Rating: 
Summary: Arapaho or Apache
Review: 120 years ago, Karl May became worldfamous with his literary hero Winnetou, the Apache Chief, describing the demise of the American Indians bravely defending their valued relationship with the Mother and the Great Spirit. In the meanwhile the Red Man has succumbed to the hardships of a systematic genocide inflicted upon him by the White Man, and that is where Gerry Spence picks up with his novel. He produces a suspenseful narration of the pitiful state of existence of what remains of the Ameroindians in our US society... still hunted, still savagely abused. The story flows from his feather in abundance of his court room drama experiences. Attorney Abner Hill, the hero of the story, is often plagued by his shortcomings when facing corrupt opponents, and perhaps that makes him so human and likeable. It is an enriching book...
Rating:
Summary: L'AMOUR, GRISHAM AND MCMURTRY COMBINED!
Review: Anyone thinking of buying this book---don't. You will find better fiction in a D.C. or Marvel comic. I don't know what is being smoked by these reviewers, but it beats the heck out of the peyote they apparently have in Wyoming.
Rating: 
Summary: If bad writing is made a crime, Spence can represent himself
Review: Every cliche imaginable is pasted together in this horrible first novel. If uber-lawyer Gerry Spence had dealt with things as they really are, instead of how he would like them to be, this third-rate book could have been second-rate. For example, Spence realizes more than anyone that most of his clients are guilty, so if he wanted to explore the ethical dimensions of the death penalty as he does here, avoidance of the "innocent man dying" myth would have been a plus. But to quibble with any one aspect of this [weak] attempt at fiction is to imply it could have been saved; it clearly was beyond repair.The only reason Spence's first novel gets two stars instead of one is his colorful, textured description of the New West. Stick to reality, Gerry. From Freedom to Slavery was a masterpiece, and I hope you go back to what you know and do best.
Rating:
Summary: More than just a good story.
Review: Gerry Spence is more than just a good story teller. The difference between a story and an unforgettable story is that it goes beyond the mere reporting of events. He evokes emotions and puts us in the shoes of his characters. The key to this story is the dilemma faced by a lawyer who is determined to be truthful. He knows beyond a doubt that his client is innocent of the crime for which he is charged. He also knows that the district attorney is using perjured testimony. He has the opportunity to use perjured testimony to save his client. The question is, should he use the perjured testimony to save his client, or should he remain honest and allow his client to be executed? This story and it's resolution are not quickly forgotten.
Rating:
Summary: L'AMOUR, GRISHAM AND MCMURTRY COMBINED!
Review: Gerry Spence, known mostly for his hard-edged, frontier approaches to some of the most famous court cases of our time, proves that he can write excellent fiction as well. Half-Moon and Empty Stars was well written, entertaining and provocative. Spence approaches a controversial subject that needs airing. Not just a western story, Spence's novel addresses the plight of Native Americans and their unwarranted reputation as being lazy, good-for-nothing liars. Besides, all students of western lore are painfully aware of the fact that it was the white men who had trouble telling the truth and sticking to their promises. In that vein this book might be an irritating wake up call to any who might believe that Native Americans have gotten what they deserve. As noted in my subject line, the writing is superb and would stand up in favorable comparison to the works of Louis L'Amour, John Grisham and Larry McMurtry. In Spence's case he seems to bring the best of all three under one cover and Abner Hill, Spence's heroic cowboy lawyer in Half-Moon and Empty Stars, stands up nicely to all comers in any other work of western fiction. I'm waiting for the movie! Douglas McAllister
Rating: 
Summary: A Dispiriting Novel
Review: If you are accustomed to reading popular legal thrillers, this book will give you little satisfaction. There are no surprising plot twists, no courtroom tricks, and no triumph of justice. It is simply the story of a shameful little trial in a shameful little town that sends Charlie Redtail to death row because he has the wrong skin color. Garry Spence writes well and seems very familiar with small town life. For example, I enjoyed reading the scenes concerning the makeshift coroner's office. He also gives us memorable, well-rounded characters such as Abner, Charlie's lawyer, who is a very good person but not a very good lawyer and Mary, Charlie's mother, who keeps using the grocery money to bail out Charlie's Father even though they were divorced years ago. But ultimately all of the moral people in this novel are out-thought, outclassed by the evil people and it left a bad taste in my mouth.
