The Edge of Malice

Pulse-quickening story of the horrific attempted murder of a Cleveland medical worker and her defiant quest for justice. With a seasoned storyteller's panache, attorney Miraldi narrates the harrowing true-life tale of Marie Grossman, whose life was irrevocably altered in 1987 when she was victimized by a random point-blank shooting. The author's strong narrative voice hooks readers from the beginning, as he demonstrates a natural dramatic and novelistic flair for setting and pacing, with more than a hint of Joseph Wambaugh and John Grisham throughout. Indeed, Grossman's near-death story will stick in the mind well beyond the final chapter. While on a break from her job at the Cleveland Clinic, Grossman was parked outside a Burger King when she was confronted by two young men; one was Richard Thompson, who pulled out a gun and fired. The bullet tore through her lower jaw, leaving her permanently disfigured. Apart from her physical injuries, Grossman also had to face the long-term stress of a protracted court battle to not only bring her assailant to justice, but also--eventually--hold to account that particular Burger King franchise, which had been the site of a similar crime not long before Grossman was victimized. She took legal action against the establishment's management for lax security in a dangerous neighborhood. As readers may guess, she faced stiff resistance. Later, the narrative comfortably morphs into a tense, engrossing courtroom procedural. Miraldi switches effortlessly between points of view, in one chapter effectively reimagining Grossman's traumatic experiences and then vividly re-creating her legal battles scene by meticulous scene later in the text. The author also turns in some appealing observational writing along the way, and despite the note of final vindication, it comes with an unanticipated twist. A superbly crafted nonfiction drama that transcends true-crime genre expectations.

COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. (Online Review)