"The Perfect Marriage" by Jeneva Rose

In The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose, Sarah and Adam have been married for ten years.  Being a No. 1 lawyer for a high price law firm leaves little time for Sarah to spend with Adam; however, when Adam gets into big trouble, he has to turn to Sarah for help.  Should she or will she defend him on a murder charge of killing his mistress? 

I thought this book was really good.  Sarah and Adam were fantastic characters.  If you think you know how this plays out, I am betting that you don't!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"The Arctic Fury" by Greer Macallister is Outstanding!

The Arctic Fury by Greer Macallister is historical fiction at its best!  It is about 12 women who come together to go on a secret rescue mission to the Arctic and the trial when not all 12 return.  I thought this book was outstanding!  I was into it from page 1.  The writing is good and the characters were very believable.  It switches between the mission and the trial with a very good ending!  Do not miss this one!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)    

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"A Matter of Life and Death" by Phillip Margolin

A Matter of Life and Death by Phillip Margolin is about Robin, a defense attorney who represents two men charged with murder but who she believes to be innocent.  She feels a lot of pressure to not make any mistakes in defending them because their lives are on the line.  

This is a very good murder mystery novel because it's not just one case, but several.  It has lots of unsavory characters and moved along at a good pace.  The investigation was never boring and it had some action as well.  (Karen's review, 5/8/21, 4 stars)

Gerard's review:  

In A Matter of Life and Death by Phillip Margolin, Robin Lockwood is a young attorney who signs on to defend a homeless man charged with murder who she believes was framed.  I enjoyed this book because it went fast and had some good action.  It kept me guessing with lots of characters and the twists mad for good reading.  (5 stars)  

 

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"The Litigators" by John Grisham is About Different Types of Attorneys

The Litigators by John Grisham was a very amusing and entertaining read for me.  This book gives insight into a variety of different types of lawyers.  David Zinc is the main character, an attorney in a huge prestigious law firm who is stuck in a very boring job and decides to just quit and go somewhere else.  He just leaves one day, no notice and no message, goes to a bar where he drinks all day and finally stumbles into a small 2-partner ambulance chasing law firm, Finley & Figg.  They hire him that day and he finds he enjoys the work.  He actually gets to help clients!  Plus, a dog lives at the office and there is Rochelle, the receptionist who actually runs the place.  The lawyers are sleezy and located in a bad part of town, but David likes his new job and has no regrets.

I really enjoyed the second half of this book when David gets to be part of a trial in Federal Court against lawyers from his old firm.  This trial is hilarious, had me laughing out loud in some parts. I liked David Zinc right from the start.  He was a nice guy and proved that as the book moved along.  The ending was great! I think anyone who enjoys Grisham books about attorneys would enjoy this one.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Gerard's review of 5/31/20:
In The Litigators by John Grisham, David Zinc works in a big-time law firm.  One day the stress of his job--long hours and plenty of work gets to him and he just quits!  He joins a small law firm run by just two guys.  Will David find peace of mind again and will he be happy?

This is not the author's best work, but there was just enough that I had to stay with it and see how it all turned out.  I give it 4 stars on the strength of David and parts of the story line I really enjoyed.
(4 stars)

Teaser from page 8:  "Sure," David mumbled as he managed to move forward.  The door slid open, the bell chimed again.  He was out of the elevator, looking around nervously as if he'd never before seen the place.  In fact, he'd left it only ten hours earlier.

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Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult

Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult deals with the issue of what to do when the "right" thing is illegal.   Charles is married to an alcoholic and has a 4-yr.-old girl.  Not only that, but he discovers his wife is cheating on him with Victor and they get divorced.  Charles "rescues" his little girl by taking her from Arizona to live with him in New Hampshire under new names (Andrew and Delia) instead of returning her home after his day with her.  Delia grows up happy but doesn't remember much of her mother.  Ironically, she grows up and helps detectives and police search and rescue missing people with her dog, Greta.  Thirty years later, he is arrested for kidnapping.  Will he be found guilty and spend 20 years in prison?  What will Delia think of him for lying to her practically her whole life?  He told her that her mother died in a car accident.   Will she marry her long-time friend, Eric, a recovering alcoholic and lawyer, or choose her other long-time friend Fritz, a journalist.

