Review: Entertaining novel about a fledgling prosecutor
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 29, 2013
"Thursday's List" is not a mystery in the traditional sense. Corpses, clues, and sleuths are notably absent. It is, rather, a realistic novel about the workings of one part of the criminal justice system. Cases are built on observations, intercepted communications, and lots and lots of paperwork. The good guys watch, wait, and plot for months and years to bring down the biggest bad guys.Dana, the protagonist, is an earnest and appealing young Assistant DA, who is assigned to a new division. She doesn't fully understand the goals of her new job. Nor does she fully trust the people with whom she must work. She struggles to simultaneously make a place for herself among her coworkers, follow professional ethics, and support and protect the people she loves.Justice is complicated, this novel seems to say, and it's everyone's business. Some people render justice dogmatically, like the Draconian judge who presides early in the book. Others, like Dana, have a basic respect for others and try hard to weigh evidence before forming an opinion. But in the face of stress and incomplete information, even the best-intentioned people may rush to judgment. How can one accurately interpret the motivations of one's coworkers, one's friends, or even oneself?While reading "Thursday's List" I was reminded not of Agatha Christie, but of C.P. Snow's detailed depictions of academic life. It was fun to learn terms like "forfeiture" and "smurf account." I also liked the touch of romance that the book included, and I look forward to seeing how that plays out in the next installment. Very entertaining novel and very informative as well.