chrisistrangerthanu's review against another edition
5.0
I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I would be the first to admit that I often steer clear from books rooted in too much realism, but I offered to read this book as I found the blurb quite intriguing and I find the intricacies of law to be fascinating. This book blew me away a number of times and I was wholeheartedly immersed in it from the first page. Now, there were a couple of things that irritated me about it (such as Bratt's attitude towards Jeannie at times, the lull in the middle of the book that dragged it a bit, the lack of mystery about who the murderer was), but they barely detracted from such a well written book.
Primarily, I found this to be more of a character study than a courtroom drama. It can be exceptionally difficult to have an unlikable narrator, but that is exactly what Bratt was. While that might have driven a reader away, I found listening to his internal monologue both fascinating and disturbing. There was definitely some logic to his opinion but his attitude watching Claire's trial was so disturbing to me. The most fascinating part of the book was the subtlety with which his attitude seemed to change, watching the effect that his own morals were having on Pete. I loved watching Bratt grow as a person, until the book ended and I realised that had grown to really like him.
Another great thing about this book is how well and authentically that it is written. The author was a defense attorney and the drama of the courtroom seemed to come alive, but the style of writing was much more engaging than I might have expected from a former lawyer. It is clear that the ethical dilemmas raised within the book are ones that the author must have found difficult in the past, as Bratt's struggle with them felt so honest and there really wasn't a right answer to those questions.
This was a great book, and I would gladly pay to read more of this author's work in future.
I would be the first to admit that I often steer clear from books rooted in too much realism, but I offered to read this book as I found the blurb quite intriguing and I find the intricacies of law to be fascinating. This book blew me away a number of times and I was wholeheartedly immersed in it from the first page. Now, there were a couple of things that irritated me about it (such as Bratt's attitude towards Jeannie at times, the lull in the middle of the book that dragged it a bit, the lack of mystery about who the murderer was), but they barely detracted from such a well written book.
Primarily, I found this to be more of a character study than a courtroom drama. It can be exceptionally difficult to have an unlikable narrator, but that is exactly what Bratt was. While that might have driven a reader away, I found listening to his internal monologue both fascinating and disturbing. There was definitely some logic to his opinion but his attitude watching Claire's trial was so disturbing to me. The most fascinating part of the book was the subtlety with which his attitude seemed to change, watching the effect that his own morals were having on Pete. I loved watching Bratt grow as a person, until the book ended and I realised that had grown to really like him.
Another great thing about this book is how well and authentically that it is written. The author was a defense attorney and the drama of the courtroom seemed to come alive, but the style of writing was much more engaging than I might have expected from a former lawyer. It is clear that the ethical dilemmas raised within the book are ones that the author must have found difficult in the past, as Bratt's struggle with them felt so honest and there really wasn't a right answer to those questions.
This was a great book, and I would gladly pay to read more of this author's work in future.
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