“You can do this as long as you want. Nobody is going to beat you.”
“Public officials shouldn’t stay in office for life. Besides, I want to stop while I’m still young and healthy enough to travel. And I want to be around to enjoy our grandchildren.”
What? “Is there something else that you haven’t told me?”
“No. Grace isn’t seeing anybody at the moment, and Tommy broke up with his latest girlfriend. This one lasted almost three weeks—a new record.”
“He’s only in high school, Rosie.”
“It’s always good to look ahead.”
Good advice. “You really think you’ll be able to give up being P.D. after one more term?”
“I do. It’s better to get out a little early than a little late.”
“I’ve heard the same thing.”
She stood up and put on her jacket. “We should head home. We need to get up early to look at property with our tech-entrepreneur-turned-real-estate-mogul daughter.”
We said good night to Big John, then we headed toward the back door. As we were leaving the bar, I squeezed Rosie’s hand. “I love you, Rosie.”
“I love you, too, Mike.”
Acknowledgements for
HOT SHOT
Writing stories is a collaborative process. I would like to thank the many kind people who have been very generous with their time.
Thanks to my beautiful wife, Linda, who still reads my manuscripts, designs the covers for my books, and handles all things technological. You are a kind and wonderful soul.
Thanks to our twin sons, Alan and Stephen, for your support and encouragement for so many years. I am more proud of you than you can imagine.
Thanks to my teachers, Katherine Forrest and Michael Nava, who encouraged me to finish my first book. Thanks to the Every Other Thursday Night Writers Group: Bonnie DeClark, Meg Stiefvater, Anne Maczulak, Liz Hartka, Janet Wallace, and Priscilla Royal. Thanks to Bill and Elaine Petrocelli, Kathryn Petrocelli, and Karen West at Book Passage.
Thanks to my friends and colleagues at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton (and your spouses and significant others). I can’t mention everybody, but I’d like to note those of you with whom I’ve worked the longest: Randy and Mary Short, Cheryl Holmes, Chris and Debbie Neils, Joan Story and Robert Kidd, Donna Andrews, Phil and Wendy Atkins-Pattenson, Julie and Jim Ebert, Geri Freeman and David Nickerson, Ed and Valerie Lozowicki, Bill and Barbara Manierre, Betsy McDaniel, Ron and Rita Ryland, Bob Stumpf, Mike Wilmar, Mathilde Kapuano, Guy Halgren, Aline Pearl, Ed Graziani, Julie Penney, Mike Lewis, Christa Carter, Doug Bacon, Lorna Tanner, Larry Braun, Nady Niknonova, Joy Siu, Yolanda Hogan, and DeAnna Ouderkirk. A special thanks to our late colleague, mentor, and friend, the incomparable Bob Thompson.
A huge thanks to Jane Gorsi for your excellent editing skills.
Another huge thanks to Vilsaka Nguyen of the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office for your thoughtful comments and terrific support.
A big thanks to Officer David Dito of the San Francisco Police Department for assistance on police matters.
Another big thanks to Bob Puts of SFPD (retired) for his help on the inner workings of SFPD.
Thanks to Tim Campbell for your superb narration of the audio version of this book (and many others in the series). You are terrific!
Thanks to Jerry and Dena Wald, Gary and Marla Goldstein, Ron and Betsy Rooth, Debbie and Seth Tanenbaum, Joan Lubamersky, Jill Hutchinson and Chuck Odenthal, Tom Bearrows and Holly Hirst, Julie Hart, Burt Rosenberg, Ted George, Phil Dito, Sister Karen Marie Franks, Brother Stan Sobczyk, Chuck and Nora Koslosky, Jack Goldthorpe, Peter and Cathy Busch, Bob Dugoni, and John Lescroart. Thanks to Lloyd and Joni Russell and Rich and Leslie Kramer. Thanks to Lauren, Gary and Debbie Fields. A special thanks to my late friend, Scott Pratt, who was a terrific writer and a generous soul.
Thanks to Tim and Kandi Durst, Bob and Cheryl Easter, and Larry DeBrock at the University of Illinois. Thanks to Kathleen Vanden Heuvel, Bob and Leslie Berring, and Jesse Choper at Boalt Law School.
Thanks to the incomparable Zvi Danenberg, who motivates me to walk the Larkspur steps.
