{"product_id":"the-dead-hand-michael-a-kahn-9781464206795","title":"The Dead Hand","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSt Louis lawyer Rachel Gold deals with many a family drama, mostly of the dysfunctional variety. Divorce. Paternity. And death. Occasionally, all three combine into a \"dead hand\" trifecta, where the deceased seeks to control the living--and especially his descendants--from beyond the grave.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRachel calls them \"zombies.\" The legal term for such inheritance plans is \"the dead hand,\" the English translation of the Old French term \"mortmain.\" The term refers to the attempt by wealthy individuals to exert perpetual ownership over property (and future generations) through legal documents prepared before they die. But not even the most obsessed tycoon or his skilled attorneys can foresee every future contingency. To quote the old Yiddish maxim, \"Man plans, and God laughs.\" And angry descendants sue.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt's so true. Rachel suddenly finds herself representing two women--one a young widow, one an older divorcee--in a pair of nasty zombie cases where the outcome of each hinges upon a clause in a contested estate plan.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eClient Cyndi Mulligan is the trophy widow of the late Bert Mulligan, a billionaire entrepreneur whose last will and testament left his estate to Cyndi's unborn daughter. The challenge comes from Bert's angry first wife and her angrier only son. Their claim: Cyndi's daughter--born eleven months after Bert's death--cannot possibly be Bert's child.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the other case, Rachel represents Marsha Knight, the first wife of the wealthy founder of a women's lingerie manufacturer. Marsha has been sued by his young widow, who seeks to invalidate Marsha's divorce settlement and, in the process, impoverish her through invocation of the ancient and nearly inscrutable Rule Against Perpetuities.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs the trial date approaches in each lawsuit, the threats to Rachel and her two clients begin to escalate. Zombies, as Rachel discovers, are hard to kill. And even worse, they can still kill--and where least expected.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Dead Hand\u003c\/em\u003e is written with the verve, humor, and legal smarts that are trademark Michael Kahn.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Michael a. Kahn\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1464206791\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781464206795\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Poisoned Pen Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/06\/2016\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 240\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.67lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.50h x 5.51w x 0.54d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 07\/01\/2016 pg. 44\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 07\/04\/2016\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e 09\/15\/2016 pg. 25","brand":"Michael a. Kahn","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48659393413375,"sku":"9781464206795","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-dead-hand-michael-a-kahn-9781464206795","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}