Rating: 
Summary: Mediocre plot, OK characters, std liberal ideology
Review: Overall pretty mediocre. You must believe a lot of nonsense to get through this book without throwing it down: 1) guy is killed and death ruled a suicide in the face of the simplest clue 2) Lady DA is dirty 3) She thinks the DEA will eventually solve a crime through sheer persistence (completely laughable) and so hires a friend who she knows is real smart to pursue the case, etc.Writing is about 2 steps above poor.
Rating:
Summary: A distorted view of the moral superiority of prosecution
Review: Perhaps because I am a discontented lawyer myself, I enjoy reading the current crop of books by and about discontented lawyers. This book was a real disappointment for me. The story line was interesting (not always a feature of books by or about lawyers) but the characterisation (at which lawyers are often better because they meet so many different types of client) was poor. Worst of all was the hero himself: self-righteous, priggish, sanctimonious, self-congratulatory without an ounce of self-criticism, not overly bright... - you begin to catch my drift. I deeply disliked his belief that it was acceptable that it was right that the trial judge should "know which side his bread was buttered" and accordingly support the prosecution view at each stage. I was also unimpressed by the author's decision to use a big name defending counsel who, unsurprisingly, was no match for his hero in or out of court. The plot did not need a near patsy for the defence. It would have benefited from the complete opposite. These may sound like highly subjective responses, but then a reader is entitled to be subjective: he buys the book! I may give the author one more shot because of the very good reviews I have read of his other works and because the story line really wasn't bad. But one more chance is all he gets.
Rating: 
Summary: An okay, middle-of-the-road suspense/action/whatever novel.
Review: The author does a nice job of keeping the story active, and the reader does keep turning the pages, but this book falls flat sometimes. A supposedly first rate detective investigates the DEA for homicide of a scumbag. The plot has some twists, but the twists never come full circle really, and too late in the story a new curve appears that fizzles the ending. With the introduction of the whole Indian tribe deal, I think the author may have blown what could have been a true grit kind of book. Instead, I was left finding the book sort of predictable at that point, and then a little ridiculous. The main character is noble, sincere, and unrealistically honest for his field of work. The ex-team leader turned suspect is formidable as well, and the courtroom drama is very good. The author's style is impressive, this is the first novel I have read by this author, and I found the book easy to read and pleasantly cushioned with understandability. It took me about 4 days to read it, and I rate it average. You won't be wasting your money really, but it could be better spent.
Rating: 
Summary: dynamite thriller
Review: The Drug Enforcement Agency was ready to lead the raid on the isolated Northern California compound of drug czar Reynardo Juarez. Dozens of specially selected agents waited for the word to begin the assault. Their only guidance from their boss, the US Attorney General, is to bring Juarez in alive so he can be pressured to rat on other cartel members. However, the simple attack turns into a trap and three agents soon lie dead. Juarez is killed as he tries to escape through the woods. Northern California District Attorney Nora Ray investigates the fiasco. She quickly concludes the Feds are hiding and stone walling what happened in Muir County. Nor also believes someone executed Juarez. She asks a reluctant friend, defense attorney Luke Garrison to act as a Special Prosecutor to help her bring the case to justice. Though he believes justice was served with Juarez's death, Luke agrees that no one is ABOVE THE LAW. However, neither Nora nor Luke knows that their investigation will leave both in danger as they surf through the underbelly of society. ABOVE THE LAW is a astonishingly exhilarating police-legal thriller that will excite readers with its non-stop action and strong characterizations. The story line is filled with exciting conflict from start to finish. The cast ("heroes and villains") is developed so that readers comprehend their motives, connections, and treachery. Additionally, the return of Luke Garrison (see THE DISAPEARANCE and not the Seagal movie) brings back one of J.F. Freedman's best charcaters. The New York Times bestselling author spins a triumphant complex novel that will attain more acclaim for Mr. Freedman. Harriet Klausner
Rating: 
Summary: Good read...but tough to match the Disappearance
Review: There is a bit of a conundrum here. If you haven't read The Disappearance before reading this one, you will enjoy this one more, because you won't know the true mystery maestro that Freedman can be. BUT, if you haven't read The Disappearance, you won't know the background on Luke and Riva which adds interest and wrinkles to Above the Law. This is a good read. The mystery is well presented, and the author gives readers several believable red herrings to suspect and follow before ultimately revealing who the killer is. It is well paced, and Freedman is a gifted writer, particularly in capturing the aura of places: Santa Barbara, and the small towns of Northern California, among others. Ultimately, though, it doesn't measure up to the riveting, edge-of-the-seat, I've-got-to-stay-up-all-night-to-finish-this-book drama that Freedman offered in The Disappearance. Above The Law is a very good novel, but not the truly great read that Freedman offered mystery lovers with The Disappearance.
Rating:
Summary: Slow, Slow, Slow!
Review: This book seemed to take a century to get through. The only part that I liked was the drug bust in the beginning with all the action and the assassination. After that it seemed that the book just dragged on and on. I like Luke Garrison, the main character, alot. If you are going on a vacation and need a book to read, then this won't be a bad choice if you need a time fillerg. Don't et me wrong, J.F. Freedman is a good author. I absolutely loved "The Disappearance." That was a great book, but "Above The Law" was just too long and slow paced. I have faith in Freedman's next novel.
Rating:
Summary: A pleasure to read!
Review: This book was fascinating, and for those of you that say they don't have time to read, you can't not have enough time to read this book. The characters and storylines were so believeable and realistic. Don't miss this for the world!
Rating:
Summary: A pleasure to read!
Review: This book was fascinating, and for those of you that say they don't have time to read, you can't not have enough time to read this book. The characters and storylines were so believeable and realistic. Don't miss this for the world!
Rating:
Summary: Courtroom Murder Mystery Extrodinaire! Bravo!! Encore!!
Review: This is a very well written, well plotted book. I didn't guess the ending, which is rare for me. The author's first-person "voice" is great. You care about the people involved and you have to be interested in the twists and turns in the story. If Grisham keeps improving he may catch up with author J. F. Freedman, but I doubt it. I don't think there is a better writer than Freedman in the genre and "Above The Law" shows him at his best. Loved it and I am impatiently waiting for his next novel. Nice going, J.F!!!
Rating:
Summary: Saw the ending coming from a mile away.
Review: This is the first Freedman book I have read, and I did enjoy it. The basic story, as set forth in the other reviews, involves Luke Garrison, the former DA for Santa Barbara, being appointed special prosecutor to assist a law school friend with the investigation of a botched DEA raid. Freedman does a great job with characterization and a little too good a job with foreshadowing. There was not a single plot point "revealed" at the end of the novel that was not completely obvious several pages earlier. The other problem was that the book was about 10-15% too long. First there is the investigation, then there is the trial, complete with the same questions from the investigation. Unneccessary repetition made the book longer than it needed to be. That said, I still liked the book. The opening sequence, only tangentially related to the rest of the book, is exciting, tense, and completely ignored by the other reviewers.
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