Rating: 
Summary: Pardon yourself from reading this book!
Review: After reading Grippando's more recent "A King's Ransom," I was excited to read his debut, "The Pardon." What a terrible disappointment. Usually a good writer's first novel is very good (i.e.,Margolin, Sanders) and, with some notable exceptions, the writing gets worse over time. Here, the opposite is true. However, while "A King's Ransom," is more richly textured and accomplished than the Pardon, it still suffers from many of "The Pardon's," ingrained flaws. "The Pardon" is what else, a story of a young lawyer, Jack Swyteck, who has just obtained an acquital for his client, Eddy Goss, a very guilty pyschopath, based on a "technicality." Both the charcters and situation are pathetically cliche and devoid of any imagination whatsoever. After the acquital, Jack becomes so disillusioned that he must resign from the "Freedom Institute" (I'm serious), play with his dog and think how to win back his girlfriend, Cindy. Oh, by the way, Jack's father just happens to be the governor of Florida (where all of Grippando's novels apparently are set), and the prologue to the novel sets up their estrangement (an obvious Grippando standby) as the Governor won't commute the death sentence of one of Jack's earlier and unluckier clients who appears as innocent as Goss is guilty. After Goss's aquital, Jack and the Governor are threatened by a mysterious stranger! Jack is framed for murder! Someone has killed Jack's dog! Jack's reconciliation with Cindy is threatened by Cindy's seductive roommate, Gina! Oh please. The absurdity of the story and its stock characters and situations pick up momentum in direct relationship to the reader's lack of interest in them, the death knell to any novel. This book is god-awful and, putting aside the fact that it allowed Grippando to stop practicing law, the author should be embarrassed by its very publication. Do yourself a real favor and skip this book. If you want something really good, read "The Axe" by Westlake or "About the Author" by Colapinto.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent book!
Review: Excellent thriller from beginning to end. Easy and enjoyable to read for a couple of days. I have read two other Grippando's books (Informant and Under Cover...) and this one ranks up the top.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book!
Review: Excellent thriller from beginning to end. Easy and enjoyable to read for a couple of days. I have read two other Grippando's books (Informant and Under Cover...) and this one ranks up the top.
Rating: 
Summary: Decent but not great
Review: First half to 3/4 of book is interesting but author seemed to paint himself into a corner and the ending was pretty weak All in all a good enjoyable easy read but not gripping to the end
Rating:
Summary: Pardon Me
Review: Grippando, certainly uses a smooth tactic to "grip" the reader and pull them right into the plot. In this particular novel the reader watches the characters as they become toys of the criminal. The action is fast-paced and the mystery unfolds with some revealing factors but he still keeps the reader interested. I think this is a good story, but his other novels, like The Informant have better plot and character development.
Rating:
Summary: Captivating
Review: I am not a mystery buff. I generally read non-fiction, and it takes a great novel to excite me. I especially liked the psychological component added into the suspenseful and complicated plot. It rivaled "The Firm" for enticing the reader's interest and attachment to the characters, and championing the humanistic outcome. I love books in which I can't predict the ending! Grippano was definitely "gripping" throughout the book.
Rating:
Summary: If I could give this a 5+, I would
Review: I consider this to be one of the best novels I've ever read. This one had it all, (suspense, mystery, action, and drama). I was flipping through the pages wondering what would happen next. Talk about being "on the edge of my seat". I've read off of his novels, and in my opinion, one cannot go wrong with a Grippando novel. And I believe this one ranks up there with his best. Read it and see for yourself. It'll be worth every minute and penny invested.
Rating:
Summary: If I could give this a 5+, I would
Review: I consider this to be one of the best novels I've ever read. This one had it all, (suspense, mystery, action, and drama). I was flipping through the pages wondering what would happen next. Talk about being "on the edge of my seat". I've read off of his novels, and in my opinion, one cannot go wrong with a Grippando novel. And I believe this one ranks up there with his best. Read it and see for yourself. It'll be worth every minute and penny invested.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Author I've found since Grisham
Review: I couldn't put this book down after I started. I found the story gripping and I didn't figure it out half way through the book. I have since read every book he's written and can't wait for more!!! You won't be disappointed with his writing if you like suspense
Rating:
Summary: The Best Author I've found since Grisham
Review: I couldn't put this book down after I started. I found the story gripping and I didn't figure it out half way through the book. I have since read every book he's written and can't wait for more!!! You won't be disappointed with his writing if you like suspense
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