Witness for the Persecution

February 1, 2022
Solving a murder is the ultimate distraction for a Jersey girl gone West. Prosecutor Sandy Moss hardly expected to start a career as a defense attorney when she crossed the country to join a Los Angeles-based firm specializing in family law. But as her boss, Holly Wentworth, reminds her, Seaton, Taylor created a criminal division just for her after she successfully defended two murder trials. So when film director Robert Reeves is accused of sabotaging the equipment that sent stuntman Jim Drake to his death, his demand to have Sandy defend him seems almost reasonable. What makes Sandy most inclined to take on the uncooperative Reeves, however, is that her first client, actor Patrick McNabb, now her boyfriend, has just made an offer she'd prefer to refuse. Her charming but impulsive beau wants her to move into his magnificent home. Sandy's seen all too often that once Patrick wins the object of his pursuit, he tends to lose interest. So preparing a defense for the stubborn Reeves, who won't come clean about any of the facts of the case, within the nine-week timeline Judge Franklin has allowed provides Sandy with the excuse she needs to put off a decision about McNabb's proposal. As the evidence against Reeves mounts, Sandy draws on all her Garden State grit to clear a defendant who practically defies her best attempts to defend him while putting on pause the man who wants to woo her. Crafty and zany, with a well-clued solution.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from February 7, 2022
In Copperman’s outstanding third Jersey Girl legal mystery (after 2021’s Judgment at Santa Monica), Sandy Moss, a former New Jersey prosecuting attorney who moved to Los Angeles two years earlier to practice family law, has proven herself with her expert handling of two high-profile murder trials. Now, she’s the go-to lawyer for difficult cases with difficult clients, the latest being movie director Robert Reeves. The imperious Reeves has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of stuntman James Drake, which occurred during the filming of Reeves’s latest action extravaganza, Desert Siege. Though the director’s pomposity irks her, Sandy agrees to represent him, discovering “that it was possible to defend a man against murder charges without liking him at all.” The case is further complicated by threats against her life, the fact that her boyfriend starred in Desert Siege and might be called as a witness, and the fleeting feeling that her client might be guilty. Vibrant characters, a suitably complicated plot, sparkling dialogue, plenty of laughs, and some shrewd observations on L.A. and the film industry make for a rollicking good time. Copperman knows how to entertain. Agent: Josh Getzler, HG Agency.

March 1, 2022

The protagonist's sarcastic thoughts and wit add just the right amount of humor to this sequel to Judgement at Santa Monica. Sandy Moss moved to Los Angeles to practice family law, but once again she's asked to defend a murder suspect, film director Robert Reeves, who has been accused of killing a stunt performer on his set. On-set rumors insinuate that the dead man had been sleeping with Reeves's wife, and that Reeves said he'd like to kill him; there's also some incriminating video. Sandy dislikes her new client but is determined to get him a fair trial, despite being warned to drop the case and even being kidnapped at one point. The savvy former prosecutor knows her way around the courtroom, and her defense might be the most enjoyable one since Perry Mason. VERDICT Readers who enjoy streetwise protagonists and intelligent courtroom scenes will appreciate Copperman's latest. --Lesa Holstine

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.