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David Sloane is an attorney working out of Seattle who has a solid reputation of never losing his cases. He has shown that in WRONGFUL DEATH, but now he has his doubts regarding his recent victory. He has won a lawsuit against Dr Peter Douvalidis in the wrongful death of a small child, but shortly thereafter, Kyle Horgan, an eccentric toy designer, approaches him, claiming that he believes that it was he who was responsible for the death of the child. Sloane does not believe him at first, but when he later discovers that a second child has died in similar circumstances in another state, he tries to find the toy maker only to discover that he has disappeared. The one thing those two kids had in common was that they were part of a test group trying out a new toy called Metamorphis, a toy robot about to go on sale during the upcoming holidays. This case is more than just about a toy and Sloane, a man no stranger to heartbreak and adversity, is determined to bring peace to a grieving family. That is, if he can manage to deal with his own nightmare that he is about to encounter in this work. BODILY HARM is a good courtroom drama with a fascinating protagonist who has gone through a lot, but still manages to keep himself grounded. The main problem with this book is that it is mandatory to suspend disbelief. The bad guys are all about making money, regardless of the consequences, and it is hard to believe that they would be so cold as to jeopardize the lives of children for the sake of personal gain. It is also hard to believe that they would go to the length of hiring a mercenary to take out every obstacle in the way of the launch of the new toy. It makes sense later in the book, but it is a disturbing plot point. BODILY HARM is not the sort of book that will win any major accolades, but it is a quick read if you are willing to suspend logic. If you have read any of Dugoni's other novels featuring David Sloane, you will know that the character has had an interesting life that molded him into what he is today. He makes an interesting character, and we get to learn more about what he is willing to sacrifice in order to do what's right. However, the developing character is not helped by this weak story. § Angel L. Soto is an equal opportunity reader and a book editor at a New Jersey academic publisher.
Reviewed by Angel L. Soto, June 2010
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