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The Outside Man
The outside man is society lawyer Adam Shaw. A northerner in a southern town jealous of its secrets, he finds the dead body of his best friend's wealthy wife -- and his friend is missing.
In a world where wealthy people will stop at nothing to maintain a genteel image, Shaw must gamble his career, his marriage, and his very life in a passionate quest for the real murderer -- and learn the shocking truth about his own past and future . . . .
In a world where wealthy people will stop at nothing to maintain a genteel image, Shaw must gamble his career, his marriage, and his very life in a passionate quest for the real murderer -- and learn the shocking truth about his own past and future . . . .
294 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
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741 people want to read
About the author
Richard North Patterson
105 books675 followersRichard North Patterson is the author of fourteen previous bestselling and critically acclaimed novels. Formerly a trial lawyer, Patterson served as the SEC’s liaison to the Watergate special prosecutor and has served on the boards of several Washington advocacy groups dealing with gun violence, political reform, and women’s rights. He lives in San Francisco and on Martha’s Vineyard.
Macmillan.com Author Profile
Awards
Edgar Award, 1980, Best First Novel for The Lasko Tangent
Grand Prix de Littérature Policière, International Award, 1995 for Degree of Guilt
http://us.macmillan.com/author/richar...
Macmillan.com Author Profile
Awards
Edgar Award, 1980, Best First Novel for The Lasko Tangent
Grand Prix de Littérature Policière, International Award, 1995 for Degree of Guilt
http://us.macmillan.com/author/richar...
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
November 16, 2012
I picked this book up at a fundraiser about a month ago. I have read RNP books before, but not often. I was a little concerned when I saw some the reviews for this one. The feelings were a little mixed, with some more recent reviews being rather harsh. But, the book was only 300 pages long, so I figured I could run through it pretty fast. I actually liked it. It was published in the very early 1980's. That is something you may want to keep in mind. Not because of outdated technology, but because of the types of TV shows and movies that were popular at that time. This book reminded me of quite a few of those made for TV movies and night time soap operas that were so popular in those days. Keeping that in mind, it was a pretty good little mystery. RNP is better known for his legal thrillers, and although this one revolved around a law office and our male protanist is a lawyer, there is no courtroom drama.
Adam Shaw, a lawyer working in his father- in- law's firm, discovers an old family friend brutally murdered. The suspects range from old enemies of Lydia's long deceased father, her husband, her son, her lover or her lover's wife. As Adam begins to ask some hard questions, he finds that his father-in-law, who hates Adam just because he married his daughter, tried to stop him at every turn, and surprisingly, so does his wife.
Adam has to deal with the rivalry between himself and his father-in-law, which almost gives the novel a southern gothic feel to it. Even the melodramtic ending has that atmosphere to me.
I believe this is one of the first RNP novels. I think over the years he has probably improved his skills as a writer, but I didn't think this one as awful as some reviewers did. Maybe it is my age and my ability to remember the time frame the book was written in that helped me get past some things that irritated other people.
Overall I would say this one deserves a B-.
Adam Shaw, a lawyer working in his father- in- law's firm, discovers an old family friend brutally murdered. The suspects range from old enemies of Lydia's long deceased father, her husband, her son, her lover or her lover's wife. As Adam begins to ask some hard questions, he finds that his father-in-law, who hates Adam just because he married his daughter, tried to stop him at every turn, and surprisingly, so does his wife.
Adam has to deal with the rivalry between himself and his father-in-law, which almost gives the novel a southern gothic feel to it. Even the melodramtic ending has that atmosphere to me.
I believe this is one of the first RNP novels. I think over the years he has probably improved his skills as a writer, but I didn't think this one as awful as some reviewers did. Maybe it is my age and my ability to remember the time frame the book was written in that helped me get past some things that irritated other people.
Overall I would say this one deserves a B-.
January 5, 2013
This book was one of two in the same item by this author. Having enjoyed the first one, I was looking forward to reading this. Sorry to say that it isn’t one that I would recommend. It concerns a lawyer, Adam, who finds one of his lady clients dead. One of the suspects is her husband, but Adam thinks otherwise and the book is about his attempts to find out whodunnit and why. He is not helped in this by a very stroppy policeman who appears to regard him with the same contempt as the husband, and also a senior partner in his lawfirm who seems to like Adam even less. The senior partner’s daughter is Adam’s wife. There is a mish mash of other possible motives and suspects including a relative of an executed prisoner in a racially tense murder trial way back when, a son with possible eodipan issues, a fraudulent loan and the sexual orientation and habits of one of the parties involved. To me, all these things served only to confuse and I found the end more than a bit disappointing – I could even say I didn’t much care by the end of the tale, as few if any of the characters had any redeeming features. Another example, to me anyway, of the hit and miss nature of this author’s books.
