Book Review- Richard North Patterson- Eyes of a Child

Richard North Patterson- Eyes of a Child 3 Stars

When Teresa’s soon-to-be-ex-husband is found dead, it looks like suicide until the crime scene techs say otherwise. The police have brought their custody battle front and center and have brought up the possible child abuse of her daughter. All of this is the reason why they are looking at her boyfriend and employer as the prime suspect in the murder. The trial will test them all and bring them to the brink. The question is can they survive the ordeal? Or will it destroy them?

I loved the introduction to this book, it grabbed my attention immediately. However the whole rest of the first quarter, although intriguing, was frustrating, and I did not quite believe that her current husband could get away with everything he got away with. I also did not know why Teresa did not see exactly what had happened to her daughter. The trail section of the book was really good. It was gripping and very well written. Then came the final section. Things just got wrapped up a little too neatly for me, and I kind of thought that it was unnecessarily perfect. The characters in the book were pretty good, but could have used a little bit more realism. Overall the book was a good one time read, and the middle section really saved the book for me.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com.

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/

Book Review- Michael Connelly- The Reversal

Michael Connelly- The Reversal (Vision Books 2011) 4.25 Stars

Mickey Haller has been handed a case, only this time it is not on the defence side, it’s on the side of the prosecution. He has been asked to be an independent prosecutor, to keep things away from the DA’s office. He has only agreed to take the case as he truly believes that the man is guilty. Jessup has just been released from prison after DNA evidence has overturned his sentence in the murder of a young girl. Now the DA’s office wants him retried and they cannot be the ones in the driver’s seat. Mickey Haller has agreed as long as he can use his ex-wife Maggie and investigator Harry Bosch. Little does he realise just how dangerous things can get.

This one had a little bit of a slower start, but it was interesting to see Haller being presented with a case out of the norm for him. I love how Connelly brings in characters from his other series’ as it is always great to get an update on how they are doing and what they are up to. Connelly does such a great job with all of his characters. They are so full of depth and show emotion like I could imagine they would in real life. I love seeing Haller at work in the courtroom, even though I don’t normally like courtroom books. The plot was also pretty good and flowed smoothly. It had some good twists, but was not completely unpredictable. I must also say that I loved the ending, as it was not your average conclusion. Overall I enjoyed this book and thought it was a good instalment in both the Lincoln Lawyer series and the Harry Bosch series.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com.

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/

Book Review- Paul Levine- Solomon vs Lord

Paul Levine- Solomon vs Lord (Bantam Books 2005) 3.5 Stars

Steve Solomon is a wily lawyer whose tricks are well known in the courtroom. Victoria Lord is a rookie lawyer with something to prove and a stickler for the rules. After getting her fired, he will partner with her for a high profile murder trial. It will be a balance of sticking to the law and playing with the law, which could either work out great, or land them both in a cell.

The beginning of this book was an interesting way to start and prepared me for a very amusing read. It did take a while to get to the point and lacked focus. It was an okay plot though and made for a good read. It was not the most realistic of books, but made up for with great characters and a lot of laugh out loud scenes. I do not know if I have laughed so much with a book in quite a while. One thing I did not like was all the sexual parts, but some of these were kind of funny as well. Overall this book was a good one time read and I would be interested in reading more by this author.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com.

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/

Book Review- Michael Connelly- The Brass Verdict

Michael Connelly- The Brass Verdict (Little, Brown and Company 2008) 4.25 Stars

When Mickey Haller was shot after his last court case, he became addicted to the pain killers. He has now completed his rehab and is looking to ease back into the courtroom scene, but fate has something else in mind. A friend of his is murdered and all his cases are thrown into Mickey Haller’s lap, including the case of a lifetime. A big movie producer has been accused of killing his wife and her lover, and it is Haller’s job to get him off, but will it come with a bigger price tag than he is willing to pay?

I loved the introductory page in this novel. It made me laugh out loud and I had to read it to my wife. After that it tapers a little as it sets you up for all the thrilling pages to follow. I love the characters in this novel; they have a lot of depth. I also enjoy how Connelly ties in characters from his other books, as it keeps you up to date with what is going on in their lives. The plot in this book was great, it twists and turns leaving you unsure about what to expect; you just never know who to believe, but Connelly kind of prepares you for that with the introduction. It then ends with a bang and a personal twist you likely won’t see coming. I actually don’t have any real complaints with this one, except maybe wishing it had gotten fast-paced a little quicker, but that is just being picky.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com.

Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/

Book Review- Michael Connelly- The Lincoln Lawyer

Michael Connelly- The Lincoln Lawyer (Warner Books 2006) 4 Stars

Mickey Haller thinks he has a good life, four Lincoln Town Cars, two ex-wives who remain his friends, and one daughter, but all of that is about to be threatened. When he chooses to defend the son of a rich real estate tycoon, he has no idea just what he is getting himself into. He sees the money and what it could do for his defence-attorney business. Louis Roulet is accused of a brutal assault, rape, and attempted murder, and Haller thinks he can win in court. All of a sudden Mickey Haller finds himself looking the devil in the eye, and fighting to set a truly innocent man free. Not used to having to work to win a case, true justice may not be so easy to get, especially when it could cost him everything he has accomplished.

