Legal thriller set in Fort Myers
By John D. Mills (AuthorHouse, $9.90)
REVIEWED BY PRUDY TAYLOR BOARD Special to Florida Weekly
Sworn Jury by Fort Myers attorney John D. Mills is an intriguing novel. Yes, as the title immediately reveals, this book is a legal thriller and it is certainly written with the sense of authenticity only a practicing attorney can bring, but it also gives readers an insider's view of a small Florida town. Moreover, Mills shares interesting insights into what goes on behind the scenes. He takes us into normally off limits areas of the courthouse, the jail, and even in the group gropes of the town's movers and shakers.
The novel takes place in Fort Myers as a murder trial opens. The body of the victim, a womanizing attorney, had been found nude in the front seat of Thomas Edison's Model T Ford the morning after a fundraiser at the Edison Home. On trial is Dallas Kelley, a land developer, who had been cheated out of a half million dollars by the now deceased attorney. Kelley certainly has motive, means and opportunity.
The main character is Ray Harrison, Kelley's defense attorney, and he's flawed and believable. He's getting over a bad divorce - he still loves his wife and young daughters; he drinks too much Dewars' Scotch; and he's involved in a sex-ridden loveless relationship with Amber, an ambitious local TV reporter. He's at odds with the prosecutor, Brian Spere, and Judge Stalman, who's presiding over the trial. His best friend is his investigator, Doug Shearer, a former detective with the Lee County Sheriff's Department. The secondary characters are thought-provoking, especially the judge whose ego often conflicts with his sense of personal morality.
The City of Fort Myers plays an important role in this book and Mills brings it to life as only a five-generation native can. The book is laced with settings locals will immediately recognize such as The Verandah, an excellent and historic restaurant.
As the trial proceeds with the requisite twists and turns and new evidence, we worry that Kelley will be unjustly convicted and that the real murderer will go unexposed, which is a very real possibility the way Mills has plotted this book. This is an enjoyable read. The author has chosen to follow the structure of a court trial as the spine of his plot, weaving in his back story in flashbacks and author exposition.
Books reviewed in this column are available
online or at your local bookstore.
- Prudy Taylor Board's latest novel, a
paranormal mystery titled A Grave Injustice,
is now out in hardcover, and available
on order from local bookstores or online
from B&N.com or www.amazon.com.
(c) 2007 King Features Synd., Inc.
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