Under Oath : A Novel

Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: Just finished reading it. Kept my interest up and really enjoyed it.The ending is a surprise. It is interesting to follow what must really happen in the court - written by a lawyer and assitant DA.

Rating:
Summary: Authentic Courtroom Drama
Review: Margaret McLean grabbed my attention on the first page and never let go. Avoiding contrived and unrealistic twists in an effort at drama, McLean obviously relies on her experience as a prosecutor to craft a tightly wound and gripping novel. Characters are real people - multi-dimensional and layered. As a trial lawyer, I was impressed with how well McLean was able to weave a compelling drama around the hopelessly anacharistic legal system. Buddy, the criminal defense lawyer, is, perhaps, the most well-developed character - aggressive, charming and passionate. He never lets his feelings for his client cloud his judgment. For those Bostonians looking for a Boston based novel, you need look no further. From her descriptions of Charlestown, it is obvious that McLean is intimately familiar with the territory and lingo of Boston. McLean as a story teller is easily John Grisham's equal -- but her writing is much better.

Rating:
Summary: Haven't read it yet but....
Review: my sister has and loved it. She may be a bit biased though as and there is a character based on her as she was college roommates with Margaret!

Rating:
Summary: Good trial thriller
Review: Rebeccasreads highly recommends UNDER OATH as a legal mystery that is also a courtroom thriller of the first order. Margaret McLean, an erstwhile criminal prosecutor & Assistant District Attorney, puts to excellent use her trial experiences as background in this superb tale about a high profile murder trial.

Presenting the case of two brothers accused of killing an FBI informant is a seasoned prosecutor; up against him is a flamboyant & cunning defense lawyer. What follows is fine courtroom action.

UNDER OATH is a great legal read, right up there with ANATOMY OF A MURDER & TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, & we look forward to more from this lawyer-cum-author.

Rating:
Summary: Utterly compelling from cover to cover
Review: Written by a former Assistant District Attorney with hundreds of criminal cases to her personal experience, Under Oath is a gripping and dramatic crime novel of the struggle to see justice done. A legal thriller following a murder and conspiracy trial in which jurors are intimidated, witnesses are killed and FBI cover-ups obfuscate the truth, Under Oath is haunting in its eerie accuracy and solid grounding in real-life courtroom experience. Utterly compelling from cover to cover.