Anatomy of a Murder (Traver)

Anatomy of a Murder
Robert Traver, 1958
St. Martin's Press
448 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780312033569


Summary
A gripping legal thriller, Anatomy of a Murder is based on a true the story of the sensational trial of a young soldier accused of murdering a town's well-known tavern owner. In the novel, fictional defense attorney Paul Biegler agrees to defend Frederick Manion—a seemingly impossible task: Manion admits to the killing and there is no shortage of eye-witnesses willing to testify against him.

The story becomes Biegler's as underdog in a tough contest against a high-powered prosecutorial team. Biegler must find a way to legally justify the act in such a way as to overcome the natural sympathies and consciences of the jury. It seems an insurmountable challenge—until Biegler begins to dig beneath the surface and uncovers startling facts have not yet come to light. The truth is far more complex than anyone imagined.

More
First published by St. Martin's in 1958, Robert Traver's Anatomy of a Murder immediately became the number-one bestseller in America, and was subsequently turned into the successful and now classic Otto Preminger film. For the twenty-fifth birthday of a work that is not only the most popular courtroom drama in American fiction, but one of the most popular novels of our time, St. Martin's is proud to introduce this special anniversary edition, with a new introduction by the author.

A gripping tale of deceit, murder, and a sensational trial, Anatomy of a Murder is unmatched in the authenticity of its settings, events, and characters. This new edition should delight both loyal fans of the past and an entire new generation of readers. (From the publisher's 25th anniversary edition.)