by Mark Gimenez
EPILOGUE
On the first anniversary of her death, Beck reburied his wife in the Hardin family cemetery next to his mother. They would have enjoyed each other's company.
It was just the Hardins in attendance—J.B., Beck, Luke, Meggie, her doll, and Frank the goat. After J.B. and Beck lowered Annie's coffin into the natural limestone vault, J.B. said what a fine woman Annie had been and that he had been proud to know her, such as he did. He promised to help her children until he joined her and Peggy. Beck then said, "Annie, I should have brought you here before, but I've brought you here now. In a few months, these fields will be covered in bluebonnets as blue as your eyes. I think you'll like them. I think you'll like the Hill Country. Happy birthday."
He wiped his face and turned away, but stopped when Luke stepped forward.
"It's not fair."
"No, son, it's not. It's not fair at all."
Beck put his arm around his son. Tears were sliding down the boy's face.
"Mom, I'm going to make you cheer again."
Beck put his other arm around Meggie. She said in the tiniest voice, "Mommy's not coming back, is she?"
"No, honey, she's not."
Meggie stepped forward, kissed the doll, and placed it on top of her mother's coffin. Beck glanced over at J.B., who was trying not to cry but failing. He nodded at his father: Frank the goat had done the trick after all. Beck turned and saw Aubrey standing just outside the white picket fence.
"I quit today."
Beck nodded at his old friend. J.B. said, "Kids, let's walk up to the house, give your daddy a few minutes alone." J.B. stepped through the gate, Meggie under one arm and Luke under the other, and Frank following behind. J.B. slapped Aubrey on the shoulder and said, "Aubrey, you know anything about wine?"
The four of them walked up to the house. Beck sat alone on the bench and talked to Annie until the shadows grew long. He promised her that he would raise the children like she would have. He promised to fight for their children every day so neither of them ended up in a ditch. And he promised to love her until the day he died.
Then he went down to the river and sat on his rock.
Twenty-four years before, he had run away from his life here, and now he had come back. Beck Hardin was home. He had come home hoping to find justice in this life. To live where life followed a code of right and wrong. It didn't. Not here, not in Chicago, not anywhere. Good people die young and bad people live long. Life isn't fair, and justice isn't found in this life; in this life we only have the law. And the law has judges.
He stood and walked over to the natural rock bridge and stepped from rock to rock until he was at the midpoint of the river. The last light of day glistened on the water. He found a small flat rock and threw it low and watched it skip across the glassy surface of the river then disappear from sight. He watched the ripples spread out and die.
Ripples in the river.
BOOKS BY MARK GIMENEZ
Available now in e-book:
The Color of Law
The Abduction
The Perk
The Common Lawyer
Accused
Available in e-book on December 1, 2011:
The Governor's Wife
And Mark's first children's book,
Parts & Labor: Book One of the Adventures of Max Dugan
Praise for Mark's books
THE COLOR OF LAW
No. 6, Sunday Times paperback list (UK)
No. 28, New York Times hardback list
Amazon's Top 10 Mystery & Thriller List, 2005
Finalist, 2005 Thriller Award for Best First Novel
Finalist, 2005 Gumshoe Award for Best First Novel
Alan Cheuse's (NPR/All Things Considered) 2005 Holiday Booklist.
Top 10 of 2006, CrimeSquad.com (UK)
"First novelist Gimenez draws on his experience as an attorney in this taut legal thriller that echoes To Kill a Mockingbird. With fast-paced and edgy prose, dramatic tête-à-têtes between attorneys, and an explosive courtroom conclusion, Gimenez effectively weaves elements of race, class, and justice into a story of a lawyer who rediscovers the difference between doing good and doing well."
- Library Journal (starred review)
"Gimenez delivers an authentically creepy debut novel. A big part of this thriller's appeal is its moral backbone… . This is a well-calibrated contemporary morality play, set in get-rich-quick Dallas, with tours of country clubs and gated communities, and knowledgeable forays into Darwinian legal tactics. Gimenez also gives us a hateful character who becomes more sympathetic the more he fails. Fast-paced and thought-provoking fare."
