THE HIDDEN MANPUBLISHERS WEEKLY (starred review) The Hidden Man
People Magazine Even if it's been too cold and recessionary in most of the country to hit the beach much this summer, the annual crop of page-turners hasn't suffered. Now comes one of the best. Hidden Man introduces Jason Kolarich, a middle-aged lawyer who, reeling from the recent death of his wife and daughter, takes on the case of a friend charged with killing a child molester. With an ear for banter that recalls Richard Russo and a giddily complex plot, Ellis provides the perfect transition from the Summer That Wasn't to whatever's next. Library Journal Review by Stacy Alesi Jason and Sammy grew up together, best friends until high school; Jason went on to college and law school, while Sammy coasted after his baby sister was kidnapped and never found. Jason became a star at a top law firm but left to practice solo after his wife and daughter were killed in a car accident. Then the past comes back to haunt them both. Jason receives a $10,000 cash retainer from a mysterious "Mr. Smith" to defend Sammy, who is accused of murdering the man long ago suspected of kidnapping his sister. But he won't plead temporary insanity, which would allow the dead man's past into evidence, and Jason is frustrated. "Mr. Smith" has explicit ideas about how he wants the defense handled, and things start going awry when Jason deviates from the plan. VERDICT Edgar Award winner Ellis (Eye of the Beholder) has created an involving character, a damaged lawyer who's not afraid to get his hands dirty, to build this new series around. Fans of Philip Margolin's thrillers (e.g., The Associate), which shares similar pacing, grit, and character development, albeit with more violence, will enjoy this. Kirkus Reviews A buried crime bears bitter fruit 27 years later. Audrey Cutler was two years old the night she was stolen from her bed. Her kidnapping left her mom a permanent emotional wreck. Its impact on Audrey's brother Sammy is harder to calculate. Is it the reason that so much of his ensuing life has been spent behind bars for one transgression or another? Attorney Jason Kolarich thinks it might be. Best friends as kids, Sammy and Jason have been out of touch for longer than Jason is comfortable remembering, and now they're reconnecting in an unforeseen, unsettling way. Sammy's in jail again for the murder of Griffin Perlini, the sex offender who was once accused of Audrey's kidnapping. Jason has been hired for the defense under bizarre circumstances. The man who turns up in Jason's office one day calling himself Mr. Smith makes it clear that money is in ample supply and that his interest in Sammy's acquittal is intense. But why? Exactly who is Mr. Smith? Is he the shadowy stand-in for someone who, like the Cutlers, has lost a child to a pedophile's perversion? None of these excellent questions will be answered in a way Jason could possibly have predicted. Plotting with Christie-like care, Edgar winner Ellis (Eye of the Beholder, 2007, etc.) lifts the curtain on a promising new series. Agent: Larry Kirshbaum/LJK Literary Management
January Magazine: Best Books of 2009: Crime Fiction, Part I Other Reviews A well-written, surprising, completely original gem. The best suspense novel I've read in a while - James Patterson. A fresh take on the legal thriller, crackles with unexpected twists - like Patricia Highsmith with an extra shot of adrenaline - San Francisco Chronicle. Who does he think he is - John Grisham? The answer has to be - yes, with any luck. Ellis certainly writes as well as his Georgia colleague, and his plotting is certainly sharper - Chicago Tribune. “The Hidden Man is a searing and suspenseful tale of law and murder and long-nurtured revenge, with an ingenious plot and indelible characters. Among David Ellis’s fine books, it is the best yet.”
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