The Touch of Treason

by Sol Stein

Stein attains a new level of achievement that demonstrates his ability to write as well as, and perhaps better than, most of the novelists he publishes It's the sort of book you hate to stop reading.-John Barkham Reviews"If you bury yourself in a Sol Stein book while walking, you will walk into a wall."-The New York Times"Brilliantly conceived, highly recommended."-United Press International

Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Sol Stein was a best-selling novelist and the publisher of works by James Baldwin and Che Guevara. He also worked with David Frost, Jack Higgins, Elia Kazan, Dylan Thomas, and W.H. Auden.

Stein and Baldwin met as students at DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx, where they worked on the literary magazine.

Stein served in the Army during World War II. In 1949 he received a master’s degree in English literature from Columbia University.

In the 1950s Stein worked at Voice of America, wrote plays, and moved into publishing. He established his own publishing company, Stein & Day, in 1962 with his then-wife. Stein used other publishers for his own novels so he would not be competing with the authors that Stein & Day published.

Stein & Day closed after 27 years, and Stein wrote the nonfiction A Feast for Lawyers as a result of the bankruptcy.

Stein went on to write books about writing, and he taught in colleges. He also helped create WritePro, software to teach fiction writing to its users.

Reviews

[Bent Andreassen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 pluss to 3.5

[Irv Kantrowitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel centers around a court murder case. The main character is a lawyer who is known for defending clients and winning cases.

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, Sol Stein's irrepressible Thomassy taks the centre stage in a gripping courtroom drama.
Thomassy is first introduced in "The Magician", a novel about small- town America and the workings of the so called justice system. Subsequently Thomassy appears in two further books, in the course of which he meets Francine Widmer, daughter of a lawyer, and herself a political analyst. In this novel he is sidetracked by his growing love for her, his admiration for her brain, and is frustrated and infuriated by her at the same time.
This book opens with a ghastly death, and Thomassy is called in to defend the suspect, Ed Porter, an acolyte of the deceased. As the victim was being protected by the FBI for his hush- hush work against the Russians, there are workings behind the scenes that even Thomassy doesn't fully understand.
This book, more than the others, shows Thomassy as far more vulnerable and, as he is now forty- five , sometimes feeling like the "washrag hanging over the sink", tired,human and fearful for his future. Francine might just be a part of that future, he doesn't know.
A always, Thomassy works his magic in the courtroom, frustrating the prosecutor, constantly calling for a " mistrial" and getting under the judge's skin.
A gem, so glad i found it after all these years.

[Booknblues · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although a dated subject the cold war has produced numerous interesting books and this is one of them. Its strength is its complexity which brings it past the dated material. It deals with love, relationships both between men and women and parents and their children, forces of loyalty and the law.
The story of this book is ostensibly a courtroom drama about the murder trial of Ed Porter Sturbridge who is charged with killing Martin Fuller a Soviet expert contracted by the government to write an expose of what he knows about the Soviets and their decision making.
George Thomassy is the high powered lawyer who is defending him. Before long George discovers that there are complex issues involving the case and unexpected players as his girlfriend Francine Widmer and her father as well as US government agents.