Fiction. Thriller. HTML:

Both a razor-sharp thriller and a poignant love story, this twisting tale of psychological suspense is Patterson's most compelling novel in years

Mark Darrow grew up in a small Ohio town with no real advantages beyond his intelligence and athletic ability. But thanks to the intervention of Lionel Farr—a professor at Caldwell, the local college—Darrow became an excellent student and, later, a superb trial lawyer. Now Farr asks his still-youthful protégé for a life-altering favor. An embezzlement scandal has threatened Caldwell's very existence—would Darrow consider becoming its new president?

Darrow accepts, but returning to his alma mater opens old wounds. Sixteen years ago, on the night of his greatest triumph as Caldwell's star quarterback, he discovered the body of a black female student named Angela Hall at the base of the Spire, the bell tower that dominates the leafy campus. His best friend, Steve Tillman, was charged with Angela's murder and ultimately sent to prison for life. But now, even as Darrow begins the daunting task of leading Caldwell, he discovers that the case against his friend left crucial questions unanswered. Despite his new obligations—and his deepening attachment to Farr's beautiful though troubled daughter—Darrow begins his own inquiry into the murder. Soon he becomes convinced that Angela's killer is still at large, but only when another mysterious death occurs does he understand that his own life is at risk.

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Mark Darrow returns to Caldwell College 16 years after his graduation when his mentor, Lionel Farr, brings him back to become Caldwell's president. The school is still haunted by the tragic murder of Angela Hall, an African American student who was strangled and left outside the school's landmark spire. Fresh off a football victory, Mark was the one who found Angela, and it was his best friend, Steve, who was convicted of the murder. Now Caldwell is once again facing a scandal, but Mark can't forget Angela's murder, or the nagging feeling that his friend might be innocent. As his suspicions center on a former classmate who testified against Steve, Mark finds himself falling for Farr's daughter, Taylor, the first woman he's had serious feelings for since the death of his wife two years ago.

To repay a debt to an old professor, Mark Darrow reluctantly becomes president of his former university in an attempt to save it from an embezzlement scandal. However, haunting memories of a twenty-year-old murder and the conviction of his best friend lead Mark to re-examine the case. After another murder takes place on campus, Mark becomes convinced that the actual killer is still at large.

When a mentor who enabled his education and career entreats him to accept the presidency of his alma mater amid an embezzlement scandal, trial lawyer Mark Darrow remembers his discovery of a murdered girl sixteen years earlier that resulted in a classmate's conviction.

Mark Darrow grew up in a small Ohio town with no real advantages beyond his intelligence and his athletic ability. But thanks to the intervention of Lionel Farr--a professor at Caldwell, the local college--Darrow became an excellent student and, later, a superb trial lawyer. Now Farr asks his still-youthful protege for a life-altering favor. An embezzlement scandal has threatened Caldwell's very existence--would Darrow consider becoming its new president? Darrow accepts, but returning to his alma mater opens old wounds.

Fiction. Thriller. Mark Darrow, popular athlete, graduate of Caldwell College, is invited back to the college by his friend and mentor, Professor Lionel Farr. Lionel wants Mark to give up his successful Boston law practice and become president of Caldwell. Furthermore, he hopes Mark's presence will boost alumni confidence as they investigate the embezzlement of college funds. As Mark considers his future, memories crowd in. Seventeen years earlier his best friend was convicted of the murder of a young black woman, and Mark still has doubts about the case and the outcome of the trial. Holter Graham does wonderful things with the voices in this story of racism, sexual sadism, and justice delayed. While Graham's voice doesn't betray the identity of the killer, listeners will guess the truth early on. Even so, Patterson and Graham make this first-class listening. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine. HTML:

Mark Darrow grew up in a small Ohio town with no real advantages beyond his intelligence and his athletic ability. But thanks to the intervention of Lionel Farr—a professor at Caldwell, the local college—Darrow became an excellent student and, later, a superb trial lawyer. Now Farr asks his still-youthful protégé for a life-altering favor. An embezzlement scandal has threatened Caldwell's very existence—would Darrow consider becoming its new president? Darrow accepts, but returning to his alma mater opens old wounds. Sixteen years ago, on the night of his greatest triumph as Caldwell's star quarterback, he discovered the body of a black female student named Angela Hall at the base of The Spire, the bell tower that dominates the leafy campus. His best friend, Steve Tillman, was charged with Angela's murder and ultimately sent to prison for life. But now, even as Darrow begins the daunting task of leading Caldwell, he discovers that the case against his friend left crucial questions unanswered. Despite his new obligations—and his deepening attachment to Lionel Farr's beautiful though troubled daughter—Darrow begins his own inquiry into the murder. Soon he becomes convinced that Angela's killer is still at large, but only when another mysterious death occurs does he understand that his own life is at risk.

