Rating: 
Summary: You can't go wrong with this one
Review: Terrific book. One of the best I've read in a long time. If you're a Scott Turrow fan, you'll love this. An absolute must-read lawyer/suspense novel.
Rating: 
Summary: Decent, but you scratch your head at the end
Review: The protagonist is either a manipulated fool or a genius, he can't be both. The book reads well but betrays the readers trust at the end.
Rating:
Summary: A Worthy Edgar Winner
Review: This is a very clever book that starts with, and is told from the point of view of, Marty Kalish who is outside his lover's house preparing for his weekly peepshow that she treats him to. Instead, he witnesses her husband physically abusing her and is compelled to take action to save her. The wash up of the opening scene is that the husband winds up dead and Marty disposes of the body and sets about trying to supply himself with an alibi.The rest of the book is a terrific account of the resulting murder trial and the defense pit on for a man who looks, for all the world as if he's guilty. I thought some of the more inspired parts of the book came from being made privy to Marty's thought processes as he set up his alibi. He kept assuring himself that everything would be alright and that he didn't have a thing to worry about. This was in stark contrast to reality when he would open his mouth and undo all of his carefully laid plans. This book is brilliantly plotted and very cleverly set out. It casts doubt at every turn, even to the point of causing me to wonder about whether Marty was deluding himself about his relationship with Rachel, the star of his peepshow. The courtroom scenes were continually snappy and interesting which seems to be increasingly rare with legal thrillers. The fortune of the protagonist swings wildly from witness to witness which caused me to wonder how on earth it was going to end up. Here is a book that deals with a defendant who is patently guilty, I mean, he as much as admits that to us very early on. It's just a question of finding out exactly what it is he's guilty of.
Rating:
Summary: This Book is John Grisham back when he was trying
Review: This is everything that someone looking to read a legal thriller wants to see in a book. Great courtroom scenes, legal dueling behind the scenes, twists and turns in nearly every chapter, and an ending that will shock are all present here. When I was reading this book, I was consistently reminded of Scott Turow's classic, Presumed Innocent, though this book is not quite up to that standard. It's close though. Some of the negative reviews here confuse me, since I really didn't see anything not to like in this novel. Yes, it is in first person, which can detract from some books, but I think that only adds to a novel like this. The main characters are well developed. The book flows well and the surprise ending is just crafty enough that it's difficult to guess but still believable. This writer will be very popular very quickly, so if you want to say that you were on the bandwagon before everyone else, read it now. Ellis is like John Grisham before he realized that he didn't have to try anymore and it shows here.
Rating:
Summary: Better than Grisham
Review: This is fine first novel. I'm not sure that is a boldly original as some reviewers claim, but that isn't a big deal. The book is a classic noir--a book noir? rather than a film--with a fine, if somewhat vague femme fatale. There are twists--and they are good ones indeed--but they don't strain the limits of credibilty. Let me rephrase that your honor, they strain, but don't break into the realm of the absurd as so many of these novels can do. Kalish is not always a good man, however he has some darkness in him that we can understand (even if don't buy it--ask Adrian. Some readers have complained that vital information was kept from us until the end. I liked that, it was a good mystery. Still, I felt like the book started slowly and was a bit too long. It could have been edited down a bit. One more complaint, why didn't Ellis set this anywhere? The unnamed "downtown" is Chicago--just thinly disguised. Maybe the lack of a real location was supposed to make this more universal. What really got me was the fear of Kalish and the isolation he felt. Remind me never to go on trial. Good work Mr. Ellis!
Rating: 
Summary: Worth the trip with Marty Kalish
Review: This is fine first novel. I'm not sure that is a boldly original as some reviewers claim, but that isn't a big deal. The book is a classic noir--a book noir? rather than a film--with a fine, if somewhat vague femme fatale. There are twists--and they are good ones indeed--but they don't strain the limits of credibilty. Let me rephrase that your honor, they strain, but don't break into the realm of the absurd as so many of these novels can do. Kalish is not always a good man, however he has some darkness in him that we can understand (even if don't buy it--ask Adrian. Some readers have complained that vital information was kept from us until the end. I liked that, it was a good mystery. Still, I felt like the book started slowly and was a bit too long. It could have been edited down a bit. One more complaint, why didn't Ellis set this anywhere? The unnamed "downtown" is Chicago--just thinly disguised. Maybe the lack of a real location was supposed to make this more universal. What really got me was the fear of Kalish and the isolation he felt. Remind me never to go on trial. Good work Mr. Ellis!
Rating:
Summary: Original page-turner!
Review: This is the best suspense novel I have read. It is unique because it is written in the first person, so you only know what the main character thinks to himself. This keeps you wondering what really happened throughout the book. There is a wonderful twist at the end--whatever you do, don't read the last page first! Everything wraps up nicely in the end, with an explanation for all the questions you'll have along the way. A must read!
Rating: 
Summary: Forget it
Review: This may have won the Edgar, but once again those guys on the panel have lost their compass [they aren't the same judges from one year to the next, which is why the Edgar can't maintain its quality]. After a stupendous selection last year of David Liss' A Confederacy of Paper, this novel is a total disappointment. In the first place, it's written in the present tense. In the second, the narrative is sophomoric. If you like hard hitting legal thrillers or hardboiled detectives, this book will not excite you. Borrrrring is the only word for it.
Rating:
Summary: Not A Boring Moment!
Review: This was definately in the top 3 greatest murder mysteries I've ever read! There were no quiet moments where your eyes left the page. David Ellis kept you guessing thoughout the book not knowing whether the main character was guilty or not. He wrote so well, I could vividly see the people he wrote of clearly. Very exciting. I can't wait to read others from him.
Rating:
Summary: Can't Put This One Down...
Review: This was one of the most suspenseful, thought provoking novels I have read a quite a while. I have always been one to figure the book plot out by one-third of the way into the book, not this one. Expertly written and you are so drawn to the characters as their physical and personalities descriptions are more than unique; you feel as if they are people you know. Anyone who likes Grisham, Patterson, Margolin, Scottoline or J.F. Freedman will definitely love this. It is a must read for you. Be prepared to read from page one to the end in one sitting.
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