William J. Coughlin (1)Besprekingen

If Arthur Hailey had written about the world of corporate law, the result would have been like this one, more or less. It details the inner workings of a top notch corporate law firm, through a few days in the lives of its partners and associates. The story is engaging for the most part, with a few solid characters and some fast legal action.
But, there was too much legal technicalities towards the end, and some unconvincing characters, which made me enjoy it less than I would have liked.

I could not get into this one -- too many characters introduced for no apparent reason -- all somehow connected to the secret group of WASP New Yorkers who have run the city for 200 years. Attitude towards women rather disgusting.

Another great story from this guy. I'm so sorry that so much of his stuff is out of print... This time lawyer Jake Martin risks his partnership in the firm of his dreams to defend the young widow of a very old, rich man. Coughlin never takes the cheap way out and in this story there were plenty of opportunities.

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!

Some of Coughlin's earlier books are being reissued and this is one I hadn't read. Lieutenant Anthony Russo's long career included the successful capture of a serial killer years ago. Edward Teague got an insanity defense and was committed to a mental hospital. But, now he's out but few know it. Russo has to start from scratch and the bodies are piling up. This is a well written, engaging thriller.

This author died last year or the year before. His wife published his last book after he died. Then this one appeared. The copyright notice appears to imply that an earlier version was published in 1982 but there are some things in the book that lead me to believe someone rewrote this. Strange. The story is about a Supreme Court justice who dies and the selection of a replacement. It's not great but the story kind of hangs together with some interesting characters.

BOTTOM-LINE:
Great business dealings, lousy everything else
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PLOT OR PREMISE:
An elite law firm in NYC has 12 full partners, nicknamed the Apostles, and various members wheel and deal with big business clients as an opening comes available.
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WHAT I LIKED:
The story has a very strong "Wall Street" feel to it, but the back and forth between two companies with their punches and counter-punches are fast-paced and real. Most stories in the genre have one or two "business" tricks, but this is much more complicated and relies less on a single tool to advance the plot. The story mixes experienced apostles, with participating associates gunning for a promotion, and even associates and junior partners slogging in the trenches.
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WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
The romance side of the story detracts from the business manoeuvres, as does the one-dimensional side of one of the business clients and their opposing counsel. In addition, there is some seriously flawed treatment of a sexual assault that shouldn't be anywhere in the story, it's completely superfluous to the outcome.
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DISCLOSURE:
I received no compensation, not even a free copy, in exchange for this review. I am not personal friends with the author, nor do I follow him on social media.

Although I saw the tag on the cover - "A Charley Sloan Courtroom Thriller by Walter Sorrells" as I picked up the novel I did not make the immediate connection that William J. Coughlin was deceased. As this is the first novel that I read in the Charley Sloan series I cannot speak to any difference in writing style and/or characterization particularly for Charley Sloan and his daughter Lisa. I enjoyed the novel as a legal thriller stand-alone and will be looking forward to exploring more novels by Water Sorrells. I particularly enjoyed the separation of chapters into categories of "Preliminaries," "Trial," and "Verdict."

In viewing information on the website of Walter Sorrells, his background adds an interesting element to the collection displayed in the office of the novel's author Miles Dane.

A devoted martial artist, Sorrells holds a 3rd degree black belt in Japanese Shito-ryu karate, and has also studied Brazilian jiujitsu, aikido, Tai Chi, various Okinawan kobudo (weapons) systems, and the Japanese sword arts of Iaido and Shinkendo...Sorrells is also a part-time swordsmith who specializes in hand forging swords and knives with a Japanese flavor.

5539.. The Court, by William J. Coughlin (read3 Mar 2018) This book indicates a prior edition was published in 1982 with the title No More Dreams. This edition cannot be the same as the 1982 book since this edition makes passing reference to Clarence Thomas, who had no association with the Supreme Court in 1982. The story is of a Justice Howell who is a candidate for being taken off life supports because he is brain dead. A fictional president wants to appoint someone to the Supreme Court who will hold that a constitutional amendment abolishing the Electoral college will be found not to have been adopted because two of the states had withdrawn their prior ratifications of the amendment. The incumbent president believes he cannot be victorious in the next presidential election unless the electoral college still exists. A lawyer is sent to Lansing, Michigan, to determine if the dean of the Michigan State law School will hold that the electoral college is still in effect. The book was published in 1999. Also a case is to be decided as to voluntary suicide, and another as to whether a law holding a newspaper liable for negligent publishing is constitutional. All these interesting legal issues are mixed into the lawyer meeting up with an old girl friend in Lansing. There are few upright characters in the novel and I found myself turned off by the unpleasant characters spouting coarse language. And the way the novel ends did not strike me as decisive or, if decisive, a satisfactory resolution of the momentous issues before the Court. While there are some good things about the novel on balance I did not like it.

Her Honor is a courtroom novel that introduces us to Kathleen Talbot, an attorney whose father has encouraged her political ambitions. When a family situation occurs, she decides to curtail her political climb towards becoming governor and accept a judgeship. A short time later she is appointed to hear a controversial case, the mercy killing of a brain dead victim by a police officer. It becomes a constant reminder of her own decision to have her father removed from life support and she begins to wonder if hearing this case is a conflict of interest for her.

This book was originally published in 1987 and it has a dated feel in the way men treated women during that time. I don't dispute that this attitude was real, just that so many years later it almost seems unbelievable. I think William Coughlin is a good writer and normally I love courtroom thrillers. This story was fairly predictable so there were no surprises. There were way too many characters and several subplots that kept this from being a page turner. Overall, I enjoyed the story and and it was an interesting glimpse into the judicial system.

This is a book from the Charley Sloan series. For some reason it's attributed under two different names, but this is definitely William J. Coughlin. Charley Sloan is defending a Norman Mailer type character....an author who's style of hard-nosed novels are starting to slip in popularity. He's accused of murdering his wife. Lots of satisfying twists and turns. Great page-turner.½

3945. Proof of Intent, by William J. Coughlin and Walter Sorrells (read 17 Oct 2004) While Coughlin's name appears on the title page of this book it was published in 2002 and Coughlin died in 1992, so all Coughlin contributed to the book is the central character, Charley Sloan, a recovering alcoholic lawyer, who represents a guy accused of killing his wife. It is all pretty wild but it was fun to read, though what really happens in a courtroom bears little relation to this fiction. But it was easy good reading and I think is better legal fiction than Grisham, e.g., sometimes puts out.½

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.½

Read on trip to India. Good airplane read.½