Until Proven Guilty

A murder trial proves fascinating reading in this authoritatively presented second thriller from the author of The Third Bullet. Star lawyer Tom Attleboro agrees to act as defense counsel for his boyhood best friend, Felix Evans, who may have killed his wife (who jilted Tom to marry Felix) in an ostensible boating accident in Florida. During the trial Tom grows increasingly disenchanted with his client as he realizes that the adult Felix is not simply his childhood chum grown older. In his skillful handling of trial testimony, Stream, an attorney, wonderfully portrays the shifting currents among the players in excellent scenes of courtroom drama. But his narrative falters outside that particular theater: beginning with Tom's summation, plot disaster sets in. The tale's conclusion, including Tom's sojourn in Angers, France, is so silly that it subverts the book's many admirable qualities. (Apr.)