KING OF TORTS

Public Defender Clay Carter arrives in court just in time to receive another hopeless murder case. His bad luck and dead-end career disappear as he stumbles upon evidence that thrusts him into the opulent world of class-action lawsuits. Clay's initial success earns him the title "King of Torts." Quickly, the glamour fades for both the character and the listener. Despite reader Dennis Boutsikaris's strong and clear narration, the novel drags along to an unsatisfactory conclusion. Boutsikaris applies a fitting characterization to European model Ridley, Clay's new trophy girlfriend, who symbolizes all the pitfalls facing the nouveau riche. Regrettably, his fine reading cannot transform a dull, predictable story into an intriguing, suspenseful tale. J.J.B. 2004 Audie Award Finalist (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 03]