Attorney Mark McCoy walks into his office one day and finds his boss, Johnathon Simpson naked and dead with a slit throat.
Because the Simpson's body is in Mark's office, suspicion is focused on him. A letter barring Mark from Partnership in the Ashley, Stepford & Simpson law firm only adds to the motive.
Since Mark's office is a crime scene, he can't work. On his way home, he finds that someone is out to get him. Why?
A series of mishaps are a sign to mark that someone wants him dead. Now, he must find out who really killed Johnathon Simpson before it's too late. He must stay one step ahead of the cops, who think he's the prime suspect. At the same time, he has to keep an eye out for the real killer.
We follow Mark McCoy as he seeks the answers to his questions. This race against time is the subject of Wayne Keeley's first novel, Mahogany Row.
This legal thriller starts fast and doesn't stop. From the first page, where Simpson's body is discovered, to the surprising conclusion, the characters don't even come up for air.
This rapid pace has its drawbacks. There's minimal time for character development. Keeley offers a glimpse of Mark's background, but little is known about the rest of the players. The author merely hands out information as needed. When the scenes are over, the minor characters are gone.
Hurrying the story also forces the players to keep up with the plot. There's no time to reflect because the character must rush and get across town for the next scene. The minute-by-minute action held my interest, but I never felt like the characters were real.
This is the first full-length venture into the fiction world for the Emmy Award-winning author. He has a great story here, I just wish it had been developed further.
To his credit, Keeley packs a lot of action into a small book. This is a fast read, ideal for a lazy weekend. Sometimes bookworms need an easy novel after reading a difficult one. Mahogany Row fits the bill. Wayne Keeley shows promise as an author of legal thrillers. I am glad I was able to read his first work and I'll certainly come back for more.
ISBN#1-58124-671-4