- Booklist (starred review)
"The Color of Law is an unbeatable legal thriller with a lot of heart."
- Texas Monthly
"Gimenez makes his debut with a legal thriller based in Big D that will keep you on the edge of your seat… . 'The Color of Law' is full of twists and turns into the dark side of human nature with a final courtroom scene straight from 'To Kill a Mockingbird.' "
- San Antonio Express-News
"American lawyers, more accustomed to speaking the language of their people, are much better at [writing legal thrillers]. Scott Turow and John Grisham are the best known, but there are many others. I recommend The Colour of Law by Mark Gimenez, one of the most promising American lawyer-writers I’ve read recently. It's a Grisham-like novel about a slick, successful, ambitious Dallas corporate lawyer whose life changes when he has to defend a black prostitute accused of murder."
– The Guardian (UK)
" 'The Colour of Law' by Mark Gimenez is a compulsive read that owes its heart, soul and passion to Harper Lee's 'To Kill A Mockingbird'. In this fast-paced debut, Gimenez sinks his teeth into the manicured and corrupt world of lawyered, high-society Dallas in all its ostentatious glory: golf club memberships, fancy houses, fast cars, sleek wives and the all-encompassing reach of cold, hard power. In A. Scott Fenney—a young, rich and ruthless corporate lawyer at one of Dallas's most prestigious firms who glibly practises 'aggressive and creative' law for his high-paying clients—will the world find a hero or a patsy? Only a case involving a poor, black, drug-addicted prostitute and a dead white senator's son will tell. Warning: you can lose an entire lazy Sunday to this one.
– Time Out London
"New author and former lawyer Mark Gimenez, a Texan, has written a riveting story about the corruption of the law… . Gimenez matches up to biggies like John Grisham and Scott Turow, with a thrilling tale of how the law actually works."
– Calgary Sun
"This is a powerful courtroom thriller set in Dallas and featuring an engaging hero in the form of hotshot corporate lawyer turned defence attorney, Scott Fenney. Gimenez is a gifted plotter and the story winds its way through some good twists before arriving at a startling conclusion. Along the way, Gimenez also makes some points about wealth, social responsibility and race relations in America."
– Canberra Times
"A little To Kill a Mockingbird with some Law & Order thrown in, Color is a page-turner, and Gimenez—a real-life attorney-turned-author—seems to warrant his billing as 'the next John Grisham.' "
- Houston Press
"At least once a year a new legal thriller hits the shelves, hyped to the stars, with promises that the author will be 'the next John Grisham.' Usually, the fanfare is wasted, the hype is a lie and the promises fall flat because the book isn't very good. Not so with Mark Gimenez' compelling debut, The Color of Law."
- Chicago Sun-Times
"The plot setup is as convoluted and intricate as anything in recent memory, an inverted morality tale that equals some of the best work of legal thriller writers Scott Turow, Lisa Scottoline or John Grisham."
- BookPage
"Gimenez's stunning debut is easily one of the most provocative legal thrillers to come along in awhile… . This is a must read, inspiring and delicious."
- New Mystery Reader Magazine
" 'The Colo
r of Law' is more than just a highly readable legal thriller. It's also a blistering attack on both the legal profession and super-rich Texans in Dallas … It's a tasty plot—big money, political intrigue, sexy wives, precocious little girls—but the novel would be a lot less fun without Gimenez's scathing portrait of the city and its most powerful citizens."
- Washington Post
"This debut novel takes the best from Grisham, Meltzer, et al – and adds yet more to make this one of the best legal thrillers I have read for some time."
– CrimeSquad.com
"Gimenez maintains a rhythm that keeps pages turning long past bedtime."
- Austin American-Statesman
"The book starts fast and never slows down."
- Houston Chronicle
"Gimenez's debut has plenty of twists and flashes of humor. A promising, distinctive new voice."
