Rating: 
Summary: TRUE TO FORM
Review: I had the pleasure of meeting the author at a book signing. At that time, I had never heard of him nor was I familiar with his novels. Although I was somewhat skeptical about reading a novel written about criminal defense tril work written by a civil attorney, I must admit I was pleasantly surprised. This novel should be entitled, "Never a Dull Moment". Not only did I find the writing superb, the plot was rich with characters who were well defined. Moreover, the author was able to accurately depict the nuances particular to criminal defense trial work. Since now I know who he is and have read one of his novels, I look forward to more of Mike and Rosie.
Rating: 
Summary: Good But......
Review: I was just a tad lost towards the ending. Granted we all received the suicide letter written by the Mrs. truly implicating herself for her own reasons but ....... who actually duck taped the victims nose? Unless I missed that even being mentioned, I'm still trying to figure out who actually did it. Who carried through with that??This had been my first Siegal novel and again, it was good but if the author wanted to leave the reader hanging so that we could come up with our own theories outside of the suicide note, he did a good job and perhaps....... that's precisely what he wanted to do. I'd STILL like to know who duck taped the victims nose. Maybe I'll never know after all. Good book nonetheless.
Rating:
Summary: Good But......
Review: I was just a tad lost towards the ending. Granted we all received the suicide letter written by the Mrs. truly implicating herself for her own reasons but ....... who actually duck taped the victims nose? Unless I missed that even being mentioned, I'm still trying to figure out who actually did it. Who carried through with that?? This had been my first Siegal novel and again, it was good but if the author wanted to leave the reader hanging so that we could come up with our own theories outside of the suicide note, he did a good job and perhaps....... that's precisely what he wanted to do. I'd STILL like to know who duck taped the victims nose. Maybe I'll never know after all. Good book nonetheless.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining and suspenseful legal thriller
Review: In a strange but intriguing plot, the San Francisco DA, Prentice Gates, who is running for Attorney General, is accused of murdering a young male prostitute under bizarre conditions. Mike Daley, hired as Gates' lawyer, is a cynical, wise-cracking ex-Priest, ex-Assistant DA and ex-husband of his partner, Rosie Fernandez, in a low rent legal firm. Despite their uncooperative client, Mike and Rosie, who need the high "a--hole retainer", work to find out what really happened the night of the murder. As the plot unfolds, secondary plots and suspects add to the suspense. The characters are very likable: I particularly enjoyed the wise-cracking, non-conformist Mike Daley and the hysterical 85 year old private detective Hanson, who works first for Gates' opponent to dig up dirt on him, then switches sides mid-trial to work for Daley to dig up dirt on some of the suspects for the defense. The entertainment and plot twists continue til the very end. This is my first Sheldon Siegel book and I look forward to reading more adventures of Mike Daley.
Rating:
Summary: I Feel as Though I Should Know These Characters
Review: INCRIMINATING EVIDENCE by Sheldon Siegel
For a first book this has it all. Mike Daley, an attorney and his partner Rose, his ex-wife, her brother, and various friends all have their human strengths and weakness'. Then we have Mike and Rose's great investigating capabilities. This story brings in all their feeling and capabilities. Mike is called to defend a man who he does not like for good reasons. Before the case is over we feel the same way about his client, but Mike and his ex wife continue to pursue the case although their professionalism as lawyers is called upon to stay with it. Only Mike, an ex-priest and ex-public defender, and who had gone through his apprentice as an attorney around the city of San Francisco's seamier side, could have defended his client and got the decision he did by the jury.
Rating:
Summary: I Feel as Though I Should Know These Characters
Review: INCRIMINATING EVIDENCE by Sheldon Siegel
For a first book this has it all. Mike Daley, an attorney and his partner Rose, his ex-wife, her brother, and various friends all have their human strengths and weakness'. Then we have Mike and Rose's great investigating capabilities. This story brings in all their feeling and capabilities. Mike is called to defend a man who he does not like for good reasons. Before the case is over we feel the same way about his client, but Mike and his ex wife continue to pursue the case although their professionalism as lawyers is called upon to stay with it. Only Mike, an ex-priest and ex-public defender, and who had gone through his apprentice as an attorney around the city of San Francisco's seamier side, could have defended his client and got the decision he did by the jury.
Rating:
Summary: Good But......
Review: Incriminating Evidence continues the story begun with Mr. Siegel's fine book, Special Circumstances. In this book, Mike Daley's former law partner who helped get him fired, District Attorney Prentice Marshall (Skipper) Gates III, finds himself in hot water. Gates is running to become California's attorney general.
