Rating: 
Summary: 3 1/2 Stars...An Adrenaline Boost
Review: In a world of Big Macs and Palm Pilots, few seem to have time for a deeply moving mystery. Margolin, knowing his audience, slices his novels into manageable snacks for those on the go. Each book is fluid and credible, with characters we care just enough to follow and plots we try desperately to unravel."Ties That Bind" is vintage Margolin. From the opening scenes which undergird a far-reaching conspiracy, to the concluding surprises, Margolin lets us revisit Amanda Jaffe (from "Wild Justice") as she finds herself embroiled in trouble. When she agrees to defend a man, owner of an escort service, against murder charges, she finds cover-ups and misdirection on every side. Amanda must face her own fears and grow through her experiences. Amanda, though, is almost secondary to the stronger characterization of Tim Kerrigan. Tim is a man with a football-hero past, a temptation-paved present, and little hope for the future. He finds himself a pawn in a deadly game. His own poor choices place his family in danger, and he must find a way to extricate himself before his guilt crushes him once and for all. While "Ties That Bind" addresses family, moral, and political issues in short snippets, it's really all about telling an adrenaline-charged story. Though there's little time to get emotionally involved, Margolin manages to draw us onward and throw us for a few loops. The style is gritty, sometimes twisted...and one heck of a ride.
Rating: 
Summary: TOO MUCH SENSATIONALISM
Review: In Ties That Bind, criminal lawyer Amanda Jaffe returns, assigned by the court to defend the murderer of a U.S. Senator. While that case is somewhat circumstantial, what is more open-and-shut is her client's murder of his previous attorney, a brutal killing that has made most others reluctant to defend him. Jaffe, however, is willing to take him on and in the process, do battle with her own demons. As usual, Margolin is an adept writer, though this is far from his best work, as most of his plot twists are either rather easy to figure out (such as who is entangled in the conspiracy) or out of left field (such as the final solution of the whodunit). On the other hand, Margolin has presented his most clever villains since Gone But Not Forgotten, which does make the story exciting even as its ending seems foreshadowed. Jaffe herself is a well-defined character, and unlike most series characters, she doesn't just shake off the traumas she has previously undergone. Overall, I'd say this was a good, but not great, book. Those who read less suspense novels may be more surprised by the plotting, but for veteran readers of the genre, this will be a bit predictable. Nonetheless, fans of thrillers should be generally pleased with Margolin's latest effort
Rating:
Summary: Decent, if predictable
Review: In Ties That Bind, criminal lawyer Amanda Jaffe returns, assigned by the court to defend the murderer of a U.S. Senator. While that case is somewhat circumstantial, what is more open-and-shut is her client's murder of his previous attorney, a brutal killing that has made most others reluctant to defend him. Jaffe, however, is willing to take him on and in the process, do battle with her own demons. As usual, Margolin is an adept writer, though this is far from his best work, as most of his plot twists are either rather easy to figure out (such as who is entangled in the conspiracy) or out of left field (such as the final solution of the whodunit). On the other hand, Margolin has presented his most clever villains since Gone But Not Forgotten, which does make the story exciting even as its ending seems foreshadowed. Jaffe herself is a well-defined character, and unlike most series characters, she doesn't just shake off the traumas she has previously undergone. Overall, I'd say this was a good, but not great, book. Those who read less suspense novels may be more surprised by the plotting, but for veteran readers of the genre, this will be a bit predictable. Nonetheless, fans of thrillers should be generally pleased with Margolin's latest effort
Rating: 
Summary: enjoyable crime thriller
Review: Life is not easy for New Mexico defense attorney Amanda Jaffe since she almost was killed while being used as bait in a series of murders committed by a surgeon in St. Francis Medical Center. It's been more than a year and she is still suffering Post Traumatic Stress Disorder complete with flashbacks, spotty sleep and intense flashbacks. The last thing she wants to do is take on a murder one case but no other lawyer in New Mexico will touch it. Jon Dupree, the owner of a high priced escort service, which is a cover for prostitution, is alleged to have killed United States Senator Harold Travis and his defense attorney in a closed door conference room at the jail. A guard witnessed the murder but Amanda isn't convinced because it is her client who has defense wounds and claims his attorney was trying to kill him. As Amanda gets closer to figuring out who was behind the two deaths, the co-conspirators decide that the only way to stop her is to kill her. The feisty attorney has reservoirs of strength that she is not aware of and a healthy sense of self-preservation. Phillip Margolin is one of the leading crime thrillers writers with all his books turning into New York Times bestsellers and this reviewer is certain, that TIES THAT BIND will be number eight. There is a series of interconnecting plots that seamlessly flows into the main story line. Crossing the lines is the delightful courageous Amanda leading to the reader having a lot of fun trying to discover how they connect. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: TOO MUCH SENSATIONALISM
Review: Margolin is getting carried away by 'too much sex, gore, and sensationalism'. His first books were interesting and somewhat true to life. Since I live in Portland I am quite certain this kind of thing happens, to a minor degree, but sounds to me like Portland is the crime center of the nation if we take this book literally. Our politics in Portland and Oregon are rotten but I don't think
life is as morbid and ugly as Margolin would have us believe.