This book was pretty good because it had a surprise ending and I liked the tension between liking Andrew even though he did technically kidnap his daughter.  I felt a little bad for the mother and Delia.  There were some parts that I did not care about, but they didn't last long.  I did not like the way the book jumped around between the past and present, but the story line was good and I did like Delia and her father, Andrew, the main characters.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 75:  On the one hand, I was his child, and he must have been doing what he felt he needed to do.  On the other hand, I'm a mother now, and he committed my worst nightmare.

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"Deck the Hounds" by David Rosenfelt

In Deck the Hounds by David Rosenfelt, Andy Carpenter is a lawyer who can pick and choose which case he wants to take.   Andy befriends a homeless man and when he finds out this man is being accused of murder, Andy decides to defend him.  This book is okay but to be honest, I could never really get into any of the characters.  The story line was okay so I did finish it.  There were cute dogs on the cover which I liked; unfortunately, they had very little to do with the story.  The cover is very deceiving which I did not appreciate!
(Gerard's review, 3.5 stars)

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"Where The Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens -- WOW!

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens is the coming of age story of Kya, a lonely, abandoned, abused girl who lived in a Marsh in North Carolina. It is a murder mystery and a love story as well. This is an amazing emotional read that starts out slow but picks up as it goes along. It has much sadness but some high points are mixed in. In a way, it is a rags to riches story. There were a lot of heartbreaking events and yet Kya proved to be very strong, overcoming great obstacles with very little help from others. She was definitely a “lone wolf” until as a teenager, the loneliness caused her to make some poor choices.

All I can say is WOW, what a book! This is well written and reminded me of To Kill a Mocking Bird. It includes lots of information about nature and is a remarkable story about how a girl who only attended school one day in her whole life, became a well-recognized author. I especially liked the courthouse cat, Sunday Justice, who befriended Kya. I would recommend this as a book club read because of the many issues it raises.
(Karen’s review 2/15/19, 5 stars)

Gerard's review, 2/18/19:
In Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, Kya is the last one left of her family.  First her mom left, then her brother and sisters left.  Her pa was the last to leave, but she found a way to survive in their shack in the marsh.  Two young men came into her life during her teen years.  When an incident happens though, Kya is once again all alone and her fate is in other people's hands.

This is a pretty good book!  Kya is a great character and I enjoyed how she got along so well by herself.  More action though would have been nice, but the pacing of this book made up for that.  (5 stars)

Teaser from page 16: “If anybody comes, don’t go in the house. They can get ya there. Run deep in the marsh, hide in the bushes. Always cover yo’ tracks; I learned ya how. And ya can hide from Pa, too.”

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"Good Me Bad Me" by Ali Land

In Good Me Bad Me by Ali Land, Annie lives with her mom who does things she should not do!  Annie goes to the police and tells on her mom, then into witness protection.  Ready to start a new life with a new name and family while waiting for the trial to begin.  Unfortunately, her new family and her do not seem to connect.  She will be good, won't she?

This is the author's first book and I must say I am impressed!  There is good pace to the book and the characters are very believable.    The trial was the best part with a surprise ending!  This is well worth reading.
(Gerard's review, 4.5 stars)

Teaser from page 6:  You turned your had to the side.  Faced me.  Your eyes never left mine, I read them with ease.  You said nothing to them, yet everything to me.

