National cases, like the McMartin preschool trial in California and the 1980s “Believe the Children” movement, drive the novel, and Flanigan skillfully depicts how quickly fanaticism can get carried away—and ruin lives in the process. Clinic director Mortimer propels the children’s interviews, including O’Keefe’s daughter, with leading questions and calculated tactics, and, as the case progresses, the defense is stymied time and again by the judge—who denies key evidence and increasingly rules in favor of the prosecution. O’Keefe is drawn deeper and deeper into the seedy backroads of the legal system, and when one defendant makes a shocking decision—and the verdict for the other is handed down—his helpless rage at the system’s failings is palpable.
Flanigan crafts courtroom scenes effectively, building steady suspense as the trial races forward, and brings to light the painful consequences people suffer when justice becomes prejudiced and corrupt. As the suspense builds, so, too, does the hysteria, landing the defense team—and O’Keefe’s family—in harm’s way. The legal proceedings are convincing, and Flanigan paints a starkly realistic picture of a justice system gone awry, leaving readers with a teaser ending for the next in the series.
Takeaway: Fanaticism and legal corruption drive this 1980s thriller.
Comparable Titles: Clay Chapman’s Whisper Down the Lane, James Chandler’s Misjudged.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
