HOLLYWOOD ON TRIAL

In Manolakas’ legal thriller, the suspicious death of an actress turns the spotlight on the seediest parts of Hollywood.

After a film in production suffers a fatal on-set accident, actress Kaitlin O’Keefe takes over a lead role. In the process, she becomes entangled in sexual affairs with both the director, Nick Claren, and her entertainment lawyer, Josh Stein. Everyone is shocked when, one day, Kaitlin dies in an apparent fall. The Malibu detectives’ ensuing investigation uncovers evidence that suggests someone killed her. An arrest and a murder trial follow, but it’s perhaps not the slam-dunk that the prosecutor was hoping for. For starters, there are a number of viable suspects, including the two men she was sleeping with, as well as their wives; Kaitlin even had a stalker who’d been obsessed with her since the two shared a scene in an acting class. The attorneys on both sides of the courtroom (ADA Duane Brown and “seasoned” criminal defense lawyer Greg Sobel), through direct and cross-examinations, threaten to expose scandals and corruption that surround the moviemaking business on the Pacific Coast. Even with half of Manolakas’ novel focused on the murder trial, the narrative constitutes a thoroughly entertaining soap opera. Most in the cast are deliciously unlikable as they bask in self-indulgence and apathy, including the presiding judge, who seems more concerned with his personal enjoyment than the legal proceedings. (“Ashby grinned inside. He had a golden opportunity to bring down this arrogant little star of his own personal tabloid show. ‘I have to agree with A.D.A. Brown, here, Mr. Sobel. No ROR, no bail. Mr. Stein is remanded into custody pending trial.’”) The author’s brisk narrative and compact chapters consistently fascinate as they spotlight the characters’ intersecting lives and explore all the ingredients that make up a trial. While some readers will guess the ending, it likely won’t diminish their overall satisfaction.

Unsavory characters immersed in giddy melodrama, both in and out of the courtroom.