He was just trying to help a friend. After three tours in Afghanistan, homeless and hooked on painkillers, Lenny was working to pull his life together. He gave Annie the last of his oxy pills to ease the pain from her shoulder injury. But when she was found dead in her tent the next morning, Lenny wound up in jail accused of killing her with fentanyl.
After a year behind bars, Lenny was finally about to get his day in court. But the uncertainty of the coronavirus threatened to delay his justice further.
The evidence is compelling: a pill bottle with Lenny’s name, fingerprints, and DNA is found in the tent of the decedent, Annie Parker. There are six pills laced with fentanyl inside the bottle. Lenny insists he’s innocent. He claims he gave Annie three of his legitimate OxyContin pills that he got from the V.A. When Lenny’s public defender is called away to help a family member sick with COVID, Mike Daley steps in to take over his case. Contrary to Mike’s advice, Lenny rejects a continuance leaving Mike little time to prepare for trial.
With the City on the verge of closing down, Mike must fly solo at trial as he desperately searches for witnesses in the homeless encampments and the drug-infested hotels in the Tenderloin.
Sheldon Siegel is a New York Times Bestselling novelist and author best known for his works of modern legal courtroom drama.
Siegel was born on the south side of Chicago, Illinois. He attended New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, and later went on to attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as an Accounting major. He graduated with a Juris Doctor from Boalt Hall at the University of California, Berkeley in 1983. He has been in private practice in San Francisco, California for over twenty years and specializes in corporate and securities law with the law firm Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP.
Mike and Rosie have a tough, seemingly hopeless case on their hands in Double Jeopardy, the latest Daley/Fernandez novel. These are terrific characters; returning to the series always feels like settling in for a welcome visit with old friends. Mr. Siegel also adds compelling new characters to each book, characters we also quickly come to care about. Double Jeopardy deals with some intractable social issues, and Mr. Siegel does so deftly, avoiding the trap of having his characters climb onto a soapbox to espouse his views. Nonetheless, he uses his characters and story to shine a light on how these issues impact lives. This is extremely powerful and will stay with you, yet this is another enjoyable read, filled with clever twists and turns on the way to a satisfying, yet bittersweet finale. If you're already a fan of this series, you’ll find Double Jeopardy a worthy addition. If you're new to these books, you're in for treat. Better still, this is book 14, so you have a boatload of great reading ahead!
DOUBLE JEOPARDY (LegalThriller-Mike Daley/Rosie Fernandez-San Francisco-Contemp) by Sheldon Siegel Sheldon M. Siegel, Inc.-Oct 2022, 298 pp. RATING: VG+/A
First Sentence: The Honorable Robert J. Stumpf Jr. arched a bushy gray eyebrow over the top of his aviator-style glasses, flashed a charismatic smile, and spoke to me in a commanding baritone leaving no doubt that he was in charge of his stuffy courtroom the Department Seventeen on the second floor of San Francisco’s crumbling Hall of Justice.
After serving three tours in Afghanistan, Lenny is living on the streets of San Francisco taking OxyContin for the pain from his injuries. Trying to help fellow-street person Annie, he gives her a bottle with his last three Oxy. So how did Annie die from the fentanyl found in Lennie’s bottle? After a year in jail, Lenny’s case is about to come up. His public defender has been called to Southern California to care for her mother who is believed to have COVID, and no one knows what to expect. Criminal Defense Attorney Mike Daley steps in and agrees to take over the case. With everything closing, including trials, Mike has very little time to find witnesses and build a case, all the while risking his own health.
Many authors have tried setting books at the beginning of, or during, COVID. Siegel has, by far, been the one to capture it the best. He picks it up at the very beginning of the pandemic, when little was known about what to do or how long it would last, and the introduction of Zoom into everyday life and the common lexicon…”I don’t think “Zoom” is a verb.” “It will be—just like Google.” That uncertainty adds a very strong level of suspense to the story.
There are times where the conversations may seem repetitive. Then one realizes how realistic it is when talking about the same subject to many different people, and how representative of most conversations during those days. Yet it is Mike’s personal relationships that truly hold the book together. There is such a wonderfully strong core of family whether actually related or not.
It is the mystery that intrigues the reader. How can one have a pill bottle belonging to one person, with their prints on the outside, but the pills within the bottle not be theirs? Because of the danger, Mike is left doing much of his own investigative work in highly dangerous and infection-prone areas, which is an interesting difference. Even with all the concern over COVID, Siegel doesn’t lose the importance, or tragedy, of the fentanyl crisis.
For some, however, it is the courtroom scenes that shine, particularly Mike’s uncertainty about them and his inner monologue. The latter provides the advantage of seeing the events and knowing Mike’s thoughts on them. Rather than being intrusive, it’s informative and, often, humorous.
