Rating: 
Summary: Good book, surprise ending
Review: I thought this was a good book with a many plot changes and many twists. The end surprised me, which does not happen often. While this was a sequel to an earlier James Grippando book, I barely remember the first one, which I'm sure put me at a slight disadvantage in terms of personality traits of the characters. I read the Pardon, and remember Theo and others, but that story was not fresh in my memory and therefore the details were not coming back to me as quickly as they should have when I read this one.
So, with that in mind, read the Pardon first, (or read it again) and then read this - I wish I had.
Rating: 
Summary: Another winner
Review: In my opinion, James Grippando is the best "legal thriller" writer today. His latest book, "Beyong Suspicion" ranks up there with one of the best I have read. There has not been one book he has written that I have not thoroughly enjoyed. I happily recommend this book, as well as his others, to anyone wanting a book you cannot put down.
Rating:
Summary: A very good thriller!
Review: Jack Swyteck became a fav fictional character of mind back in The Pardon, and his return continues to prove why. This is a very good thriller that grabbed me from page one until the end. Twist and turns always hold my interest if done right and here it definitely was. All the characters were interesting and made you want to know who and why. Jack, I love reading about anytime and hope there's more to come from him in the future. I never did like Jessie, simply because of her cold treatment of Jack. And the killer(s), scary. A well written novel all around that I recommend to all thriller fans.
Rating:
Summary: A very good thriller!
Review: Jack Swyteck became a fav fictional character of mind back in The Pardon, and his return continues to prove why. This is a very good thriller that grabbed me from page one until the end. Twist and turns always hold my interest if done right and here it definitely was. All the characters were interesting and made you want to know who and why. Jack, I love reading about anytime and hope there's more to come from him in the future. I never did like Jessie, simply because of her cold treatment of Jack. And the killer(s), scary. A well written novel all around that I recommend to all thriller fans.
Rating:
Summary: Lots of dysfunctionals
Review: James Grippando is an author who's work makes you want more. Once you start reading his books, you really want to read all of them. They are easy to read. Most take just over a day. They are set in areas, geographical and situational that the author seems at home with. There is a lot of mayhem and lots of bodies.
The protagonist has an amazing variety of unfortunate situations to deal with; they just keep coming. There are a great many dysfunctional characters and dysfunctional relationships pictured. Mothers and mother's in law seem to be particularly lame.
There always seems to be a surprise villain surfacing. "ABOVE SUSPICION" is a sequel to a much earlier book, "THE PARDON". It probably is best to read the earlier one first.
I really enjoyed this book and the rest of Grippando's work.
Rating:
Summary: powerful legal thriller
Review: Jessie Merrill asks her former lover Jack Swyteck to represent her in court as the Viatical Solutions is suing her for the 1.5 million they gave her. Jessie insists she sold her life insurance to Viatical Solutions in exchange for the cash when Dr. Marsh stated she probably has Lou Gehrig's disease. After conferring with his wife Cindy, Jack takes Jessie on as a client.Jack easily wins the case, but has second thoughts when he observes Jessie and Marsh holding hands. When someone murders Jessie in his bathroom, the police make Jack and his pal Theo Knight the prime suspects in a lover scam that turned ugly and became a "murder for hire". Jack digs deep to prove he did not commit a homicide and that he was an innocent dupe in Jessie's con. However, to his shock and chagrin, the evidence piles up starting to confirm he had to be part of the original scam. The first three-quarters of BEYOND SUSPICION is the legal thriller of the year. However, the climax, though a reasonable twist, seems a bit to simplified. This leads to readers feeling partially satiated, but also pondering what could have been if the murder was never solved and Jack remained an unproved but prime suspect. James Grippando cleverly builds up the case against Jack, but releases the air from the balloon just as the plot clears the stratosphere. Still, sub-genre fans will want to read this solid novel. Harriet Klausner
Rating: 
Summary: Powerfully written but illogical chararacters mar effect
Review: Lawyer Jack Swytek wins a big case for a former girlfriend, Jessie Merrill. The woman had been diagnosed with Lou Gerig's disease and sold her life insurance, only to discover that she suffered from lead poisoning. Only after the trial does Jack realize that he might have been helping to perpetuate a fraud. When Jessie is found dead in Jack's bathtub, Jack suspects murder--and so does the district attorney. The only difference is, the district attorney's favorite for the deed is Jack. Author James Grippando keeps the pages turning with a hard charging style and only a bare look into the characters of the actors in his novel. Jack has a wealth of suspects--the doctor whom Jack believes is implicated in the fraud, the investors who gave Jessie her million and a half dollars, and his best friend who would do anything to help Jack. But unless Jack can come up with evidence, he's the one likely to fry. The first half of this novel is completely enjoyable and entertaining. As the mystery progresses, however, too many characters behave in ways that are unconvincing, or stupid. The evil investors (controlled by the Russian mafia) are certainly evil, but would they really be as successful as they are if they could act so irrationally? Jack's friend sets off on bizarre missions that put both himself and Jack in danger without any perceivable goal other than the books requirement that Jack and the friend be placed in danger. Finally, the big shoot-out was anticlimactic. The ending and the gradual revealing to the true killer left me more exasperated than delighted. I'm going to keep my eyes open for more Grippando. The man can certainly write--unfortunately, from my perspective, BEYOND SUSPICION doesn't quite deliver on Grippando's promise.
Rating:
Summary: Impressive characterizations well plotted
Review: Miami lawyer Jack Swytek has just won a large verdict for an ex girlfriend, Jessie Merrill. Jesse was diagnosed with a deadly disease with only a two year survival. A company agreed to pay her one and a half million dollars in a settlement to sell them her three million dollar life insurance policy. When it is discovered that she was mistakenly diagnosed and is actually quite healthy, the company wants their money back. She refuses and Jack wins the lawsuit. However, things go quickly downhill when Jessie tells Jack someone is trying to kill her. Jack is soon made very aware of the danger he is in and must get to the bottom of the deaths if he is to survive.
James Grippando is a well known writer of suspenseful thrillers. This is the first book I have read by him. Impressive is his command of characterization and plot progression. It is a well paced and fun read. However, the conclusion, though surprising, is a bit of a letdown with a very long exposition necessitated by the fact that it comes out of left field. I reserve judgment on this author overall until reading another book by him. He is definitely worth keeping an eye on.
Rating:
Summary: Great read, full of twists and turns all the way through
Review: Next time you consider doing a favor for an ex, revisit this tale. Jack Swyteck, a Miami-based criminal lawyer, helps her keep a $1.5 million payment for a viatical sale of her life insurance policy. She sold it when she mistakenly thought she was dying. It turns out both Jack and the viatical investors are scam victims. When his ex is found dead in his bathtub, Swyteck finds himself wanted for her murder. His efforts to exhume the truth results in a riveting read.
Rating:
Summary: Something to Think About
Review: Next time you consider doing a favor for an ex, revisit this tale. Jack Swyteck, a Miami-based criminal lawyer, helps her keep a $1.5 million payment for a viatical sale of her life insurance policy. She sold it when she mistakenly thought she was dying. It turns out both Jack and the viatical investors are scam victims. When his ex is found dead in his bathtub, Swyteck finds himself wanted for her murder. His efforts to exhume the truth results in a riveting read.
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