Against the Wind

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Summary: Freedman has made another excellent novel for avid readers
Review: A lawyer has chosen to defend a motorcycle gang which stands accused of a murder that carries the death penalty. He is convinced they are innocent and that is how the story starts. Though the tale keeps a steady firm pace, I can affirm that then ending is the best and richest part of the book, it is full of intrigue, twisty and features something I have not seen in another mystery books and that is the deftly sudden alteration of the profile of characters, how an innocent victim can become the devil and the other way around, this was performed with mastery, brilliant narrative tactics and not relying on easy trickery. Big praise for Freedman, he is a great novelist, this book as well as his others "Key Witness" and "The Disappearance" are worth reading.

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Summary: A great read.
Review: A novel of quick "justice" in a southern New Mexico town and the attorney who uses the case to help straighten out his life. The book is written in vivid detail. This descriptiveness flows over into our hero's love life and the crimes that were commited which makes the book quite graphic; however, this only adds to an very interesting story. A good legal thriller along the lines of Coughlin, and Blum.

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Summary: Great read ,very provocative,court room drama!
Review: After picking up "The Obstacle Course" in a book trader and loving it,I could'nt wait to read "Against the Wind". I like the way Freedman tells the story in the first person,feeling sorry for his character Will Alexander. The court room action is BETTER in my opinion then John Grisham. I say JF FREEDMAN is the real thing!

Rating:
Summary: Expected Better
Review: After reading "The Disappearance" I thought I had found a great mystery writer in J.F. Freedman. My disappointment in "Against the Wind" was profound. Although the plot itself was interesting, the descriptive sexual exploits in the book made it almost repulsive and, in my opinion, verging on pornography. The lawyer's constant flopping into bed with other women took away any admiration I might have had for him as a hero.

This author could be one of the greater mystery writers of our time if he would leave out the sleazy and "more explicit than is needed" sex talk. He does not need to cheapen his novel in this way as he has enough writing talent as it is to write a best-selling novel. It almost angered me to see him degrading himself in this way. I will give him one more try in the hopes that he wisened up in his later novels.

Rating:
Summary: A hidden gem in a crowded genre!
Review: Against the Wind by J.F. Freedman is a genuine find not only for fans of the legal thriller, but also for people who appreciate great fiction regardless of the genre. This book is uncommonly well-written and literate for a genre in which the premium is usually placed on plot-twists rather than dimensional characters and a distinctive storytelling style. It combines a higher quality of writing than is often found in popular crime and mystery novels with a story which is lurid enough to provoke readers, and yet is told in a way that challenges the stereotypes and perspectives that are the stock in trade of the popular legal thriller. Although the sex, violence and profanity in Against the Wind might lead one to mistake it for the common exercise in titillation offered by most of the genre, this book is much more. It is thought-provoking, richly textured, and rife with shades of gray rather than obvious heroes and villains, and at the same time, every bit as entertaining and readable as the novels of any of today's most popular authors. Don't miss this one!

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Summary: The best fiction book about law and lawyers!
Review: Courtroom thrillers don't get better than this! Thgis has everything I wanted in a great rival of John Grisham. Don't forget to pick up a copy of this fast paced thriller. I simply could not put it down! Un-down-putable!

Rating:
Summary: The best fiction book about law and lawyers!
Review: Courtroom thrillers don't get better than this! Thgis has everything I wanted in a great rival of John Grisham. Don't forget to pick up a copy of this fast paced thriller. I simply could not put it down! Un-down-putable!

Rating:
Summary: Surprising this wasn't more popular than Grisham!
Review: Freedman wrote a book that actually has you routing for the "bad guys"! The plot never seems contrived while getting at the truth. The story takes believable turns and has disappointments that add to the suspense. Nothing is too "pat" in this web of legal intrigue. Freedman should be touted as highly, if not higher, than Grisham's legal tales. They are more complex and the characters are much more colorful.

Rating:
Summary: What an enjoyable read!
Review: I have never read J.F.Freedman's books before. This was truly a wonderful surprise. The characters had tremendous depth and the author avoided all the easy stereotypes. The action started from page one and even the courtroom scenes were fast paced. The last time this happened to me was with "The Poet" by Michael Connoly where I had to go back and read all his other works. I'm in the middle of "Key Witness" right now and I have my next months reading all lined up, thanks to J.F.Freedman!

Rating:
Summary: Unforgetable
Review: I listened to the unabridged "Books on Tape" edition of Against the Wind. It is very unusual for me to read (or listen to) a book twice. I've listened to this one four times!! Will is the classic underdog. Everyone and everything seems to be against him, and that just makes him stronger. If you like legal mysteries, then buy this one.