January 2, 2020
Northern lawyer marries a southern girl and relocates to Birmingham, then becomes kind of a fish out of water embroiled in a stew of old secrets and jealousies. I mistakenly thought this was going to be legal/courtroom fiction but found it to be more of a southern gothic family drama.
November 4, 2023
2.5 stars
We follow Adam, a lawyer married to a rich southern woman with severe daddy issues, trying to solve the murder of his friend’s ( Henry) wife murder to prove Henry innocent.
Alright, so the first thing I want to talk about is Adam’s wife, I don’t know if the author meant it to be that bad, but I felt he was married to a kid ( not even a teenager), all the sulking, the crying, the “ don’t upset daddy” was offputting, she annoyed me , She didn’t have one normal adult conversation throughout the entire story.
The mixed timelines confused me because they happened without any introductions or heads up, I’d be reading a chapter and just find that we’ve jumped to a scene from Adam’s past. We go back to the present all of a sudden as well.
The story itself was good, however I think there were too many suprise elements added at the very end, so that the ending became overly dramatic but underwhelming.
We follow Adam, a lawyer married to a rich southern woman with severe daddy issues, trying to solve the murder of his friend’s ( Henry) wife murder to prove Henry innocent.
Alright, so the first thing I want to talk about is Adam’s wife, I don’t know if the author meant it to be that bad, but I felt he was married to a kid ( not even a teenager), all the sulking, the crying, the “ don’t upset daddy” was offputting, she annoyed me , She didn’t have one normal adult conversation throughout the entire story.
The mixed timelines confused me because they happened without any introductions or heads up, I’d be reading a chapter and just find that we’ve jumped to a scene from Adam’s past. We go back to the present all of a sudden as well.
The story itself was good, however I think there were too many suprise elements added at the very end, so that the ending became overly dramatic but underwhelming.
October 1, 2021
What happened to the writer that wrote The Spire?
A disappointment. Maybe my memory of loving The Spire is based on me, then- not me now. The Outside Man is certainly a B soap opera for the me now. Perhaps it should be a one star?
A disappointment. Maybe my memory of loving The Spire is based on me, then- not me now. The Outside Man is certainly a B soap opera for the me now. Perhaps it should be a one star?
May 5, 2015
What drew me to this book was that it was set in Alabama where I live and that it was described as a courtroom drama. Courtroom drama was a total over statement. The characters never set foot in a courtroom and it was much more of a detective story than a legal thriller. Not that there is anything wrong with that. I also love detective stories. As to the Alabama setting, yes it was set in Birmingham, but there was very little Southern flavor. For one thing, if you have ever been in Alabama you would know that no conversation is complete unless the subject of college football comes up. There was no mention of college football in this book. I must admit that I was sorely tempted to put this book aside early on. I didn't care for the authors writing style, too many overly descriptive phases and the characters are not likeable. But I am glad that I stuck with it and it did get better about midway. The story involves a young attorney from Cleveland who married a Birmingham girl whose father is a member of a large law firm and they move to Alabama. When a female client, and close friend of the family is murdered her husband is the prime suspect. The police detective in charge seems to hold a grudge against the husband and with no one else on his side the young lawyer sets out to investigate the case himself. It develops into a pretty good detective story and psychological drama. There are lots of red herrings. I wish I could have gone 2.5 stars, but settled for three. I understand that this was the author's first novel and was written in 1982. Hopefully his writing has improved in the pasage of time.
December 17, 2017
This is the third of Richard North Patterson's books that I have read. I came to it from Protect and Defend, admirable in the tightness of its plot and its moral strength. I could hardly believe that The Outside Man was by the same author. Morally flabby, it presented me with not a single character for whom I could feel any respect. Perhaps it is a failure in me that I can feel little sympathy for the bankers, lawyers, mill owners and country club wives of a pour southern state. It would have been something if the narrator commanded respect. A lawyer, practising commercial law, employed by a father-in-law whom he despises and hates, he seems to offer only one virtue, namely loyalty to a friend, Henry Cantwell. It is never clear what substance there is to the friendship. Cantwell is a rich banker who seems uninterested in banking, lives out a sterile marriage with a cardboard cutout of a wealthy wife and reads Aeschylus, which he had also lent to the narrator. A single sentence from Aeschylus didn't seem to me sufficient to indicate a rich shared culture in two characters in whom it otherwise seems completely lacking.
