Under Oath
UNDER OATH ISBN 0-9700476-8-1
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Margaret
McLean graduated from Boston College and received her law degree from Boston
College Law School in 1991. She commenced her legal career as an Assistant District
Attorney in the Boston area, trying hundreds of criminal cases. After several
years as a criminal prosecutor, she practiced law as a trial lawyer with a Boston
law firm.CAN JUSTICE PREVAIL AGAINST THE 'CODE OF SILENCE'?
Under Oath features a murder and conspiracy trial against Charlestown’s most notorious partners in crime, Billy and Frank Malone. These renowned brothers stand accused of killing Trevor Shea, a suspected FBI informant, with a potent dose of Power 95 heroin.
Throughout the trial, a Boston Homicide Detective and the victim’s sister battle the insular Boston neighborhood's infamous "code of silence" and the inherent flaws within the justice system to keep the case against the ruthless Malone brothers afloat.
The trial explodes into a high-energy race to justice with chief witnesses being killed, jurors defying their instructions, and FBI cover-ups blocking the way. The jurors oscillate between guilt and innocence as the courtroom drama unfolds with the plot twisting into an unpredictable climax.
As the jurors are deliberating, the prosecution discovers new and potentially incriminating evidence against the Malones. Time is of the essence as the two protagonists race to the courthouse in a last ditch attempt to reopen the case and present the new evidence before it's too late.
REVIEWS FOR UNDER OATH
Jeremiah Healy (author of The Only Good Lawyer and (as "Terry Devane")
A Stain upon the Robe) writes:
"Under Oath is an outstanding novel, and I don't mean just the clever,
twisting plot and the deep, credible characterizations. Elmore Leonard develops
the stories in his street thrillers through dialogue; Margaret McLean manages
to do the same in this legal thriller through the testimony of witnesses at grand
jury and trial. One of the finest courtroom dramas I've read in the last ten years."
M. Diane Vogt (author of the Judge Wilhelmina Carson legal suspense series):
"Under Oath gives us a rare glimpse inside the courtroom where
Margaret McLean's experience as a prosecutor provides frightening realism not
often found in fiction."
Perri O'Shaughnessy (author of Unlucky in Law and Motion to Suppress)
writes:
"A gritty look at townie justice by a new author who really knows the
law and its wayward ways. Anyone looking for a fresh look at local justice with
all its twists and turns will enjoy Under Oath."
Robert Knox (The Boston Globe) writes:
“Some of the witnesses in ‘Under Oath’ don’t show
up at court because they’re dead. The book combines a detailed representation
of courtroom technique with gripping scenes of gangland attempts to silence witnesses
and police efforts to keep them safe…her courtroom experience is all over
the narrative of the book. Scenes are studded with details of procedure, law,
and legal jargon.”
Midwest Book Review ("Reviewer's Choice" for fiction) writes:
“Written by a former Assistant District Attorney with hundreds of criminal
cases to her personal experience, Under Oath is a gripping and dramatic crime
novel of the struggle to see justice done. A legal thriller following a murder
and conspiracy trial in which jurors are intimidated, witnesses are killed and
FBI cover-ups obfuscate the truth, Under Oath is haunting in its eerie accuracy
and solid grounding in real-life courtroom experience. Utterly compelling from
cover to cover.”
Kevin J. Mahoney (Attorney, Cambridge , MA ) writes:
“Margaret McLean grabbed my attention on the first page and never let
go. Avoiding contrived and unrealistic twists in an effort at drama, McLean obviously
relies on her experience as a prosecutor to craft a tightly wound and gripping
novel. Characters are real people—multi-dimensional and layered. As a trial
lawyer, I was impressed with how well McLean was able to weave a compelling drama
around the hopelessly anacharistic legal system. Buddy, the criminal defense lawyer,
is, perhaps, the most well-developed character—aggressive, charming and
passionate. He never lets his feelings for his client cloud his judgment. For
those Bostonians looking for a Boston based novel, you need look no further. From
her descriptions of Charlestown, it is obvious that McLean is intimately familiar
with the territory and lingo of Boston. McLean as a story teller is easily John
Grisham's equal—but her writing is much better.”
Bob Hale ("Books and Bob Hale," The Duxbury Clipper):
"I’m not big on detective stories, but I was pulled into this tale
of fear and treachery as it played out in a court room where everybody was ‘under
oath’ – and in the legal process designed to lead to a conclusion
beyond a reasonable doubt, but where manipulation is the order of the day. Author
Margaret McLean has practiced law as a trial attorney. She knows what she is writing
about, and knows how to present it so we who are non-legals can understand what
is going on and appreciate the fine – and not so fine – points. Her
characters are also fully realized. Whether intended to or not, I found myself
thinking of other Boston area crime figures. Billy Malone is smooth, can be personable
and not unattractive, but he is ruthless. I yearned for him to be found guilty.”
Chad Berndtson (The Patriot Ledger) writes:
"Why does Norwell author Margaret McLean’s debut legal thriller,
‘UNDER OATH’ (Hot House, $24) connect so well and crackle with such
realism? Because McLean, who served for nearly a decade as Essex County Assistant
District Attorney in Lawrence not only knows what it’s like to be in the
heat of a courtroom battle first hand, she also writes with the eloquence and
verve necessary to convey it to people who never have been…Capturing the
passion of courtroom drama—the heated debates, the unbearable tension, the
flaring tempers—is where she excels, not surprising considering it’s
what she knows first hand.”
Narayan Radhakrishnan, Sr., Associate Reviewer for Rebeccasreads.com writes:
"I have been yearning for a legal thriller that also is a courtroom thriller
for quite some time now—of the like of Robert Traver’s Anatomy of
a Murder, Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird or of the like written by Scott
Turow & Richard North Patterson. So, when Under Oath arrived I felt I’d
been blessed. After a long, long drought—here is a legal thriller that is
also a courtroom drama of the first order. Margaret McLean, an erstwhile criminal
prosecutor & Assistant District Attorney, puts to excellent use her trial
experiences as background in this superb tale about a high profile murder trial.
Under Oath is a great read. Looking forward to more from this lawyer-cum-author.
Greatly Recommended.”