- Hardcover: 484 pages
- Publisher: Donald I Fine (September 1994)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1556114028
- ISBN-13: 978-1556114021
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 15.5 x 4.1 cm
- Shipping Weight: 839 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #663,060 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Further evidence that Lescroart ( Hard Evidence ) can hold his own among legal-thriller writers comes with this taut novel about an abused San Francisco housewife who is arrested for shooting both her seven-year-old son and her physician husband, a control freak. Narrator Dismas Hardy, defense attorney and hero of four previous Lescroart novels, has plenty of suspects and issues to grapple with. First there's his icy, recalcitrant client, Jennifer Witt, who refuses to go with a battered-wife defense; Jennifer's aloof psychiatrist, who may or may not be her lover; some financial shenanigans concerning the victim's business that provide plenty of motive for high-stakes murder. Then there's the problem of Dismas's grandstanding boss, whose flamboyant, hit-or-miss style leaves Dismas constantly scrambling for higher legal ground. Finally, there's Dismas's wife, who resents the time her husband spends on the case but who insists on striking up a friendship with the accused without telling her husband. The story gets off to a slow start, and sometimes Lescroart belabors the obvious. He also comes close to telegraphing the solution to the mystery, and much of his writing about the characters' personal lives is hamfisted. Despite these flaws, however, an intricate story and satisfying courtroom scenes carry the day. Fans of the genre should find the second half of the book, which covers the trial, especially engaging. 60,000 first printing; major ad/promo; paperback rights to Dell; audio rights to Bantam Doubleday Dell; large print rights to Thorndike; Literary Guild and Dou ble day Book Club featured alternates.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Jennifer's fairytale life as the wife of Dr. Larry Witt seems perfect. When Larry and their seven-year-old son are murdered while Jennifer is out jogging, the newspapers have a field day weeping with the photogenic young widow. After she is arrested for the crime, a full-fledged tabloid feeding frenzy erupts. Into this fray steps Dismas Hardy, a fortysomething former district attorney's office hotshot and an ex-bartender who is 43 days into his new job with a prestigious law firm. Dismas, new to the role of defense lawyer, is uncomfortable with his growing belief in Jennifer's innocence, especially since she is reluctant to take her one chance at a "Not Guilty" verdict: acknowledging Larry's years of abuse. A very readable novel with engaging characters and a riveting plot that fans of Scott Turow and John Grisham will love; recommended for most libraries.
Dan Bogey, Clearfield Cty. P.L. Federation, Curwensville, Pa.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Dan Bogey, Clearfield Cty. P.L. Federation, Curwensville, Pa.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
Jennifer Witt rechecked the table. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
Jennifer Witt rechecked the table. Read the first page
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Concordance
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Weaknesses, But Good Read,
By A Customer
This review is from: The 13th Juror (Mass Market Paperback)
This was a good read and even the ending was pretty satisfying. I found it somewhat implausible though that Jennifer steadfastly refused to inject her being battered by her husband into her trial, despite the constant insistence by her attorney. I also found Jennifer to be so cold as to be again unrealistic, especially considering that she was facing the death penalty. However despite these and other weaknesses, it was good enough to easily keep me reading to the very end.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb in every respect,
By
This review is from: The 13th Juror (Mass Market Paperback)
Lescroart writes and plots with amazing precision and clarity. Others have gone into detail about content, so let me just say that once I finished reading The 13th Juror I jumped right into A Certain Justice (don't start that one before going to bed) and now The Hearing. I'll be reading everything John Lescroart has written or will write. Although there are multiple threads in each book, Lescroart does not ever leave the reader at loose ends. The settings are described in enough detail to bring them alive, but without excess. Characters are strong -- maybe not "larger than life," but some of them about as large as life gets. And he carefully researches the details.Enough. Buy his books. Read them. If you like legal/crime/suspense you will be pleased.
4.0 out of 5 stars
An Engrossing Story of a Murder Trial,
By George Webster, Ph.D., (Orlando, FL USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The 13th Juror (Mass Market Paperback)
Jennifer Witt has been arrested for the murder of her husband and child. The evidence against her is overwhelming, but she steadfastly claims to be innocent. Her attorney, Dismas Hardy, faces a seemingly impossible task, but gradually finds that things are not exactly as they seem. He becomes convinced that she is innocent, but how to prove it? The author takes you, step by step, through the preparation and conduct of this murder trial, and you see the price it extracts from the lives of all concerned. I am not a fan of novels about attorneys, but this one held my attention throughout.
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