Matters of doubt : Cal Claxton mysteries #1 / Warren C. Easley.

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Title:

Author:

Easley, Warren C.

ISBN:

9781464201721

Edition:

1st ed.

Publication Information:

Scottsdale, AZ : Poisoned Pen Press, 2013.

Physical Description:

271 p. ; 23 cm.

Series:

Cal Claxton Mysteries #1

Abstract:

"Cal Claxton is determined to reinvent himself as a small town lawyer in the aftermath of his wife's suicide. Once a hardcharging L.A. prosecutor, he now lives in an old farmhouse overlooking the Oregon wine country. When a scruffy, tattooed kid shows upasking for help in solving his mother's cold case murder, Cal wants to say no. But the kid, who calls himself Picasso, has ridden a bike from Portland, and something about his determination touches Cal.It turns out Picasso is a gifted artist. He's also one of the legions of street kids who are drawn to Portland's Old Town. A reluctant Cal finds Picasso painting a mural on the side of a health clinic run by an idealistic doctor. Then Picasso is charged with the murder of a major business figure. The evidence is overwhelming. Suddenly Cal finds himself back in the game, pitted against the police, the media, and some of Portland's most powerful citizens. Is Picasso being framed? And if so, is there a connection between the murder of his mom and this new killing?" -- from publisher's web site.

Subject Term:

Claxton, Cal (Fictitious character) -- Fiction.

Murder -- Investigation -- Fiction.

Cold cases (Criminal investigation) -- Fiction.

Street children -- Oregon -- Portland -- Fiction.

Geographic Term:

Old Town (Portland, Or.) -- Fiction.

Genre:

Legal stories.

Detective and mystery stories.

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Item Barcode	Shelf Number	Status
Searching... Avon-Washington Township Public Library	Adult Mystery Fiction Book Hardback	120791002512783	M EAS	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

"A fast, fun read with a fascinating defendant and our hero, Cal Claxton, a small town lawyer who risks his life to solve a big time cold case." --Phillip Margolin, New York Times bestselling author

Cal Claxton is determined to reinvent himself as a small town lawyer in the aftermath of his wife's suicide. Once a hard-charging L.A. prosecutor, he now lives in an old farmhouse overlooking the Oregon wine country. When a scruffy, tattooed kid shows up asking for help in solving his mother's cold case murder, Cal wants to say no. But the kid, who calls himself Picasso, has ridden a bike from Portland, and something about his determination touches Cal.

It turns out that Picasso is a gifted artist and one of the legions of street kids who are drawn to Portland's Old Town. Cal accepts Picasso as a client, but things quickly take an ugly turn when Picasso is charged with the murder of a major business figure. The evidence is overwhelming. Suddenly Cal finds himself back in the game, pitted against the police, the media, and some of Portland's most powerful citizens.

Reviews (4)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Easley's unremarkable debut introduces Cal Claxton, a former L.A. prosecutor who has moved to Oregon wine country following his wife's death and is now content to handle small-time cases. But when a tattooed Portland street kid, Danny "Picasso" Baxter, who looks about 20, asks Cal to help solve his mother's murder, Cal reluctantly agrees to do so. Picasso tells Cal that his mother, Nicole, disappeared mysteriously eight years earlier and that her skeletal remains were recently found in the Deschutes River. Picasso is sure the killer is Mitch Conyers, a sleazy Portland businessman who was once his mother's boyfriend. Cal digs into Nicole's life and work-she was a reporter for The Oregonian-and finds unsettling connections to all manner of deceitful dealings involving some of Portland's most notable citizens. Easley brings alive the world of street kids and the alternative social groups they form, but the mystery, such as it is, lacks punch. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Kirkus Review

A lawyer turns sleuth to help a homeless youth uncover the story behind his mother's murder. Attorney Cal Claxton moved to Dundee to take it easy after he retired from working for the city of Los Angeles. Though Cal anticipates that he can spend time working on his fly-fishing now that he's deep in Oregon, his plate is soon full of the jobs you'd expect to find in a small town. When a teenager comes to Cal begging for him to investigate a case, Cal tries to explain that investigating's not in his job description. The kid, a rebellious Portland youth who goes by the name Picasso, wants someone to look into his mother's death since he knows the police aren't taking the case seriously. Picasso is convinced his mother's former boyfriend Mitchell Conyers is the one responsible for her death, and he is ready to back up his beliefs with action. Cal tries to soothe Picasso while trying to find out if Mitchell's sleek exterior hides more sinister motives. Meanwhile, Picasso spends his nights with other transients and his days painting a mural of hope on the exterior of a local free health clinic. These days of freedom may be over when he stumbles on a murder for which he is the prime suspect. The motives and murders in Easley's debut fit together like a set of nesting dolls, with each resolution leading to a new case. Cal comes across as an average guy who's just trying to lend a hand.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

After his wife's death several years ago, Cal Claxton, an L.A. prosecutor, relocated to Oregon. Now he's a small-town lawyer taking whatever cases turn up at his door, like, for example, the case of a boy who wants Cal to prove who killed his mother (the boy says he already knows who did it). Cal's first instinct is to turn the case down the murder took place a long time ago, the deceased's remains only recently turning up but Cal soon finds he's intrigued by the circumstances surrounding the woman's murder (she was a newspaper reporter), and he agrees to help the boy. But when the boy's suspect turns up dead, and the boy himself is a person of interest for that crime, Cal wonders if he made the wrong decision. This is a strong debut for Easley, who, although he isn't a practicing lawyer himself, writes like he knows what he's talking about. Cal, carrying a heavy load of guilt over the circumstances surrounding his wife's death, is a well-designed, sympathetic character definitely capable of carrying a series.--Pitt, David Copyright 2010 Booklist

Library Journal Review

Attorney Cal Claxton has relocated from Los Angeles to a small town near Portland, OR, and is adapting to a quieter lifestyle. Or he was, until a young muralist from Portland named Danny Baxter (better known as Picasso) comes to him for help. Turns out Picasso's mother, investigative journalist Nicole Baxter, disappeared when her son was quite young, sending him into a rabbit warren of foster homes and, eventually, life on the street. Now, eight years later, Nicole's body has been recovered from the bottom of a reservoir. As the cold case thaws, Nicole's former boyfriend is murdered, and Picasso is the prime suspect. Cal, ever the Good Samaritan, wades into a complicated story filled with high-profile bad guys and vulnerable innocents. VERDICT Easley's legal thriller debut, the first in a projected three-book series, is perfect for John Grisham fans. Although heavily draped in character stereotypes and social issues, his briskly paced and satisfyingly complex David vs. Goliath story will hold readers rapt from start to finish. (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.