Gerald D. Mclellan

Old City Hall Gerald D. Mclellan 1st edition

The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts finds himself embroiled in a messy, high stakes, politically charged,divorce case where he is pitted against Attorney Ted Eldridge, a lawyer whom he has alienated in the past and who now seeks to bring the Governor down. Genetic markers raise the question of paternity of Danny, the twelve year old child of the Governor and his wife Emily, who herself is battling her own demons. As the case unfolds, the events that involve the Governor and his paramour, the Judge sitting on his case, and the Italian bookies in Boston's North End play themselves out in a dramatic, courtroom whirlwind of controversy and intrigue. The characterizations ring true and the flaws of the participants are demonstrated in graphic detail in this suspenseful narrative. Interwoven in the plot is the heartbreaking revelation of the terrible inadequacy of the Massachusetts divorce system as related in the author's action sequences played out in open court and behind closed doors in the elegant high rises of downtown Boston. The author, himself a former Massachusetts divorce court judge, expertly provides a courtroom showcase that is graphic, compelling and impressively accurate. What elevates the novel in addition, is the interesting descriptions of the City of Boston including the financial district, the State House and Beacon Hill where the action occurs.