Book Description
In the heart-stopping finale of the Dead trilogy, tough guy Michael Forsythe -- bad-boy antihero of the critically acclaimed Dead I Well May Be and The Dead Yard -- returns to his native Ireland, where a dangerous and beautiful old flame forces Michael to look for her daughter, who has mysteriously disappeared in Belfast.
Laying low in South America, Michael has been running security for the Miraflores Hilton in Lima, Peru, juggling temperamental tourists, irksome dignitaries, and the occasional lady of the night. But Michael's colorful life in Lima comes to a violent halt with the arrival of two Colombian hit men who trap him in one of the hotel's rooms and force him at gunpoint to take a call from Bridget Callaghan in Ireland.
Michael and Bridget have a lot of history. For one, they used to be lovers. For another, Michael killed Bridget's husband. Bridget offers Michael a terrible choice: come find my daughter, or my men will kill you -- now.
Michael arrives in Dublin on Bloomsday, June 16th, the date that James Joyce's Ulysses takes place -- but whether this coincidence augurs well for him or foretells his end can't yet be known. In the span of this single day, he penetrates the heart of an IRA network, is kidnapped, escapes, then worms his way into the criminal underground in search of the missing girl. Never certain who to trust, Michael keeps his revolver close at hand -- and doesn't hesitate to use it -- outsmarting at every turn any number of determined would-be assassins.
Before the day is out, on a windswept ocean cliff, Michael finds himself face-to-face with the kidnappers as well as the lovely and murderous Bridget. It is there that he must finally confront a series of shocking truths -- not just about others but, above all, about himself as well.
Riveting, violent, witty, and lyrical, The Bloomsday Dead is vintage McKinty. Packed with crackling dialogue and one-of-a-kind characters, here is an unforgettable new crime novel from a master of literary suspense and the author of The Dead Yard, which Publishers Weekly named one of the fifteen best novels of 2006.
Customer Reviews:
Slainte, Mr. Forsythe!.......2007-05-15
In this, which the dust jacket says IS the last of the Forsythe series, Michael Forsythe is forced to return to Ireland in order to help the woman he fell in love with and whose fiance he killed in the first book of the series.
When we first see Forsythe in this one, he is in Peru, heading up security for a hotel. For a moment--just one brief one--it seems he may have found some peace after all, a place where he can use his skills but not in overtly violent ways. But then, and quickly, it all goes to pot, and Forsythe is given a choice: return to help me look for my daughter, or die after this conversation.
Forsythe returns for more than one reason. He wants to help Bridget find her daughter, who has been kidnapped. He wants to see Bridget again. He wants a chance at getting rid of the albatross he's had hanging around his neck for years: Bridget wants him dead, revenge for the fiance he killed in her presence all those years ago.
The hunt for Bridget's daughter takes up a big part of the book, of course, but so do other things equally enthralling. For one, Forsythe is MUCH more in tune with who he is in this book. In the first book, he was an angel of death who didn't really much twig to the fact that he trailed doom wherever he went. Now, though, he's very much aware of it. Very much prepared to go where that takes him. He hurts people, kills them, and loses very little sleep over it. He's never lost a lot of sleep, but now he loses none.
The tension between Forsythe and Bridget makes this novel stand out even more than the previous two. Forsythe seems to encounter people who want him dead or in incredible pain every few pages or so, and it's a wonder he can keep his head straight through all the beatings and chases. I must admit that at first I thought "he can't possible be upright after that kind of beating" and "he can't possibly be thinking straight after getting the crap kicked out of him" several times in this one, but one of the things that becomes clear here is how Forsythe compartmentalizes and uses pain to move forward.
All in all, this was a satisfying third novel. I will miss Mr. Forsythe, but the end of this one seems natural, not contrived.
Now--on to another McKinty (a non-Forsythe one)!
Great book.......2007-05-12
This book was great it was just as good as Dead I Well May Be and i cant wait to read the dead yard, its the most violent books ive ever read and i love it
Adrian Mckinty is a great writer and i will read every book he writes
Is this the end for Michael?.......2007-05-07
I had great misgivings about the third
(and final?) installment of the series
featuring Michael Forsyth, but am here
to report Bloomsday Dead was wonderful.
