Fate throws a curveball at the San Francisco ex-husband- and-wife legal team of Mike Daley and Rosie Fernandez, when Mike picks up the phone and hears the voice of Leon Walker. Years ago, Walker and his brother participated in a botched stickup that left a man dead. Through a series of (some said) questionable maneuvers, Mike got the charges dropped, but he and Rosie battled each other as well as the legal system throughout the process and the case ruined their marriage.

And now, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist has been found dead in a dumpster on San Francisco's skid row. The murder has been pinned on Walker, but he not only tells Mike that he's innocent, he says he's a dying man and doesn't want to go to his grave proclaimed a murderer. Dogged investigation, courtroom nimbleness and a healthy dose of luck usually have helped Mike and Rosie before, but it looks like it'll take more than that to prevail this time, and time is running out-both on their client and, just maybe, their partnership.

Filled with immensely likeable characters, powerful suspense and Siegel's trademark humor, Final Verdict is, like the author's first three books, "a page-turner of the finger-burning kind" (San Francisco Chronicle).

Sound interesting? Read the first chapter to learn more about the latest adventures of Mike Daley and friends.