- Hardcover: 352 pages
- Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.; First Edition edition (July 1 2003)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0805073868
- ISBN-13: 978-0805073867
- Product Dimensions: 24.1 x 16.2 x 3.2 cm
- Shipping Weight: 635 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #783,141 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
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.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Inside This Book
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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
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Engrossing Legal Thriller,
By A Customer
This review is from: Judgment Calls (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.
2.0 out of 5 stars
Poor Judgment,
By "cathy4thcb" (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Judgment Calls (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: When speaking with a potential witness: 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.
3.0 out of 5 stars
promising debut,
By
This review is from: Judgment Calls (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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