I've had three Couglin used paperbacks on my shelf for a long time now. I can't remember where/when/why I got them nor why I'd never read any of them... So looking for my next read, I snagged the first one. They are legal mysteries and this one started off slowly but at about the point where I usually make the decision to keep reading or toss, I realized he had me hooked. Charley Sloan is a washed up attorney who's career was tanked by alcoholism... He's hired for a huge case and starts to muddle his way through... There are lots of nice twists and turns here and I really grew from boredom with Charley to really liking him and being grateful that I've got two more stories about him right on my own shelf! ( )

3884. Shadow of a Doubt, by William J. Coughlin (read 29 Apr 2004) This book is a predecessor to Death Penalty (read 11 Apr 2004) but I thought inferior to it. The trial which takes up the last part of the book is tense and well-done, with great drama. But the scenario is sooo fantastic. I decided I had read as much by Coughlin as I needed to. ( )