The audio narration was spot on, with
the suspense stretching me out until
the final scene. The ending seemed
abrupt, in the middle of the last CD
of the audiobook. I was surprised, as
normally the audiobook goes to the
very end of the last CD. Dare we
hope to see more of Michael in the
future?
Terrific third (but hopefully not final) Michael Forsythe novel.......2007-03-31
Very enjoyable novel, performed by a great reader (in the audiobook version). Read or listen to the other two books, _Dead I Well May Be_ and _The Dead Yard_, before you read this one. I hope this won't be the last Michael Forsythe novel!
Harlequin does Bonnie and Clyde.......2007-03-14
Little spoiler bits alert...
I listened to this as an [...] download, as I had McKinty's previous books. Gerard Doyle continues to wear the skin of Michael Forsythe...he's amazing.
The first half of this book was vintage McKinty and it was wonderful. The conversation about Ulysses with a fellow plane passenger was hilarious; I was laughing out loud. The witty and sarcastic one-liners are very much in evidence, though some didn't seem as fresh this time around. Gerard Doyle even sounds older as he reads the older (but not much wiser) Michael. He's 40% of the magic of McKinty's books, IMHO. But by the second half, I had figured everything out. It was pretty plain what was going on, who the mystery person was, who Siobhan was, etc., but I still wanted to speed ahead to see if Michael makes it out alive. I was half-way hoping he'd go out in Bonnie and Clyde style, but instead, McKinty chooses to experiment with what would happen if Scorsese wrote a Harlequin romance. After it was over, I slumped in my chair and said, "What?! She's combing the kid's hair?!"
The wit, the lyrical language, the very graphic violence are the hallmarks of a McKinty book and they are fully evident here. Not as funny as the first book in the trilogy, not as bite-your-nails intense as the second book, but there were small chuckles throughout the book and a fair amount of pacing back and forth. The writing was just as beautiful. However, once Michael has his first conversation with Bridget, it's as if McKinty's mind was being pulled elsewhere and he just wrote to get it finished. Why did Michael not ask Slider who the boss was?
An unsatisfying end to the trilogy, but still some of the best books you'll ever read.
Book Description
After a nerve–shattering encounter with military justice in The Accused, Craig Parshall’s third novel, all lawyer Will Chambers wants to do this summer is relax with his wife, Fiona...
A long stay on the North Carolina coast seems perfect. But when Will reluctantly looks into a local inheritance case involving Jonathan Joppa, a down–on–his–luck preacher—
“Piracy charge—Joppa’s ancestor? What...when?”
“Why, for being part of Blackbeard’s pirate crew...in the early 1700s...”
Will just wants to rest, but Fiona keeps insisting there’s something missing...buried. Soon the two have had a near–fatal brush with smugglers—and together they’ve unearthed the truth: about a pirate’s history, about Jonathan Joppa, and about two remarkable women—one in the past, and one in the present.
Customer Reviews:
Best since Parshall's Resurrection File.......2007-01-03
Craig Parshall weaves an excellent tale blending history, fiction and Biblical truth. In recent years Christian Fiction has become a boone to the literary industry. Books and stories published by many are thin and underdeveloped reading more like witnessing tracts than novels. I urge anyone with a liking for Grisham to pick up Parshall.
Book 4.......2004-06-04
Once more, Will Chambers is faced with a mystery set in the past, three hundred years to be exactly. To clear up a disputed legacy, he has to prove the innocence of a man accused of being one of Blackbeard's pirates. If he fails, a local good ol' boy/ godfather will take control of an island meant to go to a country pastor. The case is difficult, relying on ancient court records and interpretation. Complicating Will's life further, his beloved Fiona is pregnant, and wants to help him.
*** The latest entry in a Christian's Perry Mason series is a bit slower than the first three. Fans of history will admire the research and detail that go into bringing past and present to equal life. ***
Reviewed by Amanda Killgore.
