Kerr is a medical malpractice lawyer who spent a year in The Hague observing Bosnian war crimes trials. At first glance, he might be trying to cram too much of his own experience into his second thriller (after 1999's Harmful Intent), but everything winds up fitting together beautifully in this strong and very moving tale. Lawyer Elliot Stone, grieving the sudden death of his wife and fed up with defending railroad clients against the claims of accident victims, needs a career and life change. He takes a job with the War Crimes Tribunal, falls in love with a beautiful and funny Dutch/Indonesian taphonomist (a specialist in the analysis of biological remains) named Quierin and comes home to Colorado after two years, in hopes of getting a judgeship. Instead, he lets his friend Dr. Hans Leitner—an expert medical witness known as "Dr. God" because of his skill in convincing juries—talk him into becoming a conservator in a complicated case involving a man severely brain-damaged in a train accident, who is also accused of attacking his wife, June, and putting her into an irreversible coma. The book's climax is a superbly rendered trial sequence, in which Stone and June's gutsy college-age daughter fight for June's rights against a team of heavyweights that includes Dr. Leitner. Without stretching a point or missing a beat, Kerr manages to show how the evils done in places like Bosnia can mirror the actions of people thousands of miles away. It's an impressive performance and a stunning, inspiring read. (May)
Forecast:Kerr's first thriller was a winner, and this one should cement his reputation. With the right promotion and handling,
Wrongful Death could be headed for bestseller lists.