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"We, the Jury" by Robert Rotstein

We the Jury by Robert Rotstein is about a trial where a husband killed his wife. The question is, was it premeditated or was he a battered spouse who killed in self-defense? We hear from everyone involved in the trial, especially the jury! I enjoyed this book very much! The characters were really good and I liked the judge and the fore person the most. If you can figure out how this one ends, you are smarter than me. This is my book of the month so far!
Gerard’s review, 5++ stars)

Karen’s review:
We the Jury by Robert Rotstein reminded me of the play, 12 Angry Men because instead of taking us through the trial, the entire book centers upon the 8-member jury and its deliberations. I think anyone who has been called for jury duty would find this book interesting. We find out about the trial through transcripts that the jury requests read back to them. My favorite characters were the messenger/”actor”, the student, the grandma and the jury consultant who was part of this jury! I felt sorry for the judge and was surprised by the ending. I really liked the unique way this book was written. Each new chapter was really commentary by one of the many different characters. I loved it! (5 stars)

Teaser from page 22: The jurors look at each other and shake their heads. The Clergyman doesn’t look at anyone. He just keeps his head bowed, as if in prayer.


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"Juror #3" by James Patterson

In Juror #3 by James Paterson, Ruby does not have too much experience in court.  Now she had to defend a person in a murder trial!  I thought this was pretty good.  Ruby was a great character and really carried the book.  There are actually two trials in this book--the second trial is the main story.  The book flowed well and had a good twist to it!
(Gerard's review, 4.5 stars)

Karen's review:
Juror #3 by James Patterson is about Ruby, an inexperienced lawyer who finds herself representing two men charged with murder in two separate trials in Mississippi.  In the second trial, Lee, a wealthy man who she almost married is her client.  She feels as though she is over her head, but is supported by Lee's sister, Suzanne.  In both trials, Juror #3 is a strange one!

I enjoyed this book but was disappointed the second trial was sort of skimmed by at the end.  Ruby was brave and put herself in danger to help her client.
(Karen's review, 4 stars) 

Teaser from pg. 30 of large print version:  My stomach did a flop.  I had a spasm of such intense nausea, I was afraid I might vomit on his carpet.

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"After Anna" by Lisa Scottoline

After Anna by Lisa Scottoline is about Maggie, a mother who loses custody of her baby girl because of her husband having her declared unfit due to her postpartum psychosis.  She remarries a widower who is a doctor named Noah and becomes a stepmom to his 9-yr-old son, Caleb.  They have a happy family until Maggie gets a call from her daughter asking her to come to the college to meet.  Maggie's sees a news article about her ex-husband dying in a plane crash and is ecstatic about finally seeing her 17-yr-old daughter after being separated for so long.  Will Anna finally become part of a happy family after feeling abandoned for so many years?  Will Noah be welcoming?  Is Anna a nice girl or a manipulative brat?  Did Noah get framed for murder or did he really kill his stepdaughter?

 I felt bad for Noah all through this book and was rooting for him and Maggie to be happy together once again.  This was a very entertaining read for me.  I liked the trial parts and was completely surprised by the unexpected twist.  Unfortunately, the twist was unbelievable and Maggie being the heroin really was far out.  I would have preferred the book be written in chronological order but it was cool how the story got told by much of the trial.  I liked it and was happy with the ending.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

 Teaser from page 2:  His life had exploded like a strip of firecrackers at a barbecue, igniting the patio furniture and spreading to the house until everything was blazing out of control, engulfed in a massive fireball.
His entire world destroyed.
It had all started with Anna.  

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"Keep You Safe" by Melissa Hill - To Vaccinate or Not?

In Keep You Safe by Melissa Hill, Madeleine and her husband chose not to have their two children, Clara and Conner, vaccinated.  One day though, Madeleine has an appointment she can't miss so sends Clara to school even though she was not feeling well.  Then Rosie, one of Clara's classmates, becomes very sick and that is trouble for Madeleine.  Social opinion turns against her and the next thing she knows, her and her husband are in court!  Who saw that coming?

Teaser from page 65:  For all these years, she and Tom had played them, and now that horrible realization, albeit distant and buried, rose once again to the fore. Oh, God...what have we done...

