy here?
- law enforcement gone bad
General Crime (including known murderer)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Female
Profession/status:
- a lawyer creature
Age:
- 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use?
- just the right amount
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- a lawyer creature
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- an above average amount
Motive of antagonist
- power
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Southeast
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 3-4
Amount of dialog
- significantly more descript than dialog
