Rating: 
Summary: strong legal thriller
Review: About a decade ago, lawyers Michael Daley and Rosie Fernandez triumphantly represented bum Leon Walker in a murder trial. Leon returns needing legal assistance from his attorneys as he is charged with the stabbing killing of Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tower Grayson. The duo knows they must reject this case and all murder cases as Rosie recovers from breast cancer. Besides obtaining an acquittal in the first case, the marriage between the two lawyers ended.Perhaps it is the code of an ex-priest, but Michael, over his own judgment that reminds him of the mental and physical price these representations mean, accepts the job. The prosecution side uses every weapon in their arsenal including abuse of power through intimidation of witnesses and the defense to win. Encouraged by their client's obsession to prove his innocence before he dies from a liver ailment, Michael and Rose with the professional help of his brother a private eye type go all out in their defense, but the other side has more in its arsenal to hide the truth. The verdict on Sheldon Siegel is that few if any of today's writers provide a better legal thriller. His latest tale contains a strong story line with incredibly realistic and compelling courtroom scenes that last for more than a paragraph or two. Fans will root for the defense team whose courageous client sets the tone and feel horrified at the "legal" excesses of the prosecution side. FINAL VERDICT is great novel that sub-genre fans will enjoy immensely, but also will think of the song The Spy Who Loved Me upon finishing the book because baby Mr. Siegel is the best. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: His books just keep getting better
Review: Another one I couldn't put down. This really was a page-turner, no cliche about it. I had to keep reading, just to find out what would happen next. Dialogue is as great as ever, fast-paced plot with no holes, and if you haven't met Nick the Dick (PI) yet, Siegel's books are worth reading for this character alone. You don't need to have read his other books to enjoy this one. He gives just enough background in the beginning, and here and there throughout the book, so that a newbie doesn;t get lost.
Rating:
Summary: His books just keep getting better
Review: Another one I couldn't put down. This really was a page-turner, no cliche about it. I had to keep reading, just to find out what would happen next. Dialogue is as great as ever, fast-paced plot with no holes, and if you haven't met Nick the Dick (PI) yet, Siegel's books are worth reading for this character alone. You don't need to have read his other books to enjoy this one. He gives just enough background in the beginning, and here and there throughout the book, so that a newbie doesn;t get lost.
Rating:
Summary: He Does It Again!
Review: As a dedicated mystery reader (and author) I am picky about what I read. Sheldon Siegel gives you hours of great entertainment, a peek inside the judicial system, an insider tour of San Francisco tourists never see...and most local's don't either. Two main characters who have depth, humor, smarts and compassion, besides a righteous sense of the law. And if you want more...it's a page turner that keeps the action and suspense going non-stop. The only problem is we have to wait another year to meet up with Mike & Rosie.
Rating: 
Summary: Another Winning Verdict for Siegel
Review: At the center of Final Verdict is Leon Walker, a terminally ill ex-basketball player who has had more than one skirmish with the law. Black, from the wrong side of town, and rotting with liver disease, Leon's dreams were shattered by being at the wrong place, at the wrong time-again. He is accused of murdering a prominent, well loved, pillar of the community, or so they say. Like all defendants, Walker swears innocence. Few believe him; most want to nail him, especially those who watched him walk the first time. To make matters worse, it is election time and Leon's trial date makes him an ideal scapegoat for an ambitious DA, who will stop at nothing to move up and who uses every contact with the press to further her star-power. The timing is ideal for everyone but the defendant, whose future is bleak on all fronts. With months to live, Leon simply wants to clear his name and give his illegitimate daughter a chance to live without the stigma of a murderous father. He turns to Mike Daley, an ex-priest turned attorney, who got him off at his first trial. Daley is not too anxious to represent Walker again. Nor are the principals of the unassuming law firm of Fernandez, Daley & O'Malley. This is no pin-striped, blue chip firm with opulent penthouse offices. It's a hands- on firm, where space is cheap, and its principals take out the trash, answer their own phones, and clean their own toilets. Taking on this case could easily make it the ex-law firm of Fernandez, et al. The conflict is further complicated by the firm's chemistry, perhaps one of the most dysfunctional firms in the bay area, at least by design. Rosita Fernandez is Mike's ex-wife, the lead partner of the firm and mother of their child. Leon Walker's first trial killed the marriage. Caroline O'Malley, Mike's ex-girlfriend, joined the firm when her career at the DA's office went south. Strangely enough, the odd mix works, and their record of won cases is impressive. Daley alone believes in Walker's innocence. The fact that the partners previously decided not to take on another murder trial, helps matters little, let alone one with little prospect of being paid. Fernandez has observed the obvious: there is little to gain but an empty bank account and ruined careers, topped by a guilty verdict for Leon Walker, who may very well be quite dead before trial time. Final Verdict is narrated through the eyes of Daley, clearly one of the good guys. Though all too human, and often sarcastic, Daley is reliable, tenacious, and extremely likeable. As the story unfolds, we see the good & bad of the justice system, outrageous behavior in and out of the courtroom by prosecution and defense. Through his disillusioned eye, we see outrageous political posturing, the façade and reality of criminal trials where attorney risk is as much or more than that of the defendant. In this instance, frankly the accused criminal has as much if not more integrity than of the alternate players on the police force and in the District Attorney's office trying to fry him. If you haven't had the pleasure of reading Sheldon Siegel, you are in for a real treat. His legal thrillers, from his maiden work, Special Circumstances, to his fourth, Final Verdict, are gripping, tightly plotted, often amusing, and impossible to put down. The verdict on this one is clear; it is a winner for the firm and a best seller for Siegel.
