Winner of the Edgar Award for best first mystery of 1989.
From Publishers Weekly
This fine mystery debut benefits from the author's background as a lawyer, a yeasty sense of humor and stylish writing. Set in San Mateo, Calif., the plot concerns wimpish young associate lawyer Howard Rickover, hired by Leo Slyde of Tweedmore & Slyde, a law firm with immense profits from "SVM," Silicone Valley Millionaires. Howard soon realizes that flashy Leo is making crooked deals concealed from Gerry Tweedmore, the conservative partner. The other members of the firm envy Leo's successful wooing of clients and the women in the office. When he is stabbed fatally during a party on the premises, everyone is a suspect. And now Howard comes into his own: casting off his timid persona, he teams up with detective Sara Nelson to eventually prove a case against the murderer of the vulture who had posed as "legal eagle." Mystery buffs will look forward to more inventions by the author, perhaps starring Rickover and Nelson as lovers and sleuths.
From Publishers Weekly
This fine mystery debut benefits from the author's background as a lawyer, a yeasty sense of humor and stylish writing. Set in San Mateo, Calif., the plot concerns wimpish young associate lawyer Howard Rickover, hired by Leo Slyde of Tweedmore & Slyde, a law firm with immense profits from "SVM," Silicone Valley Millionaires. Howard soon realizes that flashy Leo is making crooked deals concealed from Gerry Tweedmore, the conservative partner. The other members of the firm envy Leo's successful wooing of clients and the women in the office. When he is stabbed fatally during a party on the premises, everyone is a suspect. And now Howard comes into his own: casting off his timid persona, he teams up with detective Sara Nelson to eventually prove a case against the murderer of the vulture who had posed as "legal eagle." Mystery buffs will look forward to more inventions by the author, perhaps starring Rickover and Nelson as lovers and sleuths.
Just about every stereotype and cliche about corrupt lawyers. I don't think anyone uses the word "swank" any more.
It's the 1980's and Tweedmore & Slyde is the hottest law firm in Silicon Valley, where the computer industry is creating new ways to mint money. Tweedmore's lawyers are masters at carving out their own slice of that pie. Enter Howard Rickover, an unlikely addition to the Tweedmore tank of sharply dressed sharks. But when one of the sharks is stabbed to death, a scrappy, no-nonsense homicide detective inexplicabley selects Howard to run an 'inside job' Will wits and chemistry be enough to allow this unlikely duo to find the killer before the killer finds them? Mystery laced with humor.
