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Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780345441768
ISBN: 0345441761
Label: Fawcett
Manufacturer: Fawcett
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 416
Publication Date: 2004-02-03
Publisher: Fawcett
Product Release Date: 2004-02-03
Studio: Fawcett

Oklahoma attorney Ben Kincaid put his reputation on the line when he represented Ray Goldman. The seemingly mild-mannered man was charged with massacring an entire suburban Tulsa family. When the prosecution’s star witness—Erin Faulkner, the lone survivor of the slaughter—took the stand, Goldman’s fate was sealed. But just as his date with the death chamber is imminent, Erin abruptly recants her testimony; after seven years of silence, she is desperate to keep an innocent man from dying. Yet the next day, Erin is discovered dead, an apparent suicide. And Ben Kincaid is the only witness to her stunning confession. Now Ben must hunt down the killer who is determined to cover his tracks . . . with blood.

Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Highy recommended!
Review: This is the first William Bernhardt novel that I've read. It was a gift from a friend, and admittedly, not the type of novel I normally enjoy. What a nice surprise this book was! It had suspense, action and mystery but most importantly, kept me guessing. It's a fast read, so get the book on some quiet weekend and have a good time.

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Customer Rating:
Review Summary: No wonder this poor guy spent 7 years on death row
Review: This is a book that legal-murder-crime-mystery writers salivate over. A book that grabs the reader by the throat from the first dozen pages, and continues to shake them. Can't put it down. Got to see if Ray Goldman, the brilliant chemist who has a hobby, yes, of being a gourmet cook on the side, is really guilty. Guilty of murder most foul, the slaughter of an innocent family.

Then we float into the arena of . . . golly, this doesn't make too much sense. People don't talk that way; You can't hide evidence from defense lawyers . . . ever; People don't rise to great heights who are sexist, painfully shy, impotent to act in their personal lives, buffoons.

Ray is convicted on the testimony of the sole survivor of the Faulkner family massacre, 15 year old Erin Faulkner. Seems she identified the voice of the masked assailant/psychopath, and it's Goldman. This catches the shy but brilliant attorney Ben Kincaid unawares because the evidence has never been turned over to the defense. Now granted, we readers aren't brilliant jurists but this is reversible error. This is mistrial city. This is prosecutorial misconduct. Makes no difference. Ray is sentenced to be executed.

Ray faces legal injection but doesn't want Ben interviewing his ex-girlfriend . . . .whom no one has ever interviewed. This seems odd. At least tell us that one of the troika, the cops, the DA or the Defense interviewed her. But no, like the lineup evidence, no one asked.

Mike Morelli, close friend of Ben's and in his own right a brilliant detective, attends the crime scene of Erin Faulkner's death hours after she tells Ben that she didn't really "know" it was Ray Goldman behind the ski mask, and Morelli concludes it was definitely . . . a suicide.

Morelli's relationship with Lisa Baxter, his beautiful partner, and for that matter Kincaid's relationship with Christina, his partner, is straight out of school . . . .Middle School. They are childish, foolish, tedious, and make you want to turn the page.

Ultimately great plot, a couple of nicely crafted surprises, poor dialogue. Larry Scantlebury. Three stars.

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Customer Rating:
Review Summary: A Folksy Thriller
Review: I am a long time fan of Bernhardt's books and was not disappointed in this one. Most of the subplots were eventually relevant, although some either needed more connective development or total elimination. The strength of the novel is in the development of the relationships and we can clearly see the complexity of each individual and their impact on the total picture. Stressing the human, softer side of the legal process, this was a very listenable book and one that translated well from reading to hearing.

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Customer Rating:
Review Summary: A Solid Mystery
Review: This is my first venture into the world of William Bernhardt. It proved to be a rewarding one. The story is centers around a murder committed 7 years in the past. As a result, the man convicted for the slaying of most of a family is awaiting execution. As times draws near for the execution, the prosecution's star witness, the lone surviving family member, recants her testimony that put the alleged killer on death row. The rest of the story moves quickly, delving into the sins and secrets of the past. I found it a solid mystery that kept my attention the whole way.

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Customer Rating:
Review Summary: First rate
Review: Author Bernhardt usually writes an interesting story, but
this effort is among his best, and he has risen to a higher
level of suspense and drama.

The story essentially involves the hero's attempts to block
an execution he feels isn't supported by the evidence, and
his hopes soar when the main prosecution witness visits him
to recant her testimony, and he prepared the paperwork to get
the case before a federal judge.

But as quickly as his hopes soared, they are dashed as the

recanting witness turns up dead. Before she can repeat her
story to anyone else.

Ben's whole office gets involved, and his partner Christina plays a more important role than usual, and they begin delving
into the whole background of the case. The murder that is at
the base of the planned execution was especially horrible, and
everyone involved, as well as much of the public, remembers it all too well, and those memories cause Ben and his staff much
trouble as they try to save a man's life.

The defendant's job as a food chemist allows us to see a new
side to our food and restaurant industry, and Bernhardt has done
a nice job of presenting such useful information in the context
of his legal thriller.

Very, very interesting story, and this is a book any reader of
thrillers will want to grab and read.

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