Under Fire

by Margaret McLean

A Boston firefighter is shot and killed in the line of duty while rescuing Amina Diallo and her fifteen-year-old son, Malick, from their burning store. Diallo, a Senegalese Muslim immigrant, is arrested for arson and murder, and will likely be convicted in record time.  

Attorneys Sarah Lynch and Buddy Clancy face more than racial and religious prejudice in this impossible courtroom battle.  Diallo is targeted by a gunman in open court, a key defense witness is attacked, and documents are stolen.  Someone is trying to stop Sarah and Clancy from winning the case.  They must find out who and why.  A dangerous pursuit of the truth becomes Amina’s only chance in Margaret McLean's  Under Fire .

Genres: Mystery

400 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2011

About the author

Margaret McLean was born and raised in Rome, New York. She graduated magna cum laude from Boston College and earned her law degree from Boston College Law School. McLean practiced law as a criminal prosecutor and currently teaches law at Boston College’s Carroll School of Management. In 2010, she was hailed as one of the next faces of Boston crime fiction by The Boston Globe. She has cowritten a dramatic courtroom play based on her second novel, Under Oath, which is in development with the Playwrights/Directors Unit at the Actors Studio in New York City. She lives in Norwell, Massachusetts, with her three children.

Reviews

[Susan Ovans · Rating 4 out of 5]

A legal thriller set in a Boston courtroom? I'll gladly be a juror.
Under Fire is a very entertaining read. Well plotted with fully rounded characters. Intrepid lawyer Sarah Lynch traverses Boston and its environs and it's fun to travel these familiar streets right along with her. And when she tracked one of the bad guys to his beachside cottage right on my own Scituate street? Well, that just added fuel to the fire that's at the heart of the story.

[Gregory Van Den Berg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was the sequel to Under Oath, the author's first book. The story was as entertaining as the first. The author's court room scenes are first rate. Enjoy.

[Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Boston firefighter is shot and killed in the line of duty while rescuing AminaDiallo and her fifteen-year-old son, Malick, from their burning store. Diallo, a Senegalese Muslim immigrant, is arrested for arson and murder, and will likely be convicted in record time.

Attorneys Sarah Lynch and Buddy Clancy face more than racial and religious prejudice in this impossible courtroom battle. Diallo is targeted by a gunman in open court, a key defense witness is attacked, and documents are stolen. Someone is trying to stop Sarah and Clancy from winning the case. They must find out who and why. A dangerous pursuit of the truth becomes Amina's only chance.

Every once in a while a book comes along and does exactly what it says on the tin – it entertains from beginning to end - Under Fire by Margaret McLean is one such title. I sat down, armed with a more than adequate glass of Groote Kaap Viognier 2010 from South Africa - or was that two glasses I lost count in the end! - a reclining arm chair and the book – you can’t ask for more than that on a bank holiday weekend especially with the inclement weather forcing me indoors!

So what do we get from Under Fire? An intelligent, multi layered legal thriller, a taut narrative, racism and an eccentricity I really wasn’t expecting! The majority of the book is set inside a Boston courtroom and not only do we hear from the defence and prosecution attorneys but we gain a rather unexpected and intriguing perspective from a handful of jurors and how they react to witnesses and events throughout the trial process; more on that later.

Characterisation is very well done and although McLean doesn’t go overboard with her main protagonists there was more than enough depth in their back-story to allow for development and movement. For me likeability is a key part of characterisation and whether, as a reader, you can associate with one character or the other. I never know how I’m going to react when I open a book – do I side with good or evil – and I guess that’s the beauty of reading, everyone has an opinion and everyone takes something different from a book.

Full review on my blog:- http://www.milorambles.com/2011/08/30...