I must admit at first I was not sure about The Lincoln Lawyer. It did not grab my attention right away like I am used to with Connelly’s work. I was getting a little bit tired of so many details on cases that were irrelevant to the story at hand. About a quarter of the way through though I was finding myself growing more and more interested, and by the end I was very glad that I had chosen to read this book. Connelly knows how to hold his readers in suspense and keep them guessing. I did not see the end coming, not until it slapped me in the face. Mickey Haller was a fairly deep character. At the start he is a self-absorbed, lazy defence attorney, but throughout the book we see him learning the error of his ways, the hard way. By the end he is a better man, who has gotten his priorities straightened out. I loved the way he was able to twist the events/witnesses into whatever he wanted, sickening, but brilliant. Connelly certainly knows how to create characters, and make plots that draw the reader into the book.

I recommend The Lincoln Lawyer to Connelly fans and those who love a good courtroom book.

For more of my book reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/

Book Review- John Grisham- The Partner

John Grisham- The Partner (Island Books 1998) 3.5 Stars

After stealing ninety million dollars from his law firm Patrick Lanigan has been running for four years. He has been traveling around the world hiding from those who wish to hunt him down and get their money back. In Brazil they finally track him down. Now he is being hauled back to the States to face the trial of a lifetime. His lawyer is trying to come up with a defence, but he gets the feeling that he is not being presented with all the facts. Meanwhile Patrick’s lover and partner in crime, is working to set him free. Only one thing can possibly keep him from jail…the truth.

John Grisham has done a great job with this one. The Partner keeps you guessing all the way through, you never know all of the facts until the very last page. The reader finds out the facts as Lanigan’s lawyer finds them out, each and every detail is a shocker. You cannot possibly guess all of the twists involved in this novel. The characters in this novel are well-done, although I would have liked a little bit more depth. The plot was very intriguing and it was interesting to see how Lanigan could twist the system to work for his needs. I loved the introduction as it set the stage for everything in your mind. It grabbed your attention and made you want to know more, so you read on and you don’t want to stop. There is so much information and so many details to watch for that you need to pay attention while reading it. As much as I loved this book, I had one major complaint, the ending! The end of the book was disappointing, all that build up for that! I am still glad I read it though.

I recommend The Partner to Grisham fans and those who enjoy lawyer dramas.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: the case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

www.eloquentbooks.com/kidsonacase.html

Book Review- Joseph Finder- High Crimes

Joseph Finder- High Crimes (Avon Books 2002) 4 Stars

Claire Heller Chapman, hotshot attorney, has her life shaken up one evening when FBI agents suddenly try to arrest her husband and he pulls moves she did not know he was capable of to escape. When they finally bring him in, she must defend him against charges only a maniac could be responsible for. Could it be that her husband is someone she doesn’t really know? Everything is at risk for her and someone unknown seems to be pulling the strings on this classified, high profile case. She begins to realize that she may have gotten herself in too deep, the question now is can she save both herself and her husband?

High Crimes is an exciting thrill ride through the courts of American military justice. I have ordered the movie version as well and am anxious to see how Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman portray this great novel. I enjoyed the twists and turns and although I saw a bit of the ending coming, I did not see all of it. The plot and storyline were very well done and held onto my attention all the way through. I also really liked Claire Heller Chapman’s character, although slightly naïve at times, she was still a great main character.

I recommend High Crimes to anyone looking for a good courtroom drama or an intriguing thriller.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

www.eloquentbooks.com/kidsonacase.html

Book Review- James W. Huston- Secret Justice

James W. Huston- Secret Justice (HarperCollins 2003) 3.5 Stars

Lieutenant Kent “Rat” Rathman is after one of the world’s most wanted terrorists who is threatening to attack the U.S. Meanwhile he is also on trial as a political scapegoat for being suspected in torturing a man to find out information. If convicted his career will be over and he will be serving time in jail. Distarcted by the trial he still must work for those who are setting him up for disaster, just to save a country who doesn’t even know he exists.

I was surprised to find myself actually enjoying this book. It had action and courtroom drama going on at the same time. I found myself thinking that Rat actually deserved to be convicted, but kept wondering how his lawyer would get him off. I would have liked it better if there had not been so many things going on at one time, it got to be a little irritating at times. The plot though, was strong and well put together.

I recommend this to courtroom drama fans, and war book fans.

For more of my reviews check out my website, http://www.tonypeters.webs.com/

Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

www.eloquentbooks.com/kidsonacase.html

Book Review- John Grisham- The Last Juror

John Grisham- The Last Juror (Dell Publishing 2004) 3.5 Stars

Willie Traynor, a 23-year-old man with dreams and ambitions, moves to Clanton, Mississippi in 1970. He has just bought the town’s newspaper and wishes to make something of himself. A brutal rape and murder shake the town to its foundations. The guilty man just happens to be part of a rich and troublesome family who live apart from the rest of the town, stuck out on an island. Willie Traynor attends the trial and records everything, despite threats from the family. Grisham tells the tale of the trial and the events that transpire after.
They say that this book is supposed to be a thriller, but I would not call it that, a thriller is supposed to grip your attention and make you bite you nails in anticipation. The Last Juror feels more like a drama to me and certainly did not succeed in griping my attention throughout. This novel had a great beginning, a great middle and a great ending, aside from that Grisham included way too many details. Grisham included many sections that had nothing to do with the main part of the story and he could have removed a couple hundred pages in my opinion. He should have stuck to the main storyline more and reworked his detailing. He did however have strong characters, dialogue, and the idea behind the storyline was really great.
Overall I thought that this book was just average for Grisham. I would recommend it to people who are die-hard Grisham fans; otherwise you may not make it through the book.

For more of my reviews check out my website. http://www.tonypeters.webs.com/

Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
www.eloquentbooks.com/KidsonaCase.html