Books with author Norman Bate

A forbidden marriage, jealous colleagues, the struggle for power, and murder. It’s a story as old as time —and as old as Shakespeare.Modern day Manhattan. A hundred-hour-plus workweek, minimum. No complaints. TGO fed you and, if necessary seduced and bedded you in order to service the clients and their enormous deals. No question this was home, though this was not family. This was better than family. And Odell was their leader.Enter into the life of Odell Moore, one of New York’s most successful lawyers, an African-American who finds his life turned sideways when he meets the woman of his dreams. Dee is the southern white daughter of one of Alabama’s elite, a racist with possible ties to the KKK. Her father’s anger about their inter-racial marriage force them to elope, and the couple escapes into another world of danger, jealousy and deceit in the Manhattan legal world. As their marriage is tested, their values challenged, and their friendships tried, will they last? Then there’s a murder, and Odell is a suspect. Did he do it? This legal thriller will leave you breathless to the very last page of Norman Bacal’s debut novel. Reminiscent of Othello, it is the first in a series of novels based on Shakespeare’s work.

"A page-turning, pot-boiler of a read." -Robert Cooper, former president, HBO Pictures Odell Moore is a successful partner at one of Manhattan's leading law firms, an African-American all-star who manages teams of lawyers on the largest transactions in America. Odell's always played by the rules-until he falls for Dee, the daughter of a prominent Alabama senator. The two lovers elope, avoiding the censure of the senator who is deeply opposed to their mixed-race marriage. As the conflict between Odell and the senator deepens, the senator turns to Jackson Sherman, a family friend and Odell's trusted protégé, to cause a rift between his daughter and Odell. Driven by overwhelming ambition, Jackson will stop at nothing to become a partner. But things don't go according to Jackson's plan. A dead body is discovered in Odell's penthouse apartment, and Dee is severely injured. Two detectives are convinced that Odell is the culprit. But did he do it? Even Odell isn't certain. Odell descends into a personal hell that requires him to confront a secret from his past. With no shortage of suspects or plot twists, Odell's Fall will hold the reader rapt until the very last page. NORMAN BACAL is the Globe and Mail and Amazon.ca bestselling author of Breakdown, a memoir about the rise and fall of Heenan Blaikie, one of Canada's most prestigious law firms. Bacal was formerly managing partner of Heenan Blaikie and an expert in film and television finance (he sat on the board of directors of Lionsgate Entertainment for almost ten years and advised many Hollywood studios). Bacal also speaks regularly to university students and professionals. He is married to Sharon, a portrait artist. They have four children and five grandchildren.