The Edge of Malice: The Marie Grossman Story

by David P. Miraldi

Overview

Marie Grossman seems to have it all: a devoted husband, two wonderful children, and a professional career. But all of that changes when she drives her car into the darkened parking lot of a fast food restaurant. After Marie lowers her car window to place an under at the drive-thru, a man suddenly appears and places a gun at her temple. What follows is every woman's worst nightmare. The Edge of Malice is a true story about struggle, determination, and a quest for justice. The author, an attorney, places the reader into the swirling currents of the courtroom where no outcome is ever certain. But the story does not conclude when the legal battle is over. The reader follows Marie as she struggles to resolve the unrelenting anger that the legal system has been unable to extinguish. In the end, Marie's journey to find inner peace is as improbable as it is transformative.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781633886322
Publisher:	Prometheus Books
Publication date:	04/14/2020
Pages:	248
Sales rank:	1,103,849
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

David Miraldi is a civil trial attorney and the author of The Edge of Innocence: The Trial of Casper Bennet. Born in Lorain, Ohio, David has practiced law in northeastern Ohio for more than forty years. Besides writing, Davis also finds creative expression through photography and playing piano. His photographs are frequently exhibited locally with the sales proceeds donated to charity. He continues to compose music for the piano, including a collection of classical ragtime pieces. David and his wife, Leslee, also an attorney, reside in Avon, Ohio and have three adult children.

Table of Contents

Preface vii

Part I The Crime 1

1 Collision Course 3

2 Before 11

3 The Shot 21

4 Long Days and Longer Nights 29

5 Confrontation 39

6 Setback 49

7 Ready 57

8 Testimony 73

9 The Court Decides 83

10 The Sentencing 97

Part II Forcing Change 105

11 The Call 107

12 First Steps 115

13 It Begins 121

14 Making a Statement 131

15 Building the Case 139

16 The Trial Approaches 151

17 The Day Before 155

18 Day One 159

19 Day Two 173

20 Day Three 183

21 Delivering a Message 197

Part III Redemption 203

22 The Anger: 1996 205

23 An Unexpected Turn: 1997 211

24 Final Details 221

25 The Visit 225

Epilogue July 8, 2018 235

Editorial Reviews

"The author’s strong narrative voice hooks readers from the beginning, as he demonstrates a natural dramatic and novelistic flair for setting and pacing, with more than a hint of Joseph Wambaugh and John Grisham throughout.... A superbly crafted nonfiction drama that transcends true-crime genre expectations." — Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

★ 2020-05-05
Pulse-quickening story of the horrific attempted murder of a Cleveland medical worker and her defiant quest for justice.

With a seasoned storyteller’s panache, attorney Miraldi narrates the harrowing true-life tale of Marie Grossman, whose life was irrevocably altered in 1987 when she was victimized by a random point-blank shooting. The author’s strong narrative voice hooks readers from the beginning, as he demonstrates a natural dramatic and novelistic flair for setting and pacing, with more than a hint of Joseph Wambaugh and John Grisham throughout. Indeed, Grossman’s near-death story will stick in the mind well beyond the final chapter. While on a break from her job at the Cleveland Clinic, Grossman was parked outside a Burger King when she was confronted by two young men; one was Richard Thompson, who pulled out a gun and fired. The bullet tore through her lower jaw, leaving her permanently disfigured. Apart from her physical injuries, Grossman also had to face the long-term stress of a protracted court battle to not only bring her assailant to justice, but also—eventually—hold to account that particular Burger King franchise, which had been the site of a similar crime not long before Grossman was victimized. She took legal action against the establishment's management for lax security in a dangerous neighborhood. As readers may guess, she faced stiff resistance. Later, the narrative comfortably morphs into a tense, engrossing courtroom procedural. Miraldi switches effortlessly between points of view, in one chapter effectively reimagining Grossman’s traumatic experiences and then vividly re-creating her legal battles scene by meticulous scene later in the text. The author also turns in some appealing observational writing along the way, and despite the note of final vindication, it comes with an unanticipated twist.

A superbly crafted nonfiction drama that transcends true-crime genre expectations.

Kirkus Reviews