The Isotoner Ordeal - Book Review

The Isotoner Ordeal by Christopher Leibig creates a dark, complex story about a defense lawyer who doggedly defends clients accused of various crimes, even murder. He can commiserate with the accused because he was once himself an accused murderer. His name is David Stillman, and the story opens with him sitting in his favorite bar, Ragtime, ruminating over his past when an elegant attractive woman strolled in, purposely took the stool next to him and immediately engaged him in conversation.  She exuded an air of confidence and before the night was over,  Michaela Fitzgerald with her southern accent and beauty had captured David’s lonely heart and soon thereafter seduced him, or maybe it was the other way around.

 David was a young lawyer with a closet full of skeletons, and Michaela was a probation violator with an unsavory past waiting for the disposition of her current court case. She was older than David and unrepentant of her transgressions. Oddly enough, David starts to reveal his past and finds her an attentive listener.  He came from a good family, in fact, his father was a lawyer, but he ran with and was a juvenile delinquent.  He and his cohorts were in their mid-teens smoking, harassing others, vandalizing, bullying, and trying to earn the status of badass. They wanted to be a part of something that gave them status among their peers and their membership in their group also provided the camaraderie that they sought. Many of their actions were thoughtless and dangerous that could have easily resulted in injury to others or major damage to property; things like dropping pumpkins or large balls of iced snow on the top of moving cars or stoning homes. They built their own tree fort in the woods, learned to hide in storm sewers, engaged in targeting a village of midgets with harassment, egged homes, assaulted and robbed a Domino’s Pizza man, seriously vandalized a car, ruined a lawn and much more – their rein finally culminated when being accused of murder.

But who is this femme fatale, this mysterious Michaela Fitzgerald and why did this “Mrs. Robinson,” character become so interested in David Stillman?  Was it the fact that Michaela was in trouble and wanted a lawyer that she felt she could pay for his services and loyalty by sleeping with him? Over just a few days, she has gained David’s trust and admiration, and he unburdens his soul.

The novel tells multiple stories in tandem, the new relationship David has with Michaela, the background of his previous murder case of teenager Tracy Chisholm accused of killing Alvin Watkins AKA Blue Cheese, his own back story of being accused of murder, and Michaela’s case that is unfolded slowly as they get to know each other better. All the stories swirl about with little obvious connection, but masterfully Leibig merges them together for a satisfying conclusion.

The Isotoner Ordeal reiterates the saying, “Don’t let the past steal your present.”

Christopher Leibig is an excellent and prolific writer. If you enjoy legal thrillers, I urge you to try him. You won't regret it.