The Alternate

Rating:
Summary: A Good, Fast Read But Somewhat Overrated!
Review: The Alternate is a legal thriller that is fast-paced and will hold your interest. However, I felt the earlier reviews tend to overrate the book. I found that while the plot had many twists, most were predictable. Further, the relationships between the key characters were also able to be predicted well in advance. Nonetheless, Martel tells a story that will make you want to read on and has developed characters that you will care about. Actually, while I rated The Alternate a '3', it really deserves a '3 1/2'.

Rating:
Summary: Another Great Martel Courtroom Thriller
Review: The Alternate is a must read for anyone seeking great dramatic courtroom fiction. John Martel manages to keep the reader's interest at peak level while he takes you through the drama and pressures of high visibility litigation. He does it as only someone who has been there can do. As a retired trial lawyer, who has been there and experienced the pressure and drama of the courtroom, I enthusiastically recommend Martel's latest, and best, literary effort.

Rating:
Summary: Good beginning--poor follow through
Review: The first half of this book is a better-than-average courtroom thriller, with well drawn characters and plot twists to keep one interested. Then it starts to fall apart. The plot twists become so implausible as to be ridiculous, the characteriztion becomes inconsistent and hackneyed, the court-room scenes degenerate and largely irrelevant strands are introduced. Furthermore, the author violoates the convention that information that may be doubtful to the reader should be presented so that this is clear. Not worth the time

Rating:
Summary: Good beginning--poor follow through
Review: The first half of this book is a better-than-average courtroom thriller, with well drawn characters and plot twists to keep one interested. Then it starts to fall apart. The plot twists become so implausible as to be ridiculous, the characteriztion becomes inconsistent and hackneyed, the court-room scenes degenerate and largely irrelevant strands are introduced. Furthermore, the author violoates the convention that information that may be doubtful to the reader should be presented so that this is clear. Not worth the time

Rating:
Summary: BRILLIANT
Review: there are things he stretched but most of the time he told the truth. Huck Finn

Rating:
Summary: A Good Read, But Has Room For Improvement
Review: This courtroom thriller keeps your eyes glued to the pages with its unexpected twists and its hints of things to come. However, some of the characters could be further developed rather than mentioned briefly and discarded. Also, a great deal remains unresolved that had me, at least, crying out, "Well, what happened to ...?" Still, a good book to curl up with.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting but not superb thriller!
Review: This is definitely an interesting and unusual thriller. There is plenty of suspense, and the characters are reasonably well-developed. All legal thrillers to some degree are exagerrated. However, most of them are grounded in some reality. This one is not and that is the major weakness of this book. A psycho juror is not plausible, and detracts what could have been a compelling fictional account of the court system. Taken as an action thriller, the story has enough fun and suspense to succeed. Taken as a courtroom drama, it lacks enough reality and truly thought provoking drama to succeed. Those seeking realistic courtroom drama are advised to seek out the Phillip Friedman novels Inadmissible Evidence and Reasonable Doubt.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting but not superb thriller!
Review: This is definitely an interesting and unusual thriller. There is plenty of suspense, and the characters are reasonably well-developed. All legal thrillers to some degree are exagerrated. However, most of them are grounded in some reality. This one is not and that is the major weakness of this book. A psycho juror is not plausible, and detracts what could have been a compelling fictional account of the court system. Taken as an action thriller, the story has enough fun and suspense to succeed. Taken as a courtroom drama, it lacks enough reality and truly thought provoking drama to succeed. Those seeking realistic courtroom drama are advised to seek out the Phillip Friedman novels Inadmissible Evidence and Reasonable Doubt.

Rating:
Summary: A literary thriller, unlike those of John Grisham
Review: This legal fiction caught my attention and kept it over the Memorial Day week-end, when I should have been working on report cards. With a fast-moving plot and a cast of interesting characters , it was just the diversion I needed!

Rating:
Summary: Fabulous
Review: This thriller has more twists and turns than the Snake River. It is riveting. A page turner impossible to put down. Great characterations! As good as John Grisham's first books. Can't wait to see the movie.