After a late night strategy session on the campaign, Gates spends the night in the hotel. The next morning, he is awakened by the room service waiter to find a handcuffed dead man in his bed. Gates claims to be unaware of where the dead man came from, and calls Daley to handle his defense. Needing a high profile case and Gates's large retainer, Daley and his new partner, ex-wife Rosie Fernandez, take on the case. They find themselves with a client who isn't very honest with them, a wall of incriminating evidence and a tough battle from the DA's office. Forced by their client to try the case before the election, the defense team finds itself in court before its own investigation is complete. As a result, there's a nonstop series of cliffhangers that are very well done. The book continues the satire on the legal profession that began in Special Circumstances and extends it to politicians and business people. The satire didn't really work for me. Today, we assume the worst about politicians and sometimes find we are being too optimistic with even that assessment. I missed the shots at law firm partners and striving associates that were so wonderful in Special Circumstances. Mr. Siegel for some reason also cut back on the stream of consciousness that he used so effectively to alternate with his spoken words in the earlier book. So it's a great cliff-hanging thriller. Why isn't it a five-star book? For me, that's simple. The subject matter of what the evil doers have done and are doing is consistently disgusting. Only a defense lawyer who needed the business and the attention would want to touch this case or this defendant with a ten-foot pole. Ultimately, the message certainly is that there are high personal costs to ensuring that everyone gets the best possible defense. If you haven't read Special Circumstances, definitely read that one first. If you have, decide how much disgusting human behavior you want to read about before you decide to take this one on. If you do decide to read this book, I suggest that you think about where your own moral standards may be slipping a bit. How can you get back on the right track?
Rating: 
Summary: Of Human Bondage
Review: Incriminating Evidence continues the story begun with Mr. Siegel's fine book, Special Circumstances. In this book, Mike Daley's former law partner who helped get him fired, District Attorney Prentice Marshall (Skipper) Gates III, finds himself in hot water. Gates is running to become California's attorney general.
After a late night strategy session on the campaign, Gates spends the night in the hotel. The next morning, he is awakened by the room service waiter to find a handcuffed dead man in his bed. Gates claims to be unaware of where the dead man came from, and calls Daley to handle his defense. Needing a high profile case and Gates's large retainer, Daley and his new partner, ex-wife Rosie Fernandez, take on the case. They find themselves with a client who isn't very honest with them, a wall of incriminating evidence and a tough battle from the DA's office. Forced by their client to try the case before the election, the defense team finds itself in court before its own investigation is complete. As a result, there's a nonstop series of cliffhangers that are very well done. The book continues the satire on the legal profession that began in Special Circumstances and extends it to politicians and business people. The satire didn't really work for me. Today, we assume the worst about politicians and sometimes find we are being too optimistic with even that assessment. I missed the shots at law firm partners and striving associates that were so wonderful in Special Circumstances. Mr. Siegel for some reason also cut back on the stream of consciousness that he used so effectively to alternate with his spoken words in the earlier book. So it's a great cliff-hanging thriller. Why isn't it a five-star book? For me, that's simple. The subject matter of what the evil doers have done and are doing is consistently disgusting. Only a defense lawyer who needed the business and the attention would want to touch this case or this defendant with a ten-foot pole. Ultimately, the message certainly is that there are high personal costs to ensuring that everyone gets the best possible defense. If you haven't read Special Circumstances, definitely read that one first. If you have, decide how much disgusting human behavior you want to read about before you decide to take this one on. If you do decide to read this book, I suggest that you think about where your own moral standards may be slipping a bit. How can you get back on the right track?
Rating:
Summary: Another Winning Page Turner From Sheldon Siegel!
Review: Incriminating Evidence proves, for anyone who doubted him, that Siegel knows how to write a barn-burner of a book. I loved Siegel's first book, Special Circumstances, and was not disappointed by his second book, Incriminating Evidence. The characters are well drawn, the plot has so many twists and turns you may feel like you've suffered whiplash by the end, and Mike Daley's dry wit will keep you thoroughly entertained. I couldn't put it down. How often can you say THAT about a book?
Rating:
Summary: A Superb Legal Thriller
Review: It all started with a phone call from the District Attorney and leading candidate for Attorney General, Prentice Marshall (Skipper) Gates III. "I need your help ASAP. We have a situation." As ex-priest and now defense attorney Mike Daley, would say, that was a bit of an understatement. It seems Skipper woke up that morning in San Francisco's Fairmont Hotel with a little company, a dead male prostitute handcuffed to his bed. Now he's in a holding cell at the Hall of Justice, charged with murder and incensed because "...they're treating me like a prisoner." He says he's innocent. He says he's being framed. He says there's a conspiracy out there that's trying to make sure he loses the election. Mike and his law partner, ex-wife, Rosie Fernandez, don't buy it, but decide to take the high profile case, knowing it's going to be an uphill battle all the way. All the evidence, and there's a lot of it, points right to Skipper. Their client isn't very forthcoming and seems to be stonewalling his own defense and the only way they're going to be able to defend him and win this case is if they find out what really happened that night. But as their investigation progresses and they dig deeper into San Francisco politics and possible corruption, Mike and Rosie find that there are powerful people out there who don't want the truth to come out..... Sheldon Siegel has really honed his craft and written a superb page turner that's about to keep you up reading all night. This is a legal thriller that definitely has it all...a compelling, well paced, intricate plot, well drawn, intriguing, original characters, terrific courtroom scenes that come alive on the page and crisp, witty writing and irreverent dialogue. But it's Mr Siegel's indepth knowledge of San Francisco and his expertise in criminal law and the ins and outs of the courtroom that really makes this book stand out. This is the second novel of this new series. If you're new to Mike and Rosie, make sure you read Sheldon Siegel's first thriller, Special Circumstances. For those who are already fans, Incriminating Evidence is a winner and should be at the top of your "must read" list.
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