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Mark Darrow, having accepted the opportunity to become the head of a local college at the urging of the professor who helped him become a successful trial lawyer, returns to his alma mater where he cannot escape thoughts of a female student who he found dead on the night of his greatest success as a quarterback for the school and for which his friend was sentenced to life in prison, and, when another student is murdered, Mark believes the real killer may still be on the loose.

Mark Darrow grew up in a small Ohio town with no real advantages beyond his intelligence and his athletic ability. But thanks to the intervention of Lionel Farr--a professor at Caldwell, the local college--Darrow became an excellent student and, later, a superb trial lawyer. Now Farr asks his still-youthful protégé for a life-altering favor.

Mark Darrow returns to Caldwell College 16 years after his graduation when his mentor, Lionel Farr, brings him back to become Caldwell's president. The school is still haunted by the tragic murder of Angela Hall, an African American student who was strangled and left outside the school's landmark spire. Fresh off a football victory, Mark was the one who found Angela, and it was his best friend, Steve, who was convicted of the murder....

Mark Darrow grew up in a small Ohio town with no advantages beyond his intelligence and athletic ability. Thanks to the intervention of Lionel Farr, a professor at Caldwell College, Darrow became a great trial lawyer. Now Farr asks his protg for a life-altering favor -- a scandal has threatened Caldwell, and he wants Darrow to consider becoming its new president. Darrow accepts, but returning to his alma mater opens up old wounds. It's been sixteen years since he discovered the body of Angela Hall at the base of the bell tower known as The Spire. His best friend, Steve Tillman, was convicted of the crime. Back at Caldwell, Darrow suspects that the case against Steve left crucial unanswered questions. Darrow starts investigating, and is now certain that the real murderer is still at large. And when another mysterious death occurs, Darrow realizes that his own life is at risk.

A new college president opens an inquiry into a murder that occured when he was a student.

Mark Darrow grew up in a small Ohio town with no real advantages beyond his intelligence and his athletic ability. But thanks to the intervention of Lionel Farr--a professor at Caldwell, the local college--Darrow became an excellent student and, later, a superb trial lawyer. Now Farr asks his still-youthful protégé for a life-altering favor. An embezzlement scandal has threatened Caldwell's very existence--would Darrow consider becoming its new president? Darrow accepts, but returning to his alma mater opens old wounds. Sixteen years ago, on the night of his greatest triumph as Caldwell's star quarterback, he discovered the body of a black female student named Angela Hall at the base of The Spire, the bell tower that dominates the leafy campus. His best friend, Steve Tillman, was charged with Angela's murder and ultimately sent to prison for life. But now, even as Darrow begins the daunting task of leading Caldwell, he discovers that the case against his friend left crucial questions unanswered.

The new blockbuster from the thinking man's thriller writer A young college president struggles to save his once prestigious alma mater, Caldwell College, from a financial scandal which may be linked to the murder of a student, some seventeen years previously. The Caldwell campus is dominated by a large bell tower known as The Spire. The Spire ornaments the school yearbook, stationary, all publications. Steeped in lore, it tolls every hour of the school day; or to mark notable events such as athletic triumphs. But in 1993, the body of Angela Hall, a black student, was found at the foot of the Spire. Raped and murdered, she seemed oddly like a sacrifice to the newly-ominous college landmark... Gripping and razor-sharp, The Spire is both a hugely satisfying thriller and a poignant love story. Richard North Patterson has outdone himself-this is his most compelling novel in years.

Mark Darrow grew up in small-town Ohio with no real advantages. But thanks to Lionel Farr, a professor at a nearby college, Darrow became an excellent scholar/athlete and, later, a superb trial lawyer. Now Farr offers his protégé a job as his alma mater's new president, which Darrow accepts. But being back on campus opens old wounds. Sixteen years ago, on the night of his greatest football triumph, Darrow found the body of a black female student at the base of the college bell tower, knownas the Spire... Darrow's best friend was charged with the murder, and was sent to prison for life. But Darrow is about to discover that the case against his college friend left crucial questions unanswered. Despite his new obligations--and his deepening attachment to Farr's beautiful though troubled daughter--Darrow begins an inquiry into the murder and is soon convinced that the real killer is still at large...and that his own life is surely at risk.

Mark Darrow grew up with no real advantages beyond his intelligence and his athletic ability. But thanks to the intervention of a Lionel Farr, professor at Caldwell, the local college, Darrow became an excellent student and trial lawyer. Now Farr asks his protege to consider becoming Caldwell¿s new president. Darrow accepts, but returning to his alma mater opens old wounds. Sixteen years ago, he discovered the body of a black female student named Angela Hall. His best friend was charged with Angela¿s murder and sent to prison for life. But Darrow now discovers that the case against his friend left crucial questions unanswered. Darrow opens his own investigation into the case and soon becomes convinced that Angela¿s killer is still at large.