DOUBLE JEOPARDY is an excellent legal mystery set during the beginning months of the coronavirus, and Sheldon Siegel retains his place as an ‘auto-buy” author.
I met Sheldon Siegel some years ago after finding one of his legal thrillers in a used bookstore. My brother found another one and we read them both and became fans. I sent an email to tell Sheldon how much we loved his books, and he tracked down a number for me and called me at the newspaper where I worked at the time. He later came and did an author talk at Stockton's Cesar Chavez Library. Double Jeopardy is his 14th in the series, and it contains the same humor and character interactions as prvious books, but it feels more personal. It is set in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. While Mike is racing to put together a defense for a client, life around San Francisco and elsewhere is being turned upside down by this new, unknown virus. Nobody will read this and not be transported to those early, scary days of the pandemic when there was no vaccine and no clear unerstanding of just how dangerous the threat was to everyone and how long it would last. It's eerily realistic for a legal thriller series known for quips and moments that make you smile. This is a wonderful series. I was hooked with the first book, Special Circumstances, which made me laugh out loud. Double Jeopardy takes on a couple of critical issues, both COVID and the fentanyl crisis. In Sheldon Siegel's hands, both are a little easier to face.
I’ve enjoyed the series so far but when a character has the same name and occupation as a character from a previous book, who also died in that previous book so it’s not the same guy, it really annoys me and makes me wonder who’s really doing the writing..
Scroll down to read who it is
****** Brian Holton, a drug dealer who appears and dies in Final Out. Brian Holton in this book, a drug dealer who is very much alive, living on the plaza
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I give it 3.5. I like Siegel's Fernandez/Daly series but the Covid centric story left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. I guess since we're still technically in the pandemic, reading a story that takes place at the very beginning of it just brings up memories that are just still too fresh. I tend to read these kinds of stories for escapism and to not think about the real world. Covid subject aside, as I said earlier, I really enjoy Siegel's stories.
I enjoy Mike, Rosie and the crime solving family, but found this installment slower than earlier books. I didn’t enjoy Covid being part of this story. I read to get away from Covid which unfortunately is still very much with us. The ending was inevitable.
Certainly relevant and timely topics - homelessness, Fentanyl, Covid. This book started out slow and filled with run on sentences that required rereading, thus slowing the pace. It got better as it approached the trial section. But then it became necessary to wade through the CVS of every witness, again slowing the plot progress. While the subjects addressed in the story were important, the actual writing felt very uninspired and tired. I felt like I could almost predict each sequence of the trial. When the guilty party was revealed, I almost didn’t care. This story feels phoned in.
I'm starting to lose interest in this series as every book is starting to sound like the last one. And then you have Terrance the Terminator talking like he's actually educated, versus just some hood-rat they hired to satisfy his community service.
And then there's dark-eyed Rosie who apparently knows everything and is to be obeyed without question, and Mike is so smitten with her looks and intellect that he can't think for himself and is too afraid to contradict her.
It's all very hackneyed and boring at this point.
Mix it up, Sheldon, or you're going to lose a reader.
This was definitely not up to Siegel standards. I had to plod through it. Filled with mostly courtroom dialogue-not drama. I had the bad gut figured out immediately
Oh this annoys me! I typed up an entire review for this book and was ready to submit to Amazon and Goodreads when my Kindle blanked out and said my battery was low. What? It was at 20%!!! And my review is gone.
So, let’s see if I can sum it up again.
Siegel does a fine job of making attorney legwork interesting. This is about one trial that lasts less than 2 weeks and it wasn’t looking good for the defendant, Lenny. His fingerprints and his name were on a bottle of laced fentanyl that killed a woman. Yes, his name and prints were on it, because the bottle was from his legit prescription of OxyContin from the VA doc.
So, it’s up to Mike and his devoted team to find proof/ evidence that someone else could have provided the pills to the descendant. There are also a couple of other unidentified prints and, well, Mike decides he’ll be able to at least muddy the waters and get reasonable doubt from at least one juror and have Lenny acquitted.
Mike’s brother, Pete helps and Mike himself questions people who knew the deceased.
I hung into every word and liked every minute. Mike and Rosie are also quite the couple and truly care for one another. She gives her unconditional support to Mike always. And Terrance, Mike and Rosie’s “receptionist” (He’s so much more and does so much more for the attorney team) is also an amazing character.
Oh ya, and this all takes place in San Francisco at the beginning of the COVID pandemic, so challenges pop up due to this, too. This series is so real to life, because Siegel takes real life instances and incorporates them into his writings so they’re more believable than other books I’ve read.
