Available:*
Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... Bayport Public Library | FICTION MAR | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury) | FICTION MAR | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Stillwater Public Library | FICTION MAR | Searching... Unknown |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
It's a beautiful summer night in Portland, Oregon.Ami Vergano, a young attorney and single mother, arrives at her son Ryan's Little League game with their tenant and new friend, Dan Morelli. When the assistant coach calls in sick, Morelli seems happy to help out. But then one player roughly blocks another, and a fight erupts. Before the game ends, Ami witnesses violence that shocks and horrifies her and makes her question everything she thought she knew about Morelli.
On the other side of the continent, in a cheap motel room in Washington, D.C., ex-mental patient Vanessa Kohler, a reporter for Exposed, a tabloid that specializes in alien-abduction stories, watches a piece on television about the Little League massacre and quickly places a call to the FBI. For years she's been telling anyone who will listen about a vast government conspiracy to conceal a secret military unit headed by Gen. Morris Wingate, a presidential candidate, and for years every-one has dismissed her stories. But when Vanessa sees Dan Morelli fighting, she believes she's found the key to proving that her theories are true.
Vanessa hires Ami Vergano to represent Morelli, who is charged with attempted murder, and Ami is drawn into Vanessa's paranoid world. Are Vanessa, a former mental patient, and Morelli, a confessed mass murderer, telling the truth about one of the nation's most respected soldiers and politicians? Or are their charges a product of two sick minds? Ami has to decide who -- and what -- to believe, in Phillip Margolin's most exciting and surprising thriller since his breakout bestseller, Gone, But Not Forgotten.
Author Notes
Philip Margolin was born in New York City in 1944. He received a bachelor's degree in government from The American University in 1965. From 1965 to 1967, he was a Peace Corps volunteer in Liberia. He graduated from New York University School of Law in 1970. From 1972 until 1996, he was in private practice in Portland, Oregon, specializing in criminal defense. He has tried many high profile cases and has argued in the Supreme Court. He was the first attorney to use the battered woman's syndrome defense in a homicide case in Oregon.
His first novel, Heartstone, was published in 1978. He has been a full-time author since 1996. His other works include The Last Innocent Man; Gone, But Not Forgotten; After Dark; The Burning Man; The Undertaker's Widow; Wild Justice; The Associate; Sleeping Beauty; Capitol Murder and Sleight of Hand. He also writes short stories and non-fiction articles in magazines and law journals.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Like the lake of its title, Margolin's latest suspense novel (a hybrid with traces of legal thriller and whodunit and a big debt to The Manchurian Candidate) is smooth on the surface with tumultuous secrets lurking beneath. In Portland, Ore., lawyer and single mom Ami Vergano is pleased to take in handsome handyman Dan Morelli as a tenant, since he provides a positive male role model for her 10-year-old son, Ryan. Meanwhile, across the country in Washington, tightly wound tabloid reporter Vanessa Kohler spins elaborate paranoid fantasies (or are they?) involving personal danger and government conspiracy. These two women-and their respective plot threads-come together when Dan's volatility turns a Little League game into a crime scene, and Vanessa steps forward to support him, at considerable risk. But this is only the beginning of a labyrinthine plot built on twists and surprises. Hint: Vanessa's father is an influential general and political power broker. Margolin isn't the most original writer, but what he lacks in style he makes up for in clarity. Plotting is his strong suit. The artful arrangement of the story's episodes keeps the suspense high, and the author fills in the puzzle shrewdly, with small pieces from all over the chronology. The surprises keep coming, even after the story settles mostly into a courtroom drama, with Ami defending Dan on a high-stakes charge. Agent, Jean Naggar. 5-city author tour. (Mar. 1) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Booklist Review
