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The Last Defense Book Summary and Study Guide

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of The Last Defense




NAL, Oct 2002, 24.95, 448 pp.
ISBN 0451207327

Mercer Early has everything a man could want. He is a defense attorney at one of the most prestigious law firms in the country; he's in love with the boss's daughter; finally one of the two senior partners thinks he's got a bright future ahead of him. He has just won an acquittal for doper Darion Mayfield by proving that the lead detective on the case, Detective Burris beat a confession out of the defendant and then perjured himself on the stand.
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Before Burris is taken into custody, he threatens to get even with Darion. Only a few days later the doper is found dead in a dumpster with a witness placing Burris at the scene. The detective's lover blackmails Mercer into defending Burris who believes his client is innocent and is being framed. Mercer is getting insider information from Internal Affairs Detective Mingus who is investigating an officer who may be responsible for a frame.

THE LAST DEFENSE is an exciting legal thriller that will appeal to fans of John Grisham. It's obvious that Christopher Darden knows his way around a courtroom as he proves to be a winning writer when paired with veteran author Dick Lochte. The story line is fast-paced hooking the reader from the early courtroom drama to the strong climax.

Harriet Klausner

The review of this Book prepared by Harriet Klausner



Chapter Analysis of The Last Defense

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Plot & Themes

Composition of Book descript. of violence and chases 10%Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives 60%Feelings, relationships, character bio/development 20%How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) 10% Tone of story    -   suspenseful (sophisticated fear) How difficult to spot villain?    -   Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues Time/era of story:    -   2000+ (Present) What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot?    -   60% Misc. Murder Plotlets    -   Proving innocence of very obvious suspect Kind of investigator    -   police procedural, American Kid or adult book?    -   Adult or Young Adult Book Any non-mystery subplot?    -   minority/women/gay rights Legal Thriller    -   Yes Legal Plotlets    -   finding out whether someone is really guilty Crime Thriller    -   Yes Murder Mystery (killer unknown)    -   Yes

Main Character

Gender    -   Male Profession/status:    -   a lawyer creature Age:    -   20's-30's Ethnicity/Race    -   Black

Setting

United States    -   Yes The US:    -   California

Writing Style

Accounts of torture and death?    -   generic/vague references to death/punishment Amount of dialog    -   significantly more dialog than descript

Books with storylines, themes & endings like The Last Defense

Christopher Darden and Dick Lochte Books Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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