David Ellis ~ Novels ~ Line of Vision

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Line of Vision

David Ellis’ Line of Vision won the 2002 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best First Novel by an American Author.

Reviews

"A wicked courtroom thriller . . . Ellis's fine use of the first-person narrative … helps drive the plot into areas of character where courtroom thrillers rarely venture . . . a twisty, spellbinding story."
- Publishers Weekly read more

"A bravura performance by David Ellis, who elicits a range of responses in readers from sympathy to condemnation. Best of all, nothing is settled until the final pages of this highly entertaining book."
- Chicago Tribune

"After just about every permutation of the legal thriller has been served up by the likes of John Grisham and Scott Turow, Ellis arrives with a surprisingly fresh take on the genre. The novel crackles with unexpected twists and some nifty surprises-like Patricia Highsmith with an extra shot of adrenaline."
- San Francisco Chronicle

"A well-written, surprising, completely original gem. The best suspense novel I've read in a while."
- James Patterson, author of 1st TO DIE and ALONG CAME A SPIDER

"A tautly crafted, provocative first novel . . . Ellis does a remarkable job of keeping us in suspense on all fronts until the final, riveting pages . . . a hair-raising courtroom drama, but also a character study in which the mystery of Kalish the man is as spellbinding as the mystery surrounding the murder."
- BookPage Reviews

"This is not just another courtroom drama written by a lawyer turned novelist. The book is filled with twists, and most will be cheering for Marty in a cynical way. It's a great debut with a fascinating legal, but not necessarily moral, original ending."
- Daily Oklahoman

"David Ellis . . . provides his reader with almost continuous tension and a surprisingly sympathetic narrator. The struggle is compelling and the verdict a stunning surprise."
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"It will be hard to imagine any legal thriller being better than LINE OF VISION . . . an incredible tour-de-force that is must reading . . . as a fresh exciting new voice has raised the quality level of this genre."
- Bookbrowser Review

"Ellis captures the imagination from the very first page. The highly original premise of this story is masterful. The courtroom scenes in this novel are among the very best . . . and crackle with authenticity."
- Otto Penzler, Amazon.com's "Penzler's Picks for February, 2001"

"What a wicked delight! LINE OF VISION is an absolutely terrific legal thriller. David Ellis's unnerving hero beguiles like Patricia Highsmith's Ripley at his most devious. This story grabs, shakes, twists up and won't let go all the way through to its deeply satisfying resolution."
- Perri O'Shaughnessy, author of MOVE TO STRIKE

"Don't think you can put Line of Vision down-you can't. David Ellis won't let you go, from the first tantalizing page to the final double-twist. Get ready to dangle from the precipice."
- Barbara Parker, author of SUSPICION OF MALICE

"A stylish debut."
- Kirkus Reviews

"The most original and exciting thriller I've read in a long time. Starts at fever pitch and never lets up. Every time you think you've figured it out, the story veers off in a different, jaw-dropping direction."
- J.F. Freedman, author of ABOVE THE LAW and AGAINST THE WIND

"A spellbinding legal drama, sexy, seductive and full of surprises, and featuring a fascinating-if unreliable-protagonist. The best first novel I've read in a good long while."
- William Bernhardt, author of MURDER ONE

"Add LINE OF VISION, a first novel by a practicing attorney that is devious, surprising, and compulsively readable, to the list of recent first-rate legal thrillers written by lawyers. The trial itself is a complex, brilliantly rendered affair. Ellis displays an uncommon facility for devious plotting, courtroom pyrotechnics, and narrative misdirection. He also displays a genuine feeling for character. A solid, consistently entertaining debut."
- Bill Sheehan, Barnesandnoble.com

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From Publishers Weekly
Despite elements that strain belief, Chicago attorney Ellis's debut succeeds as a wicked courtroom thriller featuring a devious main character who finds ways to manipulate the legal system to suit his needs. Investment banker Marty Kalish stands accused of killing Dr. Derrick Reinhardt, whose abused wife, Rachel, was Kalish's lover. Kalish, the police allege, shot Reinhardt so he could have Rachel all to himself as well as put an end to her physical torment. A devilishly subversive thinker, Kalish hires the best lawyers in town, asks them what his strongest defense would be, then fashions his explanation for the killing to suit that strategy. His tactics work well until it becomes apparent that the police and prosecutors are not quite as gullible as he expects them to be. No problem. Kalish simply changes his story, adding another twist involving one of Reinhardt's neighbors. In the end, Kalish finds out that even more cunning minds than his were churning away as he scrambled to convince the jury of his version of events. Ellis's fine use of the first-person narrative brings out the full flavor of Kalish's personality and helps drive the plot into areas of character where courtroom thrillers rarely venture. He stretches credibility at a few points--for example, Kalish, who faces the death penalty, is allowed to remain free throughout his trial--but the exciting payoff proves ample compensation. (Feb. 19)Forecast: Ellis comes on strong here, writing a twisty, spellbinding story with a subtext: that our legal system is vulnerable to producing results that defy both logic and the facts. Expect healthy sales from thriller readers eager for a fresh voice and a cynical point of view--if they are alerted that Ellis offers those in spades.

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From Booklist
Marty Kalish is a man with something to hide. In the opening pages of Ellis' first novel, he goes to the house of his married lover only to see her being brutally beaten by her husband. Marty breaks into the house, and the next thing he knows, he is hiding the body of the murdered husband. Marty does everything to cover his tracks, but the police soon catch up with him. When they indicate that they are going to arrest his lover, Rachel, Marty confesses to the killing. Now on trial for his life, Marty assembles a small legal team and tries to find a way to save both himself and Rachel. As the trial unfolds, the reader, along with Marty himself, discovers that all was not as it seemed, and it leads to a shocking conclusion. Told through Marty's eyes, the novel gives readers both a unique perspective and insight into Marty, who, despite the fact that he very well may be guilty of murder, is both likable and sympathetic beneath his caustic exterior.
— Kristine Huntley

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