My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Ophelia Cut is a welcome addition to the Dismas Hardy series, which has recently laid somewhat dormant. I enjoy this series because of the depth of the main characters, who grow and change with time, and who strive to maintain their integrity even in the most trying of their personal conflicts and their legal cases. In Ophelia, Attorney Hardy faces one of his greatest challenges both personally and professionally. His niece and God-daughter, Britney, has been raped, and twenty four hours later, her assailant is dead. The prime suspect is Britney’s father, Moses Malone, brother of Diz’s wife. Diz decides to represent Moses in a situation that could not be more fraught with ethical dilemmas. What father wouldn’t feel murderous toward the man who raped his daughter? The picture is complicated further by the fact that Mose has started drinking again, and Diz and their circle of friends/colleagues are worried that, while under the influence, he might betray a secret that would severely damage each and every one.
I don’t know another writer who can write courtroom drama as well as Lescroart. The scenes are particularly effective in the audio version of the novel, in this case adroitly read by David Colacci. The tension builds slowly, chapter by chapter, and the reader, along with Mose’s family and friends, is never sure whether or not he is guilty, anticipating the verdict with as much trepidation as the they are. The novel could have ended at that point, but it didn’t, and the final scene is a shocker that I never saw coming. This is a book without a final resolution, leaving many of its ethical questions unresolved. Can revenge ever be justice? What is a lawyer’s obligation when he suspects his witness is lying? What if the prosecution failed to pursue alternative theories? And if you’re wondering what the title means, you’ll have to wonder till the final page.
Highly recommended, one of Lescroart’s absolute best. The followup novel should be really interesting.
You're History! 