From Publishers Weekly First introduced in Brandon's Edgar-nominated Fade the Heat ， San Antonio district attorney Mark Blackwell has his back to the Alamo when he prosecutes a well-connected attorney for child molestation in this dynamic courtroom drama. In the midst of a stiff reelection campaign， Blackwell's mentor， ex-DA Eliot Quinn， throws his protege a plum. Chris Davis， the accused serial child molester who has had voters on edge， will surrender to Blackwell in front of the media through his attorney， Austin Paley. Although the young victims clearly exhibit fear at court hearings and on viewing photographs of Davis's surrender， they fail to identify Davis's mug shot and what seemed an easy case falls apart. Until， that is， one victim IDs not Davis， but Paley. With other children recognizing Paley from the TV news， Blackwell ignores warnings about Paley's clout. Besieged by powerful politicians and judges， a fickle electorate and the cynical press， Blackwell doggedly keeps on the case， jeopardizing his career to back the small voice of a 10-year-old boy. Blackwell is an appealing and vulnerable protagonist surrounded by brilliantly credible supporting characters. Equally credible is Brandon's painstakingly detailed plot in which he maps out the hurdles involved when a child accuses an adult--especially a well-connected one. Literary Guild main selection; Doubleday Book Club selection. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information， Inc. From Booklist In San Antonio， a twisted sexual deviant confesses， then recants. A victim then identifies another player--attorney Austin Paley--as the perpetrator. It falls to DA Mark Blackwell to sort out the highly publicized case. Quick scene shift to the trial， comprising half the text， pitting Austin Paley's word against the victim's and showcasing Brandon's clear talents for the drama of cross-examination. Brandon slowly scales up the tension， producing surprise witnesses and withholding the consequences should Paley be convicted; Paley is a powerful string puller and could tell of the whereabouts of a number of buried bodies. But Brandon drops this plot line， content to skillfully construct his courtroom dialogues， missing in the process an opportunity to portray corruption at city hall. Brandon delivers for his numerous readers by maintaining doubts until the jury's verdict; perhaps he's saving the corruption angle for a more daring plot next time， for his alter ego Blackwell is now his serial protagonist. Brandon has all the props for a legal thriller (see also his Rules of Evidence )， but he needs to swing for the fences to break into legal mysterydom's big leagues. Gilbert Taylor See all Editorial Reviews