Death Qualified
Barbara had given up the law five years before, but she’s still “death qualified,” still able to defend clients in Oregon who face the death penalty if convicted. And now her lawyer father needs her back in the arena to defend Nell Kendricks, who’s been indicted for the murder of her estranged husband, Lucas Kendricks.
But did she do it? After not seeing him for seven years? And where was Lucas all that time? Ultimately, the small-town courtroom is where the truth can be found——if one can spot it through the blinding maelstrom of injustice, confusion, chaos, reality, and love….
The Best Defense
The neighborhood in Eugene, Oregon, is blue-collar; the cafe holds only three tables and four booths. But it’s the only place attorney Barbara Holloway feels both productive and peaceful. Laptop computer on the table, coffee refilled regularly by the cook, Barbara gets her work done and wants for nothing more…certainly not another explosive, emotionally devastating courtroom case.
Until a woman comes to Barbara with a case she cannot refuse. The sister of “Baby Killer” Kennerman, the tale she tells is so terrifying that Barbara must act. What she unearths is a corrupt conspiracy that will allow a killer to walk away free. And when she finds herself up against a smear campaign of unimaginable proportions, Barbara Holloway realizes that even the best defense may not be enough….
Malice Prepense
Forget about Grisham, Turow and all those other scribbling ex-lawyers. The best writer of legal mysteries working today is Kate Wilhelm of Eugene, Oregon. Her first two books about Barbara Holloway — The Best Defense and Death Qualified — were sleeper successes. Holloway is a marvelously dense and thorny character, and her father and legal colleague is equally interesting. “He resolutely denied himself awareness of the time clock ticking away, and while denying it, he tried to remember if she was thirty-nine or forty,” Wilhem writes of father Frank thinking about his daughter. “In his head, she was sometimes a very young girl, and then a woman older and wiser than he was; he no longer knew which image was more accurate. He suspected she was both, and then a few others, too.”
Defense for the Devil
Mitch Arno always meant bad news for Folsum, Oregon. When they ran him out of town seventeen years ago, he left behind a wife with two daughters and a family that never wanted to see him again. When he returns, he brings trouble in the form of a lot of suspicious money. As Barbara attempts to counsel Mitch’s wife about the money, a second form of trouble arrives, Mitch’s corpse.
No Defense
Lara and Vinny Jessup had a lovely May-December marriage. Initially, the sheriff in Loomis County thinks that Vinny died when his car rolled over on a bad curve on Lookout Mountain. Then he finds the gunshot wound. Was it suicide or was it murder? With a large insurance policy as her motive, Lara could have staged the death—or so it appears to the sheriff. Barbara Holloway finds herself drawn to the Oregon desert to take on this case. But the case itself is as dead as the desert. Is there any defense at all? Compelling and distinctive, this drama demonstrates anew why Kate Wilhelm is considered a master of the form.
Desperate Measures
Gus Marchand, a hard-working, god-fearing man, has been found dead on his kitchen floor. Without any real evidence, the locals cast their suspicions toward Alex Feldman, Marchand’s hideously deformed neighbor. At the request of a fellow attorney, Barbara agrees to defend him. But another suspect is the high-school principal, Hilde Franz, who’d had a contretemps with Gus earlier that week. He had threatened to have her investigated and Hilde was seen near Marchand’s property around the time of his death, giving police both a motive and an opportunity for murder. Hilde also happens to be an old friend of Barbara’s father, Frank, so naturally he’s going to defend her. Will Barbara have to square off against the man who taught her all she knows?
Clear and Convincing Proof
Dr. David McIvey is a gifted surgeon on the Board of Directors of a privately run rehab hospital. After arguing with the Board over his desire to sell the clinic, Dr. McIvey is found murdered. Suspicion immediately falls on two people–David’s long suffering wife, Annie, and Darren Halvord, an outspoken therapist at the clinic. Hired by the Board of Directors to protect Annie’s interests, lawyer Barbara Holloway searches for the truth behind the murder.
The Unbidden Truth
Oregon lawyer Barbara Holloway has a reputation for taking on the most difficult cases–and winning them. But even she can’t begin to anticipate the bizarre twists waiting ahead.The large retainer offered by a client who asks for complete anonymity is not the only thing that intrigues Barbara Holloway. The defendant, Carol Fredricks, is a gifted young pianist charged with killing the manager of a piano bar. But Carol is as much of a mystery as the details of the murder for which she is accused. She can’t remember anything about her life before the age of eight, and she has been having haunting nightmares about a woman she cannot identify.Before long Barbara becomes convinced that her client is not only innocent, but is being framed by an enemy who will stop at nothing to keep the past buried. And as she unravels the stunning trail of deception, hatred and a remarkable abiding love that holds the key to the mystery of Carol Fredricks, Barbara discovers that the unbidden truth may just damn them both.
Sleight of Hand
Gregarious Vegas entertainer Wally Lederer hasn’t always enjoyed the attention of center stage–something he learned about himself over thirty years ago when he was in the slammer serving time for picking pockets. He claims he’s turned his life around, and his lucrative and legitimate showbiz career seems to support this. But will the police believe he’s a changed man now that Jay Wilkins, a childhood friend, is accusing him of stealing a valuable artifact? More important, does respected attorney Barbara Holloway believe him when he pleads his case to her? Wally swears he’s innocent. There’s no way he would jeopardize years of hard work for the fleeting thrill of minor deception. But when Jay is found murdered, Barbara knows Wally is in serious trouble–the police have named him as their prime suspect.
