Book Review - Solomon vs. Lord by Paul Levine
Category Book Review
This was another cruise read where I had to find something as the recreational reading material was dwindling quickly... Solomon vs. Lord by Paul Levine. I'll admit that having quotes by Harlan Coben and Carl Hiaasen on the cover were a big selling point. Fortunately, it was a great choice... funny, wacky, and characters with plenty of personality.
Steve Solomon is a defense lawyer who usually represents clients that are nearly always guilty. But they *are* entitled to a defense. Victoria Lord is a new prosecutor, polished and organized, ready to enforce the law of the land. Lord follows the rules, and Solomon makes his own. You couldn't find two people who are more opposite than these two. But after Solomon shows Lord up in court, she finds herself out of a job. That shouldn't be an issue, as her fiancee is a rich avocado farmer who really wants her to take over the legal duties of a housing development he's selling. But she *really* wants to practice criminal law, and Solomon thinks she could be quite good at it if she'll only loosen up a bit. That "loosening" begins when they end up teamed together to defend a rich young widow against a murder charge in the death of her husband. While trying to build the case and defend her (even though she very well might be guilty), Solomon also comes under attack from the courts who are trying to remove him as guardian of his autistic nephew who he dearly loves. Lord continues to be drawn into the whirlwind life of Solomon, and has to decide something critical... does she really want to marry her fiancee, which is a rational and logical sort of love, or does she want to follow her heart, throw caution to the wind, and see what life with Solomon and his nephew might bring?
I loved the characters in this novel. Solomon is completely irreverent, and does whatever is necessary to find justice (regardless of what the actual law might state). Lord is struggling with what's safe vs. what's real. And even as a total jerk, his love for the kid shines through. The conversations between Solomon and just about anyone else were laugh-out-loud funny. If you're looking for a South Florida genre novel that evokes memories of Hiaasen and Tim Dorsey, this is a perfect choice. I'll be checking out the follow-up Solomon vs. Lord novels in short order...
This was another cruise read where I had to find something as the recreational reading material was dwindling quickly... Solomon vs. Lord by Paul Levine. I'll admit that having quotes by Harlan Coben and Carl Hiaasen on the cover were a big selling point. Fortunately, it was a great choice... funny, wacky, and characters with plenty of personality.
Steve Solomon is a defense lawyer who usually represents clients that are nearly always guilty. But they *are* entitled to a defense. Victoria Lord is a new prosecutor, polished and organized, ready to enforce the law of the land. Lord follows the rules, and Solomon makes his own. You couldn't find two people who are more opposite than these two. But after Solomon shows Lord up in court, she finds herself out of a job. That shouldn't be an issue, as her fiancee is a rich avocado farmer who really wants her to take over the legal duties of a housing development he's selling. But she *really* wants to practice criminal law, and Solomon thinks she could be quite good at it if she'll only loosen up a bit. That "loosening" begins when they end up teamed together to defend a rich young widow against a murder charge in the death of her husband. While trying to build the case and defend her (even though she very well might be guilty), Solomon also comes under attack from the courts who are trying to remove him as guardian of his autistic nephew who he dearly loves. Lord continues to be drawn into the whirlwind life of Solomon, and has to decide something critical... does she really want to marry her fiancee, which is a rational and logical sort of love, or does she want to follow her heart, throw caution to the wind, and see what life with Solomon and his nephew might bring?
I loved the characters in this novel. Solomon is completely irreverent, and does whatever is necessary to find justice (regardless of what the actual law might state). Lord is struggling with what's safe vs. what's real. And even as a total jerk, his love for the kid shines through. The conversations between Solomon and just about anyone else were laugh-out-loud funny. If you're looking for a South Florida genre novel that evokes memories of Hiaasen and Tim Dorsey, this is a perfect choice. I'll be checking out the follow-up Solomon vs. Lord novels in short order...
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