dhilderbrand's review against another edition
3.0
I continue to really love this series and this character. The story was, again, really good with an unexpected (for me) twist near the end. I see so much of marcia clark in this character - more so than her other lawyer lead.
melissadelongcox's review against another edition
4.0
I loved that this book spent so much time in the courtroom, as opposed to the first two which were more fieldwork. Gimme more!
gettinglostinagoodbook's review against another edition
4.0
This is my first Rachel Knight book, and I believe my first Marcia Clark. Regardless, it definitely will not be my last of either. I found that Clark put in enough detail to make this legal thriller both intriguing and believable, yet not so much that one became bogged down by legal terminology.
Rachel is presented with a very high profile case that appears to be relatively easy. However, as Bailey and her delve into the lives of those involved, the case becomes far more tangled than ever anticipated. A character, whom was originally thought to be the villian, turns out to be a victim as well. The greedy, self-centered girl is really only looking out for her friends. The anguished father is hiding secrets of his own.
Rachel, and her new assistant Declan, are submerged and taken over by the task at hand. Their lives are ruled by motions, discoveries and hidden truths, yet they both seem to thrive on that. They, along with their incredible support team, draw you in to their world of mystery, intrigue and the desire for justice. I felt Rachel's disappointment each time a clue did not pan out, or evidence did not support her theory. I sympathized everytime Bailey hit a wall in her search for evidence. And I breathed a sigh of relief each time Tony or Graydon provided a shoulder to lean on or a brief escape from the drama of the case that was ruling Rachel's life.
Rachel is presented with a very high profile case that appears to be relatively easy. However, as Bailey and her delve into the lives of those involved, the case becomes far more tangled than ever anticipated. A character, whom was originally thought to be the villian, turns out to be a victim as well. The greedy, self-centered girl is really only looking out for her friends. The anguished father is hiding secrets of his own.
Rachel, and her new assistant Declan, are submerged and taken over by the task at hand. Their lives are ruled by motions, discoveries and hidden truths, yet they both seem to thrive on that. They, along with their incredible support team, draw you in to their world of mystery, intrigue and the desire for justice. I felt Rachel's disappointment each time a clue did not pan out, or evidence did not support her theory. I sympathized everytime Bailey hit a wall in her search for evidence. And I breathed a sigh of relief each time Tony or Graydon provided a shoulder to lean on or a brief escape from the drama of the case that was ruling Rachel's life.
nomadreader's review against another edition
4.0
(originally published at http://nomadreader.blogspot.com)
The backstory: Killer Ambition is the third mystery in Marcia Clark's Rachel Knight series. I've already enjoyed and reviewed Guilt by Association and Guilt by Degrees.
The basics: When a famous Hollywood director's daughter is murdered, in what seems to be a kidnapping gone wrong, D.A. Rachel Knight and her best friend, detective Bailey Keller, catch the case and the spotlight. Of course, things are never quite what they seem in a Marcia Clark novel, and the actual mystery is much more complicated than a simple whodunit.
My thoughts: After starting this series in December (the week I found out I was pregnant and only wanted to lose myself in mysteries), I read all three books back-to-back-to-back in a single week. I've spaced out my reviews so as not to delude you all at once, but I am so in love with this series and these characters. Overall, this mystery wasn't quite as compelling as the one in Guilt by Degrees, but I enjoyed reading it just as much. The trio of Rachel, Bailey, and fellow DA Toni is a beautifully realistic friendship, and I enjoyed their quiet moments of normalcy in this novel as much as I enjoyed the twisty mystery.
This novel, and the mystery at its core, are both quintessential Hollywood. Clark takes us behind the glamour and celebrity in a fascinating way. I most appreciated that although these Hollywood archetypes were easily recognizable, they didn't strike me as thin facades for actual people as much as familiar composites. As much as I love characters based on real famous people, it easily could have detracted from the mystery.
Favorite passage: "I had no particular reason to think Mackenzie would lie to us. But my experience with teenagers has taught me that they invariably keep secrets from the adult world and they consider it an honor to guard those secrets closely. I don’t think it’s nefarious, I think it’s just tribal loyalty."
The verdict: The payoff in Killer Ambition wasn't as shocking as Guilt by Degrees, but the journey was just as twisty and fascinating. Clark manages to continue to develop the core characters and their relationship with one another while also telling a dynamic mystery. The Competition, the fourth Rachel Knight mystery, comes out July 8, which is too far away for my liking.
The backstory: Killer Ambition is the third mystery in Marcia Clark's Rachel Knight series. I've already enjoyed and reviewed Guilt by Association and Guilt by Degrees.
The basics: When a famous Hollywood director's daughter is murdered, in what seems to be a kidnapping gone wrong, D.A. Rachel Knight and her best friend, detective Bailey Keller, catch the case and the spotlight. Of course, things are never quite what they seem in a Marcia Clark novel, and the actual mystery is much more complicated than a simple whodunit.
