Attorney-authors' dramas unfold in real world, cyberspace and even outer space

By Matt Yas
The Daily Record Newswire
 
If this winter turns out to be anything like the last, we can all look forward to some quality indoor time in January and February. To help you and your loved ones pass the time between the walls, consider diving into the following recent books penned by attorneys who’ve been moonlighting impressively as published authors.

 “Game of Death” by R. David Hosp — Thriller about a tech-fantasy startup that promises subscribers the chance to experience anything they desire, from climbing Everest to walking the Great Wall — but one client may have more sinister desires.

Hosp on what inspired him to take on the hi-tech subject matter: “I was representing a designer of avatars in an online, 3D virtual world. Her designs became so popular that she was looking into various different ways to protect the IP. As I researched … the platform, I was amazed at the degree of realism involved. It made me consider what could happen if people chose to misuse the technology in dangerous ways.”

“Old Whiskey and Young Women: American True Crime — Tales of Murder, Sex and Scandal” by R. Marc Kantrowitz — An exploration of some of the most notorious legal cases in American history that are nearly totally forgotten today.

Kantrowitz on what motivated him to re-introduce the public to these scandals:  “See ‘The Big Short’ and rail at the greed and ignorance of Wall Street, or see ‘Spotlight’ and be angered at the cover-up. … None of this is new. My motivation was simple: to humanize history, to tell tales of heinous acts that gripped the nation but are now relegated to the dustbins of history, and to demonstrate that the more things change, the more they remain the same.”

“Bounders” by Monica S. Tesler — Middle-grade science fiction tale of a group of young “aeronauts” who may hold the key to saving the galaxy from an alien threat.

Tesler on what drew her as a writer to the young adult marketplace: “I wrote it for my oldest son, Nathan. He had just fallen in love with reading and was devouring fantasy and speculative fiction series. I set out to create a world in which he could see himself as a hero. I think ‘Bounders’ leaves readers think[ing] about things like the value of neurodiversity, ethics and technology, and themes of loyalty, teamwork and being yourself. Anyone can be a hero.”

“Defending Jacob” by William Landay — Not quite as recent as the others on the list, but it’s worth your while to revisit 2012 for this bestselling thriller about a child murder trial and the family it leaves in tatters.

Landay on what attracted him to the world of fiction-writing: “I’m a private person. That is one reason novel-writing appeals to me: Novelists — all storytellers — approach the world through misdirection, from oblique angles, through stories. We come on like crabs, scuttling up to the truth sideways. A more direct, forthright sort of person would be writing essays or memoirs or some other form that addresses the world head-on.”