The Devil to Pay

by Gaylord Dold

In the tradition of Scott Turow's blockbuster "Presumed Innocent" comes a riveting psychological legal thriller with a twist--written by the author of acclaimed crime novel, "Schedule Two". This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312192576
• ISBN13: 9780312192570
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
• Length: 376 Pages
• Weight: 1.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.6" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Where is everyone????

I cannot believe there aren't more customer reviews here for this book. Harder yet to believe is that the two reviews I've read are so off-base. This book was stellar! Picking this book up was a fluke. My mother needed something to read and there wasn't much time. I had never heard of Gaylor Dold, but something about it caught my eye. I read it after my mother did; quite awhile after. She told me it was great and that I should read it too, but working for a law firm, initially, I wasn't interested. Finally got around to it, and, WOW. I forced myself to hold back from getting to the end too quickly, because I wanted it to LAST! You know a character's good when you hate him. David Avila, a lawyer from below the bottom of the foodchain, is despicable. Dold has you aching to see him get his due. His client and victim, Jack Darwin, (who is also victimized by his gorgeous wife, Karla), captures your heart. He's a guy who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, yet is somehow the mensh with whom anyone can relate and empathize, given his human failings. The biggest problem I can see with this book is IT OBVIOUSLY WASN'T PROPERLY MARKETED!!! Who's promoting you, Gaylord???!!! I'll be looking for your next book. Wonder if I'll get the heads up?

attorney basher

To be kind, though born with a golden spoon in his mouth, San Francisco attorney Jack Darwin is a nerd's nerd. His only successful achievements besides inheriting his parents' wealth (predominantly kept in a trust by others) were passing the bar and marrying the beautiful Karla. However, his spousal relationship seems to be unraveling and now he represents his first client on a criminal case. Bluntly, Jack stinks at the job until fellow lawyer David Avila steps in and helps him. David "adopts" Jack, who enjoys his time under the direction of his new mentor. However, David has his own agenda that includes taking Karla, whom he is sleeping with, away from Jack as well as his victim's home and trust fund. Things really turn ugly for Jack when he is accused of being a serial rapist-murderer. He hires David to represent him as his lawyer in his murder trial, but his attorney has other plans besides freedom for his client. THE DEVIL TO PAY will excite attorney-bashers, but in spite of a crisp plot, for the most part, is not up to the level of Gaylord Dold's previous novels. The story line moves rapidly forward and reads quite well. However, the plot depends too much on gutting lawyers for their lack of ethics even more than President Reagan as the CEO used to blame the Federal government for all our country's woes. The problem with the novel resides with the characters. Jack is too pathetic and David is too amoral for readers to feel any empathy. This reviewer suggests readers peruse SCHEDULE TWO for a more balanced legal thriller from Mr. Dold.Harriet Klausner