Rating: 
Summary: It Smoulders But Doesn't Light a Fire
Review: I immediately identified with the young lawyer's angest as he tried to trust his own legal judgment for the first time, however, the character became less interesting as the plot evolved. Actually, I found myself reading in spite of Peter and more out of curiosity about Gary. Gary was the only interesting character and I had great aspirations for where the author could have been going with the plot, especially given the possibilities that a character like Gary presented. Furthermore, I was sure that the obvious clues and tell-tales dropped early on were only placed there to distract us, however, I was very sadly dissapointed. Ironically, the title of the book was a distraction. By the time I finished the book I had totally forgotten about the gratuitous violence scene for which the book is titled, so the naming of the book made me wonder if Mr. Margolin truly had buried something that in my casual reading had gone overlooked. Again, the answer was no, it really was as obvious as it seemed which unfortunately was the problem that plagued the entire book
Rating: 
Summary: BURN THIS BOOK
Review: A sentence not lightly imposed. But, unlike me, burn it BEFORE wasting your time. The plot, the single necessity in a thriller, is ridiculous. The solution is telegraphed halfway through. The characters (only one is not repellent) are cardboard--you simply won't care. The writing is clumsy, dialogue tinny and if that's not enough, the title has no link with any event in the book.
What I can't understand, is how anyone could give this fireplace fodder a good review?
Rating:
Summary: Trite and predictable
Review: Been there, done that. You've heard this story a zillion times. It's unoriginal, and you can figure out who the killer is less than half way through. Plus, there's not a single likable character. The only good thing about the book is that, since there's no substance, I read it in less than a day. And I'm a slow reader. Fortunately, I took it out of the library and didn't have to pay for it.
Rating: 
Summary: Legal Brief - (brief as I can)
Review: Description: Grisham lite. Characters: thin. Action: Plenty. Potential: solid summer movie. Title: unconnected to actual story but might sell movie tics. Dissenting opinion: Protagonist's "legal malpractice" near beginning could have been corrected on the spot and a real judge would have insisted on it.
Rating:
Summary: Legal Brief - (brief as I can)
Review: Description: Grisham lite. Characters: thin. Action: Plenty. Potential: solid summer movie. Title: unconnected to actual story but might sell movie tics. Dissenting opinion: Protagonist's "legal malpractice" near beginning could have been corrected on the spot and a real judge would have insisted on it.
Rating:
Summary: Still Searching
Review: I am still searching for an author who can take over this genre. Phillip Margolin's "Burning Man" fell way short of expectation. The book was very trite and very predictable, with to many Grishamish charatcers. Margolin throws all the typical ingredents in the book stirs them up and you get the same results, just another blah lawyer novel. Since William Coughlin's death and John Grisham writing movie books, there is no writer in this genre to be the leader. Margolin is worth another read, but if your looking for something inspired and different this is not the book to be reading.
Rating:
Summary: Still Searching
Review: I am still searching for an author who can take over this genre. Phillip Margolin's "Burning Man" fell way short of expectation. The book was very trite and very predictable, with to many Grishamish charatcers. Margolin throws all the typical ingredents in the book stirs them up and you get the same results, just another blah lawyer novel. Since William Coughlin's death and John Grisham writing movie books, there is no writer in this genre to be the leader. Margolin is worth another read, but if your looking for something inspired and different this is not the book to be reading.
Rating: 
Summary: A MUST READ LEGAL THRILLER!!!
Review: I have read other Margolin books but this one is the best I have read. It started a little slow and the main character, Peter Hale, made mistakes a lawyer should not make reguardless the field of law he is in. Hale has been sent to Oregon because he has messed up where he is. He is caught up in the middle of a murder case involving a mentally retarded man. Did the man murder the woman? All things point to him doing in at first. But there are many differnet things involved. As Assistant DA who will stop at nothing, legal or not. A brother-in-law, who is also an attorney, that just does not seem right about the case. If the retarted man is convicted can Peter safe him before he is sentenced? Who really is the killer? You will be surprised, at least I was. A book I did not want to put down. I wanted to read faster and faster to see if Gary, the retarted man, would be saved. I could not believe he would be convicted. I thought if I read faster the crime would be solved faster, I guess. Was there an undercover cop? If so which one. If you like legal mysteries you will like this one.
Rating:
Summary: The better of the two Margolin books I've chosen.
Review: I preferred The Burning Man to the last Margolin I had read: After Dark. Though not captivating, something about After Dark made me want to try Margolin again, and I'm glad I did. After some initial doubt in my ability to see it through due to the heart-wrenching exploitation of Gary Harmon, the story really picked up speed. Peter Hale was both endearing and reprehensible. I was pleased with the content, context, and pace. Margolin switched scenarios just often enough to keep the story fresh without losing track of the chronology of events. While the outcome was somewhat prematurely evident, the story was intriguing enough to see through to the end. Though not the greatest or most sophisticated of legal thrillers, The Burning Man was certainly a worthwhile investment of time.
Rating:
Summary: _Burning_ toast with pat of Margolin
Review: It is, perhaps, unfair to comment on a book after reading but one chapter of it. But after completing the first chapter, I found I could read no more. The dialogue rings so false that I was compelled to put down the book. If this is, indeed, "sure to be his biggest best-seller yet" [dust jacket, 1st ed.], then I don't plan to read Margolin's other books.
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