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Victor Carl - lawyer, loser, hapless hero of Hostile Witness, and a Philadelphian way out of his element -has come to the sweat-drenched jungles of Belize to chase his fortune. Finding it is one thing. Living long enough to enjoy it is something else entirely. Coerced into defending an unpleasant parade of mob enforcers, two-bit hoods, and other Philadelphia riffraff, Carl wants out of his shabby, squalid life more than ever. So when a terrified young woman offers Carl an unusual - but substantial - proposition, he leaps at the opportunity to trade in his grubby existence for a life of wealthy excess.
A desperate Philadelphia lawyer finds himself entangled in a dangerous web of deceit after accepting a high-stakes proposition in the jungles of Belize. Victor Carl, a man defined by his professional failures and personal stagnation, seeks a clean break from his life of defending petty criminals. When a mysterious young woman presents him with an offer that promises wealth and a new beginning, he abandons his caution to pursue the opportunity. However, he quickly discovers that his new circumstances are far more perilous than the squalor he left behind, forcing him to navigate a landscape where survival is not guaranteed. The narrative unfolds through a cynical, first-person perspective that highlights the protagonist's struggle to maintain his moral compass while surrounded by corruption.
This novel is characterized by its sharp, noir-inspired prose and the distinct, self-deprecating voice of its protagonist. The narrative structure relies on the tension between the lawyer's desire for financial security and the increasingly lethal consequences of his choices. Readers often note the author's ability to maintain a sense of dread while placing a fish-out-of-water character in an unfamiliar, hostile setting. The work serves as a study in the consequences of desperation, framed within the conventions of the legal thriller genre.
Page Count:
454
Publication Date:
1997-01-01
Publisher:
HarperCollins
ISBN-10:
0002253089
ISBN-13:
9780002253086
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