From
Orion Tech, Kingwood, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
AbeBooks Seller since 18 February 2015
Seller Inventory # 039915034X-4-27266241
Star Witness is about a man on trial for murder - a man recognized as one of the film industry's most successful writer-directors, a man of mythic drive and talent, and someone who looks more guilty with every passing witness. Attorney Joseph Antonelli - suave, philosophical, fearless, and cagey - takes up the director's defense for the murder of an equally famous young woman. Then the defendant shows Antonelli the script he has been working on for years, a script he considers his masterpiece: the story of a man's rags-to-riches climb to the top that recalls Orson Welles's Citizen Kane, and that includes a visionary film director as its hero. In this fascinating story-within-a-story, the accused reveals his version of the tragedy, the secrets of his relationship with the deceased, and the ominous events that led to her death. In it we see how art can imitate life - and unmask a killer even the court can't find.
Review: Both a legal thriller and a Hollywood novel, Star Witness recounts a sensational murder and trial at the very pinnacle of the movie business. It's also a meditation on the magic--and the deceptive power--of the movies. Mary Margaret Flanders, the most charismatic star in Hollywood, is found nude with her throat cut, floating in the swimming pool of her palatial mansion. The chief suspect is her husband, the brilliant director Stanley Roth. Enter Joseph Antonelli, one of the nation's top criminal-defense lawyers (and the star of four previous DW Buffa tales), who is soon grappling with vicious Hollywood politics, a huge media circus, and a client so complex and unpredictable that even his own lawyer doubts his innocence.
Buffa's courtroom scenes are full of authentic details that reflect his years as a defense lawyer, though they crackle a little less than in his other books. And some readers will surely be bogged down in his distinctive prose style, with its curious, archaic formality ("She was about to tell me something more about the difficulties with which Stanley Roth had to deal"). Nonetheless, this ambitious book offers many pleasures as it plays with our obsessions with celebrities and the movies. Its solution will keep you guessing right up to the last page, and perhaps even beyond. --Nicholas H Allison, Amazon.com
Title: Star Witness
Publisher: Putnam Adult
Publication Date: 2003
Binding: hardcover
Condition: Fair
Seller: Library House Internet Sales, Grand Rapids, OH, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Good. No Jacket. When a successful Hollywood writer-director is placed on trial for a woman's murder, attorney Joseph Antonelli takes the case, which the defendant believes is tied to his new script, a script that recalls elements of "Citizen Kane." Ex-Libris and is stamped as such. Moderate edgewear on the boards. Binding is so loose that the book will stay open to any given page. Please note the image in this listing is a stock photo and may not match the covers of the actual item. Book. Seller Inventory # 123641351
Seller: World of Books (was SecondSale), Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. Item in good condition. Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00089338343
Seller: World of Books (was SecondSale), Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. Item in good condition. Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00086934872
Seller: Books End Bookshop, Syracuse, NY, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good+. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. First Edition; First Printing. Signed by author on tipped-in page; single stain to front board; rubbing to DJ; 9.0 X 6.3 X 1.4 inches; 400 pages; Signed by Author. Signed By Author. Seller Inventory # 183166
Seller: Greenworld Books, Arlington, TX, U.S.A.
Condition: good. Fast Free Shipping â" Good condition. It may show normal signs of use, such as light writing, highlighting, or library markings, but all pages are intact and the book is fully readable. A solid, complete copy that's ready to enjoy. Seller Inventory # GWV.039915034X.G
Seller: WorldofBooks, Goring-By-Sea, WS, United Kingdom
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # GOR006101911
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Condition: Very Good. First Edition. Former library copy. Pages intact with possible writing/highlighting. Binding strong with minor wear. Dust jackets/supplements may not be included. Includes library markings. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good. Seller Inventory # GRP62144111
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. First Edition. Former library copy. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Includes library markings. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good. Seller Inventory # 513241-6
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. First Edition. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good. Seller Inventory # 7692358-75
Seller: Top Notch Books, Tolar, TX, U.S.A.
Hard Cover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. First Printing. Jacket and boards have only light wear. Pages are clean, text has no markings, binding is sound. Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Seller Inventory # 226529A