Last Dance
A Winston Patrick Mystery
-
- $8.99
-
- $8.99
Publisher Description
Winston Patrick reluctantly leads some kids in suing their school when a same-sex partner is refused entry to the prom, but opponents will stop at nothing to make their point, not even murder.
Winston Patrick was a successful lawyer who defended the downtrodden of Vancouver’s criminal world. Dissatisfied with his career, he traded in the courtroom for the high school classroom. Winston is barely surviving his first year at a Vancouver high school when his students present a human rights issue. A student wants to bring his same-sex partner to the high school prom, but the school won’t let him.
Winston reluctantly leads his proteges on their first legal quest: suing the school. He never thought that fighting for a student’s rights could have deadly consequences, but as the issue gains publicity, Winston discovers that their opponents will stop at nothing to make their point not even murder.
David Russell’s first Winston Patrick novel, Deadly Lessons, was shortlisted for an Arthur Ellis Award for best first crime novel.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In Russell's worthy sequel to 2006's Deadly Lessons, an Arthur Ellis Award finalist, Vancouver lawyer turned teacher Winston Patrick must use his legal experience to help Tim Morgan, a high school student barred from bringing his same-sex partner to the prom. The lawsuit and publicity that follow bring disapproval from Winston's superiors and harassment from gay bashers for both Tim and Winston. Worse, an unknown assailant savagely beats Tim, who later dies in a suspicious car crash. A potential target himself, Winston begins a personal investigation, only to discover that Tim had a private life he never suspected. The initially straightforward plot takes a number of surprising twists, which suggest that a simple, reprehensible hate crime may be something else entirely. Russell artfully lets Winston's own words paint Winston as a bit self-righteous, prickly, and less discerning than Winston believes himself to be.
