The Outside Man: A Novel

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Random House Publishing Group, Feb 12, 1982 - Fiction - 320 pages
The outside man is society lawyer Adam Shaw. A northerner in a southern town jealous of its secrets, he finds the dead body of his best friend's wealthy wife -- and his friend is missing.
In a world where wealthy people will stop at nothing to maintain a genteel image, Shaw must gamble his career, his marriage, and his very life in a passionate quest for the real murderer -- and learn the shocking truth about his own past and future . . . .
"A classic detective story." -- The New York Times Book Review
"Rich, complex, beautifully written." -- The New Republic
"Richard North Patterson seems destined for celebrity status, alongside Scott Turow and John Grisham, as an acknowledged master." -- Los Angeles Times Book Review

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About the author (1982)

Richard North Patterson is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 20 novels, a former chairman of Common Cause, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Formerly a trial lawyer, Patterson served as the US Security and Exchange Commission's liaison to the Watergate special prosecutor. He lives in San Francisco and on Martha's Vineyard with his wife, Dr. Nancy Clair.

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