- Kirkus Reviews
"Gimenez does a fine job with the plot; lots of twists and the courtroom scenes are great."
- Globe and Mail
THE ABDUCTION
Best-seller lists
No. 6, Australia
No. 8, Ireland
No. 14, UK hardback
"A cracking read."
- The Times (UK)
"Pulse-pounding narrative."
– Booklist
"Gimenez has written a startling, multilayered thriller in which complex characters and a fast-moving plot grab the reader immediately. Smart dialog and a spunky Gracie, who never loses her cool, make for a memorable read that twists and turns until the final, cinematic conclusion."
- Library Journal (starred review)
"The Abduction was the best suspense/thriller book that I read in 2007. I repeatedly recommended it to friends. Each person who I shared it with wrote or called after reading it to tell me how they too were talking it up to others as their favorite book of the year. It has a great plot, strong characters, and a story that never lacks for action."
– Carol Fitzgerald, Bookreporter.com
"After the stunning success of a first novel, there's always the question if the author can do it again with the second and, fortunately, in this case, Gimenez not only surpasses his own preliminary standards of excellence, but those of the entire genre. Not only does he offer up an adventurous plot that races forward at a breakneck speed filled with a cast of multi-faceted and poignantly drawn characters, but he also puts forth some concepts and questions that provoke and compel the reader's consideration long after the last page is turned… . But perhaps most notable of all might just be this book's ability to elicit just about every emotional response possible from the reader. Whether it's laughter or tears, dread or anticipation, be prepared to feel something while reading this glorious adventure that only seems to gain momentum with every page… . Ultimately, a forceful, exhilarating, and effervescent read of faith and redemption, loyalty and love, truth and purpose, and one that unreservedly qualifies as one of the best to come along this year."
- New Mystery Reader Magazine
"Caution: don't start this book unless you have time to finish it—I could not put it down. After his excellent debut, The Color of Law, Gimenez just knocks it out of the park with his sophomore effort… . These characters are so well drawn that it becomes incredibly easy to suspend your disbelief and get completely caught up in the story. I loved the tough-as-a-tiger mom, and the special bond between Gracie and her retired Green Beret grandfather was especially touching, all of which helped ratchet up the suspense even more. The Abduction is one of the best thrillers of the year."
- The BookBitch
"THE ABDUCTION is much more than a scaled-down version of Commando, however. While stuffed to its considerable brim in action, it is as much about relationships as strategy. Gimenez skillfully weaves the narrative while creating a tantalizing mystery—the 'why' of Gracie's abduction—that will keep you guessing until almost the very end. There are secrets and excitement and just about everything you would ever want from a reading experience."
- Bookreporter.com
"There are times when life gets so overwhelming that even a good book can't keep your mind from wandering. That's when you need a super-riveting read like this to take you away. It's a tale with a normally hard-to-take premise—child abduction. But in the hands of bestselling author Mark Gimenez, it becomes a tale of humanity, heroism, and hope, with complex characters who jump off the page. Boy can this guy tell a story!"
- Book-of-the-Month club
"Gimenez not only gives readers crackerjack plotting, captivating style and adrenalin-laced pacing, he injects deep insight into all his characters, from shattered father John, to his tightly controlled wife Elizabeth—and how Gracie's kidnapping forever changes their lives. The story, however, really belongs to Ben Brice, whose search for redemption propels this gripping and emotionally complex thriller to a surprising and thoroughly satisfying conclusion. If there's one thriller you read this fall, make it The Abduction—it's impossible to put down."
- BookLoons
"A top-of-the-line thriller … Impossible to put down, the book is a nail-biter from beginning to end, as a family's dark secrets emerge during the worst event of their lives."
- Romantic Times
“The Abduction is fast-paced and truly impossible to put down. It is also by far one of the best thrillers I have read in a long time.”
– Wichita Falls Times
"Gimenez's writing is explosive, fast-paced, and filled with unexpected plot twists that keep readers guessing right up to the last page."