It's a mystery why Margolin, the criminal-defense lawyer turned novelist, isn't at least as big as, say, John Grisham. Overall he's a more polished writer, and his stories have an intellectual depth that Grisham's more formulaic potboilers frequently lack. This time the central character, Vanessa Kohler, is a reporter working for Exposed, a tabloid newspaper. She has a troubled psychological history, stemming from her relationship with her father, a high-level military man who's now running for president. Vanessa has written more than a few stories (and one unpublished book) about an alleged government conspiracy masterminded by her father. When Vanessa discovers that a presumed-dead man is very much alive, she sees her opportunity to take down her father and prove that she is not just a conspiracy nut. As usual, Margolin touches on some heavy issues: mental instability, perception versus reality, paranoia. But this is a crime novel, not a treatise, and it delivers the goods, with plenty of action, suspense, and danger. Readers familiar with Margolin's work, especially such fine early novels as Gone but Not Forgotten (1993), will know what to expect here. Newcomers will immediately want to round up all his previous books. --David Pitt Copyright 2005 Booklist
Kirkus Review
Beneath a brawl at a kids' baseball game lies "the biggest scandal in the history of American politics," in this wildly implausible legal thriller from Margolin (Sleeping Beauty, 2004, etc.). Portland lawyer Ami Vergano offers carpenter Dan Morelli the apartment over her garage because she likes his looks and she can use the rent money. But when Dan is attacked by a bullying Little League father, his violent reaction horrifies her, him and the two police officers who subdue him. A preliminary investigation reveals that Dan doesn't exist; everything he's told Ami about himself is a lie, and there's no trace of his identity older than two months. He's really Carl Rice, a U.S. Army captain neck-deep in murderous intrigue. At least that's what tabloid reporter Vanessa Kohler tells Ami when she flies in to demand that Ami represent him. Twenty years ago, according to Vanessa, Carl, her former lover, murdered Congressman Eric Glass on orders from her father, General Morris Wingate, the commander of a top-secret unit specializing in wet work. In the aftermath of the high-profile killing, the general had his daughter committed to an asylum, and Carl disappeared. Now the general, who may have been the second assassin on the grassy knoll (!), is running for president, and Vanessa is as determined to discredit him as he is to liquidate Carl, the key witness against him. Ami, who has no experience in criminal defense, wants off the case, but she ends up defending Carl--and eventually Vanessa, who's soon facing felony charges of her own. Who's telling the truth, the powerful, charismatic candidate or the vengeful daughter discredited by her years in that asylum? As if you had to ask. Except for the overlong flashbacks, Margolin's tenth may be his best, with everything a thriller should have, except thrills. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Library Journal Review
Vanessa Kohler hates her father. Years ago, in a vacation home in Lost Lake, CA, she witnessed a particularly brutal murder, but instead of hospitalization, her father placed her in a mental institution. Today, she is a reporter for a supermarket tabloid and cannot get anyone to pay attention to her accusations about her father, a retired general and the current front-runner to become President of the United States. In Oregon, a man goes into a murderous rage on a Little League field, and Vanessa recognizes him as the man who committed the Lost Lake murder. Together with the Oregon lawyer who has personal feelings for the killer, Vanessa makes one last attempt to unmask her father. Margolin is a master of the courtroom drama, and Deborah Hazlett skillfully brings his characters to life. She keeps the action moving at a brisk pace, but really shines in the well-written courtroom scenes. The author's books are consistently at the top of the best sellers lists; most libraries will find this a popular item.-Joseph L. Carlson, Allan Hancock Coll., Lompoc, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Excerpts
Excerpts
Lost Lake Chapter One Portland, Oregon--The Present The organizers of the Portland Spring Art Fair had lucked out. It had been a very wet March in Oregon and the weather seers were predicting rain through most of April. But Mother Nature had redecorated in the nick of time, storing away the endless precipitation and gloomy black clouds for another day and setting out sunshine and clear blue skies for the weekend of the fair. Ami Vergano had dressed in a multicolored peasant skirt and a white blouse with short puffed sleeves to celebrate the pleasant weather. Ami was just over five-four and still had the solid build of the gymnast she'd been until she grew in high school. She kept her brown hair short because it was easy to care for. Her big brown eyes dominated her