Review of "Rigged Justice"

Sailing is a sport that I have not read about before, and while this book is about a sailing coach, the sport is not the reason this book is so good.  Written by a coach who was truly a victim of the Varsity Blues scandal, it is one that comes highly recommended.  Here is my review of "Rigged Justice"

 

Title/Author: “Rigged Justice: How the College Admissions Scandal Ruined an Innocent Man’s Life” by John Vandemoer

Rating: 5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:  While many know about the Varsity Blues college admission scandal thanks to celebrities who participated like Felicity Huffman and Lori Laughlin, there were other innocent people whose lives were shattered because of the scandal.  One of these people was former Stanford sailing coach John Vandemoer and he tells his story of how he was caught up in this controversy.

There are a few sections in the book where Vandemoer talks about the sport of sailing – these include how he got interested in the sport, his coaching methods, the awards won while he was at Stanford and some of his coaching techniques.  However, those are few and far between his account of his legal troubles that all started with a phone call.

That call, from a man named Rick Singer, was one in which a student whose parents would make a substantial contribution to the sailing program should Vandemoer put in a good word for the student at Stanford and get her on the team.  Not paying close attention to what Singer was saying, Vandemoer agreed to do so as fundraising was always one of the more challenging duties he faced in his job. This led to other calls from Singer for other “recruits” and again, without fully listening and in some cases, getting poor reception, Vandemoer agreed to having more funds coming into the program in exchange for providing priority for these students.

What wasn’t known was that Singer was working as an informant for the FBI and when agents from the FBI and IRS came to Vandemoer’s house one morning, he let them in and started answering their questions.  This is how the book starts and from there, it reads like an exciting legal thriller – except it wasn’t really “thrilling” for Vandemoer as he was eventually charged with fraudulent activities.  He was able to obtain good legal counsel thanks to his parents.  He was one of the first people who pleaded guilty in the Varsity Blues scandal and his punishment was much lighter than what prosecutors were hoping to get. 

That doesn’t wash away the upheaval done to his life as he lost his coaching job and the hosing and medical insurance that came with it, Stanford wanted absolutely nothing to do with him, his family life was in turmoil and he was hounded by the media.  The book is heart-wrenching and maddening at the same time when one reads about the means to which an innocent man who thought he was simply raising money for his program ended up getting ensnared into one of the biggest scandals in recent years.  It’s a book that is a quick read that one will have a hard time putting down.  Not to mention one doesn’t have to be into sailing to want to read this one.  

I wish to thank Harper One for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Link:   https://www.amazon.com/Rigged-Justice-College-Admissions-Innocent/dp/0063020106/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1648061822&sr=1-1

Review of "A View from Two Benches"

To finish off a very busy April for this site, this is my review of the biography of Bob Thomas, a successful kicker for the Chicago Bears in the 1970's and early 80's and his later rise in prominence in the legal profession by becoming a justice on a state Supreme Court.  Here is my review of "A View from Two Benches."

Title/Author:

“A View from Two Benches: Bob Thomas in Football and the Law" by Doug Feldman

Tags:

Football (American), biography, legal, Bears, Lions, Chargers, Giants

Publish date:

May 15, 2020

Length:

264 pages

Rating: to

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

While it isn't common, there are examples of professional athletes who have studied law while they were still playing sports and some have gone on to prominent legal careers.  One such athlete is Bob Thomas, an associate justice for the Illinois Supreme Court. His football and legal careers are the subject of this biography by Doug Feldman.

Thomas kicked 11 years in the National Football League, primarily with the Chicago Bears, but also kicked for the Detroit Lions, San Diego Chargers and New York Giants during his football career.  Feldman does an excellent job of portraying the life of a NFL kicker being a nomadic one, as most kickers will often be signed by teams for brief periods to either replace an injured kicker (as Thomas was in San Diego and New York) or to find yet another kicker who will consistently perform under pressure. Thomas proved that during his time with the Bears, setting team records for scoring and remaining highly ranked in those categories for the team.

Despite the many changes, Thomas had settled in Chicago and that is where his family life was settled and where he not only studied law but became a practicing attorney, including late in his career when he kicked for other teams.  His family's adventures were handled by his wife Maggie, whom Feldman does mention prominently, especially when they are moving around.

