Status Updates From Death Penalty (Charley Sloa...

Frankly, while well crafted, it's a bit challenging to be east Michigan based with some stuff that actually relates and a lot of stuff that's supposed to be some sort of analog. Either be geographically accurate or don't. Seriously, "Broken Axe" instead of Bad Axe? That kind of poor correlation actually detracts from the story for me.

Got a few pages in between finishing the history book and starting the library book club book.

"When I got back to the office I decided to skip lunch. It wasn't any attempt at a diet, or even the press of business. I just didn't feel like eating."

Who hasn't been there? And who expected that to start a chapter?

More intrigue.

And Charley seems to be involving himself with 2 women. One may relate to a case, 1 surely doesn't, but is the daughter of a judge in a case. So the nuances are there.

So far there are clear references to metro-Detroit, but with other fictional creations. These distract from the story from a metro-Detroiter's perspective. Either be metro Detroit or be fictional, but don't try to mix them.

Ok, we're up to a good half dozen or so different characters who may have ulterior motives we're not sure about. And Charley's got about a half dozen cases he's involved with. Some may be of interest to these other characters. The product liability one seems to have piqued the curiosity of one character, which leads me to wonder if there's not something else afoot instead.

Charlie, is a sort of has-been lawyer defending a Dr. Kevorkian-esque client. Takes place in SE Michigan; some locales are fictitious. With some character and setting development accomplished, Charlie's involved in three significant cases.

Minor annoyance: of 5 characters whose eyes were described, 3 are blue. I have no issue with blue eyes; just seems odd w/in the first 3 chapters (2 w/in pages of each other).