Uncommon Justice

Mairead O'Clare Legal Mystery #1

by Terry Devane

Boston attorney Mairead O'Clare, a recent refugee from corporate law, is forced into the treacherous realm of a capital criminal trial when she defends a homeless man accused in the murder of another homeless man. 17,500 first printing.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

240 pages, Hardcover

First published April 2, 2001

About the author

Jeremiah Healy, a graduate of Rutgers College and Harvard Law School, was a professor at the New England School of Law for eighteen years. He is the creator of the John Francis Cuddy private-investigator series and (under the pseudonym "Terry Devane") the Mairead O’Clare legal-thriller series, both set primarily in Boston.

Healy has written eighteen novels and over sixty short stories, fifteen of which works have won or been nominated for the Shamus Award. Healy's later Cuddy novels include RESCUE, INVASION OF PRIVACY, THE ONLY GOOD LAWYER, and SPIRAL. His O'Clare books from Putnam/Berkley are UNCOMMON JUSTICE, JUROR NUMBER ELEVEN, and A STAIN UPON THE ROBE, the last optioned for feature film in December, 2003.

A past Awards Chair for the Shamus, Healy also served as President of Private Eye Writers of America for two years. In October, 2000, he was elected President of International Association of Crime Writers ("IACW"). Books of his have been translated into French, Japanese, Italian, Spanish, and German. Healy has spoken about mysteries at the Smithsonian Institution's Literature Series, The Boston Globe Book Festival, the Sorbonne in Paris, and at conferences in England, Canada, Spain, Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic. He was toastmaster at the 1996 World Mystery Convention (Bouchercon) and was the American Guest of Honour at Bouchercon 2004 in Toronto.

Series:
* Mairead O'Clare Legal Mystery

Reviews

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Called out for not paying attention at an office seminar, Mairead O’Clare admits she was bored. The mentoring and experience she hoped to gain from her prestigious law firm has not appeared. First years are stuck doing dead end paperwork and heading to a 95% attrition rate. Mairead was raised in an orphanage, is disfigured by port wine stains below her elbows, is hard working and ambitious. She leaves the firm and accepts office space with Sheldon Gold. Her first case is Murder 1 defending a homeless man accused of bludgeoning another homeless man.

The main characters are unique and fascinating. The case seems open and shut so reasonable doubt is all the defense team has to work with. Alpha, the accused, states that he knows the killer but will only reveal the identity from the stand. The plot twists and turns with agility; the leading characters are admirable and likeable. All in all, a very respectable intro to a series. Highly recommended.

Readalikes:
Gabriel Urza – The Silver State; Robert Dugoni – Her Deadly Game; Nancy Allen – Renegade; Hank Phillipi Ryan – The Murder List; Marcia Clark – Blood Defense.

Pace: Fast-paced
Characterization: Flawed characters; complex;
Identities: Mixed backgrounds, sexual preference, races; Varying classes
Storyline: Plot-driven
Writing style: Engaging; Well-crafted dialogue
Tone: Irreverent
Mood: Upbeat; Suspenseful
Frame: Boston MA; Contemporary
Themes: Justice; Fairness

[Peggy Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

No reviews? OK then....this book is part of a series involving the same characters. This one is mainly featuring Mairead O'Clare, a former lowly associate attorney who is now working with an independent defense attorney, Sheldon Gold. The other 2 main characters are the receptionist Billie Sunday and investigator Pontifico Muirizzi. All of the characters are great. I liked them all. I want to read more about them. Mairead loses her position at a big law firm and through pure serendipity ends up working with defense attorney Sheldon Gold. She doesn't even know how to find the Criminal Courts building. She has grit, however, a guardian angel (Sister Bernadette from the orphanage where she was raised) helping to keep her on track. This book touches on the plight of the homeless in Boston, mistaken identity and definitely kept my interest. I'll definitely check out the other 2 books, since I liked the characters a lot. Good for fans of legal thrillers.

[Savannah Hendricks · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed the writing style, from the aspect of storytelling like it once was (in the 90s when every book published seemed to be amazing), I struggled with this book overall. It was written in third person POV, but everyone sounded the same and there was no true transition from one character to another making it jarring to follow.
It was an interesting read, plot wise, and I enjoyed how it played out. I wish I could get more into each character, but because it's a series I think the reader was pulled along with the hopes of learning more in the follow books. (Also one descriptive scene was a bit to R rated for me.)

[Susan Krich · Rating 5 out of 5]

After many twists and turns, the explanation of the title becomes clear.
It is interesting to see the many problems the four main characters have had to deal with in the past and continue to deal with as the action moves forward.
I look forward to reading more novels with these characters to see how their lives continue.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terry Devine is the pseudonym of Jeremiah Healy. In my opinion, this book is better than Healy’s Cuddy series. The main characters are unique and credible, the plot is convincing. His jump cuts from one character to another are a bit too choppy or i would have given this book full marks. Now to read the next in the series.

[Dolina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fast-paced legal thriller offers interesting characters and many twists and turns before the
murder of a homeless man is solved. Written by a Boston lawyer under a pseudonym, the book
offers extensive courtroom scenes. I would like to read more in this series.

[Martha Heil · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a while to get into this story, but then the courtroom drama was well worth the story’s scene “set-up” beginning’s. I love to read more with the main character’s —(Mairead’s)—story.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly entertaining; the characters are ultimately more intriguing and enjoyable than the shopworn whodunit plot. The narrative device of Sister Bernadette's "young lady" mental commentary really didn't work for me, though; I don't know what crackpot editor allowed that through that many times, but it became annoying to the point of intolerance. (For one thing, "young lady" has a stern tone to it that didn't at all fit her strangely omnipotent advice.) I'd consider picking up another in the Mairead series, though not in a hurry.

[Carol]

I love the character development in this book. I've always been fascinated by the legal system and this very small firm of 2 attorneys and an as-needed former homocide detective private investigator feel like old friends. The author has a very interesting way of revealing their thoughts during the dialogue. Highly recommended.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by my son, Billy. It was the first book he fully read. He liked it so much he couldn't put it down and insisted that I read it. I enjoyed it, especially because the story was based in Boston.

[Cws]

M DeV