Once Thomas's career track changes from football to the law, the book also takes a different track as Thomas's faith is discussed more frequently. There are Biblical scripture readings that Bob and Maggie used to help them get through troubled times.  Bob's legal career was very successful, moving up quickly through the process to become first a judge, then a justice on the Illinois Supreme Court.  There is even a trial in which Bob sues a small newspaper for defamation that reads like a quick, exciting legal thriller. 

While the book is approximately 70 percent about Thomas's football career and 30 percent about his legal career, both parts are equally engrossing and make for good reading.  Anyone interested in football, especially kickers, will enjoy that portion of the book while those interested in his time on the Illinois Supreme Court will like the book as well.

I wish to thank University of Northern Illinois University Press for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

                                    

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/View-Two-Benches-Thomas-Football-ebook/dp/B07Z9NKFFY/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=  

Review of "Don't Be Afraid to Win"

I LOVE to read about the business side of sports, including labor matters and legal issues that affect the games or the leagues.  This book is one that I believe is one of the best around on that topic.  It sticks ONLY to those topics, so if sports business is not your cup of tea, then skip this, but if it is a topic you like, then read on to get a review of "Don't Be Afraid to Win"

Title/Author:

“Don't Be Afraid to Win: How Free Agency Changed the Business of Pro Sports” by Jim Quinn

Tags:

Football (American), basketball, ice hockey, business, legal

Publish date:

November 5, 2019

Length:

376 pages

Rating: to

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

Jim Quinn has made quite a name for himself in the world of sports when it comes to legal and labor issues.  He has worked on numerous cases involving either union matters or free agency issues against the NBA, NFL and NHL. He shares the stories of these cases and the importance they had in shaping free agency in each of those leagues in this book.

The book deals strictly with his work in each of these leagues and nothing else. It is not a memoir, it doesn't discuss the accomplishments of his more noteworthy clients such as Oscar Robertson and Freeman McNeil and it isn't simply stories inside the courtroom. Therefore, if a reader is expecting to find this type of information in this book, it won't be found.

However, if the reader IS interested in learning more about why these issues came about, the importance of free agency in shaping the business of professional sports as we know it today and some great inside information on the biggest cases involving free agency such as Robertson v NBA and Freeman v NFL, then get this book and read it cover to cover. 

The start of the book is probably the most interesting story of the whole book and it was not a case that Quinn worked on but instead was an impromptu strike called by Quinn's mentor, Larry Fleischer.  Fleischer became very well known as an agent for many NBA player as well as a sports litigator, but his first foray with NBA players and labor issues made for great reading.  Known as the "21 minute strike", Fleischer convinced players who were in the 1964 NBA All-Star game to not take the court unless the owners would agree to higher contributions to their pension plan.  Nervously, they agreed to do so, and it worked as the owners verbally agreed to do so and the players took the court.

From there the book discusses all of the various actions taken toward free agency in basketball, football and hockey.  The latter sport is mainly discussed because it was the one time owners "won" because the cancellation of the entire 2004-05 season resulted in the players agreeing to the owners' demands.

In the other two sports, however, Quinn paints a picture of multi-millionaires using the same arguments in order to deny players free agency, namely competitive balance and the explosion of salaries.  It didn't matter what year or what sport, the book portrays the owners as unwilling to change while Quinn tells of his meetings with players and other lawyers in a very entertaining manner.  Of course, he also shares his secrets and strategies used in order to win cases and provide players with true free agency. 

As mentioned earlier, if this topic doesn't appeal to a reader, then that person should skip this book. But for readers who enjoy this topic as I do, it is one of the best ones available on labor and legal issues in professional sports and should be on their book shelves.

I wish to thank Radius Book Group for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.      

