Street Legal

Street Legal is Deverell’s sixth novel, written in 1996, and is not one of the Arthur Beauchamp series. I’ve raved about this man’s ability to write crime novels, especially the legal thriller side of that genre, but this one was not his best. You should read Deverell, but don’t start here.

Speeder Cacciati is the operations guy for Billy Sweet, the biggest importer of heroin into Canada, and the local police force is pulling out all stops to catch them, not always staying within legal limits to do so. Mixed into that action was a serial rapist and murderer, as well as the struggles of a criminal defense law firm which is coming apart at the scene due to the marital disharmony of two of the partners. Their clients are fit into the plot lines, one of whom is a multiple personality disorder and another who is a big oaf who writes touching poetry.

For the first time, I’d put Deverell’s novel in the class of “airplane books,” one which might entertain you on a flight from San Diego to Chicago, but which would not keep you from taking a nap. You would not mourn leaving it unfinished on your seat at the end of the flight. Oh well, no one hits a homerun every time.