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Summary: A ROYAL THRILLER
Review: COMPLETE WITH A KING A QUEEN, KNIGHTS AND JACKS THIS THRILLER HAS IT ALL. INSTINCTS AND WITS BATTLE BOTH IN AND OUT OF THE COURTROOM. LAWYER FRANK O'CONNELL WILL TAKE YOU ON AN AMAZING ROLLERCOASTER RIDE OF SECRETS AND JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU'VE FIGURED IT OUT, YOU HAVEN'T, BUT YOU'LL ENJOY THE ANTICIPATION OF WHAT'S AROUND THE CORNER!!THERE'S EVEN A COLUMBO TYPE DETECTIVE AND A FAMILY STORY OUTSIDE "THE STORY".
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Summary: A really good read...
Review: I just finished this entertaining attorney/detective novel. Ditto the above good reviews. It reminded me of Robert Parker's books with its sarcasm and humor (I laughed out loud), but the storyline was more involved. I hope Frank O'Connell is a returning character for the author. My only criticism is that, somewhere along the line, I missed a description of the lead character and could not imagine him as I read.P.S. Tungsten is gray...
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Summary: courting risk
Review: readers of legal fiction will welcome this new voice.despite a somewhat shopworn plot (a formerly acclaimed lawyer, down on his luck, gets a celebrity murder case starring a rich, beautiful and unattatched defendant),clear prose and steady pacing structure very solid depictions of trial preparation and courtroom jousting-essential elements of compelling legal fiction.a promising debut.
Rating:
Summary: Worth reading
Review: While this book is not among the top echelon of legal thrillers, I do recommend the book. The characters were likable although some of the plot twists seemed too far fetched. The ending made up for many of the book's short comings. I think Stephen Horn has a promising future as a writer.
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Summary: Good Idea...Poor Execution
Review: I was waiting with baited breath to read this book after having read the description of this book. The premise was intriguing and sounded different enough to have a new twist in this genre. At first, the book was as promised: gripping and fast-paced --- for about 1/3 of the story. The last 1/4 of the book was the same, but somewhere in the middle, things bogged down. Can't give out details since that would ruin the story, but suffice it to say that the romantic angle was far too tedious and the development of the rest of story lagged because of it. I'd say this author had good future potential if he can learn to balance the story elements a bit better.
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Summary: A legal thriller with a heart and soul
Review: Rarely have I read an action-packed legal thriller set in such an emotional context. The author manages to create a whoddunit that is filled with suspense and mystery, in the classic sense, and a hero that is not only a brilliant lawyer but an inspiring and complex character. The satisfaction at the end comes not only with the resolution of what appears to be a clearcut murder case, but with the peace that the main character achieves with his own inner demons. The combination is fulfilling and the end stays with you long after you've finished the book. I'd reccommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good courtroom drama and a riveting thriller, but who is also looking to find the purest notions of real love in the genre. This is an absolutely fantastic, mesmerising novel!
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Summary: In Her Defense
Review: Move over John Grisham...The new legal thriller sensation is here! Stephen Horn debut novel, In Her Defense, has it all: great characterization, daring plot lines, edge-of-your seat courtroom drama, with just the right amount of romance thrown in for good measure. I am recommending it to our Salt Lake County Library System as a "Reader's Choice" nominee. We select 20-25 books twice a year that are so good, you can't put them down; and when you do finish, you immediately recommend them to friends and family. "In Her Defense" certainly qualifies on all counts! Hope we see more legal thrillers from Mr. Horn soon!
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Summary: An excellent legal thriller
Review: I haven't enjoyed a book like this since John Lescroart's"The 13th Juror" which was expertly plotted. In addition toa fine and complex plot, Horn's humor is the laugh-out-loud kind and his characters are real, very very real, ever so likeable and the kind of people you want to read about again soon. The lawyer, Frank O'Connell, a semi-loser with a great mind, gets a case no one can win. His redemption demands that he does. He's divorced, broke, and troubled. He needs every kind of help and this he gets from family, ex-family, friends and fellow professionals. The details aren't important here. What's critical is that if you enjoy legal thrillers, please read this book. It's wonderful and if Stephen Horn isn't busy on his next one, he should be ashamed of himself.
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Summary: Has it all over Grisham!
Review: Stephen Horn's In Her Defense, is debut novel, is a terrifically written and plotted book about a woman accused of a murder she did commit. The story revolves around the attorney and his client, their relationship, the relationship of the attorney and his ex-wife and his defense of her. I thought it was brilliant and am anxious for his next novel.
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Summary: Much Ado About Absolutely NOTHING
Review: While driving in my car, I heard a wonderful review about this book on NPR. I was so excited about what was said that I promptly purchased a copy, fully expecting a great read! Just like the movies I see, if the first few minutes have me scratching my head and wondering if the rest will be this bad, my initial reservations were indeed born out. I expected and wanted to be swept into a grand mystery set in Washington, D.C., a city which I enjoyed living in for 3 years. What I found however, was a dismal attempt at writing; the only mystery was, - What were the reviewers thinking when they raved about it? -. No part of any page was compelling, interesting, fascinating or even remotely good. My hopes of spending several hours savoring each page of a terrific book were dashed. For the very first time in my life I returned a book. The salesperson asked me why I was bringing it back - I told her what I've written here. There are three primary reasons that caused me to dislike the book: style (instead of being fast-paced, it was tediously prolonged),character development (there was none) and plot development(it was simply obtuse). What there was of a plot was so stretched out and unbelievable that I didn't care about what happened. Characters were too flimsy, none had any substance; they were un-knowable. Consequantly they were simply names on a page that I cared nothing about. If an author can't elicit feelings for those s/he writes about then readers are left wondering if they mistakenly picked up a book on, say, computers, instead of one about people and their struggles. I am an avid reader, I love discovering an author I haven't yet come upon, who causes me to recommend their work to friends. This book however, was so disappointing that I can only encourage my friends NOT to read it! Unless you want to be bored, don't read this book.
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