The Devil Amongst the Lawyers
Aug 13, 2010
Title: The Devil Amongst the Lawyers
Author: Sharyn McCrumb
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press (Thomas Dunne Books)
Publication Date: 2010
ISBN: 978-0-312-55816-1
A very interesting novel that is really 5 separate stories of individuals pulled together due to a murder in a small Southern mountain town.
The reporters, pulling from different regions and lifestyles, all converge on this little town to report on the murder trial of beautiful Erma – who is charged with murdering her father for no known reason.
We have Henry, who comes from a privileged background but is fighting his own personal demons; Carl, small town reporter trying desperately to succeed and rise above his background; Rose, pining for love that will not be found while standing on her own two feet and being dependent on no one; and finally Shade, struggling to survive and thrive while dealing with his health afflictions.
One of the main points in this story is the fact that three of these reporters go South to this little town expecting to be able to ridicule the people and environment, only to discover that people are people, regardless of location and that the town is quite ordinary. They will continue to send stories home depicting how backward and crude the area is, regardless of truth – but one reporter puts his career on the line to tell it like it is.
Great reading with a lot of historical background.