face. Circumstances had turned Ami serious, but her wide, bright smile could light up a room. Ami was delighted at the large crowds that were taking advantage of the first sunny days of spring to roam the Park Blocks in search of art. Her booth had attracted people since the fair opened, and three of her oils had sold already. She was putting the money from her most recent sale into her purse when someone spoke. "I like that. Is it imaginary or did you paint a real scene?" Ami turned and found a broad-shouldered man admiring one of her landscapes. His face had the tanned, leathery look of someone who spends a lot of time outdoors. Ami figured him for five-ten and in his mid- to late forties. He was dressed in jeans, moccasins, and a plaid long-sleeved shirt. His long hair was gathered in a ponytail, and he had a scraggly mustache and goatee. He brought to mind the hippies of the peace and love generation in the 1960s. "That's a forest glade not far from my house," Ami said. "I love the way you've captured the light." Ami smiled. "Thanks. You have no idea how long I worked to get it just right." "Dan Morelli," the man said, offering his hand. "I have the booth next door. I saw how many people have been going in and out of yours and decided to see what the fuss was all about." "Ami Vergano," she said as she took Morelli's hand. It was large and comforting, like his smile. "What are you showing? I've been so busy that I haven't had a chance to look around yet." "I build custom-made furniture. Take a peek if you get a chance." "I will. Are you from around here? I haven't seen you at our shows before." "First time in Oregon," Morelli said. "Where's home?" "No place, really. I was an army brat. We moved from town to town. I've been living in Arizona, but it's too dry. I like the woods, the ocean." "There's not much of that in Arizona." "No, there's not. Anyway, I heard about the fair and thought I'd see if I could get a few orders." "How's it going?" "Good. One fellow who stopped by just opened an accounting office and he wants a desk, bookshelves, and some other stuff. That should keep me busy for a while. Now I just have to find somewhere to stay and a place to work." Ami hesitated. She didn't know a thing about Morelli, but he seemed nice. She made a snap decision. "You might be in luck. I have an apartment over my garage that I rent out, and my studio is in a barn behind the house. It has plenty of room for carpentry. There's even a workshop and power tools. A student was renting but he had to leave school early because of an illness in the family, so the apartment is empty." "I have my own tools, but that does sound just right. Can I drive out after the fair shuts down and have a look?" "Sure." "What's the rent?" She told him and Morelli smiled shyly. "I can make that." He stepped out of Ami's booth and looked over at his own. "Got to go. Looks like I have customers. I'd better sell something now that I have to pay rent." Ami laughed and waved. "See you around five." Morelli ducked out, and Ami wrapped her arms around herself. Finances had been tight since her tenant left. She could use the extra money. And it would be fun to have another artist around the place. Morelli seemed nice. She hoped it would work out. Ami Vergano closed the screen door as quietly as she could and stood on the front porch watching Daniel Morelli teach her ten-year-old son how to throw a curveball. They were in the front yard under the aged oak tree that Ami called Methuselah. Morelli was squatting beside Ryan and gently adjusting his fingers on the seams of a badly scuffed hardball that, along with his mitt, was her son's prize possession. Ryan's brow wrinkled as he concentrated on getting the grip right, oblivious of the darkness that was descending at the end of a perfect spring day. Morelli was wearing jeans and a black T-shirt advertising a local microbrew. When he stretched out his arm, his biceps, triceps, and forearm looked like coiled rope. For someone approaching fifty, Morelli was in good shape. Ami knew that he ran for miles in the morning because she'd seen him returning to his apartment lathered in sweat when she was leaving for work. Once she'd seen him with his shirt off and had been impressed by the etched perfection of his physique. She had also been surprised to see more than one long scar cutting across his back and stomach. "That's right," Morelli said, and Ryan grinned with pride. Her son was an energetic, gawky towhead who played Little League with a passion and loved anything to do with baseball . . . Lost Lake . Copyright © by Phillip Margolin. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold. Excerpted from Lost Lake by Phillip Margolin All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
