NO DEFENSE

Lara Jessup is accused of killing her husband or of covering up his suicide. Barbara Holloway, an extraordinary trial lawyer and her father, Frank Holloway, an even sharper lawyer, come up against the local land baron. Marguerite Gavin takes the listener through Barbara Holloway’s intricate task of sifting through facts, rumor, innuendo, and the tangled web of the past. Gavin’s steady narration slowly gains connection, momentum, and character as she fleshes out each person and event. Wilhelm’s twisted tale, never quite gets going toward the anticipated conclusion, even to the very last word. As the lawyers uncover more information, the tension grows as the listener learns the underlying causes for murder, cover-up, and power in the Oregon desert country. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 01]