Rating:
Summary: BEST BOOK EVER!
Review: BEST BOOK IN THE SIEGEL SERIES!
I LOVE IT!!!
I LOVE IT!!!
I LOVE IT!!!
I LOVE IT!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Awful
Review: Completely predictable. Leon Walker is a weak protagonist. Paper thin plot, unbelievable characters. Awful.
Rating:
Summary: The final verdict on 'Final Verdict'...OUTSTANDING!
Review: Ex-husband and wife legal team Mike Daly and Rosie Fernandez have had their share of tough cases, but none so much as Leon Walker, a man accused of killing a man during a holdup. Mike and Rosie won the case on a technicality, but their marriage suffered as a result. Now, ten years later, Mike receives a phone call from a desperate man begging for Mike's help, the man is Leon Walker, and he is, once again, accused of murder. Mike realizes this case is a loser, and Rosie will never go for defending him, but against his better judgment, Mike agrees to take on his case. This time around the victim is wealthy businessman Tower Grayson. Tower was killed in an abandoned alley behind a sex shop. The police found Leon passed out in the alley with the murder weapon, and two thousand dollars belonging to Tower. The previous case involving Leon left many people furious because he was found innocent, this time around they will make sure he pays the price...for both crimes. As Mike starts questioning Leon he finds he is terminally ill and may not live through the trial, but proving his innocence is of the utmost importance to help save the future of his young daughter, but this will prove to be difficult as old rivals are out for Leon's blood, and they will bring down anyone that gets in the way of his conviction. There is not much to be said about 'Final Verdict' other than EXCELLENT, FAST-PACED, and THRILLING. Once again, Sheldon Siegel has written an entertaining thriller, filled with witty dialogue and sharp legal maneuvers. 'Final Verdict' is a great read and proves the series gets stronger with each new novel. I couldn't put this book down once started, and of all the novels I have read, and reviewed this summer it is the one I have enjoyed the most. The final verdict on 'Final Verdict'...OUTSTANDING! Nick Gonnella
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Summary: San Francisco's underbelly
Review: I enjoyed this story. The result was predictable, maybe not exactly, but you know how things would turn out: people dead, people vindicated, people caught up in their lies, etc.
I liked his style of interposing character comments. It always refreshed the story. The discription of San Francisco was really good. It made you want to visit, but it also gave you a feel of the weather and the lay of the land, some stuff you do not normally get in travel books and stories about places.
I was bothered by the lack of notice of the fired bookkeeper. He could have been the murder, but it was not necessary and the following up may have been more than the characters could have done in real life. This was a high speed story from beginning to end, everything happened in a week.
Rating:
Summary: Thank you, Mr. Seigel!
Review: I've read all Seigel's books, and I've liked them all. The others have been good, and this one is a dandy. A cut above the others. Mom and Dad's favorite child. Grandma and Grandpa's, too. Good story-telling is the key - you can have a good story line and delightful characters, but if you can't tell it right, you can't make me care much about your story or your characters! The smooth pace, rhythm, texture, and flow all wrap around me like a python (a warm, friendly, slow-moving one) and carry me from the compelling beginning to the shocking surprising ending, and I was so let down to read the last page and close the back cover. Seigel's description of the Bay Area, where I've lived and worked (at the workplace of the egregious Jerry Edwards!) for the last 9 years and it's like frosting on the cake to recognize everywhere Rosie and Michael go. Thank you, Mr. Seigel. BRING ON THE NEXT ONE!!
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