Keeps Getting Better and Better!!!.......2004-04-05
MISSING WITNESS, book number four in the Chambers of Justice series, presents Will Chambers with the most difficult challenge of his career. Talk about cold cases! He has to prove that Isaac Joppa, who lived more than 300 years ago, was innocent of piracy. Despite the lack of historical documentation, Will begins this seemingly impossible investigation. He skillfully follows what few threads he has and starts to unravel the mystery that surrounds the most infamous dweller on the Reverend Jonathan Joppa's family tree.
If Isaac Joppa's innocence can be proved, Reverend Joppa will inherit Stony Island off the coast of North Carolina, left to him by Randolph Willowby, a distant cousin who was also related to the alleged pirate. Of course there are those who benefit if Will loses the case. Enter the dastardly Blackjack Morgan, who is certain that the secret to Blackbeard's buried booty is hidden on the island. Morgan is a good ol' boy godfather type who seems to have everyone in his debt, including Judge Hawsley Gadwell who is trying this unusual case. But loyalty through intimidation seldom lasts and one wonders which of Morgan's lackeys will be plotting to betray him first.
Once again Parshall comes through with a cast of fascinating characters played against a backdrop jam-packed with history, suspense and legal maneuverings. Will's beautiful wife, Fiona is having serious difficulty carrying their first child, there are intermittent chapters that detail Isaac Joppa's adventures, and there is the drama surrounding Reverend Joppa's struggle with his faith. These are back-stories that intrigue but never distract. Another winner for Craig Parshall.
Average customer rating:
- A complete bore...
- disappointing
- Whassup???!!!
- Joan Wolf Returns to Form
- Warm contemporary romantic suspense
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That Summer
Joan Wolf
Manufacturer: Thorndike Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book
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ASIN: 0786260750 |
Book Description
A New York Times Bestselling Author
Growing up in Virginia horse country, Anne Foster helped her father train prize Thoroughbreds at the Wellington family's racing farm, and longed for the boy beyond her reach, Liam Wellington. But something shattered those dreams, and Anne fled. Ten years later, she returns as a successful veterinarian to face the man she still loves and the dangerous, explosive truth.
Customer Reviews:
A complete bore..........2003-10-30
As I was reading THAT SUMMER a Kentucky saying kept floating through my mind, "If he (she) had a brain, he'd (she'd) take it out and play with it." Anne, the heroine of THAT SUMMER, acted brainless throughout much of the novel. The word juvenile also comes to mind with regards to this heroine. I almost wished Anne had taken her brain out and played with it at times. Might have been more interesting than this story.
Anne had come back to Virginia for her father's funeral and to spend a month with her grieving mother. So what does the heroine spend her time doing? Accepting dates almost every night to make Liam, the hero and the man she has loved since the age of six, jealous. She even dates one suitor, a local cop, to learn particulars (to help Liam, of course) about the murder that happened ten years before. A murder in which Liam and his cousin were prime suspects - even though the body wasn't found at the time. A young, beautiful heiress disappeared the same night as a bloody baseball bat - a bat belonging to Liam - was found in the summerhouse of the hero's family's horse farm. The body conveniently turns up during Anne's month long visit - ten years later.
THAT SUMMER didn't work for me on several levels. One, the romance is plain bland. There is no real intensity between the hero and the heroine. Anne is too busy scheming to gain Liam's attention for the couple to spend any quality time together throughout most of the book. Two, the murder is too shadowy to really be interesting. This mystery is relegated to the back burner through most of the story and solved too hurriedly toward the end of the book. Finally, the horse racing aspect of the story was also glossed over. None of the atmosphere surrounding, say, the Kentucky Derby was evident in That Summer, partially because of Ms. Wolf's use of first person point of view. Anne was too obsessed with Liam to take note of or to describe details of the Derby's pageantry.
THAT SUMMER was hampered by that first person point of view. I personally have never liked first person narrative because I find it restrictive to secondary characters. My sentiment is evident in the one-dimensional, shadowy characters peopling THAT SUMMER. Liam can do little more than scowl when Anne purposely mentions her many dates to him. Oh, and he whines really well, too.
