A Trial of One: The Third in the Osgoode Trilogy

Mary E. Martin
iUniverse (2007)
ISBN 9780595445714
Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (2/08)


In “A Trial of One,” third in the “Osgoode Trilogy,” attorney Harry Jenkins is confronted with greed, fraud, and murder as he seeks to locate the missing shares of Elixicorp Enterprise stock for his client.  The fast-moving plot takes Harry from Toronto, Canada to Venice, Italy, and finally to London, England to retrieve the stock valued at $50,000,000.  Ruthless and cunning Dr. Robert Hawke is also eager to get his hands on the money for his private experiments.  As an afterthought, he is determined to turn Harry into one of his human guinea pigs.  

Martin introduces characters in the novel that assume there is purpose for their lives yet feel an incompleteness, a longing for something more.  Mary’s characters have flaws, strengths and weaknesses. She uses the emotions of her characters to provoke the reader to consider unconditional love and acceptance and what this means. 
 
After a severe beating while in Venice, a young hotel clerk saves Harry’s life.  Later in an attempt to protect Harry, young Angelo refused to give Harry’s location and is slashed and beaten by Hawke’s crazed thugs.  Harry, in turn, saves Angelo when he finds him near death, bound and gagged.

A thread of sexual tension and romance is interwoven into the drama and suspense of the multifaceted plot and subplots throughout the story.  Martin demonstrates an amazing insight and understanding into the misdirected obsessions which bring a person to the brink madness, the frustrations of dementia and aging, and the loneliness found in care facilities for the elderly.
 
I became totally immersed in the story.  “A Trial of One” is profound and thought-provoking with a strong message, a masterfully crafted story line, with real life characters that experience challenges that resonate with the reader.  This is a book filled with suspense, romance, and adventure, something for everyone.

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