                                                    

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Be-Afraid-Win-Business-ebook/dp/B07X28HSCK/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Review of "Race to Justice"

While this book could be considered more of a true crime book instead of sports, it does involved the murder of a very popular member of the Penske Racing Team's hospitality crew and it shook up the racing world.  This is a good book on the subsequent investigation and trial for that case.  Here is my review of "Race to Justice"

Title/Author:

“Race to Justice” by Larry Sells and Margie Porter

Tags:

Auto Racing, crime, legal

Publish date:

May 21, 2019

Length:

337 pages

Rating: 

4 ½  of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

On October 25,1992, Cindy Albrecht went missing. She was a popular member of the hospitality crew for the Penske Racing team, serving as the executive chef. Two of her friends on the hospitality crew were concerned and called the authorities.  Weeks later, Albrecht’s body was found in a remote area with her head removed. The date of her disappearance was the date her divorce from her husband Michael was finalized and she had started dating a new boyfriend. Michael had just been fired from his job as a mechanic for the Dick Simon racing team and was not handling the divorce well.  His arrest for the murder of his wife and subsequent trial is the story behind this true crime book written by the prosecutor of the case, Larry Sells and journalist Maggie Porter.

Before the book focuses on the criminal investigation and trial, the description of Cindy’s life of working with the Penske team is described well. The reader will lean not only about the inner workings behind that food that is served in the tents to race team members, visitors and other VIP’s, but also about the races, mechanical teams and drivers. There are photos of drivers and some excerpts from exciting races, such as the close finish to the 1992 Indianapolis 500.

While auto racing is an important part of the book since it was the industry in which the Albrechts and others worked, the book is mostly about the investigation into the death of Cindy Albrecht, the subsequent arrest of her husband and his trial for murder.  With one of the authors being the lead prosecutor during the trial, it would be expected that there would be much focus on the courtroom proceedings. That was the case and it was done so in very specific detail, down to the description of each of the witnesses.  As one who enjoys reading about court trials, I found this part of the book riveting and could not put it down.

If a reader enjoys legal or true crime stories, then this book is highly recommended and is one to pick up.  If the reader would prefer to not read such details but learn more about the people, then the beginning of the book will satisfy that person. 

I wish to thank Wild Blue Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

E-book(Kindle)                                                                                                                                

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/RACE-JUSTICE-Larry-Sells/dp/194823923X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/race-to-justice-larry-sells/1131670499?ean=9781948239233

Review of "The Pittsburgh Cocaine Seven"

Every now and then, it is good to pick up an older book to read about some part of sports history that may not be remembered so well.  The cocaine scandals in baseball of the 1980's are one such incident, and this book from 2010 is a excellent account of it.

­

Title/Author:

“The Pittsburgh Cocaine Seven: How a Ragtag Group of Fans Took the Fall for Major League Baseball” by Aaron Skirboll

 

Tags:

Baseball, Pirates, history, drugs, legal

Publish date:

July 27, 2010

Length:

296 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

While baseball’s most notable controversy over drugs was about performance enhancement drugs, there was one in the 1980’s over the rampant use of cocaine by major league players.  Many star players from that era, such as Keith Hernandez, Lonnie Smith and Dave Parker, were called to testify at the trials of seven citizens on felony charges stemming from their interactions with many of these players.  This book on the “hero worship” by some of these men as well as a vivid description of the trial of Curtis Strong (where the players testified) is an excellent account of that period.

 

The author, Aaron Skirbol, does his homework and his legwork in capturing the stories of many of these men, such as Kevin Koch and Dale Shiffman.  Koch was able to get close to the players as the mascot of the Pittsburgh Pirates and as a result he was able to invite others to the inner world of drugs, parties, women and fantastic nightlife.  Something that Skirbol does well is illustrate that these men, who eventually were all given prison sentences, didn’t make much money off of these deals. The interviews with them and several others paint the players as cheap and not paying the men the agreed upon price time and time again. 

 

Something else Skirbol does with some skillful writing is to connect the cocaine scandal of the 1980’s to the use of “greenies” in the 1960’s and 1970’s as well as the steroid use of the 1990’s.  One overriding theme made during the book – the player’s union resistance to allowing drug testing made these scandals possible. 

 

The best part of the book, however, is the trial of Strong.  His attorney stated that he would show that he was going to put Major League baseball on trial and show that his client was not the one who should be ashamed.  While Strong was eventually found guilty, Skirbol’s account of the trial illustrated that it was exactly as the defense intended – baseball itself was the true loser of this trial as the shine on many of its stars became very tarnished.  Readers interested in this slice of baseball history should read this book.

