Rating: 
Summary: NO SUSPENSE, OR SURPRISES IN THIS THRILLER
Review: Kate Paine, a twenty six year-old Harvard Law graduate, thinks she has a great job...she is wrong.Hand picked to defend sexual harassment charges against the editor of a controversial men's magazine, Kate will have the opportunity to work along side senior partner Carter Mills, and another partner Madeline Waters. At first Kate feels this is the opportunity she has been waiting for, but after Madeline is killed, and a letter of warning to kate from the victim is found, everything begins to spin out of control, leaving Kate to fear that she may be the next victim.
With lie upon lie, and suspects all around her, Kate must work quickly before anymore bodies turn up.
"Equivocal Death" had the makings of a rapid-fire thriller, but as the plot moves along, everything slows down. Instead of creating suspense, first time author Amy Gutman, spends too much time describing designer names for everything...from home furnishings, to food, to clothes.
I wanted to like this book, but due to the slow pacing, and wasted time trying to create a high profile atmosphere of Kate and her surroundings, I became bored.
Next time Ms. Gutman should concentrate more on the thrills, and less on the bright light's of Manhattan.
Nick Gonnella
Rating: 
Summary: Realistic Picture of Law Firm Life
Review: Living the life of a law firm associate is part peril and part pleasure. Sure, these are smart people; sure, they're hard working; yep, they make a lot of money. But they're young, they're sheltered and they're under a boat load of pressure. Amy Gutman hits just the right mix of these in her character, Kate, who finds herself, after all, in a pretty unusual situation. An enjoyable read for fans of legal mysteries, like me.
M. Diane Vogt, author of SILICONE SOLUTION and JUSTICE DENIED, the Judge Willa Carson mystery series.
Rating: 
Summary: Total waste of money
Review: The book started out fairly well, but the amateurish writing really did start to get to me after awhile. The murders the story hinges around get dull and tiresome, and I actually began rooting for the unidentified killer to do away with Kate Paine, the undeveloped and boring heroine of the book. When finally learned who the culprit was, I had totally lost interest and felt that the author just pulled it out of a hat without any reason or logic. And there is nothing more annoying in books than the killer explaining to the victim (who is tied up and forced to listen to the obligatory rantings) all the reasons he has done such terrible deeds. For a better story, read "The Firm" by John Grisham, or "The Job" by Douglas Kennedy.
Rating: 
Summary: Page Turner with a Message
Review: This novel is as much about the insanity of life in the city as it is about the insanity of a killer. Kate Paine, the protagonist, driven like all the rest of those seeking fame and fortune in the big apple, is so caught up in the whirlpool of work, that she cannot see what is really happening to her and her co-workers. Murder, the ultimate crime, comes off almost as an inconvenience to those she admires and strives to become at the prestigious law firm where she works. She is so caught up in society's expectations, she finds she is slowly losing her mind - and ultimately - her life. This novel is a great parable of our time. Whatever it takes to get ahead, there is no time to stop and mourn over those we have destroyed in our path. A page turner with the time to stop and consider the irony of working yourself to death.