My biggest grip with this story though is Anne. She is a shallow, selfish, obsessive character who tramples over other character's feelings without much thought. She convinces other characters to lie to the police about the murder ten years before. She knows Liam couldn't have murdered anyone. Why? Well, just because. She has the same sentiment about his cousin - another suspect. And then in the next breath is ready to throw the cousin to the wolves to save Liam. Not exactly the sort of character I'd want to narrate a story. This Wolf piece doesn't flow well because Anne tends to meander. For instance, while she is working with horses, she gives the reader rather lengthy instructions on how to train horses.
Debbie Jett
reviewer, Romance Reader At Heart
disappointing.......2003-10-25
I'm a huge Joan Wolf fan. But her latest is a disappointment. The characters are flat, the plot pointless, and the romance ... well, since there's not a speck of the romantic, it's hard to comment. Save your money and buy one of her older books.
Whassup???!!!.......2003-10-12
What is wrong with Joan Wolf??? Is someone else writing these boring books and using her name? Each book since Someday Soon has been worse than the last.
The plot is flat and obvious. All of the characters are wooden and one dimensional, including the hero and heroine. There is no suspense, no buildup, and no real development of the romance. I kept checking the cover of this book to make sure it was really Wolf.
Joan Wolf Returns to Form.......2003-09-04
"That Summer" is Joan Wolf's third full-length contemporary romance, and with it she has once again found the unique voice that made her Regencies so enjoyable.
Anne Foster has come home for her father's funeral, a home she has avoided for ten years. Her father was the highly successful trainer of Wellington Farms' colts when he died suddenly of a heart attack. Anne's stated reason for taking a month's leave from her veterinary practice was to help her grieving mother, but she also hoped that spending a month around Senator Wellington's son, Liam, would exorcise Liam from her heart.
Anne first met Liam when she was six and he was eight, when her father took the Wellington Farms' job. They grew up together, with Anne loving Liam and Liam regarding her as a little sister. Now that they are 26 and 28, Liam still thinks of Anne as his little sister, but Anne's feelings for Liam haven't been sisterly for a long time. She is taking this opportunity to either get over him or seduce him.
Woven skillfully into Anne and Liam's romance are two more stories: the story of Wellington Farms' promising three-year-old thoroughbred, Someday Soon, and the story of an old crime in which Liam is implicated.
All of this is told from Anne's point-of-view, I am happy to say. There are few romance authors writing from the first person point-of-view - Patricia Gaffney does come to mind - and aside from Ms. Gaffney, I know of none other doing it as well as Ms. Wolf. Anne's distintive voice adds much to a well-told tale.
Welcome back, Ms. Wolf!
Warm contemporary romantic suspense.......2003-09-04
Maryland veterinarian Anne Foster returns home for the funeral of her beloved father in Midville, Virginia. Everybody who knew Pete loved Pete, which just adds to Anne's warm feelings about her dad. She worries how her mother will adapt to the loss of her long time mate so Anne is on a leave of absence for one month to help with the adjustment.
When Anne sees Liam Wellington of Wellington Farms horse racing family, she realizes that she still loves him, but he still considers her his "little Sister". Anne reflects back one decade to the incident that ended everyone's youth: the vanishing and probable murder of Leslie Bartholomew whose body was never found. She wonders who killed the girl. Was it her beloved, his cousin, or their friend? Liam soon realizes that he loves Anne too, not as his sister, but as someone he wants as his wife even while the truth slowly surfaces that point towards him as the culprit who murdered Leslie.
Though the who-done-it takes a back seat for much of the novel, readers will appreciate this warm contemporary romantic suspense due to an engaging cast. Anne is a delightful lead female protagonist who struggles with conflicting feelings about her beloved, as she wants to believe he could not have committed homicide, yet the evidence makes him the likely suspect. The rest of the secondary characters augment Anne's question of who is the killer, but like the heroine they will have to wait until Joan Wolf reveals the killer's identity.
Harriet Klausner
Book Description
A New York Times Bestselling Author
Deep in the woods, a cunning killer is hiding the evidence of his most recent crime. But his work is interrupted by an unwelcome visitor . . . a little boy who has seen it all and must be silenced. Pediatrician Lorrie Ryan has taken her seven-year-old nephew camping to give the hemophiliac boy some time away from his overprotective parents and have the adventure he's always wanted. Then, in one shocking moment, Davey disappears.