Thanks as always to Ben, Michelle, Margie, and Andy Siegel, Joe, Jan, and Julia Garber, Roger and Sharon Fineberg, Scott, Michelle, Kim, and Sophie Harris, Stephanie, Stanley, and Will Coventry, Cathy, Richard, and Matthew Falco, and Julie Harris and Matthew, Aiden, and Ari Stewart. A huge thanks to Jan Harris (1934-2018), whom we miss every day.
A NOTE TO THE READER
Dear Reader,
Thanks very much for reading these stories. I hope you liked them. If you did, I hope you will check out my other books. In addition, I would appreciate it if you would let others know. In particular, I would be very grateful if you would tell your friends and help us spread the word by e-mail, Amazon, Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, Linkedin, etc. In addition, if you are inclined (and I hope you are), I hope you will consider posting an honest review on Amazon.
If you have a chance and would like to chat, please feel free to e-mail me at [email protected]. We lawyers don't get a lot of fan mail, so it's always nice to hear from my readers. Please bear with me if I don't respond immediately. I answer all of my e-mail myself, so sometimes it takes a little extra time.
Regards,
Sheldon
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photo by Sean Casey
Sheldon Siegel is the New York Times best-selling author of the critically acclaimed legal thriller series featuring San Francisco criminal defense attorneys Mike Daley and Rosie Fernandez, two of the most beloved characters in contemporary crime fiction. He is also the author of the thriller novel The Terrorist Next Door featuring Chicago homicide detectives David Gold and A.C. Battle. His books have been translated into a dozen languages and sold millions of copies worldwide. A native of Chicago, Sheldon earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois in Champaign in 1980, and his law degree from the Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California-Berkeley in 1983. He specializes in corporate and securities law with the San Francisco office of the international law firm of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP.
Sheldon began writing his first book, Special Circumstances, on a laptop computer during his daily commute on the ferry from Marin County to San Francisco. A frequent speaker and sought-after teacher, Sheldon is a San Francisco Library Literary Laureate, a member of the national Board of Directors and the President of the Northern California chapter of the Mystery Writers of America, and an active member of the International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. His work has been displayed at the Bancroft Library at the University of California at Berkeley, and he has been recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Illinois and a Northern California Super Lawyer.
Sheldon lives in the San Francisco area with his wife, Linda, and their twin sons, Alan and Stephen. He is a lifelong fan of the Chicago Bears, White Sox, Bulls and Blackhawks. He is currently working on his next novel.
Sheldon welcomes your comments and feedback. Please email him at [email protected]. For more information on Sheldon, book signings, the “making of” his books, and more, please visit his website at www.sheldonsiegel.com.
BOOKS BY SHELDON SIEGEL
Mike Daley and Rosie Fernandez Mysteries:
Special Circumstances
Incriminating Evidence
Criminal Intent
Final Verdict
The Confession
Judgment Day
Perfect Alibi
Felony Murder Rule
Serve and Protect
Hot Shot
David Gold Mysteries:
The Terrorist Next Door
Connect with Sheldon Siegel
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.sheldonsiegel.com
Amazon: amazon.com/author/sheldonsiegel
Facebook: Facebook Fan Page
Twitter: @SheldonSiegel
Goodreads: Aut
hor Profile
ACCLAIM FOR
SHELDON SIEGEL’S NOVELS
Novels Featuring Mike Daley & Rosie Fernandez
SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
“An A+ first novel.” Philadelphia Inquirer.
“A poignant, feisty tale. Characters so finely drawn you can almost smell their fear and desperation.” USA Today.
“By the time the whole circus ends up in the courtroom, the hurtling plot threatens to rip paper cuts into the readers’ hands.” San Francisco Chronicle.
INCRIMINATING EVIDENCE
“Charm and strength. Mike Daley is an original and very appealing character in the overcrowded legal arena—a gentle soul who can fight hard when he has to, and a moral man who is repelled by the greed of many of his colleagues.” Publishers Weekly.
“The story culminates with an outstanding courtroom sequence. Daley narrates with a kind of genial irony, the pace never slows, and every description of the city is as brightly burnished as the San Francisco sky when the fog lifts.” Newark Star-Ledger.
“For those who love San Francisco, this is a dream of a novel that capitalizes on the city’s festive and festering neighborhoods of old-line money and struggling immigrants. Siegel is an astute observer of the city and takes wry and witty jabs at lawyers and politicians.” USA Today.
