The Prosecution Rests: New Stories About Courtrooms, Criminals, and the Law

by: Linda Fairstein, Editor

Published by: Back Bay Books/Little, Brown and Company

Reviewed by Cerri Ellis

Not all mysteries are solved once the criminal has been caught. In The Prosecution Rests, an anthology from the esteemed Mystery Writers of America organization, the real drama and mystery begins in the courtroom. No boring, predictable legal procedurals here. From the Salem witch trials to Depression-era Chicago to today’s typical courtroom, the collection of stories edited by Linda Fairstein, takes readers along a treacherous journey into jurisprudence.

In Edward D, Hoch’s “The Secret Session,” a new judge is tasked with the job of investigating his peers on the bench. James Grippando’s “Death, Cheated,” a lawyer defends his ex-girlfriend against the investors who bet $1.5 million on her death. In Barbara Parker’s “A Clerk’s Life,” a disillusioned clerk at a corporate law firm suspects the worst of his colleagues when one of the firm’s employees is murdered. In Phyllis Cohen’s “Designer Justice,” an accused murderer thinks he’s lucked out when he lands a high-priced lawyer, only to learn that there are worse fates than being found guilty.

The twenty-two stories in the collection are individually polished little gems of insight into our legal system, each one a perfect addition to a very tight, clever anthology.

Armchair Interviews says: Some stunning stories from outstanding mystery writers–a 5-star read.

Mystery Writers of American Web site: http://www.MysteryWriters.org