Straw Men

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Eight years ago, Brenna Kennedy defended Carmen DellaVecchio: a loner, a freak, a man accused of a heinous crime. She lost the case, and DellaVecchio was sent to prison for the brutal rape and near murder of Teresa Harnett, a Pittsburgh cop. But DNA evidence has cast doubt on DellaVecchio’s guilt. While he waits for a new trial, he is free, and Brenna still believes that he is an innocent man. But if DellaVecchio is innocent, then that means there’s a guilty sociopath out there, and all that’s standing in his way from getting away with a grisly crime is one meddling lawyer… Jim Christensen has the key to unlock memories. Brilliant and compassionate, he’s dedicated his career to studying the effects of memory loss, including on victims of trauma. When Teresa Harnett asks him to help her remember that terrible night, he resists. Ethically, it’s unsound, as Christensen and Kennedy have been together for six years. But Christensen is drawn into the case, and soon everyone involved is caught in the web of a man who will kill to stay free… “The creepiest good time I’ve had in ages—a genuine page turner.” —Laura Lippman, New York Times bestselling author of And When She Was Good “An engrossing mystery with a wonderfully unique sleuth [who] tackles the most mysterious setting of all: the Bermuda Triangle of human memory. Smith’s writing really delivers … a most satisfying read.” —Barbara Seranella, author of the Munch Mancini seriesAmazon.com ReviewTeresa Harnett has been unable to remember the circumstances of the attack that left her almost dead eight years ago. With the help of her devoted husband, she's finally beginning to put her life together again. But then the man who was convicted of the crime is released from prison after DNA evidence indicates that he may not have been responsible. So who's making the frightening phone calls, repeating the phrase from the attack that only the man dubbed the Scarecrow could know? It was Teresa's testimony that put the Scarecrow behind bars, and the indefatigable efforts of his defense lawyer, Brenna Kennedy, that cleared him. But now Teresa is having second thoughts. The scary phone calls don't sound like the man who nearly killed her, and fragments of the past have begun to haunt her dreams again. The only person who can help sort out Teresa's memories, psychologist Jim Christensen, is Brenna's sweetheart, a man with doubts of his own--not just about the Scarecrow, but about the woman he loves as well. Author Martin Smith's knowledge of the controversy behind recovered memories drives this suspenseful thriller to a powerful conclusion. Along the way, his strong narrative voice and ability to create multidimensional characters who stay with you long after the last page make Straw Men a solid page turner. This mass-market original packs enough of a wallop for most hardcover fans, so don't let the format fool you. --Jane AdamsFrom Publishers WeeklyYet again, Teresa wakes up screaming, reliving the nightmare of when she was viciously attacked and left for dead eight years ago. But this time, something's different. Before now, she was absolutely positive that her attacker was Carmen DellaVecchio (aka the Scarecrow), the man who had been imprisoned for the brutal crime. Now, however, she hears a different voice. Is it the Scarecrow or not? Since DellaVecchio's sudden release from prisonAbased on new DNA evidenceATeresa and Brenna, the Scarecrow's aggressive attorney, have been receiving strange phone calls. Reluctantly, Brenna's boyfriend, Jim, a psychologist who's an expert on memory, works with Teresa to try to determine which of her memories are real and which are not. In fact, it is Jim who starts wondering whether Teresa's husband, also a cop, and some of his friends on the force are involved. As a walk through the halls of justice, forensic psychology and police procedure, this novel provides diversion. Smith (Shadow Image; Time Release) fails to create characters that emerge as real people, however, and readers will come away thinking they've read similar, albeit stronger, novels. Agent, Susan Ginsburg. (Jan. 2) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.