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Joseph Antonelli #7
Trial by Fire
Attorney Joseph Antonelli finds that murder can be a very public affair-in this moody and scintillating novel of love, loyalty, and revenge in the Edgar Award-nominated series.
Joseph Antonelli's never lost a case he should have won. . . until now.
Julian Sinclair is a brilliant young man-already a law professor at Berkeley and a respected scholar-yet, bored with academic life, he joins the famed defense attorney Joseph Antonelli in private practice. But Sinclair is also a man with powerful emotions he keeps in check. When the beautiful Daphne McMillan, a married district attorney, is murdered, Sinclair is accused of killing her in a fit of jealous rage. Antonelli believes beyond a doubt that this simply isn't possible. Yet Daphne's widowed husband, a man of wealth and privilege, and a master of manipulation, thinks he can sink both this idealistic defendant and the cool Antonelli with one fell swoop.
Is Joseph Antonelli in danger of losing more than the case when he baits the real killer to come out of hiding? And when the case is decided and a man is sent to prison, how is Antonelli to know that the real mysteries of the murder are just beginning to be revealed? And that the person no one suspects is the very person even Antonelli should fear the most?
Joseph Antonelli's never lost a case he should have won. . . until now.
Julian Sinclair is a brilliant young man-already a law professor at Berkeley and a respected scholar-yet, bored with academic life, he joins the famed defense attorney Joseph Antonelli in private practice. But Sinclair is also a man with powerful emotions he keeps in check. When the beautiful Daphne McMillan, a married district attorney, is murdered, Sinclair is accused of killing her in a fit of jealous rage. Antonelli believes beyond a doubt that this simply isn't possible. Yet Daphne's widowed husband, a man of wealth and privilege, and a master of manipulation, thinks he can sink both this idealistic defendant and the cool Antonelli with one fell swoop.
Is Joseph Antonelli in danger of losing more than the case when he baits the real killer to come out of hiding? And when the case is decided and a man is sent to prison, how is Antonelli to know that the real mysteries of the murder are just beginning to be revealed? And that the person no one suspects is the very person even Antonelli should fear the most?
304 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2005
2 people are currently reading
99 people want to read
About the author
D.W. Buffa
34 books68 followersD.W. Buffa (full name: Dudley W. Buffa) was born in San Francisco and raised in the Bay Area. After graduation from Michigan State University, he studied under Leo Strauss, Joseph Cropsey and Hans J. Morgenthau at the University of Chicago where he earned both an M.A. and a Ph. D. in political science. He received his J.D. degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Buffa was a criminal defense attorney for 10 years and his seven Joseph Antonelli novels strive to reflect, from his own experience, what a courtroom lawyer does, the way he (or she) thinks, and the way he feels about what he does.
Buffa had been writing for pleasure for many years when Henry Holt and Co. decided to publish his first novel, The Defense, in 1997. The week it was published, Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, the literary critic of the New York Times, called The Defense ‘an accomplished first novel" which ‘leaves you wanting to go back to the beginning and read it over again."
The Defense was followed by The Prosecution and then The Judgment, which was one of the five books nominated in 2002 for the Edgar Award as best novel of the year. While the first three novels are set in Portland, the author's fourth novel, The Legacy, takes place in San Francisco and is as much a political thriller as it is legal thriller. Star Witness tells the story of Stanley Roth, one of the most powerful men in Hollywood, who is charged with murder of his famous movie star wife.
Breach of Trust, published in 2004, was considered by one critic as "one of the few books that fifty years from now will really matter." It offers readers a scintillating look at Washington politics. Buffa's seventh Joseph Antonelli novel, Trial by Fire, was released in 2005; in this latest Antonelli book, the focus is on the media and the role that television "Talking heads" increasingly play in very high profile criminal cases. Publishers Weekly says of Trial by Fire, "In this intelligent, gripping legal thriller... fast moving dialogue and fine sense of characterization keep the reader hanging on for the ride."
