Speak No Evil

Rating:
Summary: One of the best legal-suspense thrillers of the 90's.
Review: In my opinion, Krich is the most intelligent and readable mystery novelist of the 90's. Her female heroines are always exceptional, and Debra Lazlow (of Speak No Evil) is a prime example. Krich's premise is highly believable and seems to come from today's headlines. The action moves at a rapid clip, and there are plenty of hairpin plot-twists and moral quandries to delight fans of both detective stories and legal courtroom dramas.Also make sure to check out Fair Game, by the same author.

Rating:
Summary: A true page-turner
Review: This is a legal thriller that you don't want to put down. I read the last 230 pages in a morning, and will now read her other books. In the genre of Faye Kellerman, Rochelle Krich's writing easily matches or exceeds Kellerman, which is quite an accomplishment.

Rating:
Summary: Moral dilemmas and mortal danger
Review: Young criminal defense attorney Debra Laslow, observant daughter of an Orthodox rabbi, faces agonizing moral dilemmas and mortal danger in this outing.

When the beautiful, brilliant and heartless Madeleine Chase is found murdered, Debra inherits her client, a respected doctor accused of date rape. She also finds herself under scrutiny for the murder - she had quarreled publicly with Chase and had been seen coming from her building around the time of the murder. Then another attorney, a friend, is murdered and Debra finds the body. As police suspicion deepens, Debra begins to get threats from the killer.

Meanwhile, her client's victim is an Orthodox Jewish girl, a member of Debra's community, and there is strong pressure on her to drop the case. And, in fear for her life, Debra begins an investigation of her own.

Krich's approach is thoughtful, literate and absorbing. She depicts the difficulties of being an Orthodox Jew in a high-powered job, the close knit comforts of the community and the application of Jewish philosophy to moral decisions.

And she doesn't neglect suspense. Her heroine is resourceful but not foolhardy in the face of mortal danger and the solution of the mystery (in a smashing climax) is a total surprise - although the reader will be a step or two ahead of Debra in the last few pages.