In Proof Positive, author Phillip Margolin brings us his third novel starring Amanda Jaffe, an Oregon defense attorney employed at her father’s firm. This time, Jaffe is trying to defend a mentally ill homeless man charged with murder while her father is doing the same - except for a mobster. Both men claim their innocence, but the forensic evidence says otherwise. That is, until Jaffe discovers that the two unrelated cases share a common denominator.

Despite problems in her personal life - her abysmal love life, being one - Jaffe is determined to uncover the strange mystery surrounding these two murder defendants. Her examination leads her to respected forensic expert Bernard Chashman, a man with a frightening philosophy that allows him secure a successful prosecution of those he feels are guilty - even if it means manufacturing crucial evidence that had never been there in the first place.

Margolin weaves a complex, suspenseful tale of multiple storylines against a fascinating backdrop of forensic evidence and crime scene investigation methods, effectively exploring how easy it is for a crime scene investigator to influence the outcome of a trial and ensure a certain verdict, completely undetected. With the massive popularity of shows like CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Margolin’s novel is sure to attract a wide and appreciative audience.

Read a review of this book at Duffbert’s Random Musings.