The Guilty Plea
Published on 7. July 2011
Book
Paperback/Softback
336 pages
978-0-7195-2134-8 (ISBN)
Description
On the August morning his headline-grabbing divorce trial is due to begin, multi-millionaire Quentin Wyler is found dead on his kitchen floor. He's been stabbed seven times. But the dead man left a clue: a single word, spelled out in his four-year-old's letter magnets, is fixed to the fridge door.
Detective Ari Greene arrives minutes before the international press, who are obsessed by Wyler's torrid affair with a young Hollywood starlet. The city's going through a crime wave and the heat is on Greene. Hours after the funeral, Wyler's ex-wife Tamar is charged with the murder.
For veteran defence lawyer Ted DiPaulo, widowed and raising two teenagers, his biggest obstacle is his own client. Tamar Wyler is a strange, enigmatic beauty who comes from an old mining town in Northern Ontario. And DiPaulo's up against a determined prosecutor: Jennifer Raglan has recently stepped down as head crown and she's back with her husband - after an affair with Detective Greene...
What should be a straight-forward guilty plea turns into a complex murder trial, and leaves a trail of unanswered questions in its aftermath.
Detective Ari Greene arrives minutes before the international press, who are obsessed by Wyler's torrid affair with a young Hollywood starlet. The city's going through a crime wave and the heat is on Greene. Hours after the funeral, Wyler's ex-wife Tamar is charged with the murder.
For veteran defence lawyer Ted DiPaulo, widowed and raising two teenagers, his biggest obstacle is his own client. Tamar Wyler is a strange, enigmatic beauty who comes from an old mining town in Northern Ontario. And DiPaulo's up against a determined prosecutor: Jennifer Raglan has recently stepped down as head crown and she's back with her husband - after an affair with Detective Greene...
What should be a straight-forward guilty plea turns into a complex murder trial, and leaves a trail of unanswered questions in its aftermath.
Reviews / Votes
Praise for Old City Hall:'Breathtaking . . . A tightly woven plot and a rich cast of characters make this a truly gripping read' - Jeffery Deaver
Amazing . . . This one has winner written all over it - Nelson DeMille
'Clever, complex and filled with an engaging cast of characters' - Kathy Reichs
'Written by a real-life Canadian defence lawyer, this sweeping debut, with a vast, colourful cast, focuses on the apparent murder of his wife by talkshow host Kevin Brace. Then suddenly, he stops talking' - Daily Mirror
'Apart from evoking the seasonal rhythms of life in the city, the novel offers a convincing portrayal of backstage operations in the justice system . . . Old City Hall is an enjoyable addition to the literature of urban crime' - TLS
'There is nothing in Old City Hall to suggest that it's Robert Rotenberg's debut. The middle-aged Canadian criminal lawyer has got it all - pace, good characters, tension and an intriguing plot . . . The resolution is clever and surprising' - The Times
'Loved it! Rotenberg's courtroom drama is terrific' - Ian Rankin
'Not since Anatomy of a Murder has a novel so vividly captured the real life of criminal lawyers in the midst of a high-stakes trial. This is a book that every lawyer, law student, and law professor should, no must, read' - Edward L. Greenspan. Q.C
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
John Murray Press
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 153 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
450 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7195-2134-8 (9780719521348)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Having worked in magazines, film and radio, Robert Rotenberg established his own criminal law practice seventeen years ago. He lives in Toronto with his wife, a television producer at C.B.C. News, their three children and their dog.