Ya, I liked my original review better, but you get it - this series rocks! Haha.
Next is Dead Coin and hopefully Siegel is writing another book in this series. I look forward to reading that one too.
This is the 14th installment of this serie. Lenny was just trying to help a friend.After three tours in Afghanistan, homeless and hooked on painkillers, Lenny was working to pull his life together. He gave Annie the last of his oxy pills to ease the pain from her shoulder injury. But when she was found dead in her tent the next morning, Lenny wound up in jail accused of killing her with fentanyl.After a year behind bars, Lenny was finally about to get his day in court.
But the uncertainty of the coronavirus threatened to delay his justice further.The evidence is compelling: a pill bottle with Lenny’s name, fingerprints, and DNA is found in the tent of the decedent, Annie Parker. There are six pills laced with fentanyl inside the bottle. Lenny insists he’s innocent. He claims he gave Annie three of his legitimate OxyContin pills that he got from the V.A. When Lenny’s public defender is called away to help a family member sick with COVID, Mike Daley steps in to take over his case. Contrary to Mike’s advice, Lenny rejects a continuance leaving Mike little time to prepare for trial. With the City on the verge of closing down, Mike must fly solo at trial as he desperately searches for witnesses in the homeless encampments and the drug-infested hotels in the Tenderloin.
This book was interesting because it dealt with the start of covid, learning how people dealt with it in the beginning. “It’ll probably be just a few weeks; a month.”. Wow! Did we learn fast!
4 stars for book 14 in the Mike Daley/Rosie Fernandez legal series. I have read these books in order, but they can be read as stand alones. This book has Mike taking over the defense of Lenny Garcia, charged with murder by giving a homeless women pain pills laced with fentanyl, a lethal drug. Lenny admits to giving her prescription pain pills, but not fentanyl. However his name is on the prescription bottle. Lenny was being represented by Nadezhda "Nady" Nikonova, who has to leave immediately, because her mother has the coronavirus in the spring of 2020. Mike has only 1 week to prepare, because his client has been in jail for 1 year and is terrified of the coronavirus. He refuses an offer to postpone the trial because he desperately wants out of the jail. Mike stays up late every night working on the case and enlists the help of his brother Pete, a private investigator, to find proof of Lenny's innocence. How Mike and his brother solve the case makes for an entertaining legal mystery. Not until the end is the killer revealed. I recommend this book to legal mystery fans. My wife also reads this series and recommends it. I thought that the courtroom scenes were authentic, the characters believable and the plot moved along well. This was a kindle unlimited book.
DOUBLE JEOPARDY is the 14th novel in the Mike Daley/Rosie Fernandez series. I am a huge fan of this legal thriller set in San Francisco. The author lives there and really brings the setting authentically to life in every book. DOUBLE JEOPARDY centers on a legal case where a veteran who served three tours in Afghanistan gave some pills to a friend, who was a prostitute living on the streets. She wound up dead, with his pill bottle as evidence and the pills in it were laced with fentanyl. The book’s setting takes note of the homelessness and fentanyl epidemics that are hitting San Francisco hard in the present day, and was set in 2020 right at the start of the covid pandemic. I found it interesting as a reader as the characters threw out those statements many people thought in the early days. “This will probably be over in a few weeks.” “We may have to mask for a month or two.” Etc. For me, enough time has passed I could now read about those events and find them interesting and not too soon. Some characters are getting older in the series and some have passed on. I confess I don’t want to lose the characters I am fondest of even though I know that’s just how things go. This is a favorite series, with amazing characters, great pacing, wonderful legal cases, and a setting I look forward to. 5/5 stars.
Siegel’s 14th offering in his Mike Daley/Rosie Fernandez series takes place during the early days of the COVID epidemic. The public defenders take the case of Afghanistan veteran Lenny, who shared a few of his V.A. prescribed OxyContin tablets with a friend that was suffering from a shoulder injury. Ahh-but the woman dies and the prescription bottle now contains fentanyl-laced tablets instead of OxyContin. No surprise, the police charge Lenny with murder.
Siegel’s latest offering follows his typical plot formula—defendant demands a quick trial, evidence to exonerate the defendant is lacking, and Mike must scramble to successfully present a case to the jury. It is always a fun to hear the inner dialogue Mike has with himself during the trial. Enjoy!
This is the 14th book in this legal thriller series by Siegel. I am a big fan of his books and have ready every one - this one there was no exception. Mike Daley is a Public Defender in San Francisco and this is a challenging case he has picked up right before it’s set to go to trial. His client, Lenny, has been charged with murder for giving another homeless woman pills laced with fentanyl. Set in the seedy Tenderloin area , Mike and team must pull out all the stops to get their client acquitted, including dealing with the recent outbreak of Covid. I will be anxiously awaiting the next book in this series!
