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The Collini Case by Ferdinand von Schirach (view source)
Revision as of 17:42, 6 October 2012
, 17:42, 6 October 2012no edit summary
Caspar Leinen gets the case because he is the German equivalent of the duty solicitor. He's been qualified for 42 days. In the real world you might question what kind of defence you expect from lone representation by an unpractised legal defender. But if you're Collini, you probably wouldn't care anyway. He freely admits that he shot the man. It's going to take something special to get anything other than a straightforward Guilty verdict – and maybe a guilty verdict is what Collini wants. But why would he? More to the point why would he kill the guy in the first place? None of it makes any sense.
Two things Leinen knows, however: firstly he wants to be a defender, a good one; secondly, winning this case would make his name overnight and give him a shot at the, let's call them, ""''interesting"" '' cases. Motivation doesn't come any stronger than this.
Then he suddenly discovers a counter-balance. He knew the victim.
In one sense that doesn't matter, because I don't believe that novels ''are'' required to have a purpose. In another, it matters immensely, because it left me uncertain as to whether I was intended to admire the lawyer or reject him, and worse yet, left me uncertain as to which I actually did.
On the upside, it is a very readable tale, with a clear-cut mystery at its heart. The mystery is well-worked. The dilemma on the part of the defending lawyer is also well-played. As a story it works, and will keep you with it.