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Judgment Calls [Mass Market Paperback]

Alafair Burke
3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)

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Book Description

May 4 2004 Samantha Kincaid Mysteries (Book 1)
After three years on the job in Portland's Drug and Vice Division, Deputy DA Samantha Kincaid gets what she wants: her first case with the Major Crimes Team. Kendra Martin, a 13-year-old runaway, has been found drugged, viciously assaulted, and left for dead in the Columbia River Gorge. Despite pressures to kick the case to assault, Samantha goes for attempted murder. Unfortunately the girl's story isn't gelling. Then again, neither is the alibi of the suspect she ID'd, a low-life who insists he's innocent. One thing is certain. Kendra knows the streets better than Vice-and Samantha's following her down every last one of them to crack the case.

But the road to the truth is more dangerous than Samantha dreamed, leading to an earlier death-penalty conviction, a teenage prostitution ring, and threats to Samantha's own life. When the possibility of a serial killer enters the fray, it sends Samantha's trial into a tailspin, and tests her judgment-in both her professional and personal life-to the very death.

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From Publishers Weekly

Burke's earnest, fast-paced debut introduces a sharp new crime series revolving around Deputy DA Samantha "Sam" Kincaid, a hip, 30ish lawyer working in Portland's Drug and Vice Division. As a former DA herself, and now a teacher of criminal law, Burke brings a hyper-reality-TV quality to the text, as well as a sometimes overzealous attention to technical minutiae. Kendra Martin, 13, has been prostituting herself to support a heroin addiction begun after her mom's boyfriend insisted that "popping wasn't really like shooting up." When Kendra is found left for dead, Kincaid is determined to bring to justice the violent sex offenders who brutally raped and beat her. Narrated in a crisp first person and injected with good-natured humor ("It's a fundamental truth that the number and density of cuss words increases exponentially as the number of cops and DAs in a room goes up"), the book is tightly plotted and detail laden. The secondary characters are less vivid than the assertive, likable Kincaid, but they serve their purpose. Kincaid's ex-boyfriend, Det. Chuck Forbes, is involved in the investigation of Kendra's case and another possibly related crime; Tim O'Donnell, a crude senior DDA on Portland's Major Crimes Team, is suspiciously eager to have Kendra's case tried under his jurisdiction. Cracking the case not only drags up an earlier death-penalty conviction but uncovers the roots of a prostitution ring that shakes up the entire Major Crimes Team and tests Kincaid's faith in her own judgment. This is a solid first effort from Burke, daughter of another "crime fighter writer," James Lee Burke.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

This first novel by a former Portland, Oregon, district attorney (and daughter of award-winning crime writer James Lee Burke) introduces D.A. Samantha Kincaid, a sympathetic protagonist and welcome newcomer to the legal-thriller landscape. When a teenage prostitute is raped and left for dead, Kincaid, determined to charge the perpetrator with attempted murder, finds herself investigating a prostitution ring of underage girls and a possible serial killer. Burke blends courtroom drama and criminal investigation with surprising aplomb, and she uses her Northwest setting to good advantage. Stronger subplots and more attention to the development of secondary characters would have helped, but the drama of the main plot should be enough to satisfy most legal-thriller fans. This promising debut augurs well for a successful series; the second Samantha Kincaid novel will appear in spring '04. Mary Frances Wilkens
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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First Sentence
A February morning in Portland, Oregon, and it was still dark outside when I walked into the courthouse, the air thick with the annoying drops of humidity that pass for rain in the Pacific Northwest. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Engrossing Legal Thriller July 12 2004
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
A hard-to-put down legal thriller by a debut mystery writer with a great new voice. The protagonist, Portland ADA Samantha Kincaid, is witty, gritty, and wise, a likable fighter for justice. The plot has already be told and retold, so I won't go there, and just will say I was hooked from the first few pages. I'm now getting ready to read the second book in the series, "Missing Justice." As others have mentioned, she is a talent in development, demonstrating the literary genes of her legendary author father, James Lee Burke.
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2.0 out of 5 stars Poor Judgment Jun 14 2004
Format:Hardcover
As a law teacher and former deputy district attorney, Alafair Burke certainly knows her legal stuff - there's just too much of it. Yes, this is a legal thriller. But, it's all legal and no thrill. Every legal term, document, division, and procedure is explained in dry, tedious detail, all the way down to the nine-digit case number.

A rape case is going to be kicked to the general felony unit for prosecution, a dumping ground for cases not deemed serious enough for real lawyer work. The lead detectives convince Samantha Kincaid to prosecute instead, telling her, "...The suspects are bad, bad guys, Sammie."

Well, aren't they all.

THE CHARACTER SETUP IS TRANSPARENT AND UNREALISTIC. After a phone conversation with a lecherous superior, it's no surprise who the bad guy turns out to be. Then there's the two page, unrelated description of a closed case. So unrelated to what's going on at the moment that you know it will be related later on.

