Author: Mary E. Martin

ISBN:  0-595-40760-9

Final Paradox is the second book in the Osgoode Trilogy.  It is about a lawyer named Harry Jenkins who not only is defending his client’s state of mind, but tries to protect Norma Dinnick when it comes to some shares in her estate.  It seems everyone is after those mysterious shares, especially a man named George Pappas.  The reader has no choice but to be drawn into the story because it features the lives of three distinct characters. 

Norma Dinnick wavers from reality to wonderland when she seems to converse with characters from her past in the upstairs apartment of her building.  She also deals with men who are involved in her late husband’s affairs and attempts to keep them away from her estate.  Norma’s lawyer, Harry Jenkins, is pulled into her affairs and doesn’t realize what he gets himself into besides just trying to straighten out her will.  He is involved in problems of his own when his father gets himself into trouble and he must go and help him or risk losing him.  He is conflicted with holding onto the pain of the past or forgiving his father after his mother died.  Peter, who is involved in Norma’s goddaughter, Bronwyn, has a secret life of his own that is quite bizarre.

Final Paradox seems to be centered on Norma’s shares and the reader is left wondering if she really had them at all.  The author did not display Norma as a very wealthy woman so it seems odd that so many people were interested in the contents of her will.  Hopefully, in the last installment, this mystery will be solved and we will find out if the main character really has them or if she has been stringing everyone along in her delusional state of mind.

I found Harry’s father to be quite odd in his behavior toward his son.  One minute he’s upset that he doesn’t have a relationship with his son and the next minute, sometimes in the same conversation, the father acts nonchalant about their relationship.  It’s like a see-saw emotional wave when it comes to Harry and his father.  I am not sure if the author wanted to show the emotional imbalance of his father’s mind but it didn’t seem consistent to the character’s behavior and the situation at hand.  However, Final Paradox is a good read.  Harry’s character stands out from the crowd because he is a strong and caring person who is dedicated to doing the right thing.  He carries the story through to the end.

The above review was contributed by: Jennifer Andrew -Freelance Writer and Reviewer. To read more of Jennifer's reviews CLICK HERE