Proof Positive
Phillip Margolin
Harper
From Publishers Weekly<p>In bestseller Margolin's third legal thriller featuring feisty defense lawyer Amanda Jaffe (after 2003's <em>Wild Justice</em>), respected forensic expert Bernard Cashman, who works for the Oregon State Crime Laboratory, has developed a personal philosophy that allows him to manufacture evidence to ensure the successful prosecution of those he feels are guilty, especially if crucial evidence is missing. He's not a madman, just absolutely sure that he knows more than judge, jury and the legal system when it comes to administering justice. After a fellow crime lab employee approaches him about discrepancies in his work, he adds murder to his list of methods that ensure his continuing crusade. Amanda is still working in her father's law firm and still having trouble with her love life, though Margolin wisely steers clear of wasting much time on her personal problems. The author deftly manages a large cast of characters and ties the many plot lines together with enough clever twists to satisfy faithful fans and newcomers. <br>Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. </p>From Booklist<p>Amanda Jaffe, the Oregon defense attorney, is defending a homeless man accused of murder, while her father, Frank, is representing a mobster on a similar charge. Although both men profess their innocence, the forensic evidence says otherwise. But when Amanda starts examining the evidence in these two unconnected cases, she finds a frightening common denominator. The third Jaffe novel--after <em>Wild Justice</em> (2000) and <em>Ties That Bind</em> (2003)--is an examination of the role of forensic evidence in bringing criminals to justice. In addition to a fast-moving plot and characters who at least hold up their end of the bargain, Margolin shows readers how a crime-scene investigator can easily--and often without detection--not only influence the outcome of a trial but also effectively ensure a certain verdict. It's typical of Margolin to use the legal-thriller subgenre to explore some socially significant aspect of the jury system. The increasing popularity of forensic fiction and of <em>CSI</em>,<em> the television series that has become a cottage industry, virtually guarantees this novel a wide and appreciative audience. <em>David Pitt</em><br><em>Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved</em></em></p><em></em>