Reviews

Stung by William Deverell

norasteinkopf's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

ajcorn's review against another edition

emotional inspiring tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This was interesting!! I listened to this as an audiobook and by about halfway in I was a bit peeved that what was ostensibly a legal thriller had probably spent about half an hour of the 11 hours so far actually in a courtroom. However, as soon as it did hit the court this was a really engaging book, with an ending that was quite inspiring! I thunk that as this is part of a series that I have not read any others from I can imagine those who have would be more invested in all the character based sections in the first half, which for me were interesting but not what I was looking for in this. It added to the characterisation but for that maybe not even half of the character based stuff would have been needed. I also thought in the first half that the women characters were quite stock female characters, and badly written, but I think the writing of them improved as it went on. An interesting one! I'm glad it ended on a high.

annaraz's review

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.0

oldsalt's review

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.75

crafalsk264's review

adventurous challenging informative mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Arthur Beaucamp (pronounced beech ‘em) is an elderly semi-retired attorney. And now he is facing some of the most challenging issues of law that he has ever encountered. Seven environmental volunteers have decided that they need to take direct action. One of the young women, Rivkie Levitsky, lures and drugs an executive with a large chemical plant by stealing his keys and passwords in order to steal confidential information about the company. To guide them in breaking into the plant and sabotaging the production . When the police capture the group in the act, they admit to the crime but plead not guilty due to necessity,  resulting in a public spectacle of their trial.

Arthur is in his late seventies and technically considers himself retired but he is usually trying 1 or 2 high profile cases for the firm. He agrees to take on their case because he is sympathetic to their environmental cases because he and his wife are working to get an endangered parcel added to a local park. He also has a wolf hound pup he is trying to train. His wife is still a member of parliament and travels frequently leaving him to deal with all the details of running a household.

This is a legal thriller complete with tense courtroom scenes with jury deliberations that are several days in duration. Although this is compared to John Grisham and James Patterson, this is much more of a character driven story than the usual novels. It is the 8th book in the Arthur Beaucamp series. I very much enjoyed this book and plan to look for some of the of the earlier ones in the series. The characters were well drawn and even though there are  a lot of characters. They aren’t difficult to keep separated. We have three narrators: Arthur Beaucamp, Rivkie Levitsky and a detective of police. The book is long (21+ hrs audio) but I couldn’t really find anything that I would recommend to cut. Recommend to readers of legal thrillers, bees, ecoterrorists and  courtroom drama.

vj2411's review

4.0

Stung: An Arthur Beauchamp Novel by William Deverell follows multiple different perspectives before and during a criminal trial. Arthur Beauchamp is an almost retired lawyer who hears word of a group called the 'Sarnia Seven' who are about to be convicted of multiple different grievances in the name of saving the bees. We get to read the perspective of Rivke Levitsky, one of the Sarnia Seven and Jake Maguire, a police investigator assigned to the case.

I've never read a legal thriller before so I was pretty excited to get stuck into this, and it was about bees which I absolutely love and try my best to help out when I can. This novel didn't disappoint, it was exciting and informative, realistic and captivating. Reading all of the different perspectives is probably what made it so interesting, I don't think I would've been able to stay interested in such a long novel if it was a single POV however I didn't feel bored at all throughout this book.

The one negative I have doesn't have to do with the writing however the kindle formatting is honestly the worst I have ever seen. The chapters aren't separated and there are random spaces and paragraph breaks in the middle of sentences. Whilst I was able to ignore it for the most part, I do think that this was part of the reason it took me a while to finish the book.

4/5 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and William Deverell for this novel to review.

canada_matt's review

adventurous funny informative lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, William Deverell, and ECW Press for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

The arrival of a new Arthur Beauchamp novel is always reason to celebrate. It shows that William Deverell has been hard at work, using his unique style to craft a truly Canadian legal thriller that has layers of strong plotting and even better off-the-cuff comments about the world in which we live. Deverell does not disappoint with this piece, which takes the reader on many an adventure, with a court case that is sure to pique the interest of those who enjoy such things. Highly recommended to those who love courtroom dramas, as well as the reader who has a penchant for all things Canadian.

It was all about the honeybee, or at least that’s what they said. Chemican-International is touting their new pesticide, Vigor-Gro, which has been useful to hep farmers and their crops, but has been wreaking havoc on the bees that try to pollinate. Rivkie Levitsky is working with a group of young eco-friendly people, all of whom are trying to make Chemican see the error of their ways. Their latest ploy is to get inside the Canadian plant outside Sarnia, where they will be able to stop things, at least temporarily. 

