Blood from Stone

Near the start of this uneven legal thriller from British author Fyfield (The Art of Drowning), defense attorney Marianne Shearer jumps to her death from the sixth floor of a London hotel, apparently a suicide. Shortly before the fatal plunge, Marianne succeeded in gaining an acquittal for an especially odious client, Rick Boyd, who had a history of abusing women emotionally and physically, and the vigor of her defense led to the suicide of one of Boyd's victims, Angel Joyce. Angel's sister, Hen, is approached by Peter Friel, who appeared for the prosecution in the Boyd case. Friel, who's trying to uncover the truth behind Marianne's death before the coroner renders a verdict, hopes that Hen might have some insights into the dead woman. Meanwhile, Boyd is frantically searching for private information he gave to Marianne. The action builds to a contrived ending that doesn't do justice to the initial dramatic setup. (Nov.)