Bad Lawyer

Rating:
Summary: a costly retainer
Review: a cynical, world weary lawyer with a brooding, dark sense of humor defends a woman accused of killing an abusive husband who was at most semi-conscious at the time of his death. a lot going on below the surface plot line. off-beat, engaging legal fiction with clever courtroom scenes.

Rating:
Summary: Unbeatable Courtroom Drama
Review: Bad Lawyer is one of the most realistic courtroom dramas I've ever read. It cuts through all the usual nonsense about innocent, middle-class (or worse, rich) defendantrs and gets down in the pits where success is measured in verdicts of guilty or not guilty. The climax just blew me away.

Rating:
Summary: Brilliantly written and engrossing...
Review: is Cray's story of Sid Kaplan, who was once on top of the legal profession, and is now down and out, thanks to a disastrous substance abuse problem. Sid shares an odd existence with friends and co-workers Caleb and Julia - but his luck takes a turn for the better (worse?) when he's offered a shot at a murder trial that makes headlines. Sid's not sure of why his client, Priscilla Sweet, an abused wife with a checkered past, and her mother, have chosen him, but he is all too ready to climb the ladder again.

Strong dialogue, and the lack of trust and honesty between lawyer and client keep the plot moving so quickly, you don't want to put the book down. Cray essentially puts motivation in all his characters, and, in Sid, creates a man who trusts no one.

I settled on 4 stars, because I couldn't get past the way the author brought the murder trial to its incredible conclusion. Yes, it was unexpected....no, I couldn't get satisfaction from it. Enough said!

Read it, it is somewhat unparalleled in today's courtroom fiction.

Rating:
Summary: Brilliantly written and engrossing...
Review: is Cray's story of Sid Kaplan, who was once on top of the legal profession, and is now down and out, thanks to a disastrous substance abuse problem. Sid shares an odd existence with friends and co-workers Caleb and Julia - but his luck takes a turn for the better (worse?) when he's offered a shot at a murder trial that makes headlines. Sid's not sure of why his client, Priscilla Sweet, an abused wife with a checkered past, and her mother, have chosen him, but he is all too ready to climb the ladder again.

Strong dialogue, and the lack of trust and honesty between lawyer and client keep the plot moving so quickly, you don't want to put the book down. Cray essentially puts motivation in all his characters, and, in Sid, creates a man who trusts no one.

I settled on 4 stars, because I couldn't get past the way the author brought the murder trial to its incredible conclusion. Yes, it was unexpected....no, I couldn't get satisfaction from it. Enough said!

Read it, it is somewhat unparalleled in today's courtroom fiction.

Rating:
Summary: HARD TO PUT DOWN
Review: Manhattan criminal defense attorney, Sid Kaplan, lost everything, his big law practice, money and fame when drugs and booze sent him from the pinnacle of his career to the very bottom of the barrel. Now sober, he's spending his days plea bargaining and defending petty criminals. What he wants is a chance to be on top again. He needs a high profile, big media case to get him started and one walks in the door. Pricilla Sweet is accused of killing her dope dealing husband. She's claiming self defense, he beat and abused her for years. The police say it was cold blooded murder, she was skimming profits and wanted the drug business and money for herself. Sid realizes early on that Pricilla isn't telling him everything, some things don't add up and there are holes in her story. But, it's the right case; he knows he can win this one and it will be his ticket back to the top. When drug dealers show up at his office demanding their "stolen" money, 150 large, the case takes on a whole new deadly dimension and winning may turn out to be the least of Sid's problems..... David Cray has written a suberb legal thriller that has it all...compelling, intricate plot, vivid, riveting scenes and terrific, original characters with strong voices. His writing is spare and gritty and Mr Cray has a wonderful ear for dialogue. With suspenseful twists and surprises and a stunning ending that will knock your socks off, Bad Lawyer is a novel that mystery/thriller fans shouldn't miss.

Rating:
Summary: Good Story
Review: Showing his knowledge of the system, the author has written a densely detailed story that gives readers a lot to work with. Good job.

Rating:
Summary: a dark moody book that depresses
Review: This book had a flat, unappealing style that depressed rather than entertained the reader. It was very, very cynical and failed to excite me as it progressed. it became a chore to finish.

Rating:
Summary: HARD TO PUT DOWN
Review: This was a great read and very tough to put down. Cray did a fantastic job of creating wonderful characters like Sid Kaplan that seemed to come to life on the page.