 

Book Format Read:
E-book (Kindle) 

Buying Links:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Pittsburgh-Cocaine-Seven-Ragtag-Baseball-ebook/dp/B005AK6MAC/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

 

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pittsburgh-cocaine-seven-aaron-skirboll/1100260919?ean=9781569762882

Review of "Court Justice"

While not planned, this post can be filed under "irony" - during the NCAA basketball tournament, I read a book about Ed O'Bannon's court case against the NCAA.  The book was just as good as the basketball in the first two rounds.  Here is my review of "Court Justice"

Title/Author:

“Court Justice: The Inside Story of My Battle Against the NCAA and My Life in Basketball” by Ed O’Bannon and Michael McCann

Tags:

Basketball, college, UCLA, legal, memoir, race

Publish date:

February 6, 2018

Length:

304 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

Starting with the images from a video game, Ed O’Bannon decided to take on the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in court, arguing that current and former college athletes should be compensated for the use of their likenesses.  The course that this lawsuit takes, as well as O’Bannon’s life and career as it relates to the case, is captured in this book that is a must-read for fans of college sports and readers interested in this case.

The book takes the reader through the case, starting with the motivation of the lawsuit, through the discovery and testimony of several NCAA officials, the verdict rendered by the judge and the aftermath.  Through it all, O’Bannon shares stories from his college life as well as basketball, his frustration through his NBA career and the successful career he has had since leaving basketball. 

The overwhelming point made throughout the book was that the NCAA has been exploiting college athletes by generating billions of dollars through their activity and their images and likenesses.  Not just during the actual games, but O’Bannon uses examples like jerseys, promotional material and press releases to add to his point.  He also refutes those who believe that athletes are compensated because they receive scholarships and therefore have no grievance.  He believes that these athletes, especially those who came from poverty, can’t afford a “normal” college life (something the NCAA continuously tries to illustrate), athletes are not guaranteed sufficient medical care should they suffer injuries and that because many athletes have to spend up to 50 hours a week on athletic-related activities they don’t get to obtain the true educational experience. 

There is also one other inconsistency with the NCAA that O’Bannon mentions with athletes being able to speak to “advisors”, usually meaning agents and the professional drafts.  If a college hockey or baseball player speaks to an “advisor”, he is not subjected to his NCAA eligibility being revoked.  Nor is it in danger if he is drafted by a professional baseball or hockey team – as long as he doesn’t sign a contract, he can still play at the college level in his sport.  These are not afforded to football or basketball players (both men and women in the latter) because in order to retain eligibility, a player who is considering being eligible for the draft must withdraw before the day of the draft and cannot have contact with any outside “advisor.”  While stopping short of calling the NCAA a racist organization, he does make the reader think because college hockey and baseball players are mostly white whereas college football and basketball players are mostly black. 

Inconsistencies like this are at the crux of O’Bannon’s case and the reader will be captivated with his account of the trial, his life and how the NCAA needs to undergo serious changes.  O’Bannon ends the book with twelve suggestions he has for this last point and the reader will be left hoping that something can be done for these athletes to be fairly compensated for the hard work they do for the schools and NCAA.

I wish to thank Diversion Publishing for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Court-Justice-Inside-Battle-Against-ebook/dp/B078YXWJSY/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/court-justice-ed-obannon/1127405612?ean=9781635762624#/

Review of "The Killdeer Connection"

Breaking my own rule of only posting reviews of fictional books with a strong connection to a sport, this wonderful legal thriller by Tom Swyers has only a little bit of baseball in the story.  But a baseball scoring play provided an important clue in the story and therefore I decided to publish the review here as well.  This is my review of "The Killdeer Connection"

Title/Author:

“The Killdeer Connection” by Tom Swyers

Tags:

Baseball, fiction, legal, thriller

Publish date:

August 8, 2017

Length:

318 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

A youth baseball coach learns that one of fellow coaches is dead.  However, not only is the deceased a coach, he is also the key expert in the case that coach/attorney David Thompson is brining on behalf of an injured worker against an oil company.  What happens to David as learns more about Harold’s death makes for a taut legal thriller in “The Killdeer Connection”

That single death leads David along a path connecting railroad, hydrofracking, and Bakken oil production (which produces an explosive gas as well as the oil) that brings him to the oil wells of North Dakota, a long way from his home in upstate New York.  The reader will not only learn about these aspects of the petroleum industry, but will also learn a great deal about David, his family (wife Annie and son Christy, who plays on the team) and Ben, David’s client.  Other characters that play an important role in the story are the town police chief and an FBI investigator, as the story takes unexpected turns when tanker cars explode at every stop David makes, leading to a terrorism investigation as well as the legal case.

