Friday, February 26, 2010

Paradise Found

St. Martin's will publish Douglas Corleone's debut novel, ONE MAN'S PARADISE, in April, and it's already gotten a very nice review from Booklist:
This novel won the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award, and it's no wonder. Former defense lawyer Corleone has created a crafty and memorable character and placed him in a suspenseful and layered story. Kevin Corvelli was a defense lawyer in New York until his apathy toward his clients led to the conviction of an innocent man, who was later murdered in prison. Now Kevin is living in Hawaii, still working as a lawyer but doing so purely to pay off his staggering student loan. "I don't like my clients," he tells us, "and I don't care if they like me." But when a law student is accused of murdering his former girlfriend, Kevin discovers that he actually does give a damn whether this particular client is guilty or innocent. This is a solid, well-written legal thriller with quite interesting ethical undercurrents. Kevin's journey begins at personal and professional apathy and ends at some form of redemption. Perhaps the author plans to continue Kevin's transformation in subsequent novels: a sequel to this fine debut would seem almost mandatory.