Rating: 
Summary: a good read, but not the best in the "Nina Reilly" series
Review: Many things about this book, I liked. Nina is one of the more interesting female protagonists in the legal thriller arena, with a good cast of supporting characters in teenage son Bob, P.I./love interest Paul, Legal Secretary/Native-American activist Sandy Whitefeather, etc. (too bad the the evil lawyer Jeff Reisner is gone by now . . . .)I liked the undercurrents of the complex relationships of the six neighbors in this book, who live near where a fire occurs that provides the story's setting. And Nina's feelings of restlessness and transition after leaving Lake Tahoe come across as authentic. But I had a hard time with the ultimate resolution of the crime in this one. Without giving away the ending, the "perp" struck me as a bit implausible, as I feel the criminal plot would have unraveled on it's own much earlier in the story, the way the author has set it up (I can't say more without giving away the ending). Overall, an entertaining & well-written book; not the best in the series, but not the worst either.
Rating:
Summary: a good read, but not the best in the "Nina Reilly" series
Review: Many things about this book, I liked. Nina is one of the more interesting female protagonists in the legal thriller arena, with a good cast of supporting characters in teenage son Bob, P.I./love interest Paul, Legal Secretary/Native-American activist Sandy Whitefeather, etc. (too bad the the evil lawyer Jeff Reisner is gone by now . . . .) I liked the undercurrents of the complex relationships of the six neighbors in this book, who live near where a fire occurs that provides the story's setting. And Nina's feelings of restlessness and transition after leaving Lake Tahoe come across as authentic. But I had a hard time with the ultimate resolution of the crime in this one. Without giving away the ending, the "perp" struck me as a bit implausible, as I feel the criminal plot would have unraveled on it's own much earlier in the story, the way the author has set it up (I can't say more without giving away the ending). Overall, an entertaining & well-written book; not the best in the series, but not the worst either.
Rating: 
Summary: Boring plot, dislikable characters
Review: Nina Reilly is back in her ninth outing. For the last three years she has practiced law in Lake Tahoe. Now she is back in her hometown living with her boyfriend, Paul van Wagoner. Suspicious fires have been breaking out. A third fire has a fatality and the prime suspect is Wish Whitefeather, Wish happens to be Nina's secretary, Sandy's son. Nina and Paul work together to clear Wish of the charges. I'm a big fan of Perri O'Shaungnessy's other Nina Reilly novels. I could barely get through this one. If I hadn't had so much time invested in it, I probably wouldn't have bothered to finish it. One problem with the book is the characters are not likable. Even Nina is whiny and rather annoying. It's a bad sign when a beloved main character becomes irritating. The secondary cast around whom the plot revolves is a pathetic bunch of people. I could not care one whit about any of them. The plot was boring which is a big offense in the thriller genre. Part of the book dealt with Nina's conflicted relationship with Paul. I don't she her able to share her life with anyone. She really doesn't know how to compromise, so I think she should just head back to Tahoe and hopefully come back in a better story.
Rating: 
Summary: A Perfect Summer Sizzler
Review: Nina Reilly is back! But in PRESUMPTION OF DEATH, she is no longer practicing law in Tahoe; rather she has taken up residence in Carmel Valley with her longtime lover, Paul van Wagoner, P.I. "Living together was a revelation. They weren't kids, and melding their lifestyles didn't come easy." Her son, Bob, is in Europe; her former secretary cum best friend, Sandy Whitefeather, is in Washington on business "' with the federal government at the Bureau of Indian Affairs '" and Nina is auditioning for the part of Paul's permanent partner. Things are not quite perfect in the couple's relationship, but they put their personal concerns aside, when Sandy calls them for help. They are needed to identify the charred remains of an alleged arsonist who died in a fire not far from Paul's home. The victim could be Willis a.k.a. Wish, Sandy's son. She tells them that the police have called and informed her that "He went up the Robles Ridge above Carmel Valley Village ' with another boy. His roommates say he didn't come home that night or last night either." But Sandy does not believe he is dead nor does she believe he started the fire that burned fifteen acres. The couple hurries off to the morgue, and the story heats up from there. The remains are not Willis's. Wish is not dead, but if the body isn't his, then who burned to death in the blaze? The police are convinced that Whitefeather started the fire on the ridge and that he could be responsible for the other arsons that have suddenly erupted in the valley. They arrest him. And Nina finds herself with a client whose innocence she and Paul are determined to prove. Their work takes them up and down the California coast, but keeps bringing them back to the small neighborhood in the Village called Siesta Court. Nina infiltrates the community and sees cracks in the façade of closeness these people have created for themselves. As the families come together, one by one, each couple's vulnerabilities are exposed. As Nina and Paul work together on their own investigation, they discover that their personal needs often conflict and that, as with everything in life, compromises must be made. Piece by piece, the couple starts to unravel the intertwined facts and suppositions that appear to make a strong case against Wish. Slowly, and with a logical approach, the two are determined to get their friend out of jail and hopefully find the real killer/arsonist before he strikes again. And both of them commit themselves to building a life together. PRESUMPTION OF DEATH is Perri O'Shaughnessy's ninth Nina O'Reilly courtroom thriller. They (yes they, sisters Pamela and Mary O'Shaughnessy) have a track record that is hard to beat. Their readers have come to expect a terrific plot inundated with exciting twists and turns and appreciate how the O'Shaughnessy sisters manage to humanize their ensemble of regulars. Over the years, fans have watched Nina and her sidekicks grow into fully realized characters who are a delight to solve a whodunit with. This book is a winner and a perfect summer sizzler. Enjoy! --- Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum
Rating:
Summary: Offended & Bored
Review: Not only was I bored by the whiny and overly sensitive Nina with regards to her boyfriend, I find it hard to believe much recent research was done by the sisters on the Carmel/Salinas area. They may have lived in the area at one time, but their memory is a bit warped. To term Salinas as 'part okie and part latino' in a derogatroy manner does a great diservice to those who live there. Salinas, the vegetable capitol of the world, is a diverse and wealthy community. Not at all as downtrodden as the sisters make it sound. And to say 'it was always a tense place' is ridiculous! It's hard to give credence to the credentials of a writer when the setting has been so badly botched. I think the sisters owe the residents of Salinas an apology. I also think the sisters owe their once legion of fans an apology for such a thin plot, filled with too many characters no one cares about, and a heroine that needs a reality check. Relationships are not perfect, and compromise goes a long way to work toward that goal...a trait Nina seems to be lacking. With so little compassion, I wouldn't hire her for an attorney! And I won't be buying the sisters books any longer. I was disappointed with the last two, and now I'm bored and offended.
| 