The story is very fast paced, is easy to read and does not contain graphic language, sexual references or violence.  I found that aspect refreshing to read in a novel geared for adults as the actions and emotions of the characters were enough to keep the reader engaged.  I found myself hanging on every twist and turn, especially on David’s trip to North Dakota and his discovery of the connection to the killdeer bird to a legal case against an oil company.

There is not much baseball but for a few passages that do connect the sport to the story.  The most fascinating baseball connection is in the letter written by Harold to David using baseball positions.  A play in the scorebook had the odd sequence of 1-2-6-7 – pitcher to catcher to shortstop to left field.  That ended up being an important clue to the investigation into the explosions of the tanker cars.

This book is part of a series that will continue as the ending leaves no doubt that there is more to come in the adventures of David Thompson.  After reading this book, this is a series that I will be following.  

Book Format Read:

E-Book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Killdeer-Connection-Lawyer-Thompson-Thriller-ebook/dp/B071NLZBJD/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1512938611&sr=8-1-spell

Review of "A Well Paid Slave"

Some events that are historical for a sport are not made on the playing field.  In baseball, one of these was a Supreme Court decision filed by a player who had nothing to gain and everything to lose by doing so.  If you have not heard of Curt Flood, then by all means you should read this book.  If you have, you will enjoy reading this account of the man and his case against Major League Baseball.

Title/Author:

“A Well-Paid Slave: Curt Flood’s Fight for Free Agency in Professional Sports” by Brad Snyder

Tags:

Baseball, history, legal, Cardinals

Publish date:

September 25, 2007

Length:

508 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

In early 1970, Curt Flood, an all-star outfielder, was part of a multi-player trade between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Philadelphia Phillies. Having established himself in the city with both business and on the Cardinals, Flood refused to report to the Philles and wanted to remain with the Cardinals.  However, because of baseball’s reserve clause that tied a player to a team until he was traded, released or sold to another club, Flood had to report to Philadelphia if he wanted to play baseball in the 1970 season.

Instead of doing so, he sought legal advice and also financial backing from the players’ union and decided to sue Major League Baseball. By doing this, he knew he had little to gain ( he was giving up a $90,000 annual salary, one of the highest in baseball at that time) and a lot to lose. But he was willing to take that risk in order to stand up to a principle. 

The resulting legal case, which went all the way to the Supreme Court, and Flood’s life both in and out of baseball are portrayed in this excellent book by former attorney Brad Snyder.  Ironically, Snyder also quit HIS job in order to research and write this book.  While it is not known if Snyder had the same professional and financial difficulties that Flood faced after quitting baseball, his knowledge of the legal system aids in making this book a good detailed account without legal language or compound sentences making it harder. 

The book is at its best when it portrays Flood as a man with principles who just wants to end the practice of binding players to one team unless the owner sees fit to discard him in whatever manner is best for the owner. In addition to the court cases, Snyder recaps much of Flood’s baseball career and how it hardened him so that he was prepared to face the risks of suing Major League Baseball.  In one excellent chapter on Flood’s minor league playing days in the South, the prejudice Flood faces is not unlike that which Jackie Robinson endured when he broke the color barrier.  Robinson was an inspiration for Flood in both baseball and civil rights matters and it is stated so several times in the book.

Flood’s life falls to pieces after his baseball playing days are done and the Supreme Court rules against Flood.  His financial problems, drinking problems and relationship issues are documented well, but not too much in order to preserve the main focus of the book – how Flood opened the door toward the eventual demise of the reserve clause in 1975. 

Snyder’s legal expertise was also evident in his excellent coverage of the actual hearing in front of the Supreme Court. Snyder is especially critical of Flood’s attorney Arthur Goldberg’s presentation in front of the justices by basically saying that the true reason that the reserve clause should be abolished was never truly expressed by Goldberg.  That part is by far the best of the legal writing in the book.

