THE Colour of Law by Mark Gimenez is a racy courtroom thriller. It features the lawyer protagonist A Scott Fenney who works for a corporate law firm. He has a monthly salary in millions. He is an ex-football star of his high school. He is the apple of his senior’s eye. He is the handsome heart throb of his female colleagues. And to top it off has a sleek Ferrari, a posh mansion and a loving family. His life just can’t get better.
This happiness is soon threatened when he is asked to defend a black prostitute from charges of murdering a rich and powerful senator’s son.
Now Scott faces a difficult choice as the case threatens to take away everything he has built over the years. He must decide what is more important to him – his life or justice, because the outcome of his choice will determine the fate of an innocent woman’s life.
The novel presents Atticus Finch’s (To Kill a Mocking Bird) dilemma in a modern world. It vividly describes the kind of injustice the poor have to face, simply because of the fact that they are too poor to buy the law. Gimenez’s master piece beautifully answers the question many of us cannot: is there any hope left for the salvation of the poor and the forsaken? Do we still have the right to hope for a hero?
Being just the right blend of family and courtroom drama this book is an excellent read.
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