Rating: 
Summary: FIRST RATE FOR FIRST NOVEL
Review: THIS IS A LEGAL MYSTERY/THRILLER THAT PUTS GRISHAM TO SHAME.SIEGAL GRABS YOU BY THE THROAT AND DOES NOT LET GO FOR THE ENTIRE 550 PPS.SHADES OF THE TV SERIES "LA LAW" ARE THERE IN THE PARTNERS' SQUABBLES BUT IT'S THE DOUBLE MURDER OR SUICIDE VICTIMS FOUND IN THE OFFICE OF THIS POSH LAW FIRM THAT IS THE CORE OF THIS MYSTERY. MIKEDALEY HAS JUST BEEN GIVEN THE BOOT FROM THE FIRM AND JOEL IS TURNED DOWN AS A PARTNER UNTIL NEXT YEAR.ANOTHER PARTNER HAS JUST BEEN ELECTED AS THE NEW DA AND HE IS DETERMINED TO TRY THIS CASE HIMSELF TO DEMONSTRATE HIS PROMISE OF LAW AND ORDER. FINALLY THE INVESTIGATORS PIN THE BLAME ON JOEL WHO DECIDES TO HIRE MIKE TO DEFEND HIM. MIKE'S EX WIFE OFFERS HIM HER HELP AND TAKES HIM IN AS HER PARTNER. JOEL'S FATHER IS A RABBI AND WANTS HIS OWN LAWYER IN ON THE CASE SO A "DREAM TEAM" IS FORMED.PERSONAL LIVES OF THE FIRM'S PARTNERS ARE DRAGGED OUT AND IT SEEMS THERE ARE SEVERAL WHO HAD A MOTIVE BUT JOEL SEEMS TO BE THE ONE WHO HAS TO FACE TRIAL AS ALL THE EVIDENCE POINTS TO HIM. HE DENIES AN AFFAIR WITH THE WOMAN KILLED BUT IT LOOKS LIKE HE IS LYING TO HIS LAWYER AND NOW HIS FAMILY. SECURITY TAPES ARE ENTERED FOR EVIDENCE BUTTHERE ARE OTHER WAYS OUT. FACT AFTER FACT IS PRODUCED AND IT LOOKS BAD FOR JOEL. THE ENDING IS NOT WHAT I EXPECTED ALTHOUGH THERE WERE HINTS ALONG THE WAY. YOU FIND THE TIME FLIES AS YOU READ THIS BOOK AND YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF READING "JUST ONE MORE CHAPTER" UNTIL THE END. SIEGEL'S SECOND NOVEL IS DUE OUT IN AUGUST AND I CAN'T WAIT TO READ IT...I DON'T KNOW HOW HE IS GOING TO TOP THIS ONE!
Rating:
Summary: Grabs you from page 1!!!
Review: This book is the most engaging story I have read in several years. I was pulled into it from the first page and could not stand to put it down--even to sleep! The characters were interesting, the plot was unpredictable, and the pace was incredible. I have passed this book on to several friends and family members and all have had the same feelings about it. Be warned: once you pick it up, it is very, very difficult to put down.
Rating:
Summary: THIS is a FIRST novel???????????????????????????
Review: Here's an indicator of how good this book really is: Somewhere well within the first 50 pages, I'd figured out the "who" of the "whodunnit;" did that cause me to lay the book aside?No. By that point, I was long-since totally hooked. Couldn't put the darn thing down. Compelling characters, people you really care about; often enough, that's all it really takes to keep a novel rolling along. Here, author Sheldon Siegel treats that as only the starting point. To this he also brings a page-turner of a plot, a sure sense of pacing, and a verisimilitude that makes "Special Circumstances" more than merely plausible. (It can also make you hope that defense attorney Mike Daley exists as more than simply a fictional character.) The narration throughout is first-person present-tense. This is a pretty nifty trick for even an experienced writer; here Siegel pulls it off without a hitch. His narrative is assured, seamless. As is his sense of setting. Frankly, it came as a relief to me -- a native-born and current San Franciscan -- to spot an error (he locates an S.F. Hall of Justice parking lot on the wrong side of Bryant Street), inasmuch as everything else in this novel approaches the perfect to an alarming degree. "Special Circumstances" is not only a wonderful read, it's also a primer for writers, both aspiring and established: Siegel, who as a practicing attorney specializes in corporate law, gives thanks in his acknowledgments to a series of individuals whom he consulted on matters of criminal law, prosecutorial conduct, forensics and law enforcement, etc. It is primarily because he took the time to cultivate these resources, and then to LISTEN to them, that his characters speak, act, and FEEL like the real thing. If Siegel is anywhere near so methodical in his law practice, he must probably be a pretty good attorney. In "Special Circumstances," he makes it more than obvious that he's one very good writer.
Rating:
Summary: Thrilling Page Turner!!
Review: I had trouble putting this book down and had even more trouble finishing it since it was so good I didn't want it to end! For anyone who enjoys dramatic legal thrillers, this book will not disappoint, trust me!
Rating:
Summary: Time stands still when you read this legal thriller !