My thoughts: After starting this series in December (the week I found out I was pregnant and only wanted to lose myself in mysteries), I read all three books back-to-back-to-back in a single week. I've spaced out my reviews so as not to delude you all at once, but I am so in love with this series and these characters. Overall, this mystery wasn't quite as compelling as the one in Guilt by Degrees, but I enjoyed reading it just as much. The trio of Rachel, Bailey, and fellow DA Toni is a beautifully realistic friendship, and I enjoyed their quiet moments of normalcy in this novel as much as I enjoyed the twisty mystery.
This novel, and the mystery at its core, are both quintessential Hollywood. Clark takes us behind the glamour and celebrity in a fascinating way. I most appreciated that although these Hollywood archetypes were easily recognizable, they didn't strike me as thin facades for actual people as much as familiar composites. As much as I love characters based on real famous people, it easily could have detracted from the mystery.
Favorite passage: "I had no particular reason to think Mackenzie would lie to us. But my experience with teenagers has taught me that they invariably keep secrets from the adult world and they consider it an honor to guard those secrets closely. I don’t think it’s nefarious, I think it’s just tribal loyalty."
The verdict: The payoff in Killer Ambition wasn't as shocking as Guilt by Degrees, but the journey was just as twisty and fascinating. Clark manages to continue to develop the core characters and their relationship with one another while also telling a dynamic mystery. The Competition, the fourth Rachel Knight mystery, comes out July 8, which is too far away for my liking.
blood_rose_books's review against another edition
3.0
Normally I would say that you need to read the previous books in this series in order to understand what is occurring in this book but I found that Clark did not relate back to the first two that often. That said, I really enjoyed the first to books, so if you like mysteries with a strong female character and a hint of romance check out Guilt by Association and Guilt by Degree. Hollywood is a place that when you live in California you cannot really ignore it. It begins with a billionaire Hollywood director's daughter going missing and a ransom note which promises her safe return, but this perpetrator has no intention of returning her alive. There are enemies all over Hollywood as it is a cut throat business and past wrongs are sure to be held against you at some point. It is up to Los Angeles Special Trials prosecutor Rachel Knight and Detective Bailey Keller to weed through all that would mean harm and those who would actually do it. But if it is one thing most of Hollywood would agree on is that Greed is a very powerful entity. I really really loved the first two novels in this series, and I was excited to see the next adventure that DA Rachel Knight would be on, especially how the second novel ended. However, I was really disappointed in this book, with the way the second book ended with basically a hit-woman getting away and taunting Knight about a personal demon, you think that there would be some relation back to these facts. About half way through the book there was only 1 reference back to it and it was less than a page and it was basically just having Garden help them out with the computer stuff. I was so disappointed that this was not the main focus of the book. This led the book to be tedious to me and took me a lot (and I mean a lot) longer to read that I ever like. I also felt that there was no character development in this book. It is about the case that Knight and Baily end up working and that is about it. No big stride as a character, very little interaction with Garden, so no strides in their relationship that they are trying to rebuild. This book just fell flat with character development So those are the things that I did not like in the book and really that is a big chunk of the book, I will however, say this; Once Clark gets Rachel to enter into the courtroom world this is where she shines. Clark knows what she is talking about, has had some of her own tough cases to deal with, and all of this comes out in writing these scenes. I am enthralled when Knight enters the courtroom, I cannot get enough, I want to see what the defense is going to throw her way and how she is going to handle this. I think that Clark needs to have the majority of the book in the courtroom and a little less investigation work. It was for the courtroom scenes that I knew were eventually coming that kept me reading this book. I'm not sure what Clark was thinking when she wrote this novel, it was an okay mystery and I do like following Knight and Baily as they work through a case, but we are three books into this series now and as a reader I want my characters to grow and there is none of this here. I also was very disappointed in the lack of connection to the second novel. I will continue on in this series as I like Rachel and I want the issue with Lilah to play out, but as a fan of the previous two novels, this book really let me down. Enjoy!!!
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redheadstorm's review against another edition
4.0
By the time I started reading the third book in the series I knew to expect Rachel's recklessness and propensity to purse the truth at all costs (and the fact that these two combined kept constantly getting her into all sort of trouble). This book also happens to feature the case that I found most interesting (the second book was a close second - I know, I know, couldn't help it lol) - this murder takes us into the heart of glamour, wealth and deception that is Hollywood (or at least Marcia Clark's fictional version of it). A daughter of a rich Hollywood director has been kidnapped and murdered. To say it's a high profile case would be an understatement. On her quest for the truth and justice Knight is forced to go against everyone - not only the suspect and his defense team but also the press, the press and in a strange twist of events, the victim's father. And of course there is always her ever obnoxious, spotlight hungry boss who saddles her with a rookie second chair. (one of those supporting role characters that I hope will reappear in the future books)
I enjoyed the change of investigative pace and switching gears towards the courtroom. Procedurals tend to be my cup of tea anyway but I really think that more than anything I simply find the character of Rachel Knight likeable and interesting (in all her imperfection) and that's what keeps me coming back. I tend to form attachments to my favorite characters the same way I do to hairdressers - loyal to a fault. This is definitely a series I plan to continue reading.
