Jim Cotter speaks with Philadelphia lawyer-turned-novelist James Kimmell, Jr. His first work of fiction, The Trial of Fallen Angels, is published by the high-profile Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam imprint. The novel follows the surreal journey of a trial lawyer searching for answers in the afterlife. There, she is called upon to return to her profession, prosecuting and defending other souls at their eternal judgment. At one point she even puts God on trial for the great flood.
The crux of the story is whether forgiveness and empathy, rather than revenge, can ever become tenets of the justice system. This philosophy is what eventually caused Kimmel to abandon the law, and take up the pen.