Customer Reviews:
Camping Disaster.......2007-06-03
A suspense thriller from a proven author with a light romance to prevent it from being maudlin. Lorrie Ryan takes her cloistered hemophiliac nephew on a camping trip which taps the resources of all concerned.
Fern Michaels', "Picture Perfect" grips the reader into the little boy whose inherited disease has restricted his life. Davy Taylor witnesses the killer attempt to add his mistress to the grave of his friend. His flight to safe is a thriller not to be missed.
A must read for all Fern Michaels fans.
Nash Black, author of "Qualifying Laps" and "Taxes, Stumbling Blocks & Pitfalls for Authors 2007."
Loved This One.......2006-10-15
I enjoy reading novels from Fern Michaels, but this one is very good. One of my favorites from her. A suspense thriller that will keep you turning the pages until the very end.
My first Fern.......2006-05-11
This is the first book that I have read by Fern Michaels, and I am in love. This book kept me on the edge of my seat, and I was not able to put it down longer than an hour. I am hooked, and seeking out more of this author's work.
Picture Perfect.......2006-04-03
'Picture Perfect' is a great book that showcases dysfunction in todays world at every level. 'Picture Perfect' also showcases love and compassion at every level. A great read. Thanks!
Don't buy books at the grocery store.......2006-03-09
I might dust off my science fiction novel if writing of this quality can make it to the best sellers list. Which book did she write that was a NY Times best seller? The characters are over dramatized and flat. At least this book had a story outline. My husband brought me another called "Vendetta" and it is boring and unbelivable. But I trudge through it hoping it may redeem itself. I would believe she is writing for an adolescent audience but the language and situations are a bit rough for that audience.
I will never read another of this author's books.
Average customer rating:
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Arrest & trial: The missing witness
Norman Daniels
Manufacturer: Lancer Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
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ASIN: B0007HR9K0 |
Average customer rating:
- The Hunted
- Hunted - Excellent Second Novel
- Pleasurable Read
- A little too long
- A wild ride...
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The Hunted
Alan Jacobson
Manufacturer: Atria
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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False Accusations
ASIN: 0671026801 |
Book Description
How well do you really know the person you love? How far would you go to find out? If there was one person in the world Dr. Lauren Chambers was sure she could rely on, it was her beloved husband, Michael. Recovering from an agoraphobic depression and prone to episodes of blinding anxiety, Lauren is a gifted psychologist for whom her husband's love and support mean everything. So when Michael suddenly and mysteriously vanishes, Lauren once again finds herself balancing on a knife's edge, haunted more than ever by an all-too-familiar paranoia.
Is there more to it than paranoia, though? Private investigator Nick Bradley believes so. As the pair takes off on a cross-country journey in search of answers -- a search that yields a series of unsettling truths about the husband Lauren believed she knew so well -- bestselling author Alan Jacobson sets into motion a page-turning tale of concealed identities, an assassin's vendetta, and murderous revenge. Once again proving his mastery of the shocking twist and the ingenious turn, Jacobson leads readers on an exhilarating road thriller built for hairpin turns and unexpected detours as Lauren heads for a face-off with the most dangerous secret of all: the truth.
From Alan Jacobson, "one of the brightest stars of the publishing world" (CNN), comes a chilling follow-up to his breakthrough bestseller False Accusations: a high-velocity thriller of deadly revenge and psychological mayhem.
Download Description
If there was one person in the world Lauren Chambers was sure she could rely on, it was her beloved husband, Michael. Recovering from an agoraphobic depression and prone to episodes of blinding anxiety, Lauren is a gifted psychologist for whom her husband's love and support mean everything. So when Michael suddenly and mysteriously vanishes, Lauren once again finds herself balancing on a knife's edge, haunted more than ever by an all-too-familiar paranoia. Is there more to it than paranoia, though? Private investigator Nick Bradley believes so. As the pair takes off on a cross-country journey in search of answers -- a search that yields a series of unsettling truths about the husband Lauren believed she knew so well -- author Alan Jacobson sets into motion a page-turning tale of concealed identities, an assassin's vendetta, and murderous revenge. Once again proving his mastery of the shocking twist and the ingenious turn, Jacobson leads readers on an exhilarating road thriller built for hairpin turns and unexpected detours as Lauren heads for a face-off with the most dangerous secret of all: the truth.