- Houston Press
"Another explosive thriller that is impossible to put down… . Plenty of twists and turns, and a plot that keeps you guessing right until the end. Definitely not one to miss."
- CrimeSquad.com
"You'd better start this one early in the evening, because you'll be reading it into the wee small hours of the morning—it's riveting."
- Durbs.co.za (South Africa)
THE COMMON LAWYER
Best-seller lists
No. 8, South Africa
No. 10, Ireland
No. 11, Australia
No. 13, UK paperback
"The Common Lawyer is about an overpowering need to right a shocking wrong, and it contains violence, romance and some heart-warmingly managed ethical dilemmas … The pace is perfect; the style clean and transparent; the emotional manipulation, effective; and you can see the film from here. It will entertain many people."
- Times Literary Supplement (UK)
"Mark Gimenez writes colloquially smart dialogue but plots like an old master."
- The Australian
"The Common Lawyer is an addictive, compulsive read. With an interesting, flawed protagonist who matures as the novel progresses, a cast of well-drawn and diverse characters, and a great plot (not to mention the unexpected twist at the end), this is a must-read novel. Highly recommended, The Common Lawyer will keep you reading into the night."
- Civilian-Reader (UK)
ACCUSED
Best-seller lists
No. 7, South Africa
No. 8, London Sunday Times hardback
No. 11, Ireland
No. 14, UK paperback
"Some critics are calling the Texas-based lawyer Mark Gimenez 'the next Grisham'—but I think that's far less than fair. This, his fifth novel and the second featuring attorney A. Scott Fenney, shows he's now better than the one-time master of the American courtroom drama. For my money, Grisham has grown stale over the past five years while Gimenez has gone from strength to strength. If you doubt me, sample this cracking thriller which sees Fenney defend his former wife against the allegation that she killed the man she left him for, millionaire golf professional Trey Rawlins… . This is one of the best legal thrillers since Scott Turow's Presumed Innocent in 1987 … Superb."
– Daily Mail (UK)
"Brilliant writing, masterful plot and all the thrill of the courtroom in one. Grisham, step aside."
> – City AM (UK)
"Gimenez has set his bloody murder trial Accused against the background of a failed marriage, single-parenting issues and male infidelity… . This mix of family values, sex, sleaze and intrigue holds together in a gripping read with unexpected twists that ranks with anything Grisham has done in years."
– The Times (UK)
"Gimenez writes smart vernacular dialogue, hip and street-wise, with a nice line in social commentary, and his plotting leaves the over-rated John Grisham in his rear-vision mirror."
–The Australian
"Courtroom drama at its finest… . Great ending, too."
– Perth Now (Australia)
"Gimenez's latest novel Accused is classic Grisham at his best."
– Gisborne Herald (New Zealand)
"A great read… . Gimenez is a thriller writer of quality."
– Oamuru Mail (New Zealand)
"You’ll be handcuffed and imprisoned from the first page."
– Joburg.co.za (South Africa)
"If you enjoy suspense and a fast-paced courtroom drama, this one's for you."
– Foschini Club Magazine (South Africa)
"Accused is an engaging and character-led legal thriller. Gimenez's dialogue and prose are as fluid and natural as we've come to expect, and the pacing of the plot will keep pulling you along. When we're finally brought into the court-room, the author actually makes it gripping and tense, even though we've been following Scott and his team's investigation every step of the way. Accused, therefore, offers the reader everything they could want from a thriller, and is a very satisfying read."
– Civilian–Reader (UK)
Gimenez's plots are driven by surprises and twists, while the stakes are much higher than what one can possibly imagine at the beginning of the book. What's more, the Texan lawyer, A Scott Fenney, grips our interest with his mind games, and we are compelled to turn one page after another to discover where the story is headed. Gimenez is in good form in Accused. He is equally good in the companion book, The Color of Law. Unputdownable for those who love the genre."