Author Lawrence Steward’s novel offers a gratifying portrait of an aging attorney’s decision to take on one last criminal case before retirement, despite a haunting earlier failure.
It’s 1984 in Millhaven, Indiana. Fred Calder, a 64-year-old attorney who is “winding down” a 34-year career of being “adequate at a profession that deserved better,” is approached by Danny Stokes, an accused murderer who asks for Fred’s representation. Danny insists he’s innocent despite his criminal record and lying to police about being at the murder scene.
Representing Danny poses an opportunity for redemption. In 1960, Fred defended a rape case without knowing how to strategize against the prosecution’s forensic evidence. His client was convicted and stabbed to death while incarcerated. Tormented by remorse and wanting never again to be unprepared, Fred delved into forensic science and became “competent at something he should have been competent at before it mattered.” Now, believing he’s equipped to present a persuasive defense, Fred takes Danny’s case.
Written in a direct narrative style, the novel offers a compelling behind-the-scenes look at how attorneys prepare for murder trials and champion their clients’ interests. Excellent dialogue sets an engaging pace, especially during courtroom scenes that provide attack-and-counterattack suspense. Elegant, discerning prose contributes to a solemn yet pleasing tone, smoothly advancing Fred’s pursuit of justice.
Steward also delivers dynamic character development. It’s fulfilling to follow Fred as he moves from anguish to decisiveness. Danny, too, is skillfully nuanced, growing quieter as trial approaches in the “way people got quiet when something large was approaching, and conversation no longer seemed proportionate to it.”
Some passages repeat verbatim, possibly Steward’s stylistic choice but unnecessary to plot progression. Curiously, readers don’t learn that Fred is divorced until three-fourths of the way through, and the novel’s humdrum title is regrettable for a work that triumphs on many storytelling levels.
These, however, are minor quirks. The Last Record is a page-turning, affecting tale that delivers a fully satisfying ending.