Rating: 
Summary: The San Francisco DA is caught in a compromising position.
Review: "Incriminating Evidence" is a tidy legal thriller by San Francisco attorney Sheldon Siegel. Siegel's protagonists are criminal defense attorney Michael Daley, and his ex-wife and law partner, Rosie Fernandez. Daley, a former priest, retains the compassionate and caring nature that led him into the priesthood in the first place. Although Rosie and Michael are divorced, they often spend the night together. It seems that they get along better with one another now that they are no longer married.Rosie and Michael are hired to defend Skipper Gates, the San Francisco DA. Skipper is an unlikable political type who is accused of murdering a male prostitute with whom he spent the night. Not only will this scandal potentially ruin Skipper's career, but he could conceivable be sent to Death Row if a jury finds him guilty and special circumstances are invoked. With the help of a large cast of characters, including Rosie's brother, Michael's brother, a priest and an eightysomething private investigator, Michael and Rosie take a hard look at everyone who was involved in the events surrounding the murder. They uncover a morass of decadence, corruption and illicit business activity involving some very important people; although not all of the wrongdoers are punished, no one emerges from the tragedy completely unscathed. Siegel does a nice job of blending humor and human interest into the mystery. Rosie and Michael are competent lawyers, but they are not superhuman crimefighters, as so many attorneys are portrayed in the more hackneyed legal thrillers. The mystery is engrossing, the characters are lively, and I really became fond of Rosie and Michael. They are an attractive and entertaining couple and I recommend "Incriminating Evidence" to fans of legal thrillers.
Rating:
Summary: The San Francisco DA is caught in a compromising position.
Review: "Incriminating Evidence" is a tidy legal thriller by San Francisco attorney Sheldon Siegel. Siegel's protagonists are criminal defense attorney Michael Daley, and his ex-wife and law partner, Rosie Fernandez. Daley, a former priest, retains the compassionate and caring nature that led him into the priesthood in the first place. Although Rosie and Michael are divorced, they often spend the night together. It seems that they get along better with one another now that they are no longer married. Rosie and Michael are hired to defend Skipper Gates, the San Francisco DA. Skipper is an unlikable political type who is accused of murdering a male prostitute with whom he spent the night. Not only will this scandal potentially ruin Skipper's career, but he could conceivable be sent to Death Row if a jury finds him guilty and special circumstances are invoked. With the help of a large cast of characters, including Rosie's brother, Michael's brother, a priest and an eightysomething private investigator, Michael and Rosie take a hard look at everyone who was involved in the events surrounding the murder. They uncover a morass of decadence, corruption and illicit business activity involving some very important people; although not all of the wrongdoers are punished, no one emerges from the tragedy completely unscathed. Siegel does a nice job of blending humor and human interest into the mystery. Rosie and Michael are competent lawyers, but they are not superhuman crimefighters, as so many attorneys are portrayed in the more hackneyed legal thrillers. The mystery is engrossing, the characters are lively, and I really became fond of Rosie and Michael. They are an attractive and entertaining couple and I recommend "Incriminating Evidence" to fans of legal thrillers.
Rating: 
Summary: Same story, different cover
Review: After reading 'Special Circumstances' I couldn't wait for Sheldon Siegel's newest book 'Incriminating Evidence'. I am only 1/3 of the way through this book;but feel I've already read it. The plot is similiar, person wrongly accused, and not being forthright with his attorney. Attorney still has same dysfunctional relationship with his x-wife. I've even noticed familiar phrases, am I the only one noticing this???? I'm going to finish reading the book, hopefully something new and different will happen..
Rating:
Summary: Incriminating Evidence
Review: As with "Special Circumstances", Sheldon Seigel has spun yet another intriguiging thriller by mixing politics, family secrets, betrayal, sex, power, drugs and even religion. Mike Daley is back as the San Francisco's criminal defense attorney who takes on a high profile homocide case involving an elected official and uncovers a web of corruption that touches the lives of all those involved. The courtroom scenes are engrossingly written with a fast pace that is often punctured by wit and humor and the characters are developed even to the last page. You will find yourself guessing and second-guessing the suspects and your suspense won't be relieved until the very end. A good read.
Rating: 
Summary: A MUST read!
Review: Ex-priest, now defense attorney, Mike Daley never expected to receive a phone call from District Attorney Prentice (Skipper) Gates. Skipper, now a front runner for California attorney general, has a history with Mike, a bad one'not only did Skipper aide in Mike losing his job, but he also went up against him, prosecuting a case Mike was defending'now, Skipper needs his help, it appears Skipper has awoke in his hotel room to find a dead male prostitute in bed. Arrested, Skipper needs Mike's help, for Mike is the best man for the job. Swearing his innocence, Skipper begs Mike to take on the case and clear his name. Mike, not a big fan of Skipper, hesitates, but does what any good defense attorney would do'he takes on the case, with the help of his partner, and ex-wife Rosie. As Mike and Rosie begin their investigation they realize very powerful people are willing to do whatever it takes to keep some things from being found out. And the deeper the two become involved they chase a trail from the seedier side of town where drugs and bodies are always for sale, to the closed doors of the rich. Mike and Rosie frantically race to put together the pieces of this puzzle for a man's life depends on it. 'Incriminating Evidence' packs a wallop, starting off fast, the reader is led on a maze of twists and turns, where no one is who they seem, and everyone has something to hide. Using powerful suspense, high drama, and hot courtroom scenes, Sheldon Siegel has crafted an excellent follow-up to his debut bestseller 'Special Circumstances', one that will keep readers up all night turning the pages. Move over Grisham, Sheldon Siegel has arrived, and with this, his second novel, he has proven he is an author to reckon with. With his original plots, and page-turning twists Sheldon Siegel has joined my list of MUST READ authors! With out question 'Incriminating Evidence' will be a bestseller, and have fans anxiously awaiting the next appearance of Mike Daley. Nick Gonnella
Rating:
Summary: Another literary home run for Sheldon Siegel!
