Death Qualified PDF
Preview Death Qualified
Five years ago Barbara Holloway gave up practicing law, disillusioned with a profession that put politics before justice. Then she receives a phone call, with a simple message: "I need you."
Nell Kendrick's husband disappeared seven years earlier, abandoning his young family. Nell hasn't seen him since -- until the day Lucas Kendricks arrives at the edge of her property and is shot, instantly killed.
Accused of his murder, Nell turns to lawyer Frank Holloway for help. But Frank knows he cannot win this case alone. He calls upon his daughter, Barbara, who remains "death qualified" -- legally able to defend clients who face the death penalty if convicted.
Barbara is determined to stay distanced from the case, but the more she learns, the more questions she finds herself asking. Is Nell innocent, as Frank attests? Where has Lucas Kendricks been for the past seven years? Despite her vow, Barbara finds herself drawn to the case . . . and reclaims the search for truth that first led her to the law.
From Publishers WeeklyVeteran writer Wilhelm ( Sweet, Sweet Poison ) has produced another intricate, many-layered novel, in equal parts murder mystery, science fiction, psychological study and consideration of legal ethics. Nell Kendricks is charged with murdering her estranged husband, Lucas, who disappeared years ago while working on a top-secret experiment attempting to use chaos theory to change the observer's perception of the universe. Now it appears that Lucas had spent the intervening years drugged and amnesiac, a handyman at the university where the studies had taken place. Attorney Barbara Holloway, who is "death qualified" (i.e., legally permitted to act in capital cases), agrees to defend Nell, despite having left the profession, disillusioned by its practices. Barbara decides the key to the case lies in the chaos project and the mysterious death of one of the researchers. Facing a politically motivated, hostile prosecutor, Barbara is helped by a young mathematician, who becomes her lover. Wilhelm sensitively depicts her characters and their relationships, creating an insightful study of what is and what might be, ending in thought-provoking ambiguity.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Noted for both her science fiction/fantasy novels as well as her mysteries, Wilhelm combines these genres in her latest fiction. The novel begins with an arresting first paragraph, and the intensity is sustained until the final page. Lucas Kendricks, an unwilling participant in a scientific study on the mathematical theories of chaos, is murdered, allegedly by his wife Nell. Lucas had suffered from an altered perception of reality as a result of being used as a guinea pig. The story gradually unfolds during the aftermath of Lucas's murder. The novel's title refers to the lawyer who defends Nell, who is "death qualified," i.e., qualified to conduct a case with a potential death sentence. It is difficult to describe the novel's many dimensions, ranging from tense courtroom scenes to the almost fantastic descriptions of the scientific study. Most astonishing is the author's ability to peel off one layer after another, revealing new ways of looking at the same facts. Highly recommended for general readers. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 3/1/91.
- Kathy Armendt Sorci, IIT Research Inst., Annapolis, Md.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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