If Patterson's aim had been to paint a picture of a South with not a single redeeming feature he couldn't have done better. His Alabama is not a place I would want to go to, and I had no interest in finding out who, in this tangle of despicable characters, ended up doing what to whom.
If Patterson's aim had been to paint a picture of a South with not a single redeeming feature he couldn't have done better. His Alabama is not a place I would want to go to, and I had no interest in finding out who, in this tangle of despicable characters, ended up doing what to whom.
October 23, 2018
I started reading this. I only got so far and I decided I had enough of it. Court room/ legal are not normally my thing in any case. This just felt very dialoguey and I quite frequently got lost as to who was saying something. Not helped by a memory going straight into a current situation, that completely threw me. It felt very much like a high society situation, which is maybe what made me lose interest.
I can see some people liking this, just was not for me.
I can see some people liking this, just was not for me.
May 26, 2010
Intricate, twisty and rewarding. This early Richard North Patterson immerses lawyer Adam Shaw in a case, which sends him on a voyage of personal discovery as he seeks to defend a friend on a murder charge. It's really a tale to two troubled families, double dealings and dark desires, a compact and well plotted tale.
August 10, 2015
Very good book.
Have to be patient at the beginning, but all the twists and turns will make you engrossed to the end. Deep south during MLK, some language will make you sick. Everybody is smoking, drinking and drugs. Dysfunctional families and their secrets. Book was published in 1981, but some issues still in the news today.
Have to be patient at the beginning, but all the twists and turns will make you engrossed to the end. Deep south during MLK, some language will make you sick. Everybody is smoking, drinking and drugs. Dysfunctional families and their secrets. Book was published in 1981, but some issues still in the news today.
February 18, 2024
It takes some authors a while to perfect their craft, and that’s the case with Richard North Patterson. His first novel, “The Lasko Tangent,” was a standard Washington political thriller but showed enough promise to win him the Edgar Award for Best First Novel. For his second novel, in 1981, he drew upon his legal education and chose another familiar genre, the legal thriller. The result was “The Outside Man,” a decent read that never concentrates enough on one plot aspect to elevate itself beyond summer-reading-level competence.
“The Outside Man” of the title is Adam Shaw, a northerner who attended Vanderbilt Law School and met and married the daughter of a senior partner in one of Birmingham’s most prestigious firms. Shaw leverages that connection into a job at the same firm. While there, he befriends Henry Cantwell, a well-to-do business executive and one of the firm’s biggest clients. One day, Adam visits Henry’s wife, Lydia, to get her to sign her new will. But when Adam arrives, he finds Lydia murdered. Since Henry was supposedly out of town with no verifiable alibi at the time of the killing, he becomes the prime (and, in the eyes of the police, the only) suspect.
Most of “The Outside Man” reads like a whodunit, with Adam following leads to uncover other suspects. With Henry and Lydia well connected in Birmingham’s business and social circles, you would think Adam could find many alternatives. But the author skims over most of the peripheral characters, other than one business owner who was apparently Lydia’s lover. Adam also uncovers a fascinating (for readers) lead involving a 40-year-old case involving two black men railroaded into the electric chair for killing a white woman. The judge in that case was Lydia’s father, and Adam thinks one executed man’s son may be living in Birmingham and seeking revenge against Lydia. This subplot is straight out of John Grisham and “To Kill a Mockingbird” territory, but the author never explores the case’s background in the depth it deserves. Age wise, Patterson is a contemporary of Adam Shaw, but he doesn’t exhibit any real feel for race relations in the Deep South in 1981.
Although, for much of the book, Adam can’t find a viable alternate suspect in Lydia’s murder, he still does a better job playing Perry Mason than the police detective on the case. The only “evidence” against Henry is the fact that a phone call he made to Lydia the night before her death lasted 12 minutes instead of the two minutes he claimed. Despite that, the police keep visiting and questioning Henry, sometimes making “The Outside Man” feel quite padded. The author throws in a couple of third-act plot twists. One was probably more shocking in 1981 than today (and made me wonder just how well Adam knew his “best friend” Henry). The other twist involves a massive possible financial fraud that provides lots of new motives for various characters. Unfortunately, not even the most astute mystery buff would have any inkling of this development until the author springs it on readers 80% of the way through the book. Adam finally reveals the killer in an explanation heavy on psychology, light on plausibility, and confusing to follow.