Review: Sheldon Siegel uses the expertise of his vast legal experience to bring you deep into the heart of the legal system. Mike Daley is his charismatic lead in this novel spiced with muder, intrigue and conflicts in the corporate legal world. On the day he has opted to resign, in lieu of being fired, from his firm where he served as a lawyer who apparently did not bring in enough paying clients; a double murder takes place and a fellow lawyer and friend is arrested soon after. Mike takes over the defense and the tangled and musty web of the legal profession begins to untangle. But the process is slow and fastidious and piqued my interest though the entire saga. His crusty opponent DA,whose language is referred to as Skipperspeak, his helpful ex-wife Rosie, also a lawyer, his 'not always on the right side of the law' brother Pete, and Mort the Tort, a character who stands alone in his sometimes appealing yet inate blustery way....all these add striking contrast to each other and my concern and interest never flagged.
There is no lack of suspects as the story unfolds...but Mike focuses on freeing and exonerating his friend while untangling the many facets of this legal thriller. And he does so with just the right tinge of humour injected at appropriate intervals.His specialty are asides to us, the readers, in the court room scenes which are realistic, entertaining,suberbly portrayed and yet are not overburdened with legalese.
We have here a rising star whose ascent I will follow unwaveringly! His second novel "Incriminating Evidence" already has me in it's spell. Pick up both books at once because you will not want the story of Mike Daley to end. You have a fan, Sheldon! And many, many more to follow....suberb workmanship...kudos!
Rating:
Summary: couldn't put it down
Review: I had my vacation and was planning on driving to Vegas for a couple of days because I was sitting home with nothing to do. I picked up this book and was entranced for quite a few hours. My wife started it after I finished it and was up all night. This book was better than Vegas, and if it's better than Vegas it deserves five stars.
Rating:
Summary: wow! what a great book
Review: Okay, okay, I know that title for my review is [weak], but it's also true! I couldn't put this book down - I was up until 3:30am and I had to be at work by 7:00am. My only beef is that I knew who the mystery girlfriend was long, long before the end of the book and I therefore had a pretty good idea who the killer was. Of course, I waffled until the end - which is what I like. Who wants to finish a book they're sure will the end the way they think it will? Bottom line: Did I like this book? Oh yes.
If I lend it out, do I want it back? Yes - and no dogeared pages or coffee stains, either!
Am I going to read more by this author? Yes, definiely.
Rating:
Summary: First rate!
Review: I know, I know. You're thinking who needs another legal thriller when the genre is maxed out already, and I personally couldn't squeeze another onto my own bookshelf. But with SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES, lawyer and debut novelist Sheldon Siegel gives us Mike Daley, an ex-public defender, ex-priest and ex-partner in a powerful and prominent law firm in San Franciso. When Daley becomes involved in defending his best friend and former colleague against a double murder charge, not only does he discover his friend is not the man he appears to be, but uncovers some secrets long hidden by his old firm. Siegel's voice is fresh, and the writing draws you in from the very first sentence. Likeable, smart, funny, and vulnerable, Mike Daley is one of the few lawyers in fiction (maybe the only one) that proves wrong the theory that you can't trust a lawyer. Bravo to Mr. Siegel for bringing a breath of fresh air to the legal thriller and continued success with your writing and the Mike Daley series!
Rating:
Summary: Sheldon Siegel, the newest master of legal-suspense
Review: I personally find legal thrillers to be one of my personal favorite genres, and I am constantly looking to find new authors who can add a fresh twist to a field that has been slightly tarnished by some who really don't have the talent that their book sales would indicate. That fresh new author is Sheldon Siegel. In his very first time at bat, Sheldon has hit a home run with 'Special Circumstances'. A compelling story featuring one of the best protagonists since Martini introduced the first Paul Madriani novel. Mike Daley, a man with many problems, the least of which is as the novel opens, is coming to terms with his last day working for the largest firm on the West coast, Simpson & Gates. It is a bitter-sweet moment for Mike, who doesn't relish the thought of going it alone, but isn't thrilled to stay at a firm where he is treated so poorly by a good number of his partners. Before we know it, on Mike's last day, before the big end-of-year meeting is to begin, the announcement is made: two of the firms lawyers are found dead, an apparent murder/suicide...or was it? All isn't as it seems in this carefully plotted murder/mystery, which is exactly why I enjoy them so much. Mike's best friend, Joel, is suddenly the prime suspect, and with plenty of fanfare, is arrested at his home in front of his wife, children, parents and friends. Mike quickly jumps to his aid and volunteers to help see what he can do. Prentice Marshall Gates III, a former partner in the Simpson & Gates firm, recently elected San Francisco's District Attorney, and head of the 'Boot Mike from the firm club' decides as his first job as DA to actually prosecute this case by himself. A very unusual thing for a DA to ever do, but as usual, his motives are ALWAYS self-serving and he believes if he can nail his first major case while in office, he will cement his future goal of becoming State Attorney General, which is just a stepping stone to Governor of California. Mistakes, piled on top of shocking revelations and uncovering the dirty secrets of Simpson & Gates is all wicked good fun here. Siegel has crafted an amazing debut novel, and more than anything, made me thirst for his follow-up, 'Incriminating Evidence'. A reader can ask no more than to be entirely entertained by the books they read, and with 'Special Circumstances', being entertained is a virtual certainty. Oh yeah, the final revelation at the end was a fantastic wrap to an already tremendously fun read. Highly Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: grisham, martini, seigel
Review: if you love grisham and/or martini, you'll love sheldon seigel's first. i surely did. i'm not much for esoteric and pedantic literary analysis (maybe this is a byproduct of having majored in english lit in college), but: this novel is very well written, the characters are drawn fully, clearly and crisply. seigel succeeded magnificantly in his first novel. my congratulations to him, and my highest recommendation for this, his first novel. i look forward to many more, from this gifted weaver of plot and creator of character. truly a fine read!
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