Rating: 
Summary: James Scott Bell Rocks
Review: A story that reminds me of old. Fascinating plot, murder, and intrigue without sex or cussing.This story starts with the return of Howie Patino.
A man, who's been working in Alaska, coming back to his wife (Rae)in smalltown California. Poor Howie doesn't receive the homecoming he expected. Upon arrival, his wife let's him know that she is pregnant with someone else's child. During the course of the next several minutes, after her shocking revelation, a fury of evil is unleashed upon Howie and Rae. This is a story about a man wrongly accused of savagely stabbing his wife and his washed up alcoholic attorney, Jake Denney,(a childhood friend) asked to defend him. This story has excellent character development as well as plot twists. We see a man, jake Denney, who comes to the end of self and his journey to finding God.
Rating:
Summary: James Scott Bell Rocks
Review: A story that reminds me of old. Fascinating plot, murder, and intrigue without sex or cussing. This story starts with the return of Howie Patino.
A man, who's been working in Alaska, coming back to his wife (Rae)in smalltown California. Poor Howie doesn't receive the homecoming he expected. Upon arrival, his wife let's him know that she is pregnant with someone else's child. During the course of the next several minutes, after her shocking revelation, a fury of evil is unleashed upon Howie and Rae. This is a story about a man wrongly accused of savagely stabbing his wife and his washed up alcoholic attorney, Jake Denney,(a childhood friend) asked to defend him. This story has excellent character development as well as plot twists. We see a man, jake Denney, who comes to the end of self and his journey to finding God.
Rating: 
Summary: Rises Above the Stereotypes it Uses
Review: After thoroughly enjoying James Scott Bell's "Final Witness," I was a bit let down with this book. I'd rate it 3 1/2 stars if I could. Bell's use of first person never reaches the level of Lawrence Block, whom he admits to emulating to some extent. Block's humor is sharp and dry, whereas Bell's seems semi-sharp and semi-dry--at least in this story. The lawyer, Mr. Denney, is the stereotypical hard-drinking lawyer, fighting his inner demons. I've read enough legal thrillers to have tired of this character. Nonetheless, by the end of the story, Bell gives Denney depth and creates sympathy and...I found myself caring. The story revolves around Howie Patino, a simple-minded man and former schoolmate of Denney's. Howie is charged with the brutal murder of his wife and Denney comes to his aid. Along the way, Denney struggles with his belief, or lack of belief, in God, and his burgeoning feelings for Howie's sister. Many potential conflicts are presented. Not all of them are carried out, but at least the book doesn't present all easy answers. Denney's struggle of faith is credible and I found myself warming to the story even as it ended. Bell has a great ear for dialogue, and manages to make me laugh on occasion. I'll keep reading his work, and hope that this is not a departure from the finer qualities I enjoyed in "Final Witness." Just my opinion, but there it is.
Rating:
Summary: Rises Above the Stereotypes it Uses
Review: After thoroughly enjoying James Scott Bell's "Final Witness," I was a bit let down with this book. I'd rate it 3 1/2 stars if I could. Bell's use of first person never reaches the level of Lawrence Block, whom he admits to emulating to some extent. Block's humor is sharp and dry, whereas Bell's seems semi-sharp and semi-dry--at least in this story. The lawyer, Mr. Denney, is the stereotypical hard-drinking lawyer, fighting his inner demons. I've read enough legal thrillers to have tired of this character. Nonetheless, by the end of the story, Bell gives Denney depth and creates sympathy and...I found myself caring. The story revolves around Howie Patino, a simple-minded man and former schoolmate of Denney's. Howie is charged with the brutal murder of his wife and Denney comes to his aid. Along the way, Denney struggles with his belief, or lack of belief, in God, and his burgeoning feelings for Howie's sister. Many potential conflicts are presented. Not all of them are carried out, but at least the book doesn't present all easy answers. Denney's struggle of faith is credible and I found myself warming to the story even as it ended. Bell has a great ear for dialogue, and manages to make me laugh on occasion. I'll keep reading his work, and hope that this is not a departure from the finer qualities I enjoyed in "Final Witness." Just my opinion, but there it is.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent thriller!
Review: Blind Justice was my first exposure to James Scott Bell, and I have to say I was impressed. While there were definitely a few places he could have "upped" the suspense, overall it was a good story. I read it over the course of two days and found it hard to put down once it really got started. Some folks don't appreciate his comparisons to John Grisham, but I consider it a compliment for him. If you are into legal thrillers, then this is definitely one you'll want to pick up. The very concept of a lawyer having a mentally handicapped client who swears the devil came into the room and killed his wife should be enough to keep most readers hooked (I know it was enough for me). The ending is good, and the main character's evolution from start to finish is believable. All in all, I recommend this one. It was definitely good enough to warrant reading another one of his books.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent thriller!
Review: Blind Justice was my first exposure to James Scott Bell, and I have to say I was impressed. While there were definitely a few places he could have "upped" the suspense, overall it was a good story. I read it over the course of two days and found it hard to put down once it really got started. Some folks don't appreciate his comparisons to John Grisham, but I consider it a compliment for him. If you are into legal thrillers, then this is definitely one you'll want to pick up. The very concept of a lawyer having a mentally handicapped client who swears the devil came into the room and killed his wife should be enough to keep most readers hooked (I know it was enough for me). The ending is good, and the main character's evolution from start to finish is believable. All in all, I recommend this one. It was definitely good enough to warrant reading another one of his books.
Rating: 
Summary: A Good Read
Review: I enjoyed this book very much despite some obvious flaws. It is fast paced, funny and very personable. The characters invoke real feelings from the reader, good and bad. It struggles at points, but always revcovers and will entertain and surprise the reader at more than one turn. Give it a try.
Rating:
Summary: His best book
Review: Jim Bell's writing is polished, funny and ever mindful of the story. For a rollicking good read, Blind Justice is the book to buy. Lisa Samson, author of The Church Ladies
Rating:
Summary: Great writing on display.
Review: Rarely do you find a novel with such great characterization AND a great plot too. Bell's story kept me turning pages and introduced me to characters I truly wanted to know better. The first person point of view made Jake Denney come alive, with all his flaws and loveable quirks. Several of his lines made me laugh out loud. But in spite of the entertainment quality of the novel, it had something important to say, too. The Truth dawned on Jake in a very convincing and intelligent way and he never lost his "realness".
Rating:
Summary: Five Stars! Is that All I'm Allowed?
Review: Well, I can't rate this book a "10" so I'll settle for a "5". I truly appreciated not having a lot of fluff to sift through; everything was relevant to the story. The main character, Jake has a strong sarcastic wit. The author does a great job portraying him as being consumed with alcohol. It shows how his law practice, family and his life suffer at the hands of his addiction. He's definitely not the "good guy" in the story - a nice change from the typical novel.
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