August 1, 2005
Sheehan, a Florida trial lawyer, serves up a story of miscarried justice and loyalty in his debut novel. A corrupt small-town Florida police department arrests Rudy Kelly, a "slow" 19-year-old, for a murder he didn't commit, and, after an ineffectual public defender fumbles the case, Rudy receives a death sentence. Meanwhile, Sheehan sketches in flashback the 1960s New York childhoods of Mikey Kelly and Johnny Tobin. Ten years after Rudy's conviction, Tobin, now a hotshot Miami lawyer who goes by Jack, leaves his firm and finds a new direction after reading about Mikey's death-looking into his son Rudy's conviction. The plot may seem predictable, but surprises pop up along the way. Unfortunately, Sheehan leans on cliches, tired similes and unrealistic dialogue ("I love you so much it hurts. I've never felt this way about anyone."), and characters fall in love and make decisions for no reason other than to advance the plot. Glitches aside, the story picks up in the later parts of the book, and Sheehan's bar experience shows in his courtroom scenes and passages on legal maneuvering.
May 26, 2008
Sheehan's 2005 debut legal tale sets up an interesting albeit somewhat hackneyed plot of a mentally deficient yet lovable young man, Rudy, who is found guilty of murder through incompetence, bigotry and the laziness of smalltown policemen. Can his late father's longtime friend save Rudy from the death penalty? Hill's award-winning voice seems to falter here. His young characters' voices at times are forced and exaggerated while he occasionally mixes up voices, accents and even sexes. Hill does manage to inflect subtlety in many of his character voices, which reveals a range of emotions. His narrative voice overall is steady and appealing, and he keeps a steady pace with the narrative and does well emphasizing relevant parts. Sheehan's text lacks the intensity that often suits Hill's more impressive performances. A St. Martin's paperback (Reviews, Sept. 5, 2005).