I enjoyed the change of investigative pace and switching gears towards the courtroom. Procedurals tend to be my cup of tea anyway but I really think that more than anything I simply find the character of Rachel Knight likeable and interesting (in all her imperfection) and that's what keeps me coming back. I tend to form attachments to my favorite characters the same way I do to hairdressers - loyal to a fault. This is definitely a series I plan to continue reading.
redheadstorm's review against another edition
4.0
By the time I started reading the third book in the series I knew to expect Rachel's recklessness and propensity to purse the truth at all costs (and the fact that these two combined kept constantly getting her into all sort of trouble). This book also happens to feature the case that I found most interesting (the second book was a close second - I know, I know, couldn't help it lol) - this murder takes us into the heart of glamour, wealth and deception that is Hollywood (or at least Marcia Clark's fictional version of it). A daughter of a rich Hollywood director has been kidnapped and murdered. To say it's a high profile case would be an understatement. On her quest for the truth and justice Knight is forced to go against everyone - not only the suspect and his defense team but also the press, the press and in a strange twist of events, the victim's father. And of course there is always her ever obnoxious, spotlight hungry boss who saddles her with a rookie second chair. (one of those supporting role characters that I hope will reappear in the future books)
I enjoyed the change of investigative pace and switching gears towards the courtroom. Procedurals tend to be my cup of tea anyway but I really think that more than anything I simply find the character of Rachel Knight likeable and interesting (in all her imperfection) and that's what keeps me coming back. I tend to form attachments to my favorite characters the same way I do to hairdressers - loyal to a fault. This is definitely a series I plan to continue reading.
I enjoyed the change of investigative pace and switching gears towards the courtroom. Procedurals tend to be my cup of tea anyway but I really think that more than anything I simply find the character of Rachel Knight likeable and interesting (in all her imperfection) and that's what keeps me coming back. I tend to form attachments to my favorite characters the same way I do to hairdressers - loyal to a fault. This is definitely a series I plan to continue reading.
poedogruns's review against another edition
4.0
Procedurally, not exactly courtroom accurate. But still entertaining, with what feels like soulful insights Marcia Clark gained about trial reality during the infamous OJ debacle. I am just a small potatoes prosecutor, but I do like the glimpses into the big city practice. I also know that the real time practice of a criminal trial does not always translate into a good novel, so liberties are taken to roll the story down the road.[return][return]Reading wise, this is a good story, with careful character development. Its a slow plot builder, which I do enjoy, especially if the series is one I will continue to read.[return][return]So far, I enjoy Clark's offerings. As a legal thriller, this book is charming and fun, while still maintaining the twists and turns I enjoy in thrillers. [return]So far, I do enjoy her offerings.
liz1004's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
This wasn't quite my favorite of the series. I did really enjoy it, but in the first half I had a hard time following the action. However, it still had the elements that have made this series stand out for me: expert plotting and extraordinary characters.
In the third book of the series, Rachel and Bailey are contacted because a Hollywood director's daughter has been kidnapped. At first, they are trying to get her back but when she is found murdered, they devote their efforts to catching her killer. The first part of the book is the investigation and the second part is the murder trial, which I really enjoyed. Although we've seen Rachel in court briefly in the other books, this one is a more in-depth look at what she does as a prosecutor.
The only thing that bothered me was in the first part of the book, there were so many characters and the book kept alternating between calling them by their first or their last names. I had to keep up with a lot of names and mostly it just left me confused. Eventually, though, I caught back up with the action and by the time the case started, I was really into it.
One thing that I've forgotten to mention in my reviews of the previous books of the series is that I LOVE all the detail Ms. Clark gives as far as the restaurants and hotels in LA. Every night, Rachel dines out with her friends or stays in at the Biltmore hotel, where she lives. These details really put you in the story and give a sense of LA. Oh, and also it makes me extremely hungry.
The new character of Declan is awesome and I really hope to see more of him in the future.
Recommended for readers that enjoy legal fiction.
This eARC was provided free from the Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This wasn't quite my favorite of the series. I did really enjoy it, but in the first half I had a hard time following the action. However, it still had the elements that have made this series stand out for me: expert plotting and extraordinary characters.
In the third book of the series, Rachel and Bailey are contacted because a Hollywood director's daughter has been kidnapped. At first, they are trying to get her back but when she is found murdered, they devote their efforts to catching her killer. The first part of the book is the investigation and the second part is the murder trial, which I really enjoyed. Although we've seen Rachel in court briefly in the other books, this one is a more in-depth look at what she does as a prosecutor.
The only thing that bothered me was in the first part of the book, there were so many characters and the book kept alternating between calling them by their first or their last names. I had to keep up with a lot of names and mostly it just left me confused. Eventually, though, I caught back up with the action and by the time the case started, I was really into it.
One thing that I've forgotten to mention in my reviews of the previous books of the series is that I LOVE all the detail Ms. Clark gives as far as the restaurants and hotels in LA. Every night, Rachel dines out with her friends or stays in at the Biltmore hotel, where she lives. These details really put you in the story and give a sense of LA. Oh, and also it makes me extremely hungry.
The new character of Declan is awesome and I really hope to see more of him in the future.
Recommended for readers that enjoy legal fiction.
This eARC was provided free from the Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.