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D W Buffa is, without doubt, one of the top authors of legal crime fiction writing today. He ran through various aspects of trial by jury in his early novels before turning to politics in BREACH OF TRUST. In TRIAL BY FIRE he concentrates once more on aspects of being a defence lawyer. This time the trial process is effectively in the media as the narrative mirrors the pernicious habits of some broadcasting personalities who appoint themselves judge and jury then sit back to watch possibly innocent people being convicted in the wake of their launch of a massive vessel of injustice. Defence lawyer Joseph Antonelli is now firmly ensconced in San Francisco. He practises, reluctantly rent free, in the offices of the firm belonging to Albert Craven. When Albert requests a favour of Joseph, that he appear on a television show on a channel owned by Albert's biggest client, Harry Godwin, Joseph reluctantly assents. At the taping, Antonelli meets Julian Sinclair, an extremely intelligent law lecturer with a potentially great future. The presenter of the show, Bryan Allen, is the boorish representation of an unthinking public ready to condemn at the blink of an eye without listening to or considering all facts and possibilities of a case. Daphne McMillan, an assistant district attorney is another member of the panel. She is a former colleague of Sinclair's, is now married to a millionaire of questionable morals and habits and is a very close friend of Sinclair's. Antonelli and Sinclair strike up a friendship with the former admiring the latter greatly. Then tragedy attacks when Daphne is murdered in Julian's house and the lecturer is accused of the murder despite his protestations of innocence, protestations which Joseph is confident are true. Antonelli takes on the defence but the overwhelming feeling of the public, whipped up by the egregious Bryan Allen, is that Sinclair is guilty. It is impossible for him to obtain a fair trial so he is found guilty and condemned to life in prison without possibility of parole. Antonelli devotes himself to the pursuit and unmasking of the real killer and the establishment of justice. True to his customary performance, Buffa has penned an engrossing narrative. It is quite obvious that he harbours very strong feelings about the media and its usurping the functions of a court of law. His ability to create credible characters and convincing plots is admirable. This particular tale is chock full of unexpected twists but loses nothing of its worth by their generation. They are obviously not there simply for shock value but as necessary parts of a believable chronicle. Readers who may have wondered, two books ago, if Buffa might run out of material will be gratified to discover that he must have a plentiful store of inspiration to provide entertainment for many books to come.
Reviewed by Denise Pickles, June 2005
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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