Presumption of Guilt

Laura Chastain #1

by Lelia Kelly

High-powered lawyer Laura Chastain takes on the seemingly simple case of a white cop accused of killing a black suspect in custody, but her client insists he is innocent, plunging Laura into a world of police corruption and betrayal where her life and career hangs in the balance. A first novel.

Genres: Mystery, Legal Thriller

231 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Susan Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a new author for me and I'm delighted at the find! Atlanta lawyer Laura Chastain is looking to develop her criminal business at a large stuffy law firm. She takes on the case of a cop accused of killing a suspect in custody. Kelly's characters are pretty interesting. Her plot holds up pretty well until just at the end, but by that time I was hooked on her great writing style. She can turn a phrase and reading her writing is a treat. She has one other book out and another promised soon. I have the second on hand and am in line for the new one.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

While reading this book, memories of me avidly reading Nancy Drew mysteries came to mind, and I realized it has been a long time since I have read a book in the mystery genre. This time, though, Nancy has grown up and morphed into Laura Chastain, attorney. Laura works as an associate in a well-established law firm. The book opens with Laura winning as the defense attorney, her client the spoiled, drug loving son of an important client to the firm, whose guilt of the crime he is accused of is obvious to all. Laura, who as an adept attorney, manages to deflect any pretence of innocence in the accused into the more vague term: not guilty. Laura's passion for the courtroom continues when a new client, a police officer, hires her to defend him in a murder case. Even his fellow police officers believe him guilty of the murder, but Laura takes his case and soon finds herself in a web of deceptions from both sides of the law that she must sort through. She soon discovers truths that some would kill for before they can be revealed. I enjoyed reading this book. The pace is perfect and Lelia Kelly does not overplay the details and drag out descriptions. She keeps to the heart of the story, creates believeable - although a little predictable- characters, and entertains the reader with a fascinating lead character whose integrity holds true throughout the story.

[Jackie Simons]

Read 9/98

[Deborah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bad, amateurish writing. Didn't finish.