Tone it down a bit ........ we will still like your books without all the sex, violence and foul language portrayed in this one. You went beyond the limits of decency and good writing in this one.
Rating:
Summary: Complex plot pleases with suspense-filled twists and turns
Review: Margolin is not as well known as Grisham or Scott Turow, but he can write a legal thriller with equal suspense. Here is his eighth novel to date; its complex plot had just the right number of characters so we could keep track, unlike his prior book, "The Associate", which seemed to us to be overpopulated with shallow characters and red herrings. It's difficult to report on much of the action without revealing the fine story line, but DA Tim Kerrigan, defense lawyer Amanda Jaffe (back from an earlier novel in the series), and a cast of thugs on both sides of the law create an entertaining ensemble of judges, pimps, and relatives! While at first we sympathize with Kerrigan, we find ourselves constantly shifting allegiances with the leading characters as Margolin's tale shifts from phase to phase. We could hardly wait to get to the end, where the outcome will surely surprise many a reader. We might quibble that literally the last couple of pages offered an ending distraction (wish they had been sliced by the editor), but otherwise, we were enchanted throughout. Shades of his first few novels, which showed a deliberate command of the craft and this genre, we're glad Margolin kept his imagination flowing while reducing the cast to a manageable size in "Ties". We think you'll be spellbound -- try it!
Rating:
Summary: Wow! Loved It
Review: Mr Margolin has yet again written a novel that I thoroughly enjoyed from beginning to end. The pace was great, the stoty riveting and hard to put down until finished. And what a finish it was. I'm really enjoying his novels that feature Amanda Jaffe because she's a character I really like. I think her story in this book was even better than previous. I highly recommend this novel, especially if you enjoy reading about ruthless people of power getting their just due.
Rating:
Summary: Plauseably Improbable - But a Good Read
Review: Phillip Margolin has returned Amanda Jaffe to center stage and it is a place that nearly gets her killed. (again) She is appointed to represent John Dupre who is accused of two murders, the second of which was his court appointed lawyer who was in a locked down interview room with a guard watching. Tough case to win, right? Well, things are not always what they seem and in this novel that is much more than a pretty phrase. This story has more layers than an onion and as the writer peels them off we are suprised, a bit baffled, and somewhat astounded as to how this plays out. Margolin has been consistently reliable as an excellent novelist and this book changes nothing in that regard.
