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Rating: 
Summary: Don't waste your time on this one
Review: Teddy Roosevelt had the White House as his "bully pulpit" for preaching his social philosophy; David Champion has this "mystery" novel. I use quotation marks because there is no mystery involved in this book, except that of how such a poor work ever got published. Champion populates this screed against the tobacco industry with a conglomeration of mystery-genre stereotypes: the heroic trial lawyer who is flamboyant, arrogant, but basically idealistic (he offers to return his fee if his ideals are not fulfilled); his shlimazel son, the soft-hearted investigator; the ne'er-do-well but actually brialliant local lawyer who assists them; the poor-but-proud client with the saccharine family (12!, count 'em 12! daughters); the evil giant coporation that bibes entire states; the corrupt New York (of course) lawyer and the corrupt small-towm "establishment" law firm who represent the coporation; a death-bed confession; and last, but not least, a deus-ex-machina to save the day. This book should be categorized as a fantasy, not a mystery. Don't encourage the author by buying it, or even by borrowing it from a library.
Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyable, if not believable
Review: This book is another in the "evil tobacco company taken to court" genre. It is a quick read, heavy on the stereotypes, and pretty light on believability and facts, but it does a good job of characterization and use of suspense. I doubt a real court would allow either the "surprise witness's" arrest for embezzlement, or the attempted bribing of a plaintiff's counsel, to be presented to the jury. Nor would the plaintiff's blindness be allowed to negate the proven defense that tobacco companies complied with federal law in warning their customers. It's not worth buying, but is worth borrowing from the library for an afternoon's reading.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable, if not believable
Review: This book is another in the "evil tobacco company taken to court" genre. It is a quick read, heavy on the stereotypes, and pretty light on believability and facts, but it does a good job of characterization and use of suspense. I doubt a real court would allow either the "surprise witness's" arrest for embezzlement, or the attempted bribing of a plaintiff's counsel, to be presented to the jury. Nor would the plaintiff's blindness be allowed to negate the proven defense that tobacco companies complied with federal law in warning their customers. It's not worth buying, but is worth borrowing from the library for an afternoon's reading.
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