Clear and Convincing Proof

August 18, 2003
In Wilhelm's latest Barbara Holloway legal thriller, intrigue swirls around a rehab clinic. Erica Castle, a newcomer to Eugene, Ore., volunteers at the Kelso-McIvey Rehabilitation Center in order to make connections in the community. There she meets a network of friends and neighbors, all of whom become suspects in a murder when one of the clinic's owners, ruthless neurosurgeon David McIvey, is found shot dead after he threatens to shut down the place. The possible guilty parties are legion: McIvey's emotionally abused wife, Annie, is waiting for her pre-nup to expire so she can exit a loveless marriage with something to show; Darren Halvord, a brilliant physical therapist and handsome single father, was spotted at the scene of the crime; Naomi and Greg Boardman, founders of the clinic, have put their hearts and souls into an institution that's about to be destroyed. Enter criminal lawyer Barbara Holloway, known to Wilhelm fans for her appetite for difficult cases. Spunky, with a penchant for legal aid work and jeans and sweatshirts instead of suits and hose, she is retained by the Boardmans to disprove the police's theory: that Halvord and Annie McIvey are lovers who eliminated David McIvey so they could be together. The characters never really rise off the page, but there are engrossing plot twists aplenty, including one last humdinger in which Holloway proves she's well worth her fees.

August 1, 2003
Attorney Barbara Holloway's new case puts her in the middle of a difficult situation. The Kelso-McIvey Clinic in Eugene, Oregon, is famous for helping the seriously injured regain motor skills. The dedicated staff is upset when Dr. David McIvey inherits 50 percent of the clinic's shares and expresses a desire to close the facility and create a for-profit surgery center on the site. When a gardener finds him dead on the grounds, the police target his abused wife, Annie, and her alleged lover, physical therapist Darren Halvord, as prime suspects. The center's board hires Holloway to defend them and preserve the clinic's reputation. Her investigation uncovers much more than a possible love triangle. The cold, arrogant doctor has a greedy ex-wife, Halvord has a secret past, and a new volunteer is pursuing something other than good works and friendship. Holloway uses her sharp mind and creativity to bend a few rules and discover what really happened. Genre veteran Wilhelm presents a psychologically complex story with enough action to keep the pages turning.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)