TIES THAT BIND

The "ties" of the title are the relationships between drug lord Pedro Aragon and three well-to-do and well-connected members of Oregon's upper crust. George Guidall tells the story, from their meeting at a drug house in 1970 to their rise to ultimate power in 2003. Guidall's style has a knowing quality, whether he's speaking from the perspective of Hispanic thugs, brazen yuppies, or national politicos. Upscale pimp Jon Dupre is accused of killing a U.S. senator, and then, in a locked interview room, witnessed by a police guard, Dupre brutally stabs his court-appointed lawyer. The case seems open and shut. But for Defense Attorney Amanda Jaffe, the pieces don't add up. Her investigations begin to uncover old secrets and illicit ties that put her in a bind that might prove fatal. S.E.S. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 03]