Rating: 
Summary: My First RNP Book
Review: I first listened to this book (unabridged) while driving back from school for xmas vacation. I sat in my car till I finished listening to it. This is a spectacular, griping, suspensful and wonderfully written book about friends, lovers, enemies, lust, greed, and justice, all wrapped in up in a masterful murder trial book. I finally picked the book up and re-read the novel, pikcing up on things I missed when I read it. I loved it the first time, I praised it the second time. I have given this to many of my friends as gifts and highly recommend this book to all book lovers out there.
Rating:
Summary: They don't get any better
Review: Tony Lord is a successful criminal defense attorney in San Francisco, married to an Oscar-winning actress and living the life of the rich and famous. But thirty years ago, as a high school senior in a small Ohio town, he was a suspect in the murder of his girlfriend. He was never formally charged, but many townspeople, including the dead girl's parents, were convinced of his guilt. He soon went away to college and never returned.But now he has no choice. His old best friend Sam, the teammate who caught Tony's pass in the end zone in the final ten seconds of the biggest game of their high school careers, has been charged with murder. So Tony returns to his old home town to defend his friend. Inevitably, Tony is forced to confront the prejudices and nightmares he thought he had escaped decades ago. His dead girlfriend's parents are still there, and still convinced of his guilt. Sam's wife Sue is another issue. She was Sam's girlfriend back in high school, but she and Tony slept together one night toward the very end of their senior year, and Sam has always been suspicious of the relationship between Tony and his wife. By setting up the plot framework as he did, Patterson gave himself the opportunity for a richly textured exploration of some of humanity's most powerful emotions: love, jealousy, loyalty, and guilt. And he delivers the goods. The mystery element in this novel - although superb - is almost lost in the wonderfully evocative description of Tony Lord's struggle with his memories, loyalties, and relationships. I have never read a Richard North Patterson novel before. But this work is so outstanding that he has immediately jumped to the top rank of my favorite mystery writers - a group that includes Elizabeth George, P D James, and Dennis Lehane. This one is absolutely terrific.
Rating: 
Summary: Good start, bad end
Review: The first three parts of this book it can be considered a thriller, these parts inviting you to keep reading the book, this three parts can have 5 stars.
In the last part of the book (Sue) the story gets repetitive with the things that really happened in the story (changing the false things with the true things), the writer just change two or three things of the story and you will read the same things that are written in the first part, this is boring and make you thing that the book is not a good one.
You have to read the last part of the book to understand everyhing of the first three parts.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, gripping tale!
Review: This was the second RNP book that I have read and to date, it is still my favorite. Although the subject matter at times is a bit disturbing, the story was gripping and interesting. I enjoy how the author brings in characters from other books - having Stella Marz as the prosecuter was great! I also liked the back and forth between the two time periods which helps to explain the motives of all the characters. This kept me guessing until the end. Even though the outcome SEEMS to be very clear, the twists and clever plot devices keep you second-guessing yourself and your instincts! I couldn't put this one down!
