BOOKINGS: MARY O. BRADLEY

Thursday, January 25, 2007

 

 

BOOK: "Cloaked in Doubt" (iUniverse Inc.; $16.95; 250 pages). AUTHOR: Michael J. Diamondstein, a Philadelphia attorney. INFO: iuniverse.com. OF NOTE: Successful Philadelphia prosecutor Jimmy DiAnno lets his infatuation with lovely art student Alesa Wex cloud his judgment when she is brutally murdered and he is hand-picked to prosecute the defendant, the city's beloved mayor, Jerry Savitch.

Rather than recusing himself, DiAnno hides knowledge of his passionate relationship with Alesa and quashes ethical considerations in favor of avenging her death. The nationwide press coverage of the high-profile case won't hurt his career, either.

Savitch is facing a tough fight for re-election, challenged by City Council President Ronald North, a former comrade now a bitter political enemy. The prosecution claims Savitch killed Alesa because he thought she was in a relationship with Rebecca, his gay daughter, a lifestyle that could destroy his re-election bid.

While the novel is filled with Philadelphia sites, flavor and politics, readers outside the city of Brotherly Love can appreciate the mystery for its range of characters, courtroom drama and glimpse inside a soul seeking revenge rather than justice.