Fade the Heat

Mark Blackwell has been district attorney of a Texas city for only a few months, but already a crisis threatens to ruin his career. His son has been framed for a vicious rape, and the prosecutor's office must decide how to proceed. The cynical district attorney must use his political connections and everything he knows about exploiting the system in order to exonerate his son--even if he is actually guilty. Brandon's fourth novel (after Predator's Waltz ) will inevitably be compared to Presumed Innocent ; in fact, the similarities are striking. But although attorney Brandon worked as a Texas prosecutor, he never quite manages to bring backstage political machinations alive, and his protagonist too often explains the legal system rather than living it. The book is bogged down by internal monologues and stiff dialogue; some of the subplots, like Blackwell's relationship with his brilliant assistant, lead nowhere. But in this genre, the plot's the thing, and here the corruption-tinged story makes up for the other faults. Surprising twists and heart-in-the-mouth trial scenes will satisfy lovers of crime and courtroom thrillers. Major ad/promo; movie rights to Amblin Entertainment. (Aug.)