Barbara begins to “dig up the dirt” and is shocked to learn that Jay’s wife is now missing–and that Jay himself was far from being the upstanding businessman he claimed to be. Before long, new evidence points toward an unlikely killer, and Barbara must decide if protecting her client by revealing the truth will destroy another life she means to save.
A Wrongful Death
Who knew that being a Good Samaritan would lead Barbara Holloway to face her biggest challenge ever: being named prime suspect in a high-profile kidnapping?
The peace and quiet of Barbara’s retreat on the Oregon coast is shattered when a terrified young boy calls to her as she walks along a deserted beach. Frantically he leads her to a cabin deep in the woods where his mother lies senseless and battered–clearly left for dead. Barbara runs for help, but by the time she returns with the police and medics both mother and son are gone.
The puzzle only deepens when, back in the city, Barbara learns that the boy she met is the grandson of a wealthy and prominent family– and that they have accused her of aiding and abetting his disappearance.
With the help of her father, Frank, Barbara delves into the mystery of the missing child, only to realize that the kidnapping is a ruse for a more sinister plan–a plan that pits the meaning of family against cold hard cash.
But the more she learns, the more questions she has, and troubling obstacles continue to thwart her every move–from the justice system that employs her, to the false identities of those around her. Yet none of these things compares to the shocking murder scene that awaits her.
Cold Case
Twenty-two years ago, controversial author David Etheridge and ambitious state senator Robert McCrutchen were investigated in the death of a young coed. But a circle of secrecy guaranteed the case was never solved.
When Etheridge returns to Eugene, Oregon, McCrutchen is his grudging host–until the senator is found shot dead. Now Etheridge is back where he was two decades ago–suspected of murder. Only this time, with the cold case reopened, he’s facing a double charge.
Barbara must battle the prosecution and the court of public opinion, which has already tried and convicted Etheridge for both murders. As the pressure mounts, Barbara ties the past and present together, risking her own life to preserve justice.
Heaven is High
Barbara Holloway is a low-key attorney in Eugene, Oregon who left her father’s high powered firm to handle small legal problems for local residents and ponder her own next move. But while trying to sort out her own future, two people, desperate for help, show up on her doorstep: former pro football player Martin Owens and his wife Binnie. Binnie, who is mute, met her husband when she snuck aboard his boat while it was docked in Haiti and smuggled herself into the U. S. Now Immigration is seeking to deport her back to Haiti, which would be a death sentence. Born to a woman from Belize who was kidnapped and enslaved by pirates, Binnie’s only hope is to prove her and her mother’s real identity. With only days to find the truth and protect Binnie, Holloway sets off for Belize. But what she knows is only the tip of the iceberg in what turns out to be one of her most complex, compelling and dangerous cases yet.
By Stone By Blade By Fire
Travis Morgan’s case seems open-and-shut: a plot to kill his estranged father, fundamentalist preacher Arlie Morgan, goes awry and his bullet slays an innocent bookkeeper. Two eyewitnesses seal Travis’ fate. But despite damning evidence, Travis staunchly maintains his innocence. Beseeched by his anguished mother, veteran defense attorney Barbara Holloway agrees to represent Travis. With the support of her father attorney Frank Holloway and crack private investigator Bailey, Barbara reveals a zealot, his ultra-rich backers, and unimaginable atrocities. Travis’ case proceeds to trial, and Barbara finds herself pitted against a complacent legal system and a judge eager to simply close the case and retire. Knowing she must intervene decisively to avoid a conviction, Barbara steps squarely into the path of danger. Risking her own life, Barbara confronts the killer in order to save Travis’ life.
Mirror, Mirror
Chaos has descended on the Valducci family. Gina Valducci’s grandmother, mentor, and founder of the family’s thriving nursery business, has died. Her death sets off a string of seemingly unrelated events, including two horrific murders. Gina’s colleague, Jeff, stands out as an obvious suspect, with plenty of motivation, opportunity, and means. In her most unusual and complex case yet, Barbara Holloway accepts Jeff as her reluctant client. But, to defend him, she must first discover how a secret will, corporate greed, WWII stolen art, family skeletons, attempted murder, and an old ornate mirror factor in to the case. Barbara must reassemble the puzzle pieces perfectly, before it’s too late.
My Take
I read the the first twelve books in this series prior to 2012 and didn’t realize there were two I hadn’t read until I was doing a search of authors I enjoy to see if they had anything new out. (I miss the Goodreads monthly newsletter with other books by authors I’ve shelved. That was useful.) And I’m trying to finish up some of the series I’ve started but not finished. This was one of them. Legal thrillers aren’t usually my thing. I like this series for the setting (Eugene, Oregon), the characters (especially Barbara and her father), and for the side helping of liberal bias. Which honestly I expect when you have a strong, smart, female lead. The mysteries are pretty good too.
While it’s probably not necessary to read the books in order, characters who are introduced sometimes carry over to future books, so I would recommend reading them in sequence. Kate Wilhelm is no longer with us so this is the end of this series. I also liked her science fiction and fantasy novel Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang.