A Picture of Guilt, by Libby Fisher Hellman, a-minus, Narrated by Beth Richmond, Produced by Books in Motion, Downloaded from audible.comEllie writes and produces training films and other films for corporations. Ellie, who doesn’t pay much attention to the news, sees a Chicago Tribune article about a man who is on trial for murdering his girl friend. Ellie knows she’s seen him somewhere, and finally realizes that she saw him passed out in a park while they were filming for a documentary. In fact, he is on their film. When she checks out the film, she realizes that there is a lot of distortion or radio interference, but the pictures of the man are still clear enough. The log showing time and place of the pictures indicate that they were taken at the same time period in which the murder took place for which he is on trial, and she realizes that the pictures might be an alibi for him. She turns them over to a defense lawyer, and she ends up having to be a witness at the trial trying to prove his alibi. The prosecution makes mincemeat of her on the stand, and she goes home convinced that she will let things go. But she finds she’s being blacklisted by her corporate clients for having participated in the trial with pictures taken during a shoot. And other people won’t let the matter rest either. She is followed, and all kinds of people, from the FBI to some suspicious characters try to get close to her. She realizes that they want something from her, and she finally realizes that they want the copy of the tape she still has with the picture on it, but they want it to find out about the radio wave interference seen earlier in the tape. This is a page-turner thriller with some angst thrown in for Ellie as Rachel acts up in typical teenage fashion. This is a good book.
The second book in the Ellie Foreman series, "A Picture Of Guilt", from author Libby Fischer Hellmann is another amazing read. This yarn opens with Ellie and her daughter Rachel visiting West Virginia, along with her boyfriend David Linden. A harrowing experience on the white water rapids Ellie and Rachel are ready to go home. Meanwhile David has met a royal Sheik, Abdul. David and Abdul begin a business relationship. Back home near Chicago, Johnnie Santoro is on trial for the murder of his girlfriend Mary Jo Bosanick. It's pretty much a slam dunk for the prosecution. However, Ellie realizes she's seen Johnny far away from crime at exact time of murder. Running to testify for defense, Ellie is met with a huge surprise. Her personal and professional lives become muddled after testifying for Santoro who is easily convicted. Soon the FBI thinks Ellie is dealing with the Mafia. Ellie must battle disingenuous FBI agents, arsonists, and suspected terrorists galore. An exciting read, it was so hard to put down. Story within the plot was exceptional. The twists and turns molding story really gave the book a lot of jump. A very enjoyable read as all of author Libby Fischer Hellmann's books have been to date. She is a writer that spins a very good story. The amazing characters from the story really help add to the story telling. Built with depth and life the characters add a nice dimension to the book. Now one of my very favorite writers, Libby Fischer Hellmann, is an amazing story teller. If you haven't already discovered her books do yourself a favor and track one down. I'd highly recommend "A Picture Of Guilt" for those you enjoy a really good mystery/ thriller. 5 stars out of a possible 5 stars. Don't miss this one for sure !
What do You think about A Picture Of Guilt (2003)?
I originally tried to read this book immediately after the first Ellie Foreman book, which was fantastic. I couldn't get into the plot then, and I think I was comparing it too much to the first story in the series. This time around, it was a much faster paced read. I like Hellmann's later character, Georgia Davis, better than Ellie. I find Ellie to be overly dramatic and self-centered. I found myself constantly being disappointed by her behavior in this story, and her wild leaps from a minor clue to a crazy conspiracy theory. However, the plot was interesting and the supporting characters are great. Hellmann also does a great job with the setting.
—Lisa