[James Korsmo]

I loved this book. It was truly a pleasure to read and is a powerful debut from an attorney-turned-novelist who has obviously taken care to hone her writing craft. The story centers around a fire that breaks out in a Senagalese Market in Boston. During the rescue of the two occupants from the apartment above the store, one of the firefighters is shot and killed. The fire appears to be arson, and the store owner, Amina Dialla, a Senagalese immigrant, is arrested and charged. The story unfolds in the courtroom as this emotionally charged case plays out. Amina is represented by Sarah Lynch and her uncle Buddy Lynch, who believe in their client's innocence, but at the same time realize that there is more to her story than she is willing to let on. And the trial gets off to a bang when Sarah is shot by an gunman who appears to be attempting to kill Amina during the arraignment proceedings. From there the pressure mounts as the firefighters and politicians are calling for justice, while Sarah and Uncle Buddy are racing to find evidence that can clear their client and show who really started the fire. As shady mortgage deals, political intrigue, and possible connections to another arson case from a few years before all come to light, along with a homeless man's story about seeing an angel emerge on the roof during the fire, there are a lot of pieces that need to be put together.

McLean's book is a riveting piece of legal fiction, with great courtroom scenes, lots of action, and building tension, as the reader pulls for Amina Dialla but also knows that they don't know the whole story yet. She uses the perspectives of various jurors throughout to both develop their characters and give nice texture to the courtroom arguments. This book is well built, with a great story, interesting characters, and a case that just needs to be solved. The ending is a worthy payoff without being too facile or predictable. In all, this was one of the most enjoyable books I've read in quite a while, and I look forward to more. (And be sure to set some time aside, because this book will not let you go.)

Thanks to the Amazon Vine program for the review copy.

[Joyce Hamel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Flammable But Not Explosive

Margaret MacLean's experience as a former prosecutor lent credibility to this novel in specific areas. Her first-hand knowledge of arson investigations is the strongest appeal in the story. Set in Boston, a trial involves a Muslin immigrant woman from Senegal accused of arson and murder of a Boston fireman. The fireman left a young pregnant widow with small children generating a plethora of sympathy from the fire department and community.

After finishing the book, I reviewed the best scenes and then returned to the first scene, which was told, from the dying fireman's point of view. He is a true hero, serving his community when he enters a burning home with the primary objective of saving lives. MacLean deftly describes his strong will despite unbearable physical odds to save the victims while he is experiencing terrible pain from a surprise gunshot wound and the horrific effects of smoke and fire as it consumes a human's breath and existence. McLean's portrayal of a fireman's mission to save those in a life or death situation is the finest portrayal in the book.

The remainder of the book is loaded with stereotypical characters. There is Buddy Clancy, the almost-retired defense attorney who can dance around a witness and sway a jury is a popular character in many thrillers with trial scenes. His niece, Sara Lynch, was a hockey Olympian and a former prosecutor blighted by a tragic incident. She is easily convinced to become a defense attorney for this case. Sara represents the bright, pretty attorney who can provide some substance. There is the awful bigotry of the community and the jury against the Muslim woman who is often called The Arab.

The jury is composed of the usual uneducated diehard who detests the Arab and anyone who is liberal. And then there is the token liberal and the foreperson that is thoughtful and understands the difficulties of creating a business against all odds. No surprises. The real criminals are a no-brainer and, of course, politics are at the center.

[William Bentrim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Burning Courtroom Drama
A superb courtroom drama with volatile emotional context is the theme of this book.

Sarah Lynch is an attorney is not practicing law, she is playing hockey. As this book takes place in Boston, her career change is not seen as terribly radical. She had a bad experience that is alluded to but never explained. Her eccentric Uncle Buddy Clancy, worried over her state of mind, entices her to the dark side, that of defending an accused criminal rather than the prosecution side she once practiced.

Buddy Clancy would top the list of interesting people anyone has encountered. He and his golden retriever, Rehnquist, both sport bow ties and both have a sweet tooth. The case is fraught with current topics and undertones of intolerance. The accused is a African Muslim who is regarded by the community as an “Arab” in the worse sense. She is accused of killing a fireman who was attempting to rescue her from her burning store.

The plot is complicated and believable. The current emotional attitude toward anyone different, particularly any one that can be considered related to terrorism, weighs heavily on all of the characters. Greed, redevelopment and the pedestal fireman now occupy fill out the emotional provocative aspects of the book.

This was a very good book and an outstanding courtroom drama.

I highly recommend it.

[Rosemarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is meatier and the characters more substantial than the usual legal thriller. From the beginning of this well-written and edited first novel, it is apparent that the author knows quite a bit about both courtrooms and fire investigations.