DIALOG IS DRY AND UNINSPIRED. When speaking to a group of panhandling kids:
"Why don't you guys hightail it out of here before [the mounted patrol] give you a hard time." The one I was pretty sure was Haley piped up. "What do you care?" "Honestly? I don't care whether you go to juvie or not. But the officers doing the rounds today are coming up on reporting time, and I got a bet with a buddy at the precinct that their unit's not going to meet their enforcement quotas this month. Listen to me or not. It's up to you."

When speaking with a potential witness:
Hands still on her hips, she rolled her eyes and laughed to let us know that the notion of cooperating with the police amused her. She nodded in my direction. "Yeah, and what's she here for, fit me for my Girl Scout uniform?" I had some damn good tacos going soggy on my desk. The last thing I needed was for some twit to patronize me, but I did my best to keep the anger out of my voice.

ATMOSPHERE IS NONEXISTENT. When told that the victim might again be in danger from her attacker: "I tried to calm down. ...Despite all the logical reasons not to worry, it was hard to concentrate, so I distracted myself by checking my bottomless voice mailbox."

After detailing (for two pages) the dating history and break up with a co-worker: "I set the table, blinking away tears before any could roll down."

Yawn.

I gave it 100 pages but couldn't see my way through another 235. I kept hoping it would start to live up to all the rave reviews from the likes of Lee Child, Sue Grafton, and the Washington Post. But I don't understand what all the hype is about, other than friends of her father giving glowing reviews just to be nice. Bad judgment calls on their part.

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3.0 out of 5 stars promising debut May 22 2004
Format:Mass Market Paperback
JUDGMENT CALLS marks the debut of Alafair Burke, daughter of famous crime writer James Lee Burke. The plot involves Samantha Kincaid, an assistant DA in Portland, who's prosecuting a brutal rape/attempted murder. The case looks airtight, but then a possible link to a serial killer arises, as does the possibility that Samantha's lover (a cop) may have put an innocent woman in jail.

Much of the book details the legal maneuverings around the rape case, and there's quite a bit of description of legal procedures that will be familiar to anyone who has seen a couple of episodes of Law & Order. At times I thought the book dragged, but I enjoyed being in the company of these characters and the final plot twist is genuinely exciting. I look forward to reading more from this author.

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Most recent customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars Recommended with mild reservations
Deputy DA Samantha Kincaid of Portland Oregon is faced with a particularly disturbing case. A thirteen year old girl is found raped, sodomized and left for dead in the woods... Read more
Published on Feb 29 2004 by Larry Gandle
2.0 out of 5 stars Beware the plot holes!
I picked this up because I have read all the works of her father - and of course "Alafair" is the name of his character's daughter too. Read more
Published on Feb 24 2004
4.0 out of 5 stars Judgment Calls: A Mystery by Alafair Burke
I was impressed by Ms Burke's first mystery. The characters that will probably become regulars in her future mysteries all have a "real" feel to them from the beginning. Read more
Published on Feb 15 2004 by H. Row
4.0 out of 5 stars A Particularly Good Legal Thriller
In her debut novel, Alafair Burke introduces us to Deputy District Attorney Samantha Kincaid in an excellent start to what promises to be a very enjoyable series. Read more
Published on Nov 17 2003 by Untouchable
1.0 out of 5 stars Terminally putrid
Ms. Burke should apologize to the souls of the trees that gave their lives for this pap. If 10% of what James Lee Burke has had rubbed off on this kid, it might have been... Read more
Published on Oct 6 2003
4.0 out of 5 stars first in a new series
Portland, Oregon, Deputy District Attorney Samantha Kincaid, is trying the case of a man who raped and sodomized a young girl who supported her growing heroin addiction with bouts... Read more
Published on Oct 1 2003 by A. Christie
4.0 out of 5 stars A thoroughly enjoyable read!
This may be the first novel for Alafair (I love that name!) Burke, but she is no novice at writing a gritty,fast-paced, witty page-turner. It must be in the genes! Read more
Published on Sep 8 2003 by Suspense & Thriller Lover
4.0 out of 5 stars reads like the real thing
If you've spent any time inside a DA's office you know Alafair Burke delivers the goods. The story is believable and accurate in tone and detail. Read more
Published on Sep 2 2003 by Gary Delsohn
5.0 out of 5 stars Alafair Burke Pens A Winner!!
Judgment Calls, the debut effort from Alafair Burke, is a book that is difficult to set down. Readers are introduced to Samantha Kincaid, a young prosecutor navigating through the... Read more
Published on Aug 28 2003 by Aunnie Petronski
1.0 out of 5 stars Poor Example of Publishing Nepotism - Boring & Bad
There are two reasons why this book was published. Alafair Burke's daddy is the first one, and a near total lack of imagination from Henry Holt is the second. Read more
Published on Aug 18 2003 by J. Mckenna
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