Twelve Apostles

Rating:
Summary: A master of legal mysteries.
Review: Having read "Death Penalty", I was looking forward to "The Twelve Apostles". Mr. Coughlin did not let me down!! His masterful weaving of plots and subplots, although at times confusing, is nonetheless the best in mystery/thrillers. I literally did not want to put the book down until I finished the last page. I look forward to reading his other books, and regret there will be no more.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent legal thriller
Review: This is the third William Coughlin book I've read (the others were Shadow of a Doubt, Day of Wrath). The Twelve Apostles seems to be the best so far, and the female lawyer is sketched very nicely & far more accurately than some of the female characters in Coughlin's other books.

The book is set in Manhattan, in a large law firm that concentrates on corporate law. Auxiliary plot threads include a overly endowed business man who loves to take over other corporations, a Japanese/Englishman who is extremely possessive of business interest as well as lovers, and another lawyer who is an ex-Boston Celtic player.

Recommended for those who like lawyer mysteries, New York and international settings, and for those who like excellent plotting and action. The love interest in here is well developed.

Rating:
Summary: Ouch.
Review: William J. Coughlin, The Twelve Apostles (Putnam, 1984)

It didn't take long to see that this one was going to my feeding my nearly-starved dustbunnies. The characters were completely wooden and presented in confusing fashion, too many plot threads were thrown at the reader all at once, and Coughlin gives his readers just one too many stereotypes by the time you get to the end of chapter three. With a bit more organization and some depth of character, this might have been a worthwhile book. As it stands, it's a morass of mediocrity in the highest degree. (zero)