About the Author

Like a literary game of telephone, Natural Suspect combines the talents of a "Dream Team" of today's hottest suspense writers. Each writer contributes a chapter and passes it along to the next. The result is a completely inventive, brilliantly plotted novel of suspense.

Eleven masters of the craft deliver a rollercoaster ride of a book that is as much fun to read as it obviously was to write.

Eleven bestselling masters of the craft have collaborated to write a completely inventive, brilliantly plotted novel of suspense.

William Bernhardt is the bestselling author of thirteen novels, most recently Murder One. Library Journal calls him “master of the courtroom drama.” He has twice won the Oklahoma Book Award for Best Fiction.

Leslie Glass is the beloved author of Tracking Time, the newest novel of suspense in her popular April Woo series.

Gini Hartzmark taps into her law and business backgrounds to create the engrossing Kate Millholland legal thrillers, most recently, Dead Certain.

New York Times bestselling author John Katzenbach is the author of eight acclaimed novels of suspense, including Hart’s War, The Shadow Man and Just Cause.

John T. Lescroart is a bestselling author of suspense. His novels include Nothing but the Truth, The 13th Juror, and The Mercy Rule.

Bonnie MacDougal is a trial attorney who adds authenticity to everything she writes. She is the author of three legal thrillers, including Angle of Impact and Out of Order.

Phillip Margolin is the Edgar Award-nominated author of Wild Justice. He was a practicing criminal defense attorney for twenty years.

Brad Meltzer is the New York Times bestselling author of The Tenth Justice, Dead Even, and The First Counsel.

Michael Palmer is a master of the medical thriller whose books have been translated into thirty languages. His most recent book is The Patient.

Bestselling author Lisa Scottoline won the prestigious Edgar Award for Final Appeal. Her newest legal thriller is Moment of Truth.

Laurence Shames is the author of Mangrove Squeeze, Welcome to Paradise, and other hilarious novels set in Key West. His most recent thriller strips The Naked Detective.

THE MYSTERY WITHIN THE MYSTERY. . .
Can you guess which author wrote which chapter of Natural Suspect? For the opportunity to play detective (and win valuable prizes), log on to http://www.naturalsuspect.com for details.

Reviews

First there was Naked Came the Stranger, a novel written round-robin by Newsday staff, then Naked Came the Manatee, a serial crime caper from Miami-based writers. Now, here's a legal thriller wherein each succeeding chapter has been created by recognized pros in the genre. The roster of authors includes Leslie Glass, Gini Hartzmark, John Katzenbach, John Lescroart, Bonnie MacDougal, Phillip Margolin, Brad Meltzer, Michael Palmer, Lisa Scottoline and Laurence Shames all of whose contributions appear without bylines. Saluting and satirizing the tricks of the trade, Bernhardt starts the story off on a Long Island estate as oil mogul Arthur Hightower threatens to divorce his martini-soaked wife, Julia, and cut off his wastrel children. Before he makes good on the threat, Arthur's frozen corpse is discovered in the basement freezer. Julia hires Devin Gail McGee to defend her in court, not knowing Devin once shared a hot tub with the handsome prosecutor. Bernhardt laces his opener with possibilities, then each author in turn uncovers clues and miscues, from the toe cut off by the movie-quoting thug in clown costume to one lawyer's unseemly devotion to his voyeuristic pet rabbit. The fun for readers of this team tour de force is not to solve the case but to guess which author penned which chapter. Remarkably, the ending ties up more loose ends than anyone has a right to expect. More publishing than literary event, more mind game than artistic accomplishment, the book is an over-the-top diversion, with each author attempting to be more clever than the one before. There are some hits and some misses, but most of the curveballs are fun. (Nov.) FYI: The authors are donating the book's profits to the Nature Conservancy. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.