When the store of Amina Diallo, a black Muslim refugee from Senegal, is torched; and a fireman is shot and killed attempting to rescue her and her son from the burning building, there is an immediate rush to judgment. Amina is arrested for both crimes within hours. Buddy Clancy, an old-time smooth lawyer, undertakes her defense; and persuades his niece, Sarah, a former prosecutor, to help.

Political and hidden financial interests, as well as media hysteria and mass bigotry create a perfect storm. Angry mobs storm the courthouse, and a `citizen vigilante' shoots at Amina during her arraignment hearing, wounding Sarah instead. Uncle Buddy's ties add a bit of humor to the courtroom action, much of which is viewed from the perspective of various jurors.

If you enjoy Grisham's novels, you will be pleased with this book. The characters may even be more believable and sympathetic than many of his. This was an excellent first novel, and I look forward to more from this author.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars.


My thoughts:

I couldn't put this one down. I thought it was a very well written courtroom thriller that kept me entertained for an entire evening. If you like reading this type of book, I think you will find it a good read. It does have a lot of legal proceedings and jargon in it so it can get a bit 'dry' at times.


Things that I liked:

I really liked the character of Buddy. He provided much needed comic relief when things were getting a bit dry and serious. I loved his bow ties!

Sarah was a great character too. I liked how she also was a hockey player, and had a whole different life outside of being a lawyer. It added some dimension to her character and made her more interesting to me.


Things that I didnt like:

I didn't like how there was too much detail at times in the courtroom. This made reading a bit boring here and there.

It seemed like the author was starting up a nice romance for Sarah, but it went nowhere? Maybe something happened later on...or in a future book?

I also found that the ending was a bit predictable.


I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the emotions that I felt while reading this book. It is one of the few books where I actually cared what happened to all parties in the book. It was a well presented book that kept me guessing about how the author would make it all work out the way I felt that it should. She did and made the story work well together.

This story starts out from the perspective of a Firefighter who is trying to save a single mom and her son from the fire that is burning in their home and store. Needless to say the firefighter is killed in the line of duty. The next piece of the puzzle is you learn that the mom that was being saved from the fire is on trial for Arson and Murder.

McLean intricutely weaves a story of the court trial from many different perspectives. She gives the story a life by introducing you to members of the jury,both sides of the law, and a few other important characters. Through the trial you see how important every side of the story is.

Recommend this book for the lover of a good trial story!

[Johanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found Under Fire to be an interesting book. Margaret McLean has a wonderful ability to conjure up clear images in the mind, and her characters had a humorous and very human touch. I do take slight issue with the way in which she approached such a sensitive subject, (I would elaborate, but I don't want to give away too much from the book) although I do understand her reasoning. Still, I thought it was a bit in poor taste.
Never the less, the plot was an interesting one, and I had fun trying to puzzle out the truth with the little scaps of information that the author throws you as the story progresses. If I had one major complaint, it would be the looming question that you are left with at the end! (I won't specify, but if you read the book, you'll see what I mean!) It almost seems as though this is only the first book in a series. Will there be another book to explain what happens next?
This is a good read, and I'm glad I had the chance to read it.



I have received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the emotions that I felt while reading this book. It is one of the few books where I actually cared what happened to all parties in the book. It was a well presented book that kept me guessing about how the author would make it all work out the way I felt that it should. She did and made the story work well together.

This story starts out from the perspective of a Firefighter who is trying to save a single mom and her son from the fire that is burning in their home and store. Needless to say the firefighter is killed in the line of duty. The next piece of the puzzle is you learn that the mom that was being saved from the fire is on trial for Arson and Murder.

McLean intricutely weaves a story of the court trial from many different perspectives. She gives the story a life by introducing you to members of the jury,both sides of the law, and a few other important characters. Through the trial you see how important every side of the story is.

Recommend this book for the lover of a good trial story!

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Won this book from a Goodreads giveaway, which is always awesome, thanks Goodreads!!

Under Fire is a about a fireman who got shot and died saving a mother and her son from there burning store/apartment. I started reading the book late in the afternoon and it keep me up till 3:30 in the morning reading, i was totally in the book and didn't want to put it down. About half way thru it i started to lose some instrest. All that court room talk can get boring. I even skipped right on over the closing arguements from both Sarah and Nick...sorry just couldn't read it.