The author's last several novels reflect a subtle shift in storyline from D.W. Buffa's original 'judicial' arena into the the broader one of politics. Buffa has built a new series around protagonist Senator Bobby Hart, an Antonelli-type everyday hero of strong moral fiber who is willing to take on "The Establishment" for the betterment of his constituents...
D.W. Buffa lives in Northern California.
Buffa had been writing for pleasure for many years when Henry Holt and Co. decided to publish his first novel, The Defense, in 1997. The week it was published, Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, the literary critic of the New York Times, called The Defense ‘an accomplished first novel" which ‘leaves you wanting to go back to the beginning and read it over again."
The Defense was followed by The Prosecution and then The Judgment, which was one of the five books nominated in 2002 for the Edgar Award as best novel of the year. While the first three novels are set in Portland, the author's fourth novel, The Legacy, takes place in San Francisco and is as much a political thriller as it is legal thriller. Star Witness tells the story of Stanley Roth, one of the most powerful men in Hollywood, who is charged with murder of his famous movie star wife.
Breach of Trust, published in 2004, was considered by one critic as "one of the few books that fifty years from now will really matter." It offers readers a scintillating look at Washington politics. Buffa's seventh Joseph Antonelli novel, Trial by Fire, was released in 2005; in this latest Antonelli book, the focus is on the media and the role that television "Talking heads" increasingly play in very high profile criminal cases. Publishers Weekly says of Trial by Fire, "In this intelligent, gripping legal thriller... fast moving dialogue and fine sense of characterization keep the reader hanging on for the ride."
The author's last several novels reflect a subtle shift in storyline from D.W. Buffa's original 'judicial' arena into the the broader one of politics. Buffa has built a new series around protagonist Senator Bobby Hart, an Antonelli-type everyday hero of strong moral fiber who is willing to take on "The Establishment" for the betterment of his constituents...
D.W. Buffa lives in Northern California.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
June 26, 2019
3.75 stars would likely do well here, though that is not permitted.
Just when you thought D.W. Buffa might have run out of ideas, he comes up with another stunner to keep the reader—and Joseph Antonelli—on their toes. Having basked in the limelight for many years, Joseph Antonelli is much pickier when it comes to the cases he will take. Instead, he is happy to stay in his corner office at the San Francisco law firm he calls home and watch the legal world spin on its head. When he is approached by one of the partners, asking him to appear on television, Antonelli is not quite sure that he’s game. However, when one of the firm’s clients owns a network with a top-rated legal talk show, one must sometimes accept the pressure. While on a panel discussing a current homicide trial, Antonelli meets Daphne McMillan, a lawyer in the D.A.’s office, and Julian Sinclair, a brilliant law professor whose knowledge of criminal proceedings is second to none. Sinclair comes off as quite docile, but there is a spark within him, so much so that Antonelli convinces him to join the firm. When Sinclair calls Antonelli one night, it is anything but a social call. He woke to find a murdered Daphne McMillan in his home. While they were having an affair, Sinclair denies that he was involved and requests Antonelli’s assistance. In whirlwind fashion, the trial is upon them, though media outlets have wasted little time passing judgment on Julian Sinclair. As Antonelli tries to put forth a defense and narrow in on the repulsive way Mrs. McMillan’s husband treats women, it all falls on deaf ears. Trial in the court of public opinion seems to be the only place justice is being heard. Angered by the farce, Antonelli works to find a new way to bring truth to the headline grabbers, though he will have to be conniving and convincing in equal measure. Buffa takes the legal thriller theme and expands it in this piece, which pushes Joseph Antonelli to his limits. Recommended for series fans who have enjoyed the collection to date, as well as readers who find unique thrillers to their liking.
