Rating: 
Summary: Excellent legal thriller
Review: Simon Tolkien makes a sparkling debut with "Final Witness," an intense and often freaky legal thriller. His characters are very vivid and believable, the writing is solid, and Tolkien keeps unexpected twists in the evidence so that you won't be able to figure out entirely what is going on, or how the case will be resolved.Young Thomas Robinson sees his mother Anne brutally murdered by a pair of men named Rosie and Lonnie (he would have been killed too if his mother hadn't hidden him). What's more, he now says that he saw his stepmother Greta talking with Rosie, but his father Peter Robinson claims that his son is lying. A seductive social-climber who tempted the son and married the father, Greta claims that the sensitive boy is trying to blame her for the breakup of his parents' marriage. Now, a much-publicized murder investigation is underway. Thomas, his best pal, the housekeeper, and a few other witnesses are called to testify about the evidence about Anne's death, including a questionable first name, a dead dog, a stolen locket, a gate left open, and Thomas's vivid imagination. As the case progresses, the testimonies start to break down. Is the secretive Greta a murderer? Has Thomas made a mistake? And what will the "final witness" tell the court? Like his world-famous grandfather, Simon Tolkien writes about what he knows. While J.R.R. Tolkien's job and writing centered on language and legends, Simon Tolkien is a barrister in London. So it only makes sense that he wrote a legal thriller, and a good one too. (It also gives me extra respect for him as a writer and person, because some people would have just tried to cash in on the family name) Aside from the [love] content (which, while fitting for Greta and her effect on Peter and Thomas, is a little more than I'd like), this is a great book. Certainly head-and-shoulders above Grisham and similar writers. Tolkien's writing is solid and detailed; he has a very you-are-there feel to his book. He's at his best in the courtroom scenes, which are the tensest parts of the book. I got cold chills reading those parts. His descriptions of things like the "yellow dress" incident, the wind in the trees, a crowded house or a creepy courthouse are astounding. Thomas is the most likeable person in the book, very imaginative and sweet-natured. His father Peter is clearly experiencing doubts about Greta, but insists she's innocent less out of thought than wishing. The rigidly feudal housekeeper and rather fluttery pal Matthew are strong supporting characters. But where Tolkien really strikes gold is Greta: We see that she can be very sultry, nasty, and certainly we can imagine her killing someone (whether or not she did). But he gives the readers insights into her life and her vulnerabilities, to give her dimension. I hated Greta, but I understood her inside and out. Brilliant. Readers shouldn't expect something as groundbreaking as "Lord of the Rings." (On the back cover, Tolkien even talks about his fears about being compared to his grandfather) But if you like a tight, tense, well-plotted and amazingly characterized legal thriller, this is the ticket. One of the best books of 2002.
Rating: 
Summary: Too bad my last name isn't Shakespeare
Review: There is absolutely no way Mr. Tolkien could have gotten this crap published if he had a different last name. Gramps was able to create rich colorful characters who happened to be elves and hobbits without, presumably, ever meeting one. His grandson writes like he has never met a human being. People simply don't act like the characters in this book do. All creaky chess-piece moves are simply to propel the plot weakly along, and never have the ring of truth. This is clearly the worst "thriller," to use that term very losely, I have read in years.
Rating: 
Summary: 3 and 1/2 Stars....Minority Report
Review: With a name like Tolkien, any writer would be hard pressed to live up to expectations. I cracked open this British-style courtroom mystery leaving lots of room for grace. Indeed, "Final Witness" drew me into its mystery aspects quickly. I was intrigued by the murder of Lady Anne and the subsequent accusations by her son that Sir Peter's assistant/future lover was responsible. On the surface, things seemed straightforward, but the jacket cover and reviewers assured me that unexpected twists lie ahead. I plugged along, waiting for two things to happen: 1) for the characters to make me care about their individual fates, 2) for the plot to take me on divergent paths. Unfortunately, neither happened. Despite well-drawn characters, efficient prose, and a passable plot, I failed to be moved or surprised. I also had a hard time hurdling the issue of a man proposing to his lover on the day of his murdered wife's funeral. I seem to be in the minority, but "Final Witness" left me feeling strangely apathetic. Due to Simon Tolkien's writing ability, I'd try a second novel, but hope for more of the human touch. Or less of that dry British one.
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