Rating: 
Summary: A NEW STAR IN THE SKY OF THRILLERS
Review: It was about time! Writer Habemus...It has ALL: Professionalism as a writer;a great but humble exhibition of culture mixed well into the story;strong characters; the exact speed; Originality and a talentous, unexpected but logical end; not one single flaw in development, Good timing...NOt heavy or dull in the Court of Justice scenes; sensitive characters...Beautifully done. You can read it as you wish:As a thriller, a Legal, a suspense...You decide: But be careful with your timing, because you will not be able to put this book down until you read the last page. Send your wife and kids on a weekend trip. Unhook your phones Have something to eat You will not leave your place until the end of THE DEFENSE... I should know. I am a choosy Book Publisher Georgina Greco
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Summary: Kudos
Review: Joseph Antonelli is a great defense lawyer. According to him he has not lost any case where the defendant was innocent and he has won every case where the defendant was guilty. Judge Leopold Rifkin feels that Antonelli needs a lesson in humility so he gives him a pro bono case.Johnny Morel is accused of raping his twelve-year-old daughter, Michelle. The prosecution's case is weak and the chief prosecution witness is the girl's drug-addicted mother. Joseph wins the case but everything here is far from over. Several years later, Johnny is found murdered and his wife is the chief suspect. Antonelli does not defend her and she winds up serving a prison term. After she is released from serving her sentence she is found shot dead in the home of Judge Leopold Rifkin. Buffa does a great job with character development and he keeps the story line moving. The Morels have a deep connection to the judge and unbeknownst to Antonelli, he also shares a connection with the victim. As Buffa's first novel it is a great start. One can see why he was nominated for his last paperback, THE JUDGMENT, an even better work.
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Summary: Great debut-lives up to its's press
Review: Judge Leo Rifkin needs the best defense attorney to defend Johnny Morel, arrested for allegedly raping his stepdaughter. Leo turns to Portland superstar, Joseph Antonelli, who has won every case he has argued, freeing people who obviously committed the crimes. Though absolutely certain that Morel did the crime, Joseph, using his legal magic, manages to obtain a not guilty charge. However, Morel does not have much time to celebrate his victory as he is soon murdered and his spouse Denise is accused of the crime. Things become extremely twisted when Denise is killed inside Leo's apartment. In front of a media fishbowl, Joseph defends his long term friend even though he believes beyond a shadow of a doubt that Leo is guilty of murder. THE DEFENSE may be the top legal procedural novel of the year, but not because of its dazzling courtroom action or its brilliantly described moral questions. Instead, D.W. Buffa makes all of his characters (including the secondary players) seem real and flawed . For instance, Joseph's philosophy of not confusing the facts with getting his clients off of the hook feels genuine and Leo's frequent use of Plato (at least its not Beowulf) adds depth rarely seen in these types of books. This reviewer strongly recommends this novel to any mystery buff, not just fans of the sub-genre. Harriet Klausner
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Summary: Intense
Review: Only the thriller The Triumph and the Glory can compare with The Defense. What writing! It was fascinating, as suspenseful a novel as you are EVER going to read,
Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic
Review: The defense was one of the best legal dramas I have read since buringing out on Grisham. Buffa tackles procedural and ethical issues not normally encoutnered in fiction. The prosecution/defense/court relationship can be admired and is quite the norm in the legal practice.
Rating:
Summary: Good book, I'll read Buffa again.
Review: The first half seemed a bit disjointed, as if the plot was taking too many "detours". But as I got further into the story it was much more captivating; and in fact, the relevance of some of the detours became evident. I agree that the identity of the killer was predictable, but that still did not take away from what I found to be a "delightfully twisted" surprise ending! I'm looking forward to reading Buffa's latest novel.
Rating:
Summary: Good book, I'll read Buffa again.
Review: The first half seemed a bit disjointed, as if the plot was taking too many "detours". But as I got further into the story it was much more captivating; and in fact, the relevance of some of the detours became evident. I agree that the identity of the killer was predictable, but that still did not take away from what I found to be a "delightfully twisted" surprise ending! I'm looking forward to reading Buffa's latest novel.
Rating: 
Summary: Can a book get a minus number of stars?
Review: The thought that this might not be the worst book I will ever read terrifies me. The mangled threads of a story dribble out from page after page of endless pontification, only to end - or should I say fail to end? - too obviously for any shred of satisfaction to be drawn from the drivel. I can't tell you how many times I just wanted to scream at the author to get on with it; good, bad or indifferent, tell the story! As it turns out, it was bad, very bad. I know, I know - you're thinking I should just get it off my chest and say what I really think of the book. I have.
Rating: 
Summary: Had it solved half-way through.
Review: This book came highly recommended and read it in about 2 days. It was a good read until Antonelli met Alexandra and then I knew what was going to happen. No surprises.
Rating:
Summary: There's MUCH better legal thrillers out there
Review: This is supposed to be a "deep" legal thriller due to all sorts of philosophy within. Rather than truly engaging the ideas of Socrates and others, however, they are almost thrown in at random to provide the illusion of an intellectual depth which is really not there. Otherwise a pretty standard, and admittedly enjoyable legal thriller, but I was expecting a lot more. Finally, the rather important plot twist at the end was a little too predictable and utterly implausible. If you want to think while reading courtroom tales, stick with Scott Turow.
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