I have enjoyed binge reading this series by D.W. Buffa, particularly as he uses his protagonist to push the envelop a little further than might normally be expected. These are a wonderfully complex set of novels that pit the protagonist against a legal world that has embittered him over the decades. Antonelli has become a celebrity in the legal world, which leads him to become more choosy with the cases he agrees to defend. Added to that, he comes to terms with the fact that no one wants to sit through a trial when there are talking heads who will dice and splice before delivering the verdict that everyone ought to accept. Antonelli wrestles with this throughout, though is able to use traditional lawyering to make sense of it all. Older and more job-focussed, the reader does not get the energetic lawyer that many have come to expect. Others make one-off appearances, even with Antonelli home in San Francisco. Some may have hoped for more of a homecoming theme, with recognizable names and characters, but that is surely not the case here. The story followed much of the same recipe as in past novels, but did not seem to come across as effective as in the past. The trial—usually a central focus—is almost a forced hurdle in the middle of the novel and there is little spark in the courtroom. I was disappointed with this, though one might expert that Buffa wanted to turn to other projects and needed an effective way to end Joseph Antonelli’s legal career. That being said, Joseph Antonelli does make a return (call it an eight book?) in Necessity, which returns the protagonist to his wonderful role as defense attorney. An interesting progression in the series, though I was not entirely convinced of its effectiveness. I would recommend readers begin at the start of this series and not use this novel as a litmus test for others.
Kudos, Mr. Buffa, for keeping Joseph Antonelli fresh and exciting, though perhaps it is time that he hang up his wing-tips.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Just when you thought D.W. Buffa might have run out of ideas, he comes up with another stunner to keep the reader—and Joseph Antonelli—on their toes. Having basked in the limelight for many years, Joseph Antonelli is much pickier when it comes to the cases he will take. Instead, he is happy to stay in his corner office at the San Francisco law firm he calls home and watch the legal world spin on its head. When he is approached by one of the partners, asking him to appear on television, Antonelli is not quite sure that he’s game. However, when one of the firm’s clients owns a network with a top-rated legal talk show, one must sometimes accept the pressure. While on a panel discussing a current homicide trial, Antonelli meets Daphne McMillan, a lawyer in the D.A.’s office, and Julian Sinclair, a brilliant law professor whose knowledge of criminal proceedings is second to none. Sinclair comes off as quite docile, but there is a spark within him, so much so that Antonelli convinces him to join the firm. When Sinclair calls Antonelli one night, it is anything but a social call. He woke to find a murdered Daphne McMillan in his home. While they were having an affair, Sinclair denies that he was involved and requests Antonelli’s assistance. In whirlwind fashion, the trial is upon them, though media outlets have wasted little time passing judgment on Julian Sinclair. As Antonelli tries to put forth a defense and narrow in on the repulsive way Mrs. McMillan’s husband treats women, it all falls on deaf ears. Trial in the court of public opinion seems to be the only place justice is being heard. Angered by the farce, Antonelli works to find a new way to bring truth to the headline grabbers, though he will have to be conniving and convincing in equal measure. Buffa takes the legal thriller theme and expands it in this piece, which pushes Joseph Antonelli to his limits. Recommended for series fans who have enjoyed the collection to date, as well as readers who find unique thrillers to their liking.
I have enjoyed binge reading this series by D.W. Buffa, particularly as he uses his protagonist to push the envelop a little further than might normally be expected. These are a wonderfully complex set of novels that pit the protagonist against a legal world that has embittered him over the decades. Antonelli has become a celebrity in the legal world, which leads him to become more choosy with the cases he agrees to defend. Added to that, he comes to terms with the fact that no one wants to sit through a trial when there are talking heads who will dice and splice before delivering the verdict that everyone ought to accept. Antonelli wrestles with this throughout, though is able to use traditional lawyering to make sense of it all. Older and more job-focussed, the reader does not get the energetic lawyer that many have come to expect. Others make one-off appearances, even with Antonelli home in San Francisco. Some may have hoped for more of a homecoming theme, with recognizable names and characters, but that is surely not the case here. The story followed much of the same recipe as in past novels, but did not seem to come across as effective as in the past. The trial—usually a central focus—is almost a forced hurdle in the middle of the novel and there is little spark in the courtroom. I was disappointed with this, though one might expert that Buffa wanted to turn to other projects and needed an effective way to end Joseph Antonelli’s legal career. That being said, Joseph Antonelli does make a return (call it an eight book?) in Necessity, which returns the protagonist to his wonderful role as defense attorney. An interesting progression in the series, though I was not entirely convinced of its effectiveness. I would recommend readers begin at the start of this series and not use this novel as a litmus test for others.
