Damned in Paradise

Nathan Heller has tackled the most notorious crimes of the century over the course of seven novels, and now he faces one of the greatest challenges of his career, the famous Massie case. Clarence Darrow is past his prime but still a brilliant defense attorney when he asks Heller for a meeting at New York's celebrity hangout, Sardi's. Darrow wants Heller along when he takes on the tragic and twisted revenge murder of a "native" Islander who was one of five men accused of raping a beautiful socialite, Thalia Massie. The defendants are, surprisingly, the woman's husband and mother, along with two Navy men. The case is sordid, tainted with bigotry and lies, and filled with contradictions. The job, then, is this: uncover what really happened. As tensions mount and the case finds its way to the courtroom, the truth becomes disturbingly clear. Darrow's performance is spellbinding, but will the final verdict spell justice?