This month the book club discussed Philip Margolin's thriller Lost Lake which has been referred to as Margolin's best effort. He has a great record of all of his novels hitting the New York Times bestsellers list according to his official website (although it needs to be updated maybe, that does not include his newest titles). Here's a pix of Margolin courtesy of Google.
Lost Lake is--what I would take as--a grand-scale novel of mystery and cover-up reaching to an aspiring presidential candidate. The novel starts with a young Portland, Oregon attorney, Ami Vergano, who takes a new tenant, Dan Morelli, who reacts violently during a little league game fight and comes to need her legal help. (FYI: Margloin has a daughter named "Ami" and a son "Daniel."). Things are complicated further after this big news story attracts an old acquaintance of Dan, Vanessa Kohler who is a reporter for a tabloid newspaper. Vanessa has a history of pursuing alien-abduction stories and also will tell any interested that her father had headed a secret military unit for the government. Her father, Gen. Morris Wingate, is now a presidential candidate. And the story goes and goes from there.
Needless to say this book covers a lot of ground and you should take the attitude of enjoying it as a wild roller coaster ride. Some of us did and enjoyed it. The book includes the piecing together of the individual's stories and the unlikely relationship between Vanessa and Dan. Some of us did not and found it less likeable, however. One person suggested the book's storytelling was uneven, that for such a book--at times going over the top--it was could have used a lighter tone. I found the story too much over the top and agreed with another about questioning why Dan and Vanessa become a couple late in the book.
We all agreed the book was well-written. It is nicely paced too.
This is the second time our book club has read a title by Margolin. Either two or three years ago, we read Gone But Not Forgotten.
The library has a new title by Margolin entitled Proof Positive. It is Margolin's third legal thriller featuring feisty defense lawyer Amanda Jaffe according to Amazon.com.