CRIMINAL INTENT
“Ingenious. A surprise ending that will keep readers yearning for more.” Booklist.
“Siegel writes with style and humor. The people who populate his books are interesting. He’s a guy who needs to keep that laptop popping.” Houston Chronicle.
“Siegel does a nice job of blending humor and human interest. Daley and Fernandez are competent lawyers, not superhuman crime fighters featured in more commonplace legal thrillers. With great characters and realistic dialogue, this book provides enough intrigue and courtroom drama to please any fan of the genre.” Library Journal.
FINAL VERDICT
“Daley’s careful deliberations and ethical considerations are a refreshing contrast to the slapdash morality and breakneck speed of most legal thrillers. The detailed courtroom scenes are instructive and authentic, the resolution fair, dramatic and satisfying. Michael, Rosie, Grace and friends are characters worth rooting for. The verdict is clear: another win for Siegel.” Publishers Weekly.
“An outstanding entry in an always reliable series. An ending that’s full of surprises—both professional and personal—provides the perfect finale to a supremely-entertaining legal thriller.” Booklist.
“San Francisco law partners Mike Daley and Rosie Fernandez spar like Tracy and Hepburn. Final Verdict maintains a brisk pace, and there’s genuine satisfaction when the bad guy gets his comeuppance.” San Francisco Chronicle.
THE CONFESSION
“As Daley moves from the drug and prostitution-ridden underbelly of San Francisco, where auto parts and offers of legal aid are exchanged for cooperation, to the tension-filled courtroom and the hushed offices of the church, it gradually becomes apparent that Ramon isn’t the only character with a lot at stake in this intelligent, timely thriller.” Publishers Weekly.
“This enthralling novel keeps reader attention with one surprise after another. The relationship between Mike and Rosie adds an exotic dimension to this exciting courtroom drama in which the defense and the prosecutor interrogation of witnesses make for an authentic, terrific tale.” The Best Reviews.
“Sheldon Siegel is to legal thrillers as Robin Cook is to medical thrillers.” Midwest Book Review.
JUDGMENT DAY
“Drug dealers, wily lawyers, crooked businessmen, and conflicted cops populate the pages of this latest in a best-selling series from Siegel. A compelling cast and plenty of suspense put this one right up there with the best of Lescroart and Turow.” Booklist STARRED review.
“An exciting and suspenseful read—a thriller that succeeds both as a provocative courtroom drama and as a personal tale of courage and justice. With spine-chilling thrills and a mind-blowing finish, this novel is a must, must read.” New Mystery Reader.
“It’s a good year when Sheldon Siegel produces a novel. Siegel has written an adrenaline rush of a book. The usual fine mix from a top-notch author.” Shelf Awareness.
PERFECT ALIBI
“Siegel, an attorney-author who deserves to be much more well known than he is, has produced another tightly plotted, fluidly written legal thriller. Daley and Fernandez are as engaging as when we first met them (in Special Circumstances, 2000), and the story is typically intricate and suspenseful. Siegel is a very talented writer, stylistically closer to Turow than Grisham, and this novel should be eagerly snapped up by fans of those giants (and also by readers of the San Francisco-set legal thrillers of John Lescroart).” Booklist.
“Sheldon Siegel is a practicing attorney and the married father of twin sons. He knows the law and he knows the inner workings of a family. This knowledge has given him a great insight in the writing of Perfect Alibi, which for Siegel fans is his almost perfect book.” Huffington Post.
Introducing Detective David Gold in
THE TERRORIST NEXT DOOR
“Chicago Detectives David Gold and A.C. Battle are strong entries in the police-thriller sweepstakes, with Sheldon Siegel’s new THE TERRORIST NEXT DOOR, a smart, surprising and bloody take on the world of Islamic terror. As a crazed bomber threatens to shut down America’s third-largest city, the Chicago cops, the FBI, Homeland Security and even the military desperately sift through every available clue to the bomber’s identity, reaching for a climax that is both shocking and credible. New York Times bestselling author Siegel tells a story that is fast and furious and authentic.” John Sandford. New York Times Best Selling Author of STOLEN PREY and the Lucas Davenport Prey series.
“Sheldon Siegel blows the doors off with his excellent new thriller, THE TERRORIST NEXT DOOR. Bombs, car chases, the shutdown of Chicago, plus Siegel’s winning touch with character makes this one not to be missed!” John Lescroart. New York Times Best Selling Author of THE HUNTER.
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