Under Oath - by Margaret McLean (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The "code of silence" remains sacred in Charlestown, one of the most historic yet insular neighborhoods of Boston. Gangster Billy Malone stand accused of killing Trevor Shea, a suspected FBI informant, with a potent dose of heroin.

Prosecutor Annie Fitzgerald must crack the infamous code of silence and battle seasoned criminal defense attorney Buddy Clancy, who unleashes reasonable doubt with his penetrating cross-examinations.

The trial explodes into a high-energy race to justice when Annie's chief witness is killed, jurors defy their instructions, and FBI cover-ups obscure the truth. While the jurors are deliberating, Annie discovers incriminating evidence against the Malones.

Time is of the essence...but will justice prevail? Former prosecutor Margaret McLean combines the best of John Grisham's legal thrillers and Dennis Lehane's Boston crime novels in Under Oath.

Review Quotes

"On your shelf of legal thrillers, move the Grishams aside and make room for Margaret McLean. She's got all the knowledge of an insider and --more importantly--all the skills of a great storyteller. She'll take you into the offices and the holding cells and the courtrooms, and you'll believe every detail and nuance. Then she'll start to heighten and tighten and twist and turn, and you won't be able to put the book down. Go and read it." --William Martin, New York Times bestselling author of City of Dreams, on Under Fire

"McLean's first novel takes the reader on a terrific journey through the machinations of Boston law. Under Fire is a compelling legal thriller with vivid characters, a realistic feel to the proceedings, and a case that ignites our interest practically on the first page. McLean, a law professor and former criminal prosecutor, knows her stuff and, even better, knows how to translate it to fiction." --Booklist on Margaret McLean

"Authentic and compelling, a reflection of McLean's skill as a writer and her years as an assistant district attorney for Essex County." --The Patriot Ledger on Under Fire

"This fast-paced debut legal thriller by a former criminal prosecutor offers an interesting immigrant twist. It should appeal to Richard North Patterson fans." --Library Journal on Under Fire

About the Author

Margaret McLean was born and raised in Rome, New York. She graduated magna cum laude from Boston College and earned her law degree from Boston College Law School. McLean practiced law as a criminal prosecutor and currently teaches law at Boston College's Carroll School of Management. In 2010, she was hailed as one of the next faces of Boston crime fiction by The Boston Globe. She has cowritten a dramatic courtroom play based on her second novel, Under Oath, which is in development with the Playwrights/Directors Unit at the Actors Studio in New York City. She lives in Norwell, Massachusetts, with her three children.