Kudos, Mr. Buffa, for keeping Joseph Antonelli fresh and exciting, though perhaps it is time that he hang up his wing-tips.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
November 7, 2017
Il miglior libro di Buffa letto. Con molte riflessioni sul diritto e sulla legge e un finale sorprendente. Fino all'ultima riga.
June 11, 2021
This was left in my husband’s cache of books after his passing. I can see why he would have liked it. It was a legal mystery, is was cinema graphic, it was fast paced. That being said, I found it a little unsatisfying. There were just too my loose ends left dangling for my taste.
For one thing - wouldn’t the rapist’s absence have be noticed after the fire? Wouldn’t body identification have used some DNA or dental techniques? I think the author just glossed over too many of those details.
So, if you can suspend minor details ; the book does explore the realm of talk TV’s exploitation of the “true crime” genre. It shows how the public can be manipulated into emotional judgements rather than evaluative decisions based on facts. The analysis of TV talk show format proved interesting.
The female cast is familiar - the female abused wife; the former sexual victim who can’t come forth; the money sucking selfish b**** waiting in the wings; the predatory female prosecutor. I can’t say I had much sympathy for any of them.
The book has a definitive 1950’s feel that many men might like.
For one thing - wouldn’t the rapist’s absence have be noticed after the fire? Wouldn’t body identification have used some DNA or dental techniques? I think the author just glossed over too many of those details.
So, if you can suspend minor details ; the book does explore the realm of talk TV’s exploitation of the “true crime” genre. It shows how the public can be manipulated into emotional judgements rather than evaluative decisions based on facts. The analysis of TV talk show format proved interesting.
The female cast is familiar - the female abused wife; the former sexual victim who can’t come forth; the money sucking selfish b**** waiting in the wings; the predatory female prosecutor. I can’t say I had much sympathy for any of them.
The book has a definitive 1950’s feel that many men might like.
March 11, 2018
This was Dad's airplane book, so he traded it off to me. The story is fairly entertaining, but unbelievable. The best parts, I thought, were the courtroom scenes, where Buffa is clearly in his element. Otherwise, the book suffers from cliched characterization and some specific writing weaknesses, such as over-description of characters' mouths and eyes (extremely distracting). One character transcended belief with his hero-archetype victories, another had no real role to play besides sounding board: listening with "twinkling" eyes to the protagonist's thoughts.
Buffa is interested and concerned by the influence of media and entertainment on the justice system. He asks: can impartiality exist in an age when television viewers are prompted to decide a man's guilt or innocence on the basis of a few biased facts? Can a jury remain fair and impartial?
These are good questions, though the execution was a bit heavy-handed. Much of Antonelli's impassioned speeches read like thin allegories: opportunities for the author to voice his concerns.
Buffa is interested and concerned by the influence of media and entertainment on the justice system. He asks: can impartiality exist in an age when television viewers are prompted to decide a man's guilt or innocence on the basis of a few biased facts? Can a jury remain fair and impartial?
These are good questions, though the execution was a bit heavy-handed. Much of Antonelli's impassioned speeches read like thin allegories: opportunities for the author to voice his concerns.
