Pardon the Ravens

Set in New York City in the early 1960s, this formulaic thriller from Hruska (Wrong Man Running) pits a cocky young lawyer against a sadistic mob boss. Alec Brno is only in his second year at top corporate law firm Kendall, Blake, Steel & Braddock, but he has impressed the partners enough to earn a spot on the team defending U.S. Safety Vault from charges of more than a billion dollars’ worth of fraud. Their defense is that the company itself was swindled, and suspicion falls on mob boss Phil Anwar as the money behind the con. Meanwhile, Phil’s addict wife, Carrie Madigan, flees from his abuse and is rescued by Alec, who immediately falls for this damsel in distress, even though she is a potential key witness in the case. Wise but gruff senior partners and scary but none-too-bright mob henchmen round out the cast. Readers will find few surprises along the way to the sweet ending. [em](Feb.) [/em]