Sudden Death  (English, Paperback, Rosenfelt David)

Kenny Schilling is a running back for the Giants, a third round pick just blossoming into a star. But is he also a murderer? Fresh off a plane from LA, where he went to discuss a possible movie about his defense of the wrongly-convicted Willie Miller, Andy Carpenter is greeted by a policeman who informs him that Kenny wants to talk to him-and only him. Andy is confused until he learns Kenny is holed up in his apartment and the cops think he killed Troy Preston, a wide receiver for the Jets. Kenny definitely needs a lawyer and Andy seems to be it. Kenny proclaims his innocence, as all Andy's clients do, but this time Andy actually believes him. As he starts to investigate, he learns Troy may not be the only mysteriously murdered football player Kenny has come in contact with. But Andy's mind is also on Laurie, the love of his life, who announces she might leave New Jersey to move back to her hometown. Andy can't believe she might leave him and this occupies his mind even as his own life is threatened by a drug king who may or may not be involved in Troy's murder, someone close to Andy's firm is murdered and a conviction looks more and more certain for Kenny.