Rating:
Summary: Consequences Of The Law Presented By A Legendary Attorney
Review: Most novels about The Law and the courts within which the stories unfold are as complete and realistic as their vacuous television counterparts. The crime is committed, the trial is held, and justice is done in 60 minutes minus the obligatory commercial refuse. And if this alone is not absurd enough there is always some contrived trick or last minute bit of information that either seals the doom or grants the freedom of the defendant. The book versions are almost universally as bad although they cost the reader more in money and time. The credentials of those who write these books that are consumed by the millions are about equal with the mediocre product they write. These are mass produced production line tales written to be everything from a novel, to a television adaptation, to a feature length movie. Since they strive to be many things they result in being nothing. Mr. Gerry Spence has the credentials to speak about the law and how it unfolds in a courtroom. Unlike others who write in this genre, he has spent his life in courtrooms while some pretenders have never seen the inside of one. "Half-Moon And Empty Stars", is not just about a trial. Mr. Spence brings the reader along to experience all that a trial can mean to those involved, and the reality is most of these events take place outside the courtroom. The pain the victims feel is felt most painfully when spoken of at the kitchen table. It is the sight of a Mother spending years to gain signatures for her Son's pardon. It is reading of the young son of the accused as he learns to cope with the taunting and cruelty in his first years of school. It is the destruction of families and friends who spend years trying only to correct a wrong and prevent a racist, selfish, political, "Justice", from carrying out its final affront to a community, to a people, and to itself. Mr. Gerry Spence has written widely in his works of non-fiction of his experiences and his opinions of how our legal system works and about those entrusted to see the law is practiced with fairness and equality. Our legal system is far from the utopian version that some may believe it to be. Your wealth will alter how the law treats you. How much of your wealth is spent on those who hold office or sit in judgment will alter the law's view of you. Fame can greatly diminish the punishment of a guilty party, or in a recent trial where a double murder was committed; in one courtroom the law can find you not guilty of the crime and then find you responsible for the same deaths in a different room. One depraved common factor is that the accused walks out of both courtrooms free. However as he said in another of his writings, "we must celebrate the verdict". We may not like or agree with the outcome, however this system works and is beyond value even as it is far from perfect. This story deals with events that contribute to the main trial and its aftermath over decades, not hours or days. It deals with the political nature of our legal system, how it is manipulated, and how authority and power can erase the humanity of any person. This is not a cynical book, it is one view of the law from a man who has spent his life defending those who the law either seeks to punish, or to be sure that the money and the influence that can be bought become worthless when the truth manages to maintain prominence. There is nothing subtle about Mr. Spence he does not mince words. He is a man of many gifts not the least of which is integrity. He is a classic American Legend who is true to the independence this Nation is supposed to represent. He doesn't dress like most lawyers, and does not use smoke mirrors and fantasies to wins his cases. He is an original. There is a question posed at the end of this book and the answer Mr. Spence is yes. Yes you are a novelist, a tremendous storyteller and gifted teacher.
Rating:
Summary: The Beauty is in How the Horror is Revealed
Review: My dream would be to write a book like this. There is such a high degree of truth here that it can be very difficult to take simply because truth-real truth-many times,indeed, is unpleasant. Yet, you will devour this book even though the truth that it reveals about our judicial system might indeed make you ill. This book deserves to be both loved and also to be a rallying point for change within our judicial system. This masterpiece is the "To Kill a Mockingbird" of our generation. It indeed is that great.
One of the lead characters,the defense lawyer Abnor Hill, faces many private devils. Realizing that he is a small town lawyer who has never been involved with a capital murder case, questions abound within his mind. Some of the ethical nature. He comes face to face with himself. I litterally asked myself what I would do when the ethical questions arose. He wonders to himself if it would indeed be ok to do something unethical and against the law in a courtroom if not to do so would mean that the probabilities would be high that your client, who is not guilty, would be convicted and more than likely receive the death penalty? What if the greater good would prevail if this unlawful act was indeed done? What if that client was almost like a child of yours? Even though a lawyer knows that it is viewed as being wrong for counsel to represent a client who he or she has strong attatchments for, is it alright to do so if a lawyer feels that to not represent this person would mean that they would receive very incompetent representation? Tough questions.
This work of art will also help people to gain a better understanding of Native Ameican culture. There are times that the book has a quiet beauty and other times there will be beauty that will horrify you. The horror will roar like a lion. Beauty is not alway pretty. This work is so very beautiful because it very entertainly and effectively shows us the horror.
