The Perfect Witness: A Novel

Greg Monarch #1

by Barry Siegel

They used to be partners--Greg Monarch and Ira Sullivan, a couple of do-good lawyers in central California. But it all went bad for Ira. Bad enough that he wakes up in jail one day staring at a death sentence for murder. Only Greg Monarch has a prayer of getting him off--if he's willing to cross certain ethical lines.

Layer by layer, Greg peels back a tissue of lies--and at the rotten core he comes to Sandy Polson. Sandy says she was with Ira the night of the murder, says she saw the whole thing. The prosecution believes she's the perfect witness. But what if Monarch could persuade Sandy to tell the truth? Wouldn't Sandy then become the perfect witness for the defense?

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Barry Siegel is a former national correspondent for the Los Angeles Times who won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing in 2002 for his piece "A Father's Pain, a Judge's Duty, and a Justice Beyond Their Reach". He is an expert on literary journalism and was recruited by the University of California, Irvine to chair that school's new English program in Literary Journalism. Siegel is the author of the influential true crime novel A Death in White Bear Lake, which is considered by many to be a seminal document regarding child abuse. Siegel lives in Sherman Oaks and Irvine, California.

Reviews

[Theresa Leone Davidson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moderately suspenseful (with some passages that dragged a bit) but with two characters, Greg Monarch and Ira Sullivan, who are very likable, and a couple of antagonists who the reader very much wants to see get it in the end. I liked the story, of a down and out attorney who is accused of murder, and the former law partner who reluctantly agrees to defend him. I also really liked another supporting character, a newspaperman named Jimmy. I will be reading others by Siegel.

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part one was tedious for me. Part two went faster but maybe just a little too fast.

[Jon Christie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very solid read. The geography and landscape plays as much a role in this yarn as the characters and I kept wondering if such a coastal community still exists in California. While the story is fiction, it does make reference to encroaching development (beyond the WWII era weapons lab and Nuclear Power Plant that is integral to the tale) on the large agricultural tracts that surround the protagonists hometown. A very minor aspect but one which seemed very realistic to me!

[Susan Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greg Monarch's career as a criminal attorney took a tragic turn years ago and now he's a marginal civil lawyer. He and Ira Sullivan grew up together but life dealt them a wedge to their friendship. Now Ira has been arrested for murder and nothing makes sense. Greg reluctantly tries to sort out the truth.

[Jonathan Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story that is one of the few legal stories that doesn’t glorify the American legal system; brings out the corruption that is often in the courts. Light language.

[Harriet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story idea, interesting characters and plot with a tiny bit of romance. Needed an editor to trim down some of the slow parts in part 1 while I felt part 2 could have used more padding

[Suzanne Loving · Rating 2 out of 5]

So convoluted and sad, like everyone was new to their jobs and passions. It jumped around and was full of red herrings and unrelated detail. The author needs to find a better word for wizened.

[Glen Guldbeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really, really good!! Fans of Grisham should love this.

[Sheree Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It held my interest. I love a good legal thriller.

[Chris Seals · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. The characters were believable and the plot entertaining. I'd read another by Barry Siegel.

[Jena · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the courtroom scenes but found the rest of this book to be generally slow and uninteresting. I was rooting for Greg but not sure he was the good guy in the end.

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not hold my attention

[Dianeparente62gmail.com · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe 4 stars is a little high and 3.5 would be closer but still this book tugged at me with its intricate story but perhaps more because of the author's sensitivity to the natural setting in which the book played out. He captures the unusual central California milieu in his descriptions of the natural and cultural environment

To me, this is a cut above the usual "legal suspense" novel as it draws the reader ever more deeply into what becomes a complex, gripping murder case embedded in many side issues. A falsely accused, degenerate lawyer is defended by his self-questioning partner. The accused is most sympathetic, his defender driven to set him free by diving into the tortured psyche of the perfect witness who is willing to lie in any circumstance. The witness, perfect as she may be, is not the only morally challenged figure in this case peopled by deceptive corporate and political types and a sleek,highly unlikeable prosecuting attorney, to name a few.

Perhaps a little slow at times but definitely worth finishing as, in addition to its above-named positives, it also reveals the questionable aspects of our legal system in pursuit of justice.

[LJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

THE PERFECT WITNESS (
Siegel, Barry - Standalone

From Fantastic Fiction: In an area where the most important industry is no longer agriculture but nuclear energy, the town's own power structure has shifted. At its center is a dangerously ambitious district attorney, Dennis Taylor, who will do anything to win. Lawyer Greg Monarch, carving out a quiet living doing estates and wills, has worked for and against Taylor in the past, and has been badly burned on both sides. Now Taylor is about to nail Monarch's best friend and former law partner for murder, and Monarch has only a few faded defensive skills to fight what appears to be another losing battle. But as sharp and surprising as the book's resolution is, it's the image of the fading, changing town of La Graciosa that will stay in your memory.

I had great hopes for this but found it so boring it ended up being a DNF.

[Tracy Burd · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have had this book around for a few years and finally picked it up last week. It was a good murder mystery set in California. If you enjoy the lawyer's point of view, and twists and turns, you will enjoy it. I liked it and will read more by this author. As a side note, the descriptions of CA were great!

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would've given 5 stars if the storyline didn't have quite so many holes in it, especially concerning the secondary story. Almost like a John Grisham read, but a little more choppy. Still full of suspense, and a glimpse into the flawed legal/judicial reality. Good character development, beautiful descriptions of mountainous California.

[Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Small town, washed up attorney accused of murder is defended by his ex-partner. Case rests on "the perfect witness."

[Margaret Dee]

Many twists and turns. Not your typical CA book. Very good job describing rural CA.

[Toesnorth's mom]

quite boring, good plot but too much unnecessary stuff not interesting

[Jenene · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit slow in parts but overall, an enjoyable read.

[Jim Moffett · Rating 3 out of 5]

04-98

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story line was good, but the book wandered too much. I had a hard time at times keeping track of what was going on.

[Gael · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

[Rita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable legal suspense. A bit slow at times but all in all an interesting book

[Kathy Govreau · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book enough to want to read his other books.