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Summary: Review
Review: A juicy cover-to-cover read that definitely has a little something for everyone...sex, drugs, crime, human drama and a peek into the high-society life of big firm San Diego lawyers. Even though the book has all of these elements, it seemed to be different from the typical "legal thrillers" that I've read. For starters, one of the main characters is a gutsy kid with a physical disability. I can't remember ever reading a book featuring someone with limb differences as a central character. The book is a step in the right direction as far as portraying handicapped people in a strong, positive light. I can't wait to see this on the big screen!
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Summary: Vivid story-telling
Review: A twisty tale, detailed when it needs to be, and fast-moving at all the right times. The characters are very real, and the law is interesting. This is not a legal thriller, however, but an action novel. A very believable and enjoyable read. I will look forward to the next one from this author.
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Summary: Dead Hand is Dead On
Review: Dead-on-accurate portrayal of the pressures and challenges that face anyone who takes the corporate/professional road to happiness. The lawyer Russ White attains his goal of a high-paying job in a big firm but then realizes there's got to be more to life than that. He just doesn't know what it is and makes some really bone-headed mistakes in his effort to find out. Someone recommended the much hyped Emperor of Ocean Park to me and it is one long book. Twice as long as Dead Hand Control, but in my opinion Dead Hand is as good and maybe even a little better. Like the man once said, brevity is the soul of wit. Stutter says just as much as Carter with fraction of the words, and I'll say one thing: I never had to force myself to keep turning the pages! Action, a little sex, humor and plenty of excellent writing. Just one question -- what's with that stupid dog on the boat? (it had me literally rolling on the floor!) This is one good book!!!
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Summary: Surprisingly Good!
Review: I cannot recall the last time I enjoyed a novel as much as this one. This mystery/thriller/action-filled/human interest tale, which is set in the San Diego legal community, moves effortlessly through each episode leaving the reader itching to discover what the next page has to offer. Russell White, a young attorney, leads us through hard-ball law practice, gun-filled drama, tribulations of a handicaped son, interpersonal relationships, and his own desperate fight for survival. All of these developments coalesce in the final chapters bringing together personalities and particulars from the very first pages of the book. Use of the word "spell binding" cannot be under utilized in describing this book. The characters are so well developed and the settings, events, and dialogues paint such a vivid picture that one visualizes the story rather than simply reading words. While reading the book I felt like I was an invisible observer actually physically on the scene. I anxiously await the author's next production.
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Summary: Gripping Reading
Review: I cannot recall the last time I enjoyed a novel as much as this one. This mystery/thriller/action-filled/human interest tale, which is set in the San Diego legal community, moves effortlessly through each episode leaving the reader itching to discover what the next page has to offer. Russell White, a young attorney, leads us through hard-ball law practice, gun-filled drama, tribulations of a handicaped son, interpersonal relationships, and his own desperate fight for survival. All of these developments coalesce in the final chapters bringing together personalities and particulars from the very first pages of the book. Use of the word "spell binding" cannot be under utilized in describing this book. The characters are so well developed and the settings, events, and dialogues paint such a vivid picture that one visualizes the story rather than simply reading words. While reading the book I felt like I was an invisible observer actually physically on the scene. I anxiously await the author's next production.
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Summary: Tim Stutler is the next John Grisham
Review: If you like suspense, this book is for you. Dead Hand Control is an excellent read. Tim Stutler is a master story-teller. I couldn't put the book down once I started reading. I enjoyed the references to Boalt Hall School of Law.
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Summary: Tim Stutler is the next John Grisham
Review: If you like suspense, this book is for you. Dead Hand Control is an excellent read. Tim Stutler is a master story-teller. I couldn't put the book down once I started reading. I enjoyed the references to Boalt Hall School of Law.