If Patterson had created a more elaborate whodunit or delved more into Birmingham’s high society or race relations of the era, “The Outside Man” could have been a worthy companion to John Grisham’s works. As it is, the book is passable but forgettable. Patterson gets in a few good verbal zingers, as when he describes a minor character as “the biggest waste of time since the Parcheesi board.” But there aren’t nearly enough quips like this or profound insights to leave much of an impression. I would give this book a 2.5-star rating if I could, but I’m elevating it to three stars because it kept me reading to find out who dun it. However, now that I know, the revelation was barely worth the wait.
“The Outside Man” of the title is Adam Shaw, a northerner who attended Vanderbilt Law School and met and married the daughter of a senior partner in one of Birmingham’s most prestigious firms. Shaw leverages that connection into a job at the same firm. While there, he befriends Henry Cantwell, a well-to-do business executive and one of the firm’s biggest clients. One day, Adam visits Henry’s wife, Lydia, to get her to sign her new will. But when Adam arrives, he finds Lydia murdered. Since Henry was supposedly out of town with no verifiable alibi at the time of the killing, he becomes the prime (and, in the eyes of the police, the only) suspect.
Most of “The Outside Man” reads like a whodunit, with Adam following leads to uncover other suspects. With Henry and Lydia well connected in Birmingham’s business and social circles, you would think Adam could find many alternatives. But the author skims over most of the peripheral characters, other than one business owner who was apparently Lydia’s lover. Adam also uncovers a fascinating (for readers) lead involving a 40-year-old case involving two black men railroaded into the electric chair for killing a white woman. The judge in that case was Lydia’s father, and Adam thinks one executed man’s son may be living in Birmingham and seeking revenge against Lydia. This subplot is straight out of John Grisham and “To Kill a Mockingbird” territory, but the author never explores the case’s background in the depth it deserves. Age wise, Patterson is a contemporary of Adam Shaw, but he doesn’t exhibit any real feel for race relations in the Deep South in 1981.
Although, for much of the book, Adam can’t find a viable alternate suspect in Lydia’s murder, he still does a better job playing Perry Mason than the police detective on the case. The only “evidence” against Henry is the fact that a phone call he made to Lydia the night before her death lasted 12 minutes instead of the two minutes he claimed. Despite that, the police keep visiting and questioning Henry, sometimes making “The Outside Man” feel quite padded. The author throws in a couple of third-act plot twists. One was probably more shocking in 1981 than today (and made me wonder just how well Adam knew his “best friend” Henry). The other twist involves a massive possible financial fraud that provides lots of new motives for various characters. Unfortunately, not even the most astute mystery buff would have any inkling of this development until the author springs it on readers 80% of the way through the book. Adam finally reveals the killer in an explanation heavy on psychology, light on plausibility, and confusing to follow.
If Patterson had created a more elaborate whodunit or delved more into Birmingham’s high society or race relations of the era, “The Outside Man” could have been a worthy companion to John Grisham’s works. As it is, the book is passable but forgettable. Patterson gets in a few good verbal zingers, as when he describes a minor character as “the biggest waste of time since the Parcheesi board.” But there aren’t nearly enough quips like this or profound insights to leave much of an impression. I would give this book a 2.5-star rating if I could, but I’m elevating it to three stars because it kept me reading to find out who dun it. However, now that I know, the revelation was barely worth the wait.
June 28, 2022
Typically misapplied and misquoted, the law of parsimony, or better known as Occam's Razor, stipulates that among competing hypotheses or explanations, the one with the fewest assumptions or parameters is to be preferred. THE OUTSIDE MAN proffers lots of curveballs, red herrings, distractions, side plots, and diversions. Convoluted could be the word of choice, though some may peg this as twisty, suspenseful, with plenty of surprises and cliffhangers. Richard North Patterson's follow-up to THE LASKO TANGENT is a legal thriller, but no one sets foot in a courtroom. It takes place in the South, Birmingham, AL, in fact, though it lacks southern flavor. It's all about regret, getting married, moving away from Cleveland to make the in-laws happy, the patriarch of which happens to be the big honcho in a big honcho law firm in B-ham. From then on it's living in misery ever after, until ya get to investigate a murder. As that is what THE OUTSIDE MAN is, a good old fashioned who-done-it, cruising on the razor's edge.
The cops are looking to close the case with the most obvious suspect in mind, prompting the protagonist, a young barrister, to decide to investigate on his own. Thus, he runs headfirst into 'The South', and this could be an old case with race undertones--has it got something to do with 70 years ago? It all leads back to troubled family life, southern style racism, a dark past, and simple murder for gain. This is Soap Opera 101. Published in the early 1980s, the test of time was not too kind with this one, but casting all distractions and technology aside, this could be your bag. THE OUTSIDE MAN feels like Agatha Christie meets Danielle Steele and rather not something hard boiled from a legal thriller writer. It's a fish-out-of-water story, though not for the lawyer who finds a body and thence it's all lies, secrets, and half-truths. That's par for the course, and RNP delivers the truth that panic is the first enemy of the lawyer. So, take your time, wade past the fugazi, and take a look at THE OUTSIDE MAN, an experience through the looking glass.