Mark Darrow grows up to become a superb trial lawyer - thanks to the mentorship of Lionel Farr, a professor at Caldwell, the local college. Now, it's time for Farr to ask his still-youthful prot#65533;g#65533; to return the favour: an embezzlement scandal threatens to destroy Caldwell. Returning to his alma mater as president opens old wounds. Sixteen years before, he discovered the body of a black female student, Angela Hall, at the base of The Spire, the bell tower that dominates the leafy campus. His best friend, Steve Tillman, was charged with Angela's murder and given a life sentence. Darrow begins his own inquiry into the murder, and is soon convinced that the killer is still at large. His own life too may be at risk . . . Gripping and razor-sharp, The Spire is a hugely satisfying thriller, a poignant love story - and Richard North Patterson's most compelling novel in years.

Investigating a long-ago murder on the campus, the new college president discovers that the case left crucial questions unanswered. Beginning his own inquiry, he soon becomes convinced that the killer is still at large. But only when another mysterious death occurs does he understand that his own life is at risk. "Intriguing... The suspense intensifies until the shocking conclusion of this tightly plotted story." -- Library Journal.

Charts the impact of the brutal murder of black coed Angela Hall at Caldwell College in Wayne, Ohio, on gifted athlete Mark Darrow, who discovered the body and later became a nationally renowned lawyer. Mark's best friend was convicted of the crime, but many aspects of the trial troubled Mark. The author evokes the quiet schism between town and gown in Wayne as well as the fragile relationship between blacks and whites, while Mark's probing hits exposed nerves with fatal results.

Mark Darrow returns to Caldwell College 16 years after his graduation when his mentor, Lionel Farr, brings him back to become Caldwell's president. The school is still haunted by the tragic murder of Angela Hall, an African American student who was strangled and left outside the school's landmark spire. Fresh off a football victory, Mark was the one who found Angela, and it was his best friend, Steve, who was convicted of the murder. Now Caldwell is once again facing a scandal, but Mark can't forget Angela's murder, or the nagging feeling that his friend might be innocent. As his suspicions center on a former classmate who testified against Steve, Mark finds himself falling for Farr's daughter, Taylor, the first woman he's had serious feelings for since the death of his wife two years ago. Review from Library Journal: Patterson turns from political hot potatoes like the Arab-Israeli conflict (Exile) and oil in Africa (Eclipse) to write this intriguing novel of psychological suspense. Character development is key here; we meet Mark Darrow, a young football player who receives a scholarship to Caldwell, a local private college; his best friend, Steve Tillman, who is in prison for a murder he may not have committed; and Lionel Farr, the professor who becomes Darrow's mentor and closest friend. Darrow leaves Caldwell for law school and fame as a defense attorney until Farr asks him to return as the college's president. The current president is under investigation for embezzlement, and someone popular enough and persuasive enough is needed to keep the alumni money flowing in. For Darrow, going home again means reexamining old friend Steve's conviction and investigating the embezzlement, making some people very uncomfortable. Then another murder occurs, and the suspense intensifies until the shocking conclusion of this tightly plotted story. VERDICT Sure to please fans of Raymond Chandler, Michael Connelly, and James Lee Burke. --Stacy Alesi, Palm Beach Cty. Lib. Syst., Boca Raton, FL

This thoughtful if less than suspenseful thriller from bestseller Patterson (Eclipse) charts the impact of the brutal murder of black coed Angela Hall at Caldwell College in Wayne, Ohio, on gifted athlete Mark Darrow, who discovered the body and later became a nationally renowned lawyer. Mark's best friend was convicted of the crime, but many aspects of the trial troubled Mark. Lionel Farr, Caldwell's provost and Mark's former mentor, offers Mark the post of college president 16 years after Angela's murder. Mark agrees to return to Caldwell, now struggling with the suspected embezzlement of $900,000 from its endowment by its current president. With Lionel's support, Mark investigates both the embezzlement and the old murder. Patterson evokes the quiet schism between town and gown in Wayne as well as the fragile relationship between blacks and whites, while Mark's probing hits exposed nerves with fatal results.

Mark Darrow grew up in a small Ohio town with no advantages beyond his athletic ability.

A trial lawyer becomes a college president and reopens an old murder case.

The Caldwell campus is dominated by a large bell tower known as The Spire. But in 1993, the body of Angela Hall, a black student, was found at the foot of the Spire. Raped and murdered, she seemed oddly like a sacrifice to the newly-ominous college landmark.