Neon Dragon by John F. Dobbyn
Reviewed by Patricia Reid
Michael Knight is a young lawyer in a large firm arguing a motion before Judge Amos Bradley. Rumor has it that Judge Bradley is destined to be the next African American justice on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. When Judge Bradley calls Knight into his chambers and announces that he wants Knight to defend his son in a criminal matter, Knight is shocked. He is even more shocked to discover the criminal matter is a murder charge.
A senior partner in Knight’s firm is Lex Devlin. Once one of the foremost criminal defense attorneys in Boston, Devlin has withdrawn from defense work in recent years. Judge Bradley is hoping that Devlin can assist Knight in the defense. Devlin was once accused of jury tampering although it was never proven. This is the reason that Devlin quit handling criminal defense.
Judge Bradley’s son is accused of murdering an old man during a Chinatown New Year Celebration. Knight goes into Chinatown undercover with the help of his friend Harry Wong. Knight’s goal is not only to uncover what really happened the night of the shooting but also to prove that Devlin was not guilty of jury tampering.
The story that is revealed is an interesting one and Knight’s methods for obtaining information are even more interesting. Neon Dragon gives the reader a lot of insight into criminal activities in the Chinese community.