November 29, 2024
This book was by far the best one in the series. There are many twists and turns in the story. Mr. Buffa keeps us in suspense throughout the story. Long before talking heads became popular, the author writes about them in this story. As he wrote, all they do is make out of noise and do not say anything. Enjoy!
June 14, 2020
This is my “pool” book, I read between library books. That’s why it took me so long to read. It was hard not to leave the library books and read this through. Where has this author been? I have never heard of him and this was excellent. The ending was perfect.
November 5, 2017
I loved this book. Man gets put in jail for a crime he did not commit, lots of twists and turns all well tied together and logical, with a great ending.
May 3, 2009
MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS.
To me, Buffa jumped the shark on this one.
The brilliant Stanford grad/professor who's
the main character should not be able to assume
a false identity indefinitely, with the story ending
on the prospect that he will be able to do legal work
for Antonelli, and never get caught for his crime.
I felt like the book was a contrived allegory on the
double-edged-sword nature of media coverage of crime
and/or innocence.
The plot is intricately worked, but again, I felt somehow
like Buffa was going through novel-making motions, and
the book fell short of his best other novels (particularly,
"The Defense," my favorite of his).
wrote this review sometime after reading it.
To me, Buffa jumped the shark on this one.
The brilliant Stanford grad/professor who's
the main character should not be able to assume
a false identity indefinitely, with the story ending
on the prospect that he will be able to do legal work
for Antonelli, and never get caught for his crime.
I felt like the book was a contrived allegory on the
double-edged-sword nature of media coverage of crime
and/or innocence.
The plot is intricately worked, but again, I felt somehow
like Buffa was going through novel-making motions, and
the book fell short of his best other novels (particularly,
"The Defense," my favorite of his).
wrote this review sometime after reading it.
January 6, 2011
I really liked the twists in this story line. A lawyer teaching at a university is accused of murder. He asks his friend to represent him and although the lawyer, the main character has an impeccable trial record, the university professor, although being innocent, is convicted and sent to prison. The lawyer knows who the real murderer is and schemes to uncover the truth. A different story line and this book certainly makes me want to read more of this author's work.
September 16, 2011
I'm sure the series could become formulaic in its approach, I'll be interested to see what another book is like, but I very much enjoyed this one. It explored "trial by journalism" which I think continues to be a real issue, and also explored the worlds of academia, abuse and broadcast media. It was well written and pacy and has a series of unexpected twists.
March 9, 2013
This was a great legal thriller. I loved the twists and turns the story took you on right up until the end. This was the first D.W. Buffa novel i have read, and i shall look forward to reading more from him.
April 29, 2008
I read this as a readers' advisory exercise for the mystery genre. It carries an underlying theme of the media's propensity to prematurely declare an individual guilty prior to a trial.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2011
First book a read by this author and can't wait to read more. I actually give it 3.5 stars. It made it interesting how the law was explained from the district attorney's perspective.
August 25, 2012
I had trouble getting through the book until about the last quarter then it really got interesting. The ending was very good. I'm glad I persevered.
May 1, 2013
I really liked this, it was different. The only problem is when he set up to pull a twist I figured it out. Not bragging, just sayin'.
July 10, 2013
This was a GREAT whodunit whereby the ending was not easily guessed! The characters were likable and believable. Love the writing style. Will find more by this author.
February 24, 2015
Non uno dei migliori dell'autore, comunque godibile.
February 16, 2015
It was pretty good, but after the middle of the book the ending became more and more transparent.
March 12, 2015
Good. Hard to go wrong with Buffa and Antonelli.
April 7, 2015
A little disappointed with the ending. Have two more books by this author and looking forward to reading them.
September 6, 2025
One of my very favorite books ever. An incredible mystery
This is the third time I’ve read this book and it never gets old
This is the third time I’ve read this book and it never gets old
July 2, 2011
Fascinating. Well-written. I look forward to reading more books by this author.
April 15, 2017
Very good. I shall read more Antonelli novels.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews