Sixteen year-old Nicole Zack has been charged with the murder of her uncle Bill. The prominent plastic surgeon was found dead in his study, sliced by his own ancient samurai sword. Coincidentally, while the doctor is being sliced and diced, his college-age son perishes in a plane crash.
A neighbor saw Nikki outside the doctor's house on that fateful evening. In a small town like Lake Tahoe, Miss Zack is at the very top of a short list of suspects.
Attorney Nina Reilly learns of the case from her thirteen year-old son. Bob is a friend of Nikki and wants to help her any way he can. However, she's not the most ideal client. Nina has trouble getting cooperation from Nikki and her irresponsible mother, Daria. The good-hearted lawyer and single mother wants desperately to believe in Nikki's innocence.
Move to Strike details the murder investigation and pending trial of Nikki Zack. Nina is back to work after enduring a horrible tragedy in an earlier series installment. Fortunately, she's able to keep busy with this complicated case. On top of the murder, there's the subsequent plane crash, the doctor's enemies, a supposedly useless patch of Nevada desert and a lot of alibis that just don't add up.
Once again, Nina enlists the assistance of Paul van Wagoner, former lover and private investigator who doesn't always play by the rules. The two had a past, but that was in the past. Now Paul must work for Nina without letting his feelings get in the way.
Other familiar characters introduced in previous installments are back in varying degrees. Nina's brother and sister-in-law, who played such a big role in Motion to Suppress, garner only a couple of scenes in this book. Sandy, the stoic assistant is back as her usual cranky self. I never have liked her, but she adds a little color to the cast.
As usual, the prosecutors are evil. Readers can't help but root for Nina. She's a lovable defense lawyer, who comes off more like Matlock rather than Johnnie Cochran. O'Shaughnessy (who is actuallty two sisters writing under a single pen name)has made Ms. Reilly a down-to-earth character. She's not perfect but she's smart. She won't win 'em all, but she'll win the important ones and that's what fans want to see.
I enjoyed this story, though I didn't care for the characters. Nikki came off like a brat, rather than a misunderstood child. I was not able to drum up the expected sympathy. Daria Zack was just dumb, dumb, dumb. Even Paul the p.i. looked more like a man more apt to fly off the handle before solving a case. However, O'Shaughnessy is to be commended for creating an engaging story even with these not-so-lovable characters.
Move to Strike doesn't provide much background on Nina Reilly's history. There are reasons why she is a single parent, living in Lake Tahoe, maintaining her own law practice. Series readers would benefit from reading Motion to Suppress first to get the whole scoop on the leading lady.
O'Shaughnessy's sixth installment is a decent legal thriller. The story has a cozy small-town feel compared to bigger courtroom showdowns from Grisham and others. Move to Strike is an easy, entertaining read for those who like a little sweet justice in their fiction.
