Show No Fear

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A brand-new Nina Reilly thriller takes readers back to Nina's first murder investigation, to the case that ignites her passionate commitment to fighting for justice. As a single mom working as a paralegal and attending law school at night, Nina has her hands full fighting for custody of her young son Bob and overseeing a medical malpractice lawsuit on behalf of her mother. But when a woman falls to her death off a bridge near Big Sur and witnesses disappear, Nina suspects there is more to the "accident" than the authorities are saying. With the help of homicide cop Paul van Wagoner, she rushes to uncover the truth. Show No Fear illumines what makes the brilliant Nina Reilly tick -- and, in this fascinating prequel to an illustrious career, begins a love affair for her fans and readers of complex, gripping thrillers everywhere!From Publishers WeeklySet in 1990, O'Shaughnessy's intriguing 12th legal thriller to feature crusading lawyer Nina Reilly (after Case of Lies) takes a look at Nina's early career. An attractive single mom, Nina lives with her preschool-age son, Bob, in Carmel-by-the-Sea, Calif., where she works as a paralegal while pursuing a law degree. She worries about her mother, Ginny, who's struggling with a circulatory disease and recovery from a botched acupuncture treatment. When Nina's ex-lover, criminal defense attorney Richard Filsen, resurfaces after four years, demanding a paternity test and shared custody of Bob, Nina seeks help from her current crush, Jack McIntyre, and his sexy girlfriend, Remy Sorensen, who's angling for a judgeship. Everything explodes when first Richard and then Ginny are murdered. The pseudonymous O'Shaughnessy (Pamela and Mary O'Shaughnessy) offers some surprising twists involving the ambitious Remy. Nina's first brush with a future love, detective Paul van Wagoner, adds spice. (Dec.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistThere’s a lot going on in the new Nina Reilly thriller (which takes us back to 1990, and the beginning of her career). Nina’s mother is having medical problems and is suing her doctor; the father of Nina’s young son has returned and is demanding joint custody; and a woman who has apparently committed suicide may actually be the victim of murder. It’s strange, though, that a book with so much happening in it turns out to be so dull. Despite its multiple story lines, the novel moves at a snail’s pace, crawling where it should be racing. This is a very successful series, with a popular heroine and a devoted group of fans, but O’Shaughnessy’s pedestrian writing, always a problem, is even worse here. This novel contains sentences—indeed, sometimes whole paragraphs—that cry out for a rewrite. In places, the novel reads like a first draft: the raw material is in place (engaging characters, intriguing plot), and all that’s left to do is the actual writing. Hardcore fans of the Reilly series may enjoy this one for its portrayal of a young, eager, and somewhat naive Nina, but the novel definitely won’t win over any new readers. --David Pitt