博客來Paul Hoffman is a Houston lawyer haunted most of his life by boyhood memories of a murder and suicide that left him without parents at the age of twelve years. Unable to suppress the memories and tired of trial work, he leaves his law practice in Houston and travels back to Stockton, Illinois, his hometown, to search for answers. Comfortable financially as a result of a recent court victory, he is determined to quit the practice of law for good. However, when he becomes friends with two local lawyers, brothers who are identical twins, he is subtly lured by them into practicing law against his wishes. The bait is an ugly legal battle that must be fought in both Illinois and Texas. The clients in the case are two elderly widows who are the majority owners of a concrete pipe business targeted for acquisition by an unscrupulous and relentless Chicago businessman. The reluctance of the women to sell their interests in the business infuriates the potential buyer, causing him to enlist some out-of-state, ethically challenged land developers in a scheme that drags Paul back to Texas and back into the world of litigation. Somehow, among the bitterness of the battle, Paul and his friends find time for both work and humor, and Paul begins to regain his love of lawyering.
While living in Stockton, he meets Ann McCool, a woman he remembers from childhood who is now the owner and publisher of the local weekly newspaper. With her help and the help of his new friends, he is finally able to make peace with the memories that have tormented him for so many years.
