The Deception

Rating:
Summary: Forgotten but Still Entertaining
Review: Barry Reed is a fine story teller and trial lawyer who hasn't really been noticed since his debut effort, "The Verdict" made its mark in the theaters in the 1980's. Paul Newman is a hard act to follow but Barry's clear vision and dedication to craft flow throughout "The Deception". Rather than waste your time on lesser effort by other "attorney-writers" pick up any one of Reed's novels and enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: Nice Law, Lousy Weapons
Review: Mr. Reed seems to know a great deal about law, but very little about weapons. At one point the bad guy picks off a bird at 500 yards, while it is flying, with a rifle. There are also implausible shotguns, revolvers, and magic bullets. Flaws like this dilute the rest of a fairly compelling book.

Rating:
Summary: A mundane story when compared to reality
Review: While I really enjoyed the story line, there were occassional jolts of implausibility, and inattention to medical details. I beleive the author should make friends with a nurse for the medical editing, preferably a critical care nurse who can describe a ventilated patient with authenticity. Took me a couple of beats to get back into the story when I said "Do what?" after some descriptions of our comatose heroine. Mr. Reed has almost "got it" in describing the less altruistic values of the medical guys, but doesn't go nearly far enough - I'd give anything to tell him about the real world of the "Medicine Men" and their lifestyles (from a position of wife, victim and nurse). To those readers who question the implausability of the story, I say, "phooey" - this story has impact and carries all the elements of truth (as good fiction must), but only scratches the surface of the real truths. Keep digging, Barry