Every American needs to read this book. The beauty is in how the horror is revealed.
Rating:
Summary: And Cain Slew Abel
Review: This is a tale of bigotry, injustice, and 'New Age Indian Wars.' It is written by Gerry Spence, whose rich-tapestried courtroom oratory style has transferred well to literary novel form. As previous reviewers have noted, it is a powerfully painful book. Painful because of the truths that it releases from the dark recesses where the 'Powers That Be' have tried to hide them. Let it speak for itself: 'The people [of Twin Buttes, Wyoming ' a small county seat town just off the Arapaho Reservation] tolerated the preacher who got caught in the whorehouse when the sheriff made a raid to collect his payoff. The people tolerated the sheriff and the people also tolerated Abner Hill, 'that Indian Lawyer,' they called him. '
Other notions prevailed. Equal rights for Indians? How could savages have equal rights? Best you could do with Indians was keep the drunks and their old jalopies off the highways. The more Indians the sheriff jailed the better a citizen's chances one wouldn't run into you head-on and kill your whole family' Yet some Native Americans had been honored as upstanding citizens, war heroes especially. ' But those who 'had made it' were usually exterminated by their assimilation. They murdered the Indian in themselves by taking on the white man's ways.
Yet the townspeople accepted the Native Americans as an immutable part of the environment, like winter storms and the hot winds of summer. Not many thought of the old men sitting in front of the JC Penny store wearing their black stovepipe hats and cheap cotton blankets as the remnant of a once great Indian Nation. Few felt guilt for the white man's original crimes against the aboriginal people, for these were not the crimes of the townspeople of Twin Buttes.' 'The appeals were mere window dressing to make the system look good. Yet occasionally someone escaped ' usually the rich. Even so those few who escaped kept hope alive so that he lawyers could point to the cases where innocent men were set free. Without hope there would be no jobs for either the judges or the lawyers.' And there is occasional comic relief - one recurrent theme is that the Manifestly Destined 'Westward Ho!'ers did something right. They created the Snickers bar. And a people who can do that have some sublime qualities ;-) One wonders, is it coincidence that the Mother of Charlie (the potential savior of the Holy Ground) is named Mary?
Rating:
Summary: And Cain Slew Abel
Review: This is a tale of bigotry, injustice, and �New Age Indian Wars.� It is written by Gerry Spence, whose rich-tapestried courtroom oratory style has transferred well to literary novel form. As previous reviewers have noted, it is a powerfully painful book. Painful because of the truths that it releases from the dark recesses where the �Powers That Be� have tried to hide them. Let it speak for itself: �The people [of Twin Buttes, Wyoming � a small county seat town just off the Arapaho Reservation] tolerated the preacher who got caught in the whorehouse when the sheriff made a raid to collect his payoff. The people tolerated the sheriff and the people also tolerated Abner Hill, �that Indian Lawyer,� they called him. �
Other notions prevailed. Equal rights for Indians? How could savages have equal rights? Best you could do with Indians was keep the drunks and their old jalopies off the highways. The more Indians the sheriff jailed the better a citizen�s chances one wouldn�t run into you head-on and kill your whole family� Yet some Native Americans had been honored as upstanding citizens, war heroes especially. � But those who �had made it� were usually exterminated by their assimilation. They murdered the Indian in themselves by taking on the white man�s ways.
Yet the townspeople accepted the Native Americans as an immutable part of the environment, like winter storms and the hot winds of summer. Not many thought of the old men sitting in front of the JC Penny store wearing their black stovepipe hats and cheap cotton blankets as the remnant of a once great Indian Nation. Few felt guilt for the white man�s original crimes against the aboriginal people, for these were not the crimes of the townspeople of Twin Buttes.� �The appeals were mere window dressing to make the system look good. Yet occasionally someone escaped � usually the rich. Even so those few who escaped kept hope alive so that he lawyers could point to the cases where innocent men were set free. Without hope there would be no jobs for either the judges or the lawyers.� And there is occasional comic relief - one recurrent theme is that the Manifestly Destined �Westward Ho!�ers did something right. They created the Snickers bar. And a people who can do that have some sublime qualities ;-) One wonders, is it coincidence that the Mother of Charlie (the potential savior of the Holy Ground) is named Mary?
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