Eclipse

This novel starts in Africa then moves to America. There is a long lead in to the point where the mystery takes over from not so interesting background.

Oil. Lust. Power. Villagers in Africa exploited. Not a great start for a novel aimed at the American market. Then there is a murder and the murdered man's wife used to be the girlfriend of a an American lawyer named Damon Pierce. Now the American audience is interested. There is such a long run in to the main dramatic act, the murder, then the main character, te lawyer, that I lost interest after a while.

If you can get past the first few chapters, you reach a trial drama of interest to people who like trial dramas. I would not put this up there with a Grisham trial story because of the blown out introductory story.