Line of Vision by David Ellis

David Ellis won the 2002 Edgar Award for Best First Novel by an American Author for Line of Vision.  His lead character, Marty Kalish is a young real estate developer who hates his mother.  As a child he discovered his mother was unfaithful to his father but kept this knowledge to himself.  Now both his parents are gone and his divorced sister and her two kids are his only family.  This has left him cynical about the world and distrustful of most people, particularly women.

Marty works extremely hard for a real estate development firm and is on the fast track to a partnership.  He does some charity work only as a resume builder and most of his extracurricular activities involve guy pals.  Then he becomes involved with Rachel, the wife of the doctor who heads the charity where Marty volunteers.  Rachel tells Marty that her husband abuses her and she is in fear of her life.  Marty catches the doctor in the act, kills him, and hides the body.  A couple days later an anonymous caller tells Marty that he witnessed the murder. The police interview Marty only because he worked at the charity with the deceased.  Marty ends up confessing and is arrested.  He hires a high powered defense attorney and while waiting for trial, also hires a PI to find the anonymous caller.

At the trial, most of the evidence is circumstantial but means, motive and opportunity all stack up against Marty.  Then Rachel takes the stand and paints a picture even more damning for him.  Doesn’t seem like there is much Marty can do to save himself from life in prison or even execution… or is there?

David Ellis writes a very convincing tale in Line of Vision.  He is clearly no stranger to the courtroom.  Formerly a prosecutor, Ellis was recently appointed a justice in the Illinois Appellate Court.  While much of the legal process can be mundane, Ellis builds suspense and inserts enough twists and turns to hold the reader’s interest.  His lead character, Marty Kalish is hard to like initially but as events unfold, you find yourself rooting for him.  Nice work for a first time writer.