Customer Reviews:
The Hunted.......2007-08-19
This was an excellent book as is his other one. This is not a review but a question. Where the heck is he now. I understand he has three novels ready to go but has publish problems. This has gone on for a very long time. Anyone have an update on this?
Hunted - Excellent Second Novel.......2005-09-16
Alan Jacobson writes in an engaging fashion that makes you not want to put the book down. It is clever how he mentions Philip Madison from False Accusation in the beginning of Hunted. It is a page turner, with an excellent unexpected ending.
Pleasurable Read.......2004-09-06
I actually know the author, and I would like to say that I still remember how much I enjoyed reading the book many years ago, and I congratulate him for such an exciting piece of literature. It is true that it started off a little slow, but there was a lot of plot to develop. After the first hundred or so pages, the story really picks up. I could not put down the book as soon as I got into the heart of the novel. The Hunted is a very enjoyable novel.
A little too long.......2002-06-03
I liked this book well enough but I have to agree with a former reviewer that this story was slow-paced. If some parts could have been edited out (instead of dragging everything out for so long), it would have been better. Other than that, it's not bad.
A wild ride..........2002-04-02
This is the first book by Alan Jacobson I have read - it was a good book and I am looking forward to reading his first book.
THE HUNTED begins with Lauren Chambers upset about her husband's late return from a weekend with his frat buddies. She goes to the police after 48 hours only to find that they have other more high profile cases to focus in on. She is pursuaded to go to a Neighborhood Watch meeting to rally the community to help her. During the meeting she meets a private detective who volunteers to help her.
Meanwhile, her husband turns up on the East coast - shot in the leg and he has amnesia. He cannot remember a thing about his past...and the FBI is looking for him.
This provides the foundation for a suspenseful book that reads like a roller coaster - never knowing what is next. It twists and turns just when you think you know what is going on. The only reason I gave it four out of five stars is that there are a couple of story items that didn't seem possible. A great book nonetheless - I would recommend it to others.
Average customer rating:
- A Literary Mystery for Practicing Lawyers
- Turow comparisons not far off
- Excellent legal thriller from first-time author
- Great Legal Thriller
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Missing Witness
Gordon Campbell
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Contemporary
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Stone Cold
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A Killer's Kiss
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Killer Weekend
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Silent Counsel: A Novel
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Simple Genius
ASIN: 006133751X
Release Date: 2007-09-25 |
Book Description
In this electrifying debut thriller, a brilliant defense lawyer takes on a murder case with ingenious twists
Phoenix, Arizona, 1973. A beautiful woman, armed with a gun and accompanied by her twelve-year-old daughter, enters a house. Shots are fired. The woman and her daughter leave the house. Inside, her husband lies dead.
The case seems open and shut. The cops, the attorney general's office, and the media are certain the woman is guilty. The only witness to the shooting is in a catatonic state and cannot testify. But the murdered man's wealthy father believes he owes the woman something and hires Dan Morgan, the best lawyer in Phoenix, to defend her.
When the legendary criminal attorney takes on a case it's to win, no matter what the odds. But for Morgan and his young protégé, Doug McKenzie, there are no easy answers, only mysteries, and the question of innocence and guilt take on profound new meaning.
Combining the riveting suspense of Presumed Innocent with the raw ambition and power of All the King's Men, this full-bodied novel introduces a writer of great skill and insight into the human character.
