Wrongful Death by Robert Dugoni
Booklist hails Robert Dugoni as a master who "mixes the suspense of a Grisham along with the political angle of a Baldacci." His first novel to feature the can't-lose attorney David Sloane was Jury Master, a New York Times Bestseller. His new book, Wrongful Death, brings Sloane back in a case that he can't possibly win. How did your first novel, The Jury Master, come about?
It was a long time in the making. In the early 1980's while still at Stanford, I clerked for a law firm and was invited to hear a very well known and respected trial attorney give his closing statement to the jury. Before he did he told me that he had already lost the case. He said lawyers don't win in closing statements. That was just a gimmick for television and movies. But that afternoon I watched him build this incredible story until there seemed just no other logical conclusion than what he was proposing the evidence proved. He won. And I began to think of this character, an attorney who can't lose, who can actually will a jury to accept his version of the truth. That raises a whole host of interesting moral and ethical considerations. From there came the character of David Sloane, the San Francisco attorney who does not lose.
Why bring back Sloane in your latest book, Wrongful Death?
I honestly had no intention of bringing Sloane back. I thought I put that character through the ringer in The Jury Master, but then the reviews started coming in and everyone either expected, or asked, to read more books about Sloane. As I've said before, people want to read about heroes. They want to read about people who are honest and ethical and dogged, and Sloane is all of those things. Plus, I came up with this great idea of a wrongful death action by the family of a Washington National Guardsman killed in Iraq, and who else could take on an unwinnable case against the United States Government and United States Military but David Sloane?
What triggered the idea for Wrongful Death?
I came across this story about a national guardsman killed in Iraq and the family was having so much difficulty receiving benefits that it hired a lawyer. But what the lawyer found was this impenetrable doctrine called The Feres Doctrine which prevents the family of a soldier killed or injured 'incident to his military service' from suing the government or military regardless of whether or not negligent or intentional misconduct was the cause of the injury or death. The more I researched it, the more I found incredibly bizarre decisions about what constitutes, 'incident to service.' I didn't want to write an Iraq book. I wanted to write a legal thriller and this seemed a perfect way to do it.
How did you research the Iraq and Chemical company angle?
With a wife and young kids I really couldn't rationalize going to Iraq. To me a war is a lot like the Ocean. You have to respect the danger. You have to respect the fact that men and women are dying over there. It's not a game. I love to research and I love to talk with people about their experiences. So I began reading a lot of blogs and books by soldiers who had served. Then I found half a dozen who shared their experiences with me. I knew I had captured the right tone when one of those soldiers had to pause while reading a scene, looked at me and said, "I'm sorry. It's just not easy going back there." The research into Iraq's chemical war program and the supply of precursor chemicals by many nations, including the United States, was a lot of fun and incredibly interesting. I just read everything I could get my hands on.
Why do you write about injustice?
After 48 years I've come to realize that I just really don't like people who don't play by the rules that the rest of society lives by. It just really ticks me off. People will do the most amazing things for power and money and think nothing of it. A guy like Madoff is a perfect example. For decades he and his entire family were living the lifestyle of the Rich and Famous and he was nothing more than a common thief. And yet, what do they do when he's caught? They try to work it so that the family can keep tens of millions of dollars. It's unbelievable, but that is the way a lot of people think. It's great fodder for writers. Fact is always more unbelievable than fiction.
Why do people enjoy reading legal thrillers?
For the same reason there are so many successful legal shows on television. The legal system is an institution. It is the best in the world, but it is not perfect and it is those imperfections that we writers love to exploit. It is also a rich place for drama. What is a legal case? It's a story with events that have impacted, often tragically, people's lives. The tension is heightened at every moment until the jury utters its verdict. It's also a place that 99 percent of the population is unfamiliar with, and we're always interested in the unknown, especially a world where everything is subject to certain rules and precedents from the past.
How has ITW helped you?
Exposure is an author's best friend. Every author's goal is for people to go into bookstores and not ask for our books by title, but by our name. The more people become familiar with my work, the more likely it is they will seek out books that I write. ITW has exposed me to not just readers, but readers who really love this particular genre. It has been invaluable. ITW has also allowed me to meet many really successful colleagues and to talk to them about why they've had successful careers. I've found that most are always really willing to offer advice to help my career.
What's Next?
I'll be sticking with David Sloane. I'm already working to finish a novel that will be available in 2010, and hopefully I'll have many more chances to bring Sloane back.