Review: FINALLY!! In a field of novels that has started to become rather stale in the past few years, Sheldon Siegel has injected an impressive dose of adrenaline with his first novel, 'Special Circumstances' and now with his just-as-good sequel, 'Incriminating Evidence', the trend continues. By now we have become familiar with criminal defense attorney Mike Daley, who is fast becoming my favorite protagonist in the legal thriller genre. Mike is an attorney with a conscience. A former Priest who maintains a legal practice with his ex-wife, Mike Daley is suddenly forced to deal with a situation which takes him literally by surprise: San Francisco DA Prentice Gates, a not-too-friendly competitor, is arrested when a male prostitute is found dead in his hotel room, bound, gagged and handcuffed to the bed. Decisions, decisions...as much as Mike would like to relish the situation and kick him while he's down, his conscience kicks in--as well as that little voice in the back of his head that says 'we need more clients'--and he accepts the job of defending his arch rival in a murder case with so much incriminating evidence against Prentice, that it looks like he will be defending a guilty man. Sheldon Siegel, knowing what it takes to make a good legal-thriller exceptional, teases us with just enough information to make us question over and over again
WHO actually did the killing? As I read this book, I began to suspect everyone from Prentice's best friend, his daughter, shady business partners, the male prostitute's pimp, even his wife--and then back to Prentice himself...finely crafted and tuned just right, 'Incriminating Evidence' deserves to be an enormous best seller. For fans of Steve Martini, Richard North Patterson, Phillip Margolin and Grisham, do yourself a HUGE favor and add Sheldon Siegel to this short list of A-List authors...yes, he IS that good. I very much look forward to Mike Daley volume 3. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: I don't know why I finished this book
Review: First of all, this book has an introduction to each chapter that doesn't have to do anything with the main story, those introductions together are at least 100 pages. Everything that happens at the investigation is written at least three times, (when Michael Daley discovers it, when he tell his ex wife and at the trial), this takes off about 40 pages, and at the end, when one of the suspects kill his/herself and wrote a letter and with that letter everybody knows who was the killer, and after that nobody could do nothing to catch him, is really pathetic.
Rating:
Summary: What's wrong with you 4 & 5 star reviewers!!!!?
Review: First, given the crime scene portrayed in the novel, there is no way -- none, nil, never ever -- that Skipper Gates could be charged with murder, much less with the death penalty. If a crime could be charged at all, it would be reckless homicide as a result of kinky drug and sex games going too far. Please -- they were both found dressed for the kinky sex (victim and defendant), and both laced with the drugs, knocked out. No -- nope -- nada chance.
Second, while the author does in fact continue with some fine writing and humor, he commits the ultimate, supreme grand poobah of all literary sins -- Deus Ex Machina -- Ugh! -- the gods save the day! The tension is built up -- the complexities -- the fix the defendant's in -- corruption -- built to a furor -- and then! and then! -- After 400 pages -- Deus Ex Machina to the rescue! A SUICIDE NOTE WITH ALL THE ANSWERS!!! A well-crafted one, a long one -- and with good punctuation. Oh, dear.
As to the high-flying reviews, it is best to read a book before rating it.
Rating:
Summary: RICHLY DESERVES FIVE STARS
Review: Having read Incriminating Evidence, and the reviews, I am left amused by some of the negative critiques. How easy it is to say that a reader knew who did it so early in the book -- only after he or she has read the book. The fact is, you may guess and guess, and may guess right, but you did not know. Second, if the answer to the murder had no clues along the way, and the author just picked one at random, that author would be accused of not foreshadowing the answer, which is never a good literary idea. Also, those that say this is formula with Siegel's previous book Special Circumstances must not have read one of the books -- for they are completely different in number, manner, character, and subplot as to the murder. This is a legal thriller. It WILL have a crime. It WILL have a prime suspect; and the protagonist WILL be a person whose duty is to defend them. To say Siegel has rewritten the same book is to say ALL legal thrillers are the same -- this is the genre, after all. Incriminating Evidence is in fact a driving book that makes you want to find out what happened. But it is more -- it opens a world of intrigue, where the bad are often hidden in saint's clothing. And the humor is original and solid, and makes you want to reread the passages. And this novel is original, giving answers, but raising more questions that more reflect real life. You do not see that too often with thrillers.
I could not put this one down, loving the action, the relationships, the tension, and the reality of life, and of a courtroom, spring from the pages. A wonderful book. Five stars is indeed the right answer.
Rating:
Summary: Too much of the same thing
Review: I agree with other reviewers who state this book is just too similar to the first one. He seems to be a good author, but the scenarios and the actual wording in some cases are way too similar to the first book. He could do much better!
|
