A Great DVD Series: Damages--"Trust No One"

We watched season 3 of "Damages" on Direct TV and loved it so Gerard ordered seasons 1 and 2 from the library to get us caught up.  These were very good too.  The story line is riveting!  We never knew what was going to happen next!  It is about betrayal, relationships, justice, crime with a lot of violence and action. 

The cast did a great job too.  Glenn Close plays Patty Hughes, a cunning and clever attorney, who is the main character.  Gerard thinks it is the best show on TV.  We both highly recommend you watch this series.  Season 4 should be starting soon but you may want to get caught up by viewing the first 3 seasons on DVD like we did.  You won't be disappointed if you like suspense, unexpected developments and legal thrillers. 

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"King of Lies" by John Hart

King of Lies by John Hart is an amazing murder mystery/romance.  It has an intricately woven plot with an ending I did not see coming.  This one started out slow for me but about halfway through, I found it hard to put down.  At first, I didn't like the main character, Work, who was a lawyer accused of murdering his father, but grew to like him as the book went on.  Work tells the story so the reader knows he is innocent.  He is married to a woman but is in love with another and drinks a lot.  I started liking him when he decided to get a dog.   He thought his sister killed their father and was willing to destroy evidence and take the fall in order to protect her.  There is really a lot of family issues that are addressed in this novel that make it a very interesting read. 

(Karen's review 6/9/10)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

"Street Lawyer" by John Grisham

I liked Street Lawyer by John Grisham because I work for attorneys so found the main character to be interesting and quite realistic. I was pulling for him throughout the book and admired him for giving up his cushy job at the big law firm to help out the homeless and down and out people. It made me rethink my priorities some and realize how bad off some people are. This is the first Grisham book I ever read and liked it very much.  I highly recommend this.
(Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

"The Testament" by John Grisham

I found The Testament by John Grisham to be interesting because it dealt with a contested will. The man who died was very rich but wanted to make sure his ex-wives and children who weren't nice people didn't get their hands on it. He left it to a missionary in Brazil and the story was about finding her to give her the fortune.
 (Karen's review 10/01)

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"The Appeal" by John Grisham

The Appeal by John Grisham is a very good novel about the corruption of our justice system and how politics influence verdicts. It is certainly thought provoking and forces us to really question if we know for what and for whom we are voting. It was very interesting to see how devious and manipulative powerful people can be and how easily decent people can be duped and used when they focus on money and pride.

There are many different characters, but really only the main ones were well developed. I really liked the plaintiff's attorneys, Wes and Mary Grace Peyton from start to finish. I also liked Judge Sheila McCarthy from the start and felt sorry for her when the political campaign by her opponents could portray her as something she wasn't. It was enlightening to see how much money played a role in the election of the candidates. Again, if this is true, and I'm afraid it is, our country is in serious trouble!

Ron Fisk, although he was presented in a good light, I didn't like him because he went along with a plan he suspected was shady, even after seeking Godly wisdom and guidance. I was astounded at the way he voted once he became an Appellate Judge.

The only thing I really did not like about this book is that Christians are portrayed as being gullible, stupid and easily manipulated. Again, I hope this is fiction, but unfortunately, I'm afraid it's more truth than fiction. Great book!

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"Theodore Boone--Kid Lawyer" by John Grisham

Theodore Boone--Kid Lawyer by John Grisham is about a Theo, a 13-yr. old likable boy who wants to be either a lawyer or a judge one day.  It was a nice change of pace to read about a good kid from a stable family who makes good decisions and cares about other people.  Both Theo’s parents are attorneys who support their son.  Theo is fascinated with the courthouse and is excited when there is a murder trial.  He finds himself in a tough situation and actually turns to his parents for help.  This is not packed with suspense like Grisham’s other books. 

 

I would recommend this book for boys and anyone who likes reading about trials or is interested in court procedure.
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"Just Take My Heart" by Mary Higgins Clark

WOW! Just Take My Heart by Mary Higgins Clark is full of suspense and true-to-life characters. It’s a murder mystery because although the husband, Greg Aldrich, is on trial for killing his wife, Natalie, he claims he didn’t do it. It is a high profile case that is discussed every evening on the show, “Courtside” which is hosted by Greg’s best friend.


Emily, the prosecuting attorney, goes after a conviction even though she has some doubt about the defendant’s guilt. She has a soft spot for him when she sees his mother-in-law and his daughter and discovers there may be some tampering of the evidence in her case. As if that’s not enough, Emily is in danger herself when a serial killer moves in next door to her and stalks her. Emily’s husband was killed in Iraq and she never remarried so lives alone with her dog, Bess. I found parts even humorous when the serial killer loved to watch the show, “Fugitive Hunt” to see if he was featured.


I loved how Emily discovers the truth and the surprise twist at the end, although the ending seemed very abrupt. There is so much more I’d like to say, but don’t want to ruin it for you. Most of the book focuses on the trial and is not gory. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes suspense and murder mysteries.

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"The Associate" by John Grisham

The Associate by John Grisham is definitely a page-turner that kept my interest all through but was a bit of a let down in the end.  Kyle, a first-year associate at a big New York law firm was being blackmailed to steal confidential information from the firm he worked for and struggled to find a way out.  It demonstrates how one's past can come back to haunt them.  I enjoyed this book even though the story line seemed far-fetched to me and there were several loose ends.  I recommend this to anyone who likes some suspense and enjoys reading about lawyers.  Since I work for a law firm, perhaps that's why I could relate to the main character and got into this book.  I found it to be entertaining.
(Karen's review 11/17/10)

A Good Book, BUT!  (20 stars)

This book is Grisham doing what he does best--telling a story about a lawyer who has an incident in his past and unsavory people who try to use that against him to get trade secrets.  The writing is superb and the story moves along very well.  It gets off to a great start and pulled me in right away.  The ending though left me at loose ends.  I didn't like it but when you read it, you can form your own opinion.  Other than the ending, it's very good!

(Gerard's Review 11/10/09)