Rating:
Summary: STILL A THRILLER SECOND TIME AROUND
Review: I READ THIS BOOK WHEN IT FIRST CAME OUT AND FORGOT ABOUT IT OVER THE YEARS. IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG TO REMEMBER THE STORY OF TONY LORD AND ALISON TAYLOR IN THEIR LOVE AFFAIR AT AGE SEVENTEEN. I KNEW THE KILLER BUT COULDN'T REMEMBER THE TRIAL AND OUTCOME. SO I READ IT AGAIN AND IT WAS JUST AS EXCITING AS THE FIRST READING. SAM ROBB AND HIS GIRL FRIEND, SUE. WERE BEST FRIENDS WITH TONY AND ALISON. THE BOYS WERE COMPETITIVE SPORTS JOCKS AND VIEING FOR THE SENIOR AWARD AS BEST ATLETE OF THE YEAR. BUT AFTERR ALISON'S BRUTAL MURDER THE SMALL TOWN BLAMED TONY FOR HER DEATH BUT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE TO INDITE HIM. AFTR FINISHING HIGH SCHOOL TONY WENT ON TO HARVARD AND BECAME A LAWYER. TWENTY SOME YEARS LATER TONY RECEIVES A CALL FROM SUE, NOW SAM'S WIFE. SAM HAS BEEN ACCUSED OF KILLING A SIXTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL WHO WAS A STUDENT AT THE SCHOOL WHERE SAM IS VICE PRINCIPAL. TONY DECIDES TO RETURN TO THE HOME TOWN HE HAD LEFT BEHIND TO ACT AS SAM'S DEFENSE ATTORNEY, GRATIS, BECAUSE SAM HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO ADVANCE IN HIS FIELD AS TONY HAS. AFTER ALL THESE YEARS SAM STILL FEELS INFERIOR AND IN NEED TO COMPETE WITH TONY. TONY FEELS THE TOWN STILL REMEMBERS ALISON'S DEATH AND THE FACT THAT TONY WAS NEVER ACTUALLY CLEARED OF BEING THE MAIN SUSPECT. HE FINDS HIMSELF GOING THRU THE SAME FEELINS AGAIN AS HEINTERVIEWS SAM, AND SAM IS STILL THE SAME TRYING TO KEEP ONE UP ON TONY. THE TRIAL BRINGS OUT SO MANY HALF TRUTHS THAT EVEN TONY DOESN'T KNOW IF HIS CLIENT IS INNOCENT ASSAM CLAIMS TO BE. THE JURY IS HUNGAND SAM GETS OFF. BUT TONY AND SUE HAVE A MEETING BEFORE TONY LEAVES TO RETURN TO HIS WIFE AND SON INSAN FRANCISCO. SUE TELLS TONY OFHER THOUGHTS REGARDING ALISON'SDEATH AND TONY FINDS HE MUST STAY AFEW MORE DAYS TO GATHER MORE INFORMATION RE THE KILLER HE NOWSUSPECTS. A SUPRISE ENDING IS AFITTING GIFT OF JUSTICE TO MORE THAN JUST A FEW OF THE TOWN'S PEOPLE. JAMES NORTH PATTERSON ISA PRO IN COURT ROOM ACTION AND NOTSO DETAILED THAT YOU LOSE INTERESTAS SOME OF THE WRITERS IN THISTYPE OF FICTION.
Rating:
Summary: 5-star book . . . . keeps the pages turning!
Review: Richard North Patterson sure leaves us hanging until the last few pages! If the clues are given their deserved attention, the true murderer, though, can easily be scouted out. This book reminds me of a soap opera, in regard to its reminiscenes of the past. You'll find yourself and the book become united, as you read through its pages.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent story line
Review: I enjoyed this book. Richard North Patterson is a great writer. Interesting characters and interesting plot. I will read more of his books.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Mr. Patterson again, proved he can write a great court room drama that is credible and enjoyable to read without needing to be sensationalistic and going over the top. He remains my favourite legal mystery writer and has yet to disappoint me. No formulas needed just good characters, interesting plots that work and gifted story-telling.
Rating:
Summary: Good but slow at times
Review: My first RN Patterson novel. I found it to be slow pace, quite unlike other court room/detecive novel. The authors develops the characters in details, set the scene in great details. As you aread it, you are transport back to small town USA, and experience the decay of a mill town. I like his story telling that I went on to read his other Nove, Dark Lady centered around the procedutor Stella.
Rating:
Summary: I actually had dreams about this book...
Review: While entrenched in the trial part of the book, I had dreams about it. I was so moved by the story and the characters. The ambivalent feelings for the accused in the trial were powerful; I easily identified with protagonist lawyer Tony's feelings of really wanting Sam to be innocent, but at the same time finding it hard to believe. Anyone who has ever been falsely accused of something (at least for me it was never murder!) can relate to the helpless feelings around that. Combine that with the loss of one's lover (right after the first-ever act of lovemaking) and I could picture the agony of it all (Tony the teenager, while being questioned by the authorities, sits in the interrogation room, while the funeral procession for his girlfriend goes on outside and her family is absolutely certain that he murdered her).... On an emotional level, this was a gripping and complex story that had me totally engrossed until the end.
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