Customer Reviews

The Associate

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

There is nothing fresh or particularly imaginative about this legal thriller. At it's best, it is a cookie-cutter novel, without any of the drama or suspense that the top authors in this genre (Grisham, Ellis, Lashner) weave so beautifully throughout their work. At it's worst, it relies on predictable plot twists that move this tepid novel along barely fast enough to keep the reader from putting it down for good. If you suffer from insomnia, then give this book a try. Otherwise, leave it aone.

Not one of Margolin's best because of some of Daniel Ames' stupidities in the story, but I enjoyed the mystery of the story till the end.

As an author myself, I love to dissect the work of others. Philip Margolin uses some great "right angle shifts" to throw the reader into new fields in this enjoyable complex story. You have to read carefully and expect the unexpected. I thoroughly delight in this kind of literary journey.
A Wiktorek

This is the first book I read by Phillip Margolin. The book started-out well - and I liked the plot of Daniel Ames, small time boy making it in big time law. About 120 pages in things started to get confused for me. Maybe am slow to catch on, but I got confused with all the characters and confusing plot line. The end came together for me - for cut out the middle 75 pages.

After reading and loving the far superior "Undertaker's Widow" I was excited to get an opportunity to read another of Margolin's fast paced legal thrillers. Maybe I was hoping for another plot which places a highly ethical character in a morally ambiguous situation, but what I was treated to instead was an implausible scenario which is made even worse by the actions of the main character which defy common sense. Unlike other Margolin novels, this novel is full of flaws from the main character's reactions and actions that reach new heights in stupidity to the very contrived conclusion that wrapped everything up a little too neatly. Save some time and money and read any of Margolin's other efforts, and I promise you you will leave with a better impression of someone I believe to be a very talented writer.

How can you not love a book about a lawyer who gets himself in trouble? The associate begins with a photograph, which triggers a chain of events that takes the reader through years of unsolved mysteries. Our hero must solve them as well, in order to clear his name and stop a murderer. The action is thrilling, and the plot development is extremely good. You will not be dissappointed with this excellent novel.

As with most of Philip Margolin's novels, there is nothing fancy about "The Associate". This is simply a very readable, thoroughly entertaining, and hard-to-put down legal thriller. What "The Associate" lacks in believable or deeply developed characters or setting, it makes up for with a quickly moving and multi-threaded plot that is sure to hold one's attention. A series of parallel story lines and plot twists fuse together in a conclusion that while mostly predictable, is still well worth the journey. All in all, "The Associate is traditional Margolin fare: a clever and well conceived story line that while ultimately forgettable, is lots of fun while it lasts.

I rate this novel somewhere between 2 and 3 stars. There are some nice plot twists, but overall the story is a disappointment. Without revealing plot, I can only say that the "bad guys" are a disappointment and not really that menacing or believable. The main character also makes some silly mistakes that make you crazy as it is obvious what is he is walking into. The best characterization lies in the female investigator who helps sort out what is going on. If you are in to lawyer suspense, I recommend you skip this one and go on to other novels this auther has written (or finish all of your Baldacci reads first...).

I picked up a copy The Associate in an airport bookstore on the recommendation of a total stranger. I wish I new who she was so I could thank her, because The Associate was a great book -- an absolute page turner. Thankfully I had a six-hour plane ride that allowed me to read the book in one sitting. The work is a cross between early John Grisham and early David Baldacci. The book follows a young, hardworking attorney who stumbles into a series of events that quickly spin out of control as he fights for the truth and to save his life. The Associate is packed with action, suspense, plot twists and good character development. This was a great initiation to Margolin's work. I will definitely be going back for more.

Typical of a book by Philip Margolin, The Associate is written in a style that makes the pages fly by, has an interesting plot and builds to a suspenseful conclusion. It's the type of book that is good for a plane trip or beach vacation. However, unlike most of Margolin's other books, The Associate lacks the intense courtroom drama, his characters are more superficial and the outcome was too predictable. Having read all of Margolin's other books, The Associate, while enjoyable and entertaining, is nowhere near the top of his works. If you, too, are a Margolin fan, I think, on a comparative basis, you might feel mildly disappointed but, overall, I think you'll consider The Associate to be a fun read. If you haven't read Margolin before, I'd very highly recommend Gone But Not Forgotten, Heartstone, The Last Innocent Man, After Dark and Wild Justice.