Mystery Writers of America Presents The Prosecution Rests: New Stories about Courtrooms, Criminals, and the Law

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Overview

From the Salem witch trials to Depression-era Chicago, from the exclusive country-clubs of the wealthy to the depths of today's toughest ghettos, this riveting collection traces the triumphs, defeats, and temptations of two opposing sides: those sworn to defend the accused, and those tasked with prosecuting them. They are the stories of lawyers under pressure, of criminals facing the needle, and of the heartbroken families—of both the victim and the defendant—who hope for justice from the back of the courtroom, and who sometimes take it into their own hands. This tantalizing collection proves that after the crime is over, the real drama begins.

In James Grippando's "Death, Cheated," a lawyer defends his ex-girlfriend in a case against the investors who bet $1.5 million on her death. In Barbara Parker's "A Clerk's Life," a disillusioned clerk at a corporate law firm suspects the worst of his colleagues when one of the firm's employees is murdered. In Phyllis Cohen's "Designer Justice," a cold-blooded killer thinks he's lucked out when he lands a high priced lawyer as his appointed attorney, only to learn that there are worse fates than being found guilty.

Filled with shocking twists, double-crosses, and edge-of-your seat suspense, this page-turning collection is not to be missed.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780316012522
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Publication date: 4/14/2009
Pages: 432
Sales rank: 1,212,386
Product dimensions: 5.80 (w) x 8.30 (h) x 1.50 (d)

Meet the Author

Linda Fairstein

Linda Fairstein led the Sex Crimes Unit of the District Attorney's Office in Manhattan for twenty-five years. She is the New York Times bestselling author of Killer Heat, Bad Blood, Death Dance, and the 2001 Nero Award Winner The Deadhouse. She lives with her husband in Manhattan and on Martha's Vineyard.

Biography

Linda Fairstein is passionate about putting sex offenders behind bars and had done just that many times, both in real life -- as one of New York City's premier sex crimes prosecutors -- and in her fiction, with her popular series of Alex Cooper mysteries.

Born and raised in Mount Vernon, New York, Fairstein attended Vassar College, where she majored in English literature. She went on to receive a law degree from the prestigious University of Virginia School of Law in 1972. In November of that year, Fairstein was assigned to the staff of the New York County District Attorney's office and was soon heading up the Sex Crimes Prosecution Unit, where she developed a reputation as one of the toughest prosecutors in the office's history. Fairstein spent the next two decades dedicating herself to nailing the worst of the city's sexual offenders, working on such high-profile cases as the Preppy Murder and the Central Park Jogger.

In 1993, Fairstein was named "Woman of the Year" by New Woman and Glamour magazines. A year later, her groundbreaking nonfiction book, Sexual Violence: Our War Against Rape, was named a Notable Book by The New York Times.

Fairstein's first foray into fiction writing was 1994's Final Jeopardy, which introduced the tough, savvy assistant D.A. Alexandra "Alex" Cooper -- a character close to the author's own identity -- who was well received by fans and critics. As Publishers Weekly noted, Alex's "greatest appeal lies in the warmth of her friendships, the humanness of her mistakes and her unswerving devotion to protecting the next female from harm."

Since then, Fairstein has continued to chronicle Alex Cooper's crime-solving adventures in a string of bestsellers that draws on the author's thoroughgoing knowledge of the legal system and longtime affection for the Big Apple. A believer in public service, Fairstein sits on the board of directors of several nonprofit groups, among them the National Center for Victims of Crime, Phoenix House Foundation, and New York Women's Agenda, and has also served on President Clinton's Violence Against Women Advisory Council, New York Women's Agenda Domestic Violence Committee, the American College of Trial Lawyers, The Women's Forum, Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime.

In an interview on her publisher's web site, Fairstein explains that her career and her life's mission are one in the same: "I think so much more is possible in terms of what we are able to give women who have been victims of violence and how they can triumph in a courtroom," Fairstein reflects. "So to take this -- the professional life I've had over the last 30 years and to mix it with the great pleasure of writing -- is something I never dreamed I'd actually be able to accomplish."

Good To Know

Fairstein is married to Justin Feldman, a lawyer who helped run Robert F. Kennedy's 1964 United States Senate campaign.

Fairstein has admitted to having her eye on the post of United States Attorney General, and in fact interviewed for that position in 1993.

Cold Hit made President Clinton's highly-publicized vacation reading list in 1999.

1. Hometown:
  
  New York, New York and Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts
1. Date of Birth:
  
  May 5, 1947
2. Place of Birth:
  
  Mount Vernon, New York
1. Education:
  
  B.A., Vassar College, 1969; J.D., University of Virginia School of Law, 1972
2. Website:
  
  http://www.lindafairstein.com

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sandiek

Posted November 28, 2010

more from this reviewer

Legal Short Story Collection

The stories in The Prosecution Rests have a common theme; all revolve around courtrooms, trials and justice meted out to criminals, sometimes formally and sometimes informally. Edited by Linda Fairstein, herself a prosecutor for 25 years in Manhattan, the book pulls together some of the most interesting crime novelists in the genre. It is a book by the Mystery Writers of America, an organization for both beginning and established mystery writers. The focus of the organization is promoting both the crime writing genre and those novelists who choose it as their focus. This anthology meets both goals.

The twenty-one stories in the book are varied and interesting. They cover murders, insurance fraud, robbery, adultery and other crimes. The protagonists are prosecutors, defense attorneys, police investigators and judges. Some of the stories are fairly straightforward while others incorporate a twist that surprises the reader. The list of authors reads like a Who's Who of mystery writing. It includes Linda Fairstein, James Grippando, Phyllis Cohen, Jo Dereske, Charlie Drees, Eileen Dunbaugh, Kate Gallison, Joel Goldman, Diana Hansen-Young, Edward Hoch, Paul Levine, Leigh Lundin, Michele Martinez, Anita Page, Barbara Parker, Twist Phelan, John Putre, S.J. Rozan, Morley Swingle, Joseph Wallace and Angela Zeman. The authors chosen include in their ranks Edgar winners, past Presidents of the Mystery Writers association and Sisters In Crime writing awards. They also include writers who are new to the genre.

This book is recommended both to those readers who enjoy crime and mystery writing, and to short story fans. Each will find stories that intrigue, amaze and surprise them. With a variety of writing styles, the reader is assured of finding stories that match their taste. The reader has an opportunity to revisit established authors' work and the chance to discover new authors in the field whose work they may want to follow in the future. The Prosecution Rests gives the reader a chance to sample quality crime writing at its best.
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Russ_Ilg

Posted March 3, 2009

Pre-Rewiew Of The Prosection Rest by Russ Ilg (Collector)

The long awaited second book but out by the greatest group of writters in America The Thrillers Writters of America. The 1st Anthology has the distiction of being the best selling and the largest seller of any anthology ever written. So it is with baited breath that I wait for this next installment that will I am sure be as great a book if not better then the 1st Thriller. So many people from the group give there time and effort to the project and no one recieves any money from the book. All the money goes to the Thrillers Writter to help keep that great organization going. This is going to be the must book of the year and one that should be at the top of every thriller reader in the world to get as soon as it is released. Get ready and strap your self in for the best read of the year from the very best in the industry.
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