An author that sets out to write a trilogy, is to say the least
ambitious, to maintain key characters over three books requires
some very intricate plot manipulations. Mary Martin has
succeeded in grand style. A Trial Of One wraps up The Osgoode
Trilogy. In book one we meet our intrepid, yet unlikely hero
Harry Jenkins, a very average lawyer, practicing in a very small
and very nondescript law firm. When his partner dies suddenly he
finds himself captain of the ship, but where is the ship headed?
It is now his alone to make work.

Book two Final Paradox continues Harry's saga, he discovers
that a huge fraud was perpetrated years before, millions of
dollars disappeared in a medical research scam, and his elderly
client Norma Dinnick exhibiting the tell tale signs of dementia
confuses Harry. Is she victim of the fraud, or a partner to the
crime?

In A Trial Of One these mysteries, and there are several
interwoven and cleverly executed plot twists, all gradually come
together. Our hero Harry finds himself once again caught up in
the needs of his clients. Norma Dinnick has been incarcerated in
a mental institution having been found not guilty by way of
insanity due to the onset of Alzheimer's for murder. In her rare
trips into lucidity she talks of a huge fortune that rightly
belongs to her. Harry acting as not only her lawyer, but also
legal guardian feels obliged to investigate. The fortune itself
seems real, but is it the ill gotten gains from a fraud, or
money that was justly earned? A shell company called Elixacorp
raised over $30 million dollars, but where is the money now?

Although all of the original protagonists in the fraud scheme
are dead, there is one man who still has a driving interest in
the loot, Dr. Robert Hawke. Is he medical genius, or maniacal
madman? That is the question that we are faced with. It does not
take Harry long to realize that Dr. Hawke is a dangerous
adversary. Dr. Hawke is researching a new drug that can treat,
and even reverse the ravages of Alzheimer's. This could be the
single most important breakthrough in medical science in many
years. Research takes money though, and Dr. Hawke contends that
the money Harry Jenkins seeks was legally raised, and was
specifically for research into Alzheimer's. Harry Jenkins must
also deal with the distraught widow of his dead partner. Dorothy
Crawford is convinced that her husband Richard was poisoned, and
the fatal Stroke, was merely the result. And the murderer is
someone just know by the initial 'Q.'

A Trial Of One is a cracking read, to call it a page turner
does not do it justice. What I really liked was that even
through it is part of a trilogy it stands on its own. You do not
need to have read the previous books to understand the plot, or
the characters involved. The characters are well developed,and
rich in texture.

The story moves from Toronto, to Vienna, to London, each step
becomes more dangerous for Harry.

This is an interesting book and operates on several different
levels. This is not your standard action/adventure by any
stretch of the imagination. One of the subplots involves sex,
well actually that is not quite true, it involves sexuality, and
it certainly is thought provoking.

Maybe a trilogy is the ideal number of books to work a
character, and then move on. Even famous best selling authors
have fallen into the trap of wearing a character out, one
example is author Tom Clancy who worked his character Jack Ryan
until he became a joke. Mary Martin has not done that, in fact I
am sure that she could use him a couple more times. Certainly if
I was her, I would be giving serious thought to it.

This is a great book, and you can get your own copy from
Amazon, there is also an interesting web page, The Osgoode
Trilogy, supporting the trilogy.


About The Author: Simon Barrett is an adult educator in
Calgary, Alberta. With the 11 months a year of winter, he reads
a lot of books! He is also a contributing editor for
http://www.bloggernews.net and maintains a personal blog at
http://zzsimonb.blogspot.com.