Customer Reviews:
A Literary Mystery for Practicing Lawyers.......2007-10-08
As I write this review, "Missing Witness" ranks #23 on the Amazon bestseller list in the category of legal thrillers. It deserves to be even higher, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes the genre. More significantly, I would also recommend it to law students and practicing lawyers, even those who have given up on legal fiction of the type put out by John Grisham. "Missing Witness" contains a fascinating application of trial strategy issues. In fact, I used it in a class I teach at George Washington University Law School. My students and I recently discussed how litigators go about proving that something did not happen. This is generally done by calling a witness from some organization that has a reason to record such an event, like a business or a government agency. In other words, to prove that someone accused of a tax crime had not filed a tax return for a particular year, a federal prosecutor will generally call a witness from the IRS to describe how he/she searched the IRS records and did not come up with any hits. This process follows the Federal Rule of Evidence involving records customarily kept in the course of an organization's business. Is it legally correct? It seems to technically conflict with a constitutional rule that criminal defendants have a right to confront their accusers, a point I learned from a veteran trial lawyer I was fortunate enough to work under early in my career, and I have never seen the paradox described in writing. "Missing Witness" has a scene in which this dilemma is depicted in the context of a phone company employee called to establish that a particular call to the police department did not occur. Reading it, it was almost as if Gordon Campbell was that person who taught me, so similar is his treatment of this fine legal point. It is truly rare to find such a good writer among practicing lawyers and "Missing Witness" is more literary than most legal thrillers. It is a cut above. The characters are flawed like real people, rather than super heroes, and of a type more often seen in books by Faulker or Hemmingway than Grisham or Turow. Let's hope that Campbell is just getting warmed up, and that we can expect more books from him in the future.
Turow comparisons not far off.......2007-10-01
I loved this book. And for me the mystery is secondary to the wonderful characters here, (who have been listed and described in other reviews, along with the plot.) They're all the things that real people are: sometimes wry, sometimes mean, sometimes weak, sometimes strong and ruthless, but always down-to-earth and engagingly human. Not perfect, but you'll enjoy spending time with them and getting to know them better. I really admired the small, subtle touches Campbell used to illuminate character (you'll have to read the novel to discover the many examples), and the perfectly pitched dialogue and arc of each scene. The court room episodes are also nicely done, imparting a lot of legal procedure while allowing the lawyers to breathe, too. And the whodunit, while a surprise, is not the complete shock that would overwhelm the rest of the book. "Missing Witness" has been compared to the legal thrillers of Scott Turow, which seems pretty accurate, though Campbell hasn't achieved the power and pathos present in Turow's best work. Yet.
Also recommended: "A Stranger Lies There" by Stephen Santogrossi, "Power Play" by Joseph Finder.
Excellent legal thriller from first-time author.......2007-09-30
Young lawyer Doug McKenzie turns down a lucrative job at a big city firm in favor of a small partnership in Phoenix, with the stipulation that he be permitted to work with his idol Dan Morgan, who some call the greatest litagator there ever was. During his first few months on the job, however, Doug doesn't even meet Dan, let alone work with him. But then, the daughter-in-law of the firm's biggest client is accused of murdering her husband, and suddently Dan Morgan has another great case to litagate--and Doug, with his own personal connection to the defendent and her family, walks out on another opportunity (a golf tournament) to be at Dan's side. Doug and Dan pull out all of the stops for their beautiful defendent, but as the story continues, the are faced with an unexpected dilemma in the form of their defendant's daughter.
This is a page-turning legal thriller reminiscent of works by legal masters such as Turow and Grisham. In fact, Missing Witness reminded me in particular of the latter's The Firm, as Doug finds himself questioning his own actions as well as those of others around him. The suspense builds throughout the novel, and the reader is treated to some gripping courtroom scenes along the way. The early 70s setting does not seem to add much but is necessary for the legal precedents of that time. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and eagerly away author Campbell's next offering.
Great Legal Thriller.......2007-09-28
Missing Witness is a great book with an underlying moral theme involving legal ethics. Even though it often delved rather deeply into the letter of the law, it was never boring. The book was a fascinating and enjoyable read.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Midstream, published by Theodor Herzl Foundation on January 1, 2005. The length of the article is 3193 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Preparing for the Akedah: the strange case of the two missing witnesses.
Author: Lippman Bodoff
Publication:
Midstream (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2005
Publisher: Theodor Herzl Foundation
Volume: 51
Issue: 1
Page: 33(3)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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