Rating:
Summary: Margolin back on track with this nail biter
Review: Phillip Margolin has the distinction of having written one of my all-time favorite novels (Gone, But Not Forgotten), and has been sporadic (at best) in achieving the success he gained through this one story. He HAS come close with a couple (After Dark & Wild Justice) but most of the rest of his books have been really good, but not great. 'Wild Justice' was one of his exceptional stories and it introduced us to Amanda Jaffe, our main character in 'Ties'. Following this we got the filler book, 'The Associate' which was okay, and I was beginning to wonder how many so-so novels we have to go through before landing another truly engrossing tale from Margolin. I personally believe that 'Ties That Bind' is both exceptional as well as difficult to follow. Several reviewers have noted that there are too many characters to follow, which really CAN be a problem especially at the beginning. I forced my way through only to become involved in a story that seemed interesting, but not compelling like some of he previous stories. However, around half-way through the book I found the plot really thickening into something quite diabolical. The story begins back in the early 70's when the Vaughn Street Glee Club is organized. Known only by a VERY select few, especially on the outside, and the only way INTO the club is through the worst of human acts: Murder. We skip ahead to the present when a really disgusting pimp gets nailed for killing one of his prostitutes. But is he the one who is really responsible? After discussing his current problems with his attorney, the lawyer informs him that without a rather sizeable retainer, he won't be able to continue to defend him, especially on murder charges. The Court then appoints him an attorney, but before he can even discover anything about the case, he kills his own defender. NOW he's in trouble for TWO murders. Amanda Jaffe becomes involved, but she's still having difficult time adjusting after the Cardoni case (see 'Wild Justice') and the traumatic experience that was for her. She reluctantly accepts, and becomes embroiled inside the Vaughn Street Glee Club and their attempts to place one of their members inside the White House. The DA scheduled to try the case, Tim Kerrigan has demons of his own. One night he succumbs to a terrifying greed and hires one of the pimps special prostitutes for an evening, and before long finds himself being blackmailed by the hooker to let the pimp off, or be exposed as the scum that he is. Tim's character is a multi-demensional one. On the one hand you despise him for his sordid actions, but on the other you see inside his head and how repulsed he is at himself and what he has done and things cascade and snowball into a life-altering visit with his surrogate father, who is also a judge. HOW can he handle this situation? If he ignores the blackmail, he'll be exposed, ruining his wife and daughters lives, but if he gives in he will sink to a new low by intentionally throwing an otherwise air-tight case against the pimp. The judge gives him an opportunity to erase the entire event, but the cost is VERY high. Would it be possible to actually eliminate the hooker and make all his problems go away forever? Slowly, Tim realizes that NOT accepting the judges offer creates a separate set of problems that are just as terrible. 'Ties That Bind' really does move along on a track that can be difficult to follow -- especially if you read a little each day and then put the book down for a couple of days, do that and you could be hopelessly lost in attempting to figure out where you were last. But through all of this, I still found the story worthwhile and quite entertaining. There are some genuine surprises along the way (especially at the end) and ultimately found the the entire book to be well written and thrilling. It was by no means up to the level of 'Gone, But Not Forgotten' and 'Wild Justice' but very fun to read nevertheless. I anxiously await Mr. Margolin's next story.
Rating:
Summary: Convoluted
Review: Phillip Margolin is a master of bizarre plot twists and surprise endings, so I suppose it's a little unfair to criticize him for it. But when Jeffrey Deaver put Lincoln Rhyme up against a master illusionist throughout "The Vanished Man", it brought legitimacy to all the twists and turns he built into the story. When Margolin suddenly introduces a magician working for the FBI to explain an elaborate scam no one could see coming, it comes off like a gimmick that springs the final surprise. On his web site Margolin says he wanted to write a book about a district attorney with a dark secret in his past, but that dark secret is nothing compared to the everyday doings of the plot. Splitting the stage between assistand DA Tim Kerrigan and attorney Amanda Jaffe, who brings her entourage from "Wild Justice", didn't work that well. The tie that binds them, the plight of a pimp and pusher to the rich and powerful, just doesn't ring true. Despite the jumbled characters who weren't particularly well developed and a conspiracy of powerful old men who are evil to the core, ther is some pretty good action and suspense as the story builds to a finale. Here's the acid test: When you are about halfway through "Ties That Bind", ask yourself:
Who will kill whom with an ax?
Who will get away with murder?
Who will assist the murderer in hiding that secret? When you know the answers, ask yourself - did that make any sense?
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