In the Shadow of the Law A Novel [Paperback]

AChristian Science MonitorBest Book of the Year
Winner of the Philadelphia Athenaeum Literary Award

In the Shadow of the Lawis the story of Morgan Siler, a powerful Washington, D.C., law firm that has transformed itself from a traditional practice serving those most in need into a shrewd giant serving the interests of the wealthy. Through the intertwined stories of a pro bono murder case and a class action lawsuit brought against a large chemical company, we meet the fascinating, engaging, and conflicted characters that make up this world: Mark Clayton, the rookie; Walker Eliot, the prodigy; Katja Phillips, the idealist; and Harold Fineman, the brilliant and burned-out partner, leader of the chemical company's defense team. With a thorny and breathtakingly paced narrative,In the Shadow of the Lawmarks the arrival of a writer who stakes a firm claim to the literary territory of Scott Turow (The Times-Picayune,New Orleans).

A thoroughly gripping debut novel . . . a major breakthrough. Chicago Tribune

A nifty legal thriller that relies less on creaky plotting and more on complex and believable characters. . . .Shadowmasterfully captures the culture of a legal factory: the competitive atmosphere, the overwhelming workload, and the give-and-take between what is right and what is best for clients. Entertainment Weekly (grade: A-)

Readable, informed, sophisticated, often devastating . . . [an] astute character study. The Washington Post

An impressive first novel--with emphasis on both adjectives . . . commendable in its perceptive and witty insights into the post-law-school life of big-firm associates . . . The redeeming quality of Roosevelt's utterly realistic characters is that they know exactly what they are doing. Unlike Faust, they are not tricked or even seduced by the princes of darkness in their gentlemanly garb and corner offices. They step onto l#&