All the while, Arthur Beauchamp (that’s “Beech’m”) has been enjoying life on his tract of land in Garibaldi, British Columbia. With his wife away serving as a Member of Parliament, he’s taken to enjoying the farm life and still thinking back on his many courtroom victories as a criminal defence attorney. Beauchamp has also been using more of his time to tend to local issues, which includes blocking an American company from mining the resources out from under him. While Beauchamp has a few minor dust-ups with the law, he’s peaceful for the most part.

Once Rivkie and her crew strike at the local Chemican plant, they cause quite the stir, which begins an extensive police investigation. The ‘Sarnia Seven’ are collected after the evidence is gathered and a few well-timed sting operations locate their lair. Helping out an old friend (and with the insistence of his wife), Beauchamp agrees to defend five of the members, prepared to use the necessity defence. While Beauchamp is not as familiar with it, he understands that arguing the act of sabotage was needed to protect the larger community—read: the bees—though this will be a hard sell. 

In the lead-up to trial, Beauchamp must not only handle the cross-country travel to meet its his clients and co-counsel, but also handle some issue on the home front that he would likely prefer stay on the back burner. It’s going to be a lot to take on, especially as he has a long record of victories in the courtroom, matched against a Crown Prosecutor with an equally long string of victories. This is sure to be one trial no one wants to miss. 

As the trial comes to a head, it will not only be a necessity defence that Beauchamp presents, but one vilifying Chemican-International. Fallout from the pesticide has not only been hurting the bees, but there are studies that show human consumption, albeit minutely, has been causing issues as well. Beauchamp must push this line of inquiry against the Crown’s insistence that it is futile, while the judge is keen to see things wrapped up swiftly. Add to that, there are issues within the jury that could cause things to topple over before closing arguments are finished. Beauchamp will have to use all his legal prowess, but even that might not be enough.

I discovered the wonders of William Deverell a number of years ago. His writing is not only detailed and highly addictive, but also layers the wonders of the Canadian legal system, putting a spotlight on its nuances, contrasting nicely with the supersaturation of American law in the genre. Of particular note, the Arthur Beauchamp series offers the reader a great escape into some true Canadiana with subplots that are second to none. Any reader who has the patience to sift through many of the tangential plot lines will not be disappointed with the series.

Arthur Beauchamp is a great protagonist in yet another novel. A brilliant legal mind, as is mentioned throughout the series, Beauchamp does not come across as pompous or egotistical. Quite the opposite, he struggles to sink into the background and enjoy retirement. Deverell places him in numerous sticky situations throughout the story, both of the legal and personal variety, which adds to the reader’s enjoyment. Those who have followed Beauchamp throughout the series will see how certain pieces connect in this novel, while others are new and exciting additions to an already full plate. Deverell does showcase the wonderful legal mind Beauchamp possesses, particularly in the courtroom, though the reader is not inundated with legalese that is sure to leave them befuddled. 

The cast of secondary characters is quite complex and all encompassing, which adds to the depth of the narrative. The story takes place in various domains and tackles a few interconnected plot lines, all of which require strong characters to keep the momentum up. Deverell delivers unique and enjoyable characters, some of whom complement each other well, while not losing the reader in the tangential nature of the story. There are returning faces that add flavour to the story, as well as first-timers, some of whom I hope will return, should Arthur Beauchamp have more steam to offer in another novel.

The story itself was one of the best I have read from William Deverell. While it was a Herculean effort due to the details, most of his novels are, though they flow with ease. There is so much going on that the reader must almost keep a scorecard to set matters straight. Arthur Beauchamp is on display throughout, tackling so many interesting aspects of his life, as well as the case. The story is split into three narrative perspectives, which adds depth to the piece and keeps the reader pushing ahead. Add to that, Deverell has separated the book into chapters, as well as sub-chapters, which effectively serve to divide up the action for the reader. The flow of the book is not lost with the repeated divisions, though some may wonder why a more traditional approach was not taken. The narrative is sprinkled full of tongue-in-cheek moments, which lightens the mood in what is surely a high intensity piece. One cannot escape some of the science related to the topic at hand, though Deverell handles it effectively, educating the reader without drowning them in minutiae. I can only hope there is more to come, as Arthur Beauchamp is one character who never is at a loss for dramatic interactions.

Kudos, Mr. Deverell, for another stunner. I love the mix of courtroom, rural Canada, and flashy crime thriller aspects. You are in a league all your own and I hope others discover your magic. Pardon the pun, but there is a real ‘buzz’ in this piece, well worth the attention of the masses.

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