From the cover: Oregon attorney Barbara Holloway has an unusual new client. Louise Braniff, member of a group that anonymously supports worthy women's causes, asks her to represent gifted pianist Carol Fredricks, who is accused of murdering the manager of the bar that employed her to entertain. Barbara heard her play and was impressed, but, as she interviews her client, she discovers major problems. When she was eight years old, Carol and her parents were involved in a serious automobile accident. Her parents died, and she woke up in a hospital with no memory of anything that happened. Barbara's investigation of the murder uncovers a web of deceit and greed that convinces her that someone is framing her innocent client. Apparently this is a series that includes attorney Barbara Holloway; however it is the first one I have read. ( I remember reading somewhere that it is the 8th book—not certain.) The plot was great—it was complex yet interesting. The courtroom drama was very well written. I did find it hard to believe that an attorney and her staff would solve a present day murder and at the same time solve another one from nearly 20 years ago. To me the book seemed to drag on and on. I felt it could have been 50 to 75 pages less and still been a good read.
Barbara Holloway is offered a large retainer to defend Carol Fredericks, an itinerant who is accused of murdering the owner of the bar where she played the piano. Barbara is convinced of her client's innocence despite an eye witness who places her at the scene and despite a whiskey glass left at the scene that has Carol's fingerprints. To add to the mystery, Carol is an orphan raised by foster parents who believe everything bad said about her.Carol hasn't been in town long enough to develop any deep friendships but people seem to like her though that will help little unless Barbara can find the real killer and the motives behind the killing. I thought the book had lots of twists and suspense, making it an enjoyable read.
Action/mystery novel starring lawyer Barbara Holloway. I've not read any previous books in this series, or by this author. Not sure I need to read more - though I'm generally not that into this genre. Basically a wealthy woman approaches atty Barbara and asks to her to defend a young woman (Carol), but not tell (Carol) who is paying for the services. Carol's identify and her relationship to the woman are eventually unravelled. Parts of the story were suspenseful and interesting, but there were s
—Elizabeth
someone gave me this book because it's set in Eugene, oregon, where I once lived, and indeed, I was interested. It's a great plot, quite complex and interesting and the courtroom part of the plot is excellent. but her characters are flat. It's the eighth in a series about a lawyer named Barbara Holloway but I know almost nothing about this woman except that she's a workaholic with a widower father and some pretty interesting employees. I read mysteries because they generally sketch out really odd, interesting characters. This one does a couple but it not nearly enough. I don't just want to catch the bad buys, I want to love or hate (or both) the people along the way. This doesn't give me enough info to do either.
—Cathy
This book was very good except for a GLARING discrepancy that I'm surprised nobody caught. In the course of the story, there is a gal doing some undercover work, and when she is asked to find out where a wig was purchased, she tells the lawyer that she wasn't able to find out. In the VERY NEXT paragraph, they state that the problem was the wig shop was in San Francisco and they're in Oregon. Obviously her editors and proofreaders were out to lunch mentally when they went over this book because t
—Charli
