Deadspin

The graceful little StormTree airplane had only one fault: it wouldn't fly. Thereby hangs this gripping tale of politics and legal shenanigans from first-time novelist MacGregor. When Pegasus Technologies' newest plane begins, without warning, to tip and spin, goes into the fatal, unrecoverable fall called ""deadspin,"" kills its pilot and ruins the company, the owners accuse the airplane's developer, presidential candidate Russell Lindstrom, of fraud--and they hire trial lawyer Chris Lang to make the charge stick. As Lang and his team develop their trial strategy, Lindstrom accelerates his presidential campaign, and other more elusive individuals and groups take positions on both sides. Himself an attorney, MacGregor brings suspense and excitement to Lang's legal research: witnesses turn up then vanish in suspicious circumstances while Lindstrom's political victories give him increasing credibility in court. Despite an overwrought portrait of the egomaniacal judge, the trial itself is riveting, and the last 100 pages are a nonstop sprint for reader and lawyer alike. A sure winner, MacGregor outdoes Grisham in action, likable characters and a mildly cynical eye on current events. In the process, he proves himself an author to watch and collect. A New Releases feature with excerpt on BDD Online. (Oct.)