I like the way it was written adding the thoughts of the jurors. Quahog's thoughts were always wondering about silly stuff. And Buddy Clancy...loved him!! What a clever old man. Loved all the different bow ties for him and his dog Rehnquist.

All in all...I liked the book, although there was some parts that were boring in the court room. The end was not all that surprising for me, kinda figured it out and i was right.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I have before me is an Uncorrected Advance Reading Copy. I've never read a legal thriller before so I have nothing to compare this to in the book's genre, but I can compare it to other books I've read. I'm surprised by how easy the story is to read and how much of a page turner it has turned out to be.

The story is told mostly from the view of the main character, Sarah Lynche, a former prosecutor and silver medalist for USA Women's Ice Hockey. Her uncle persuades her to work with him on defense for a Muslim woman accused of burning down her shop and shooting a fireman resulting in his death. The story covers other perspectives during the trial, the prosecuting attorney, several jurors, and Amina, the defendant.

The ending went a little different than I thought it should or would, but overall it was good.

[Candy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book from Goodreads. Under Fire is about a fireman who was shot while saving a mother and a son from their burning apartment above their store. The fire started in the store. The characters were well developed. Sara Lynch and her uncle Buddy Clancy were the lawyers for the defense after the mother was charged with setting the fire and killing the fireman. This book has a lot of twists and turns as Sara and her Uncle prepare the defense. Margaret McLean has the characters so well defined she could easily write a second book with these characters. I throughly enjoyed this book.

[Tammy Ramey · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was a truly wonderful book. the characters were intriguing and full of depth and vitallity. it was very easy to become emotionally connected to each of the characters and to empathize with them and what they were going through. the plot was also complex and stimulating and was not one of those that you could solve in the first 5 minutes but it left you guessing until the end as to who did what. a truely great story by a gifted writer. if this is the type of book that you enjoy then this is the book for you.

[Chip · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't usually read mystery/courtroom/dramas. This book is exactly why. Too many cliches. Too predictable. And to be honest courtroom chatter is boring and oh so redundant. Many pages had the same things from different witnesses. And the jury I think if I closed my eyes and guested I would have picked the jury she chose. Hey if you like the genre and like to read something familiar go for it...just not for me.

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not my typical genre but I fairly enjoyed the novel. Did not fully grab all of my attention. I set the book aside quite a few times before I finished it. Unfortunately, I had the true culprit pinned from the get go which may be why it took me so long to read the book. Did not leave me hanging if I put the book down. A well written novel by the author.

[Andy Plonka · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story of a Sanegalese woman who is accused of setting fire to her small grocery store in Boston to collect insurance money. In addition she is said to have murdered a fireman who was trying to save her and her son. A good legal mystery with a fair amount of insight into how juries think and how lawyers act to best present the evidence.

[Kyle Gebhard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished this last night.. Was a good book overall. Kind of similar to some other court/criminal investigation books I've read. Hard to put down sometimes and it flowed well. Predictable ending in my eyes except there is a decent twist.

[Cori North · Rating 1 out of 5]

Good premise for a courtroom drama, but the writing was was so choppy it was hard to keep reading. This ridiculously short chapter to end at a climactic moment thing drives me Crazy. Character development is almost nil. Dan Brown has alot to answer for...

[Fredrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great court room mystery that reminds me of the Perry Mason series. Lots of intrigue without the rampant graphic sex and profanity that so many modern writers have to resort to.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

i won on may 10th recived on may 12th great book had a hard time putting it down if this was a movie i would have been on the edge of my set the whole time

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Former prosecutor Sarah Lynch helps her uncle defend an immigrant woman accused of killing a Boston firefighter.

[CLM · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable legal thriller with interesting characters and a vivid Boston setting.

[Ray Daniel]

Looking forward to this one! Just started it.

[B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Whtyac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suspenseful and definitely predicatable with the exception of revelation at the end. Loved Uncle Buddy.

[Bernadette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written legal thriller. I learned a lot about fire investigations and the courtroom process.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

if you like courtroom drama, this is good

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

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