THE BRASS VERDICT by Michael Connelly (R214,95, Orion)
Rating 4/5
Reviewer: Pieter Vermaak
He gave us ace cop Harry Bosch then introduced defence lawyer Mickey Haller in the bestselling The Lincoln Lawyer. Now Connelly gives fans what they want: a Bosch-Haller team-up.
Haller inherits the clients of a murdered lawyer who owed him a favour and one case stands out - Hollywood bigwig Walter Elliot is accused of murdering his wife and her lover. But vital parts of the file are missing. The slippery Elliot denies guilt but Haller grows suspicious as he learns more about the man. Bosch investigates the high-profile murders and suspects one of Haller’s inherited clients. He needs info but they’re restricted by the rules of the justice system, forcing them to form a formidable but risky partnership.
The combined force of Connelly’s two heroes, an ingenious plot and great writing make The Brass Verdict a crime-fiction release well worth reading.
WOMAN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN by Lorna Martin (R224,½95, John Murray)
Rating: 3/5
Reviewer: Sandy Cook
This entertaining memoir reads like a novel but is in fact a true account of Glaswegian journalist Lorna Martin’s foray into therapy. Thirty-seven-year-old Lorna is at a crossroads. Successful in her job, unlucky in love and terrified of commitment, she takes out a loan and embarks on a course of psychoanalysis. Her love-hate relationship with the inscrutable Dr J forms the backbone to this funny book and Lorna performs her endless navel-gazing with humour and endearing self-deprecation.
A chicklit-style romantic sub-plot keeps you guessing but this is ultimately a thought-provoking insight into the nature - and limits - of therapy.
The book emerged from a series of columns Lorna wrote for Grazia magazine and many thirtysomething career women will recognise bits of themselves in her as she learns to love herself. Fun and enlightening.
