JUST DECEITS: A Historical Courtroom Mystery
“Michael Schein’s excellent debut novel, Just Deceits, is the perfect book for lovers of courtroom thrillers, historical fiction, mysteries, or anyone looking for an exciting page-turner that also stimulates the mind. Schein’s writing is crisp, the characters are vivid and engaging, and there are many unexpected twists on the way to a stunning ending. I couldn’t put it down!”
– Robert Dugoni, New York Times bestselling author of The Jury Master, Damage Control, and The Cyanide CanaryIn 1793, the most powerful family in Virginia
found itself embroiled in scandal:
Richard Randolph and his sister-in-law, the beautiful Nancy Randolph, were charged with adultery and infanticide. Based on actual events, Just Deceits tells the story of the Trial of the Century –
the 18th Century – as the remarkable defense team of wily
Patrick Henry and ambitious John Marshall battled each other, their clients,
family intrigue, the prosecution, and the truth itself, trying to save their clients
from the gallows. In its ribald
portrayal of a young legal system already driven more by spectacle than
evidence, Just Deceits calls
into question the feasibility — and even the desirability — of uncovering “the
whole truth.” Ultimately, in the secrets revealed and
the relationships celebrated, Just Deceits is as much a story of a trial of love as the trial in the courtroom.
Read an excerpt from Just Deceits by Michael Schein.
My publisher and I are currently taking PRE-ORDERS for Just Deceits, which is coming out this September in a beautiful 6" x 9" paperback. I will cheerfully autograph every copy that is pre-ordered by August 31st! Please click here to pre-order your copy.
More praise for Just Deceits:
“Just Deceits is an exceptionally well-written novel that combines a gripping legal who-done-it with an historical tale rich and clever enough to charm even the ahistorical reader. As with much of the best contemporary fiction the line between truth and belief is not neatly drawn, and as a result the book – in addition to its wit and charm – is actually a significant contribution to the genre of the novel of ideas. The reader looking for thoughtful fun will not be disappointed.”
-- Julian Riepe, former book acquisition manager for Amazon.com; co-founder of Third Place Books, Seattle.
Michael Schein is a published poet, and the recipient of several writing awards, including two Pushcart Prize nominations. He is also a trial lawyer and former Professor of American Legal History.