May 10, 2017
Richard North Patterson has alway been one of my favorite authors. His books are thoughtful and well written. This was a great exposure of layers of secrets finally coming to a head. He discovered cases of unrequited love that smoldered for decades resulting in death and destruction. He discovered that old moneyed Alabama wasn't all he thought it would be. It was an enjoyable read.
October 30, 2023
Having read a number of Richard N Patterson's books, this was a disappointment.
The beginning lacked direction and the running of past and present tense into the same chapters could on occasions become annoying.
The protagonist is easily identified half way though the book.
He is capable of much better.
The beginning lacked direction and the running of past and present tense into the same chapters could on occasions become annoying.
The protagonist is easily identified half way though the book.
He is capable of much better.
May 30, 2018
I love a good Richard North Patterson book! This was an okay book. I'm still giving it 3 stars because (1) it is his first book (& clearly he improved his writing skills by the time I discovered him with Degree of Guilt) & (2) Patterson kept me guessing - & interested - about who the killer was.
December 25, 2018
Disappointed
I have been a Richard North Patterson fan and this book was okay but not as compelling as his other efforts. His other books have had good. Character development and I just needful d myself liking most of the characters in this effort.
I have been a Richard North Patterson fan and this book was okay but not as compelling as his other efforts. His other books have had good. Character development and I just needful d myself liking most of the characters in this effort.
March 27, 2019
A very talented author.
He is very good in developing complex characters & the story line stays gripping. This is the first time in a long time I literally could not put a book up.
He is very good in developing complex characters & the story line stays gripping. This is the first time in a long time I literally could not put a book up.
July 19, 2021
Slow At Start
I found this book to be ponderous for a long time. I almost quit reading it, but I decided to finish it. I'm glad I did. The plot got quite complicated but I began to suspect who the killer was and I was right. It wasn't fully apparent until the end though.
I found this book to be ponderous for a long time. I almost quit reading it, but I decided to finish it. I'm glad I did. The plot got quite complicated but I began to suspect who the killer was and I was right. It wasn't fully apparent until the end though.
April 22, 2025
Awesome!
This went back and forth between the story lines and I didn’t really figure out exactly who did what, or why - until the very end !! This ran upside down and sideways ! Loved it!!!
This went back and forth between the story lines and I didn’t really figure out exactly who did what, or why - until the very end !! This ran upside down and sideways ! Loved it!!!
October 1, 2025
The story was good and would have got four stars if the writing style had been better. Flashbacks and present day in the same paragraph made it difficult to follow at times and I needed to reread several times to understand what was going on
December 13, 2017
Riveting
Slow start with a fantastic finish. The story built intrigue until it exploded. The actions of each character defined their personality and connections to each other.
Slow start with a fantastic finish. The story built intrigue until it exploded. The actions of each character defined their personality and connections to each other.
December 13, 2017
Wonderful
A wonderful story. Excellent character development. A real mystery. You don’t know who did what and keep trying to figure it out.
A wonderful story. Excellent character development. A real mystery. You don’t know who did what and keep trying to figure it out.
January 20, 2018
This book was all over the place, characters I didn't care about, totally ridiculous ending. Dumb.
September 8, 2018
The plot builds patiently to an overly complicated finish.
January 23, 2019
Intriguing but surprisingly dated having been written in the 70s. I always enjoy RNP's books but this isn't my favorite
September 21, 2020
just started reading R.N. Patterson. Love reading authors in order. This was a great one day read. Keeps your interest.
October 8, 2020
The perfect “WHO DUNNIT MYSTERY MORDER”
I had to read to the end to rule out suspect after suspect and finally get through minute clues and separate story lines for the conclusion. Mr. Patterson reads, intuits and describes emotions and characters like no one else!
I had to read to the end to rule out suspect after suspect and finally get through minute clues and separate story lines for the conclusion. Mr. Patterson reads, intuits and describes emotions and characters like no one else!
March 5, 2021
Keeps you guessing until the end. An inside look at the dysfunctionality of families that is generally hidden from the public eye.
April 27, 2021
One question I ask myself after I finish a book is, "Do I want to read more by this author?" The answer is yes, even though the book itself didn't make it to my Favorites list.
August 19, 2021
So many twists and turns that I never saw coming. He is a good writer.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews