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Nina Reilly is back! But in PRESUMPTION OF DEATH, she is no longer practicing law in Tahoe; rather she has taken up residence in Carmel Valley with her longtime lover, Paul van Wagoner, P.I. "Living together was a revelation. They weren't kids, and melding their lifestyles didn't come easy." Her son, Bob, is in Europe; her former secretary cum best friend, Sandy Whitefeather, is in Washington on business "… with the federal government at the Bureau of Indian Affairs …" and Nina is auditioning for the part of Paul's permanent partner.
Things are not quite perfect in the couple's relationship, but they put their personal concerns aside, when Sandy calls them for help. They are needed to identify the charred remains of an alleged arsonist who died in a fire not far from Paul's home. The victim could be Willis a.k.a. Wish, Sandy's son. She tells them that the police have called and informed her that "He went up the Robles Ridge above Carmel Valley Village … with another boy. His roommates say he didn't come home that night or last night either." But Sandy does not believe he is dead nor does she believe he started the fire that burned fifteen acres.
The couple hurries off to the morgue, and the story heats up from there. The remains are not Willis's. Wish is not dead, but if the body isn't his, then who burned to death in the blaze? The police are convinced that Whitefeather started the fire on the ridge and that he could be responsible for the other arsons that have suddenly erupted in the valley. They arrest him. And Nina finds herself with a client whose innocence she and Paul are determined to prove.
Their work takes them up and down the California coast, but keeps bringing them back to the small neighborhood in the Village called Siesta Court. Nina infiltrates the community and sees cracks in the façade of closeness these people have created for themselves. As the families come together, one by one, each couple's vulnerabilities are exposed.
As Nina and Paul work together on their own investigation, they discover that their personal needs often conflict and that, as with everything in life, compromises must be made. Piece by piece, the couple starts to unravel the intertwined facts and suppositions that appear to make a strong case against Wish. Slowly, and with a logical approach, the two are determined to get their friend out of jail and hopefully find the real killer/arsonist before he strikes again. And both of them commit themselves to building a life together.
PRESUMPTION OF DEATH is Perri O'Shaughnessy's ninth Nina O'Reilly courtroom thriller. They (yes they, sisters Pamela and Mary O'Shaughnessy) have a track record that is hard to beat. Their readers have come to expect a terrific plot inundated with exciting twists and turns and appreciate how the O'Shaughnessy sisters manage to humanize their ensemble of regulars. Over the years, fans have watched Nina and her sidekicks grow into fully realized characters who are a delight to solve a whodunit with. This book is a winner and a perfect summer sizzler. Enjoy!
--- Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum
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