Blind Spot.

Blind Spot by Stephanie Kane

Need a break from Ally McBull? Blind Spot, a new legal thriller by accomplished lawyer and debut novelist Stephanie Kane, is a refreshing break from such sophomoric portrayals of the legal profession. Kane proves herself by delivering a creative work of fiction that is entertaining and suspenseful but also realistic. Mike Gray, author of The China Syndrome, aptly describes the novel as "a riveting murder mystery that vibrates with authenticity [and] is written with the kind of detail only a criminal lawyer could divine." It has also earned the praise of other notable authors, including Vincent Bugliosi, author of Helter Skelter and Only the Sea Will Tell, and renowned attorney Gerry Spence.

The heroine in the novel is Jackie Flowers, a gritty but appealing criminal defense lawyer who fled a downtown "sweat shop" to open her own practice in a tiny office housed in a renovated Denver mansion. A closet dyslexic, Jackie manipulates her dyslexia to her advantage. She is supported by characters you'll wish you knew: her seasoned investigator, Pilar, who has seen it all and calls them as she sees them, and a neighbor, Lily, who is an old soul with whom she shares a secret bond.

Jackie is retained by an acquaintance charged with abduction and murder. She knows that to be able to convince a jury that her client is not guilty, she will first have to believe it herself. Although her client offers an alibi so repugnant it has to be true, she begins to question his innocence as she investigates the crime. Readers are subsequently treated to a tour of Colorado's most majestic sites while Jackie trails a gruesome lead.

With a less than convincing client and time running out, Jackie has no choice but to retain an expert to devise a criminal profile. The only person fit for the job is a forensic psychiatrist who has proved unwaveringly loyal to the prosecution. He reluctantly agrees to evaluate her client on one condition: that he be permitted to use his findings to testify for the prosecution if he believes her client is guilty. As the psychiatrist begins to develop a profile of the killer, suspicions abound.

Blind Spot not only provides a glimpse into the mind of a serial killer, it also provides insight into the life and challenges of a dyslexic person. Instead of relying on words to gather her thoughts, Jackie relies on images. In this case, she uses her dyslexia to visualize different crime scenes and ultimately solve the case by discovering similarities and connecting them to the killer.

Although the first few chapters are a bit choppy, you will be kept in suspense until the very end and will have to fight the urge to peek at the last few pages of the book.

Bottom line: Blind Spot (352 pages), published by Bantam Books and costing $5.99, is a great read.

Mr. Soler and Ms. Roestenberg practice law in Denver, Colorado.