A Wrongful Death

A Barbara Holloway Novel

By: Kate Wilhelm

Narrated by: Carrington Macduffie

Elizabeth Kurtz has taken her small son and fled her ex-husband and his mother after finding a file of explosive material incriminating the family. Although the wealthy family employs a detective agency to find her, she manages to elude them.

Defense attorney Barbara Holloway has sought seclusion in a cabin on the Oregon coast, but her solitude is interrupted by a small boy who enlists her help with his unconscious mother. Once revived, the woman and her child disappear. Elizabeth Kurtz is again eluding searchers, and Barbara is accused of aiding and abetting a kidnapper. When Elizabeth finally contacts Barbara for help, Barbara finds the woman dead.

Barbara, while defending Elizabeth's housemate against murder charges, is accused of obstruction of justice and faces possible disbarment and prison. As she realizes the importance of the secret papers, she also realizes that her life is at risk as she takes on a killer.

It's legal: download more of Barbara Holloway's cases.©2007 Kate Wilhelm (P)2007 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

"As always, genre veteran Wilhelm creates a thought-provoking, complex plot that will keep readers interested." ( Booklist)
"Her carefully crafted approach to the legal thriller continues to separate Wilhelm from the competition." ( Publishers Weekly)

The best in the series

This is the best in the Barbara Holloway series. Of course, its strength rests on the series - the characters that have remained vivid and true throughout each of the books (10?). If you have not read the others, you might want to get one or two of them first before reading this one. Otherwise, the story would lose its impact.

This was the best crafted and best written of the series. I paid attention to what Wilhelm told us, how she told us, and when she told us everything. Every element in this story has a purpose. She creates suspense and delivers suprises without them seeming contrived.

The characters have remined complex and constant throughout the entire series. Each of her characters was developed and woven into the series. Each book in the series relies on the characters that were introduced in earlier installments. Barbara Holloway is an especially complex person.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series, and especially this installment.