Saturday, November 03, 2007 12:15 PM
Blawg Book Highlighter #8: Death by Rodrigo: A Novel
This week, Blawg's Book Highlighter takes a look at fiction. Specifically, fiction penned by a lawyer-author.
Death by Rodrigo, a new novel by attorney Ron Leibman, offers up some surprises right from the get-go.
The storyline intertwines a variety of colorful characters and nicknames aplenty. I was also struck by the knowing realism of some of the scenes, no doubt culled from Mr. Leibman's many years of experiences practicing law.
The publisher, Simon & Schuster, overviews the book like this:
When El Salvadoran crime boss Rodrigo González is finally nabbed in Camden, New Jersey, for high-volume drug trafficking, he hires criminal defense attorneys Mickie Mezzonatti and Salvatore "Junne" Salerno, Jr. He's been told they're the best and that, as former Camden police officers, they know all the blind spots and loopholes (read: the ins and outs) of the local courts. All Rodrigo asks of Junne and Mickie is that they get him out on bond so he can jump bail and escape back to the comforts of El Salvador. Problem is, the judge denies bail. Soon Mezzonatti and Salerno are receiving a few unwelcome guests -- friends of Rodrigo -- asking questions. And the boys need to find answers, fast.
Mickie and Junne have an enviable professional success rate. With their street smarts and learned-on-the-job courtroom skills, the blue-collar boys enjoy trouncing self-righteous, Ivy-educated district attorneys. But they also know when they need help. Like with Rodrigo.
So they approach Professor Mumbles, a brilliant though eccentric former white-shoe lawyer who suffered a spectacular corporate burnout. As Junne and Mickie duck and dive to make Rodrigo's case (or at least fake it with Mumbles's help), they're also juggling their regular caseload -- like local drug lord Slippery Williams, whose badass nephew may have turned informant; and the gorgeous hooker Little Chip, whose prostitution bust leaves her pimp hopping mad. And through it all, the boys attempt to keep a happy home life. That's no sweat for Mickie, a natural Casanova, but it may prove to be trickier than Junne ever imagined. 'Cause he's got a secret. And if Rodrigo does not kill him, his family just might....
Based on my own read, I can tell you the above is just a taste of what's inside the covers of Death by Rodrigo...
If you want to find out more, you can find the book and a lot of snippets and reviews (including complimentary quotes from Wolf Blitzer, Lesley Stahl and Cokie Roberts) via Amazon Death by Rodrigo: A Novel or your own favorite bookseller.