Dugoni won two writing contests at the Pacific Northwest Writer's conference and was able to get an agent as a result. He enjoys helping unpublished writers live the dream and he will be teaching a class at the upcoming Craftfest/Thrillerfest conference in July.
Contributing editor Jeff Ayers is the author of VOYAGES OF IMAGINATION: THE STAR TREK FICTION COMPANION Pocket
Books-November 2006. He frequently reviews thrillers for Library
Journal and regularly interviews authors for LJ, the Seattle
Post-Intellgencer, and Writer Magazine.
I came across this story about a national guardsman killed in Iraq and the family was having so much difficulty receiving benefits that it hired a lawyer. But what the lawyer found was this impenetrable doctrine called The Feres Doctrine which prevents the family of a soldier killed or injured 'incident to his military service' from suing the government or military regardless of whether or not negligent or intentional misconduct was the cause of the injury or death. The more I researched it, the more I found incredibly bizarre decisions about what constitutes, 'incident to service.' I didn't want to write an Iraq book. I wanted to write a legal thriller and this seemed a perfect way to do it.
How did you research the Iraq and Chemical company angle? With a wife and young kids I really couldn't rationalize going to Iraq. To me a war is a lot like the Ocean. You have to respect the danger. You have to respect the fact that men and women are dying over there. It's not a game. I love to research and I love to talk with people about their experiences. So I began reading a lot of blogs and books by soldiers who had served. Then I found half a dozen who shared their experiences with me. I knew I had captured the right tone when one of those soldiers had to pause while reading a scene, looked at me and said, "I'm sorry. It's just not easy going back there." The research into Iraq's chemical war program and the supply of precursor chemicals by many nations, including the United States, was a lot of fun and incredibly interesting. I just read everything I could get my hands on.
Why do you write about injustice?
After 48 years I've come to realize that I just really don't like people who don't play by the rules that the rest of society lives by. It just really ticks me off. People will do the most amazing things for power and money and think nothing of it. A guy like Madoff is a perfect example. For decades he and his entire family were living the lifestyle of the Rich and Famous and he was nothing more than a common thief. And yet, what do they do when he's caught? They try to work it so that the family can keep tens of millions of dollars. It's unbelievable, but that is the way a lot of people think. It's great fodder for writers. Fact is always more unbelievable than fiction.
Why do people enjoy reading legal thrillers?
For the same reason there are so many successful legal shows on television. The legal system is an institution. It is the best in the world, but it is not perfect and it is those imperfections that we writers love to exploit. It is also a rich place for drama. What is a legal case? It's a story with events that have impacted, often tragically, people's lives. The tension is heightened at every moment until the jury utters its verdict. It's also a place that 99 percent of the population is unfamiliar with, and we're always interested in the unknown, especially a world where everything is subject to certain rules and precedents from the past.
How has ITW helped you?
Exposure is an author's best friend. Every author's goal is for people to go into bookstores and not ask for our books by title, but by our name. The more people become familiar with my work, the more likely it is they will seek out books that I write. ITW has exposed me to not just readers, but readers who really love this particular genre. It has been invaluable. ITW has also allowed me to meet many really successful colleagues and to talk to them about why they've had successful careers. I've found that most are always really willing to offer advice to help my career.
What's Next?
I'll be sticking with David Sloane. I'm already working to finish a novel that will be available in 2010, and hopefully I'll have many more chances to bring Sloane back.
Dugoni won two writing contests at the Pacific Northwest Writer's conference and was able to get an agent as a result. He enjoys helping unpublished writers live the dream and he will be teaching a class at the upcoming Craftfest/Thrillerfest conference in July.
Contributing editor Jeff Ayers is the author of VOYAGES OF IMAGINATION: THE STAR TREK FICTION COMPANION Pocket
Books-November 2006. He frequently reviews thrillers for Library
Journal and regularly interviews authors for LJ, the Seattle
Post-Intellgencer, and Writer Magazine. ThrillerFest
ITW's annual celebration of the thriller world is the largest event of its kind, a meeting place for authors, readers, budding writers, and publishing industry professionals.
For 2011, we’ll be back in the heart of New York in July with the ThrillerFest conference including CraftFest and AgentFest.
ThrillerFest VI will be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City.
The dates will be July 6-9, 2011.
More information to follow.
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