Well, another 9 books have passed since my last review of this series, and unfortunately, I have come to the end of the road. I'm sincerely hoping that there will be more, and feel that the ending intimates that there will be.
Each book is a different case, and I just love the dynamic between the characters. Mike is one of those lawyers, where if he feels that his client is innocent, he goes above and beyond to find something or someone to prove their innocence. With his PI brother Pete, they are an unstoppable force. I love the balance between professional and personal and really feel that the reader gets entrenched and becomes one them.
Did the author intentionally use the name of a drug dealer that died in a previous book in this one to see if we would notice? I assume some of us did. Another very entertaining Mike and Rosie legal drama. Poor Lenny. Accused of giving a young girl tainted pills that caused her death. Mike is like a dog with bone and never gives up. His PI brother saves the say this time and the real criminal is brought to light just in the nick of time. I was a bit disappointed that the ending was not rosy for everyone. A very quick read. It seems that the last couple of book have not had much "Rosie" and a lot more Mike. I, for one, would like to see more Rosie involvement.
I loved this book! I love Mike and Rosie! They are real. I liked that this took place at the beginning of covid ,it made it even more real! It is a sad situation that we have w the opioid crisis on this country. I work in a small community hospital in Ventura county. Drug overdose has become the # 1 cause of death in our communify. Christmas of 2019 there was a Christmas tree in our town center which displayed pictures in a glass ornament of all the people who had died from an overdose. TRAGIC! WE desperately need mental health facilities
We all know that life can prevent us from doing things we enjoy. Mine was reading faithfully. Just not enough time. I saw the series of Mike and Rosie and thought it may be something I'd be interested in. I've read them all and have ventured out to other genres and so it goes. I love the suspense, wit, humor and fast paced writing that only Sheldon Siegel can do. I would recommend that you read each and every one of the Mike and Rosie series as you will soon feel like you're part of the family. Looking forward to number 15!
I always enjoy this series. This the 14th novel in this collection and it’s my 14th also. I adore the main characters-Mike and Rosie -who were married decades ago but now continue to build a life together as a happily divorced couple. These two lawyers are so interesting. The books are personal on many levels while always offering intriguing plotlines in the legal thriller genre. This one is set at the very beginnings of the pandemic. So it’s quite relevant. Definitely recommend it.
Another win for Mike Daley and Rosie Fernandez series in The story hits home covering not only an OD case from one of the most dangerous drugs out there it also covers the impact on everyone during initial COVID pandemic. If you enjoy legal thrillers that are entertaining, suspenseful and will keep you reading till the last page then this is a must read.
So glad to have a new Mike & Rosie story. This one is up to date being set in beginning of the Coronavirus and the difficulty knowing what was going to be the new norm. Sheldon Siegel did an outstanding job with that storyline and the murder case storyline working together. Can't wait for the next book.
As usual Sheldon Siegel has done a fantastic job of bringing modern day problems to the forefront. I hope that all that read this are as appalled as I, at the easy accessability of drugs and the toll it is taking on our nation. Thank you Mr. Siegel for once again bringing this to our attention in one of your gripping novels.
As usual Sheldon never disappoints Have read every book in this series love the twist and turns and this one although you always figure Mike will win did not come with a complete surprise until the end
It keeps you in suspense wondering how Mike pinch hitting will get a successful outcome
Great job Sheldon from you Ocean City Fan When is the next edition
Having read several of the books in the series I’ve become a bit addicted. I enjoy the suspense that will adoptable be in favor of the main characters but have become a bit bored with the reparations of detail from all of the previous books. I think I will complete the series in time but take a break at this point.
With the amount of drugs coming across our southern border, we can expect over doses to continue to be high. Siegel's novels present a clear picture of addiction and the homeless. As this situation gets worse, it is taking the soul of the nation into a dire place.
The latest installment in Rosie and Mike series was awesome. The story takes place right at the beginning of the Pandemic. Mike has to cover for a co worker who s Mom has contracted Covid, he has a week to prepare for a trial involving a homeless vet charged with causing the death of another homeless person. Great storyline and great ending
I love the Mike and Rosie series and I usually rate the books 5 stars but it seems like in this book either Mike is tired or maybe Sheldon is tiring or maybe it was really difficult to write something in the middle of Covid and his characters have to be experiencing Covid as well. I’m still giving him 4 stars because I do love Mike and Rosie.
the 14th book of Sidney Sheldon’s that I could not put down until I read the whole book in one sitting.
I love how Sheldon’s books all take place in the Bay Area where I live, I can put myself in the location of the characters. I. Also like how Family always comes first with Rosie and Mike.