I thought this book was really good!  The pacing of the book was quick and I loved the back and forth between the two mothers.  I was into this from page 1.  Don't miss it--a must read!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"Small Great Things" by Jodi Picoult is Thought Provoking--A Must Read! (UPDATED)

 Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult is a contemporary fiction about racism that is absolutely very thought provoking and educational.  It is about Ruth, a black nurse, who is charged with murder and negligence because the newborn, the son of white supremacist parents, that she was watching over dies.  Ruth is a widow with a son who is a high school honor-student.  

There are so many good scenes in this book!  It started a little slow for me with all the baby deliveries at the beginning, but that just was a small part and soon moved along.  That was just to show what a good nurse Ruth was and that she really loved her job.

This is such a remarkable story that helped me look at blacks in a whole different light.  I never realized before reading this how it really is to be black.  I would love to hear a black person's views about this book!  I really did not enjoy the chapters about Turk and Brit, the parents of the baby who died because they were horrible people!  I really liked the chapters about Ruth's public defender, Kennedy and the chapters about Ruth.  In typical Picoult style, chapters are written from different characters' points of view.  I felt the characters were well developed and the plot had an unexpected twist that shocked me!  I loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone--must read.  It has lots of great lines and the author used the experiences of some real people that she interviewed to get a feel for what it's really like to be black in the United States.  I loved the surprise ending!  Must Read! 
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

My husband and I both loved this one, here's his review:

In Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult, Ruth Jefferson is a delivery nurse in a small hospital.  She has been one for 20 years and is very good at it.  One night a newborn baby is having serious problems and Ruth is left alone with the baby.  The baby is white, and Ruth is black, with orders not to touch this baby.  When the baby dies, the parents blame Ruth!  Did she do something to the baby or did she try to save it?

WOW!  This book is GOOD!  This story is true to life and the characters are well developed.  The trial part alone is worth reading for sure but I enjoyed the whole book!  A must Read!!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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Shared this with Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop - the prompt was share a book review.  I was pleased to see she is reading many of the books we have recommended and loved!

"Corrupted" by Lisa Scottoline - Inspired by Kids for Cash Scandal!

In Corrupted by Lisa Scottoline, lawyer Bennie Rosato takes on a murder case to defend Jason who she feels she let down when he was sent to Juvie 19 years ago. She also finds romance with Declan, the uncle of the Ritchie, the guy who her defendant is accused of killing. This book was inspired by kids-for-cash scandal in the judicial system in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.

This book got my attention right away with the glimpse into the juvenile detention system and following two 12-yr-old boys. I found it to be very interesting and the story moved along quickly. I like Bennie and felt bad for her when she and Declan had to put a hold on their relationship. I liked how the reader was kept informed all along the way of what Bennie was thinking and feeling and how she prepared her case. This book delves into what justice is in a very readable way. If you like to read about trials and enjoy seeing things from a lawyer’s point of view, I highly recommend this book.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Link to the real kids-for-cash scandal: http://jlc.org/luzerne-county-kids-cash-scandal

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"A Killing at the Creek" by Nancy Allen

A Killing at the Creek by Nancy Allen is a mystery about a woman school bus driver found dead with a slashed throat in a creek and the 15-yr.-old boy who was found driving the bus and was charged with her murder.  Elsie, an assistant prosecutor, was eager to work a murder case but didn’t expect her first one to be a teen.  I enjoyed reading about the investigation and the trial was the best part, but this book had too much bad language for my taste which easily could have been omitted without losing any of the mystery.  I didn't like the ending.  (Karen's review, 3 stars)

 

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"4th of July" by James Patterson

4^th of July by James Patterson is about Lindsay, a good San Francisco cop who is charged with wrongful death, using excessive force, police misconduct when she shot two teens in self-defense.  Sara died immediately and her younger brother was paralyzed from his neck down.  The trial was very good!  While suspended, she goes away and solves more murders in another town where her sister lives, including the unsolved murder that haunted her for many years.

 

I liked the trial part of this book a lot with the story line of the good cop being accused of wrong doing but after the trial, the book focused on a string of murders that Lindsay, the "super cop" manages to solve by herself.   It's an interesting read if you like super detectives and murder mysteries.  I was surprised at the ending and it moved along quickly.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

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