This book should be read by not only fan, but modern-day baseball players in order for them to truly appreciate what Flood did and sacrificed for them.  The multi-million dollar contracts that are common for even regular players today would not have been possible without one man challenging the sport not for selfish reasons, but just because he felt it was the right thing to do.

Did I skim?

No, because skipping over any portion of this book would mean the reader would miss key facts or elements crucial to Flood’s case against baseball.

Pace of the book: 

I found the first third of the book rather slow and hard to concentrate as it mainly concentrates on Flood’s case in the lower court.  However, once it gets to the Supreme Court, the book reads much faster for all topics – the legal matter, Flood’s baseball career and his life.

Do I recommend? 

An absolute must-read for any sports fan who wants to understand the background of how players were able to obtain the freedom to go to any team – not just in baseball but for all team sports.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying links:

http://www.amazon.com/Well-Paid-Slave-Floods-Agency-Professional-ebook/dp/B001ILBE9G/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1410740595&sr=1-1&keywords=a+well+paid+slave

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-well-paid-slave-brad-snyder/1112139612?ean=9780452288911  

Review of "Hallways in the Night"

While this book is not technically a sports book, there are many baseball references and aspects to this outstanding legal thriller.  Therefore, when the author sent me a copy to review for this blog, I gladly accepted.  I wish to thank Mr. O'Leary for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Title/Author:

“Hallways in the Night” by R.C. O’Leary

Tags:

Fiction, legal, baseball, courtroom, murder 

Published:

December 9, 2013

Length:

311 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

A superstar baseball, Remo Centrella, player is chased into the parking lot of the stadium by a police officer, Dave Mackno, who leaves a stakeout to follow him there.  A woman is in the car with the baseball player and appears to be in distress. The officer tries to see if everything is okay, a scuffle breaks out with the Centrella in a rage and the end result is that he is shot dead by Mackno. The officer, while cleared by Internal Affairs, is charged with murder in Centrella’s death and that it was not a matter of self-defense.

Sounds like a typical legal novel, right?  Well, yes and no.  While many of the usual aspects of a good legal thriller are present in this novel, author R.C. O’Leary adds even more layers of topics to this fast paced and riveting story. One of the topics addressed in the book, and why it is being reviewed for this blog, is the use of performance enhancing drugs in baseball. Centrella could be considered much like Barry Bonds for the home run records he set and how fast he did it.  Like Bonds, Centrella is never “caught” by a formal drug test.  Like Bonds, he gets in a fight with teammate (later used as the trial as evidence) and has a not-so-sterling reputation. The trial’s testimony also included an expert in the use of PED’s.  Part of this section talks about “roid rage” that allegedly is why Centrella was so angry during the altercation. 

The writing on this and other controversial topics, such as race relations, adultery, excessive force used by police and courtroom process. Legal experts may find some passages do not conform to standard practice, but the author does acknowledge this. As I don’t consider myself an expert in the field, I would not have known this without reading that part.  

The story moves along well and flashbacks to past events that were relevant to the story were well written and well placed.  However, what really set this legal thriller apart from others I have read for me was that after the verdict was reached, Mackno and the district attorney Maurice Bass got on the same elevator.  The conversation that took place there was an even better finale to the story than the verdict.  Outstanding story that should be read by all fans of legal thrillers.

Did I skim?

No

Were the characters realistic? 

Yes.  While some may feel that several of them would fall under stereotypes, I felt each one of the main characters – those that were in the courtroom for the trial as well as Remo Centrella – were portrayed in a realistic manner and they fit what many people would imagine they would be like.  Dave was portrayed as one would expect for a police officer, Maurice Bass and Whitney Taylor as attorneys and Tina Manning as well.  They each were developed well throughout the story.

Pace of the story:

Excellent 

Do I recommend?  

Yes.  Not only will readers who like legal stories will be engrossed, those who like baseball books or stories on racial issues will enjoy this as well.

Book Format Read:

Ebook (Kindle)

Buying Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Hallways-Night-Novel-R-C-OLeary-ebook/dp/B00HCLRPPS/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hallways-in-the-night-rc-oleary/1117718052?ean=2940149054954