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Summary: A Thinking Person's Thriller
Review: My wife told me this was a wonderful book, but as an attorney who prefers traditional novels to modern legal thrillers, I had my doubts. Turns out she was right (as usual). I loved it. Although the protagonist is a lawyer, and the book offers plenty of suspense and intrigue, it is definitely not the legal thriller I expected. I'm not quite sure how to classify Dead Hand Control -- except to say it is a first-rate work in the tradition of the great American novel.
The book was entertaining from the first page, but once I got acquainted with the characters, it became irresistible. Russell White, the main character, is someone with whom I (and many of my colleagues) can identify. That's not necessarily a flattering comparison. Although Russell shows flashes of brilliance and great courage, he is at times controlling, myopic and self serving. But he is a familiar and completely understandable personality, which is what makes his story so compelling. Standing in stark contrast to Russell is his long-suffering wife Ellen. They produce a disabled son, Graham, who is the most admirable - and ultimately surprising - character in the book. The story revolves around Russell's desire to mold his son into the attorney's concept of a perfect person. This turns out to be a tough task for a less-than-perfect role model. Along the way, Russell must fight off kidnappers, murderers, and his own private demons. He is aided by his best friend/sidekick Johnny Murphy, an irrepressible and hilarious former Navy commando.
I don't have much time for reading fiction, and this book monopolized far more than its fair share of my free hours. But guilt notwithstanding, I have to admit I actually read it again - something I never do. In my eagerness to learn the fate of Russell and his family, I raced through much of it the first time. I needed another reading to digest the layers and nuances written into the book.
If I were to pen a novel, Dead Hand Control is the kind I'd want to write. That's about the highest praise I can give any book.
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Summary: ONE OF THE BEST I'VE EVER READ
Review: ONE OF THE BEST I'VE READ I hesitate to call this the best novel I've read by a first-time author; that would do it a great injustice. Dead Hand Control is one of the best contemporary novels I've read -- period. From page one, I was gripped by a master story-teller's wit, imagination and insight into the human predicament. The story is about ambition, angst and immortality -- themes close to the hearts of most of us in modern society. Though I wouldn't describe it as epic, Dead Hand Control brings full circle the life of its main character, Russell White, moving from his youthful bloom through his prime, decline and, ultimately, life-shattering tragedy. The story begins in free-spirited Berkeley, California, where White is a law student. The product of a blue-collar family, he hungers to make it in the elite bar. He has the talent and drive to reach his goal. But White is also a flawed and very human character. After landing a position with a top San Diego firm, he is confronted by temptations and moral dilemmas that might topple a much stronger man. He finds financial success is no longer enough; he wants to build a legacy. In his quest to have it all, White makes choices that lock his young wife and son on an enthralling roller coaster ride, which White is powerless to stop. He becomes obsessed with protecting them, but he never realizes until very late that his own actions are creating the greatest threats. In Dead Hand Control, author Tim Stutler has crafted a work that won't stay closed on the night table. Bedtime readers with full-time jobs (like me) will find themselves staying up long after they should be asleep (like me). Several times after promising myself to close the book at the end of a chapter, I was compelled to keep reading. Besides a facility with story-telling, Stutler's strength is his ability to create realistic characters the reader actually cares about. I found myself so attached to Russell White's family that once or twice I literally held my breath when they were at risk. I was most moved by the courage and vulnerability of White's disabled son, Graham, as he struggled throughout the last two parts of the book (which is in three parts) to understand his place in the strange world created by his ambitious father. I also had to laugh out loud at the predicaments the characters found themselves in -- including one of the oddest but most entertaining sex scenes I have ever encountered, featuring a Jack Russell Terrier with an oversized sex organ. Dead Hand Control's colorful, quirky characters and vivid descriptions remind me of the works of two favorite authors, John Irving (The World According to Garp; The Cider House Rules) and Nicholas Evans (The Horse Whisper; The Loop). If you favor their novels, you'll enjoy Dead Hand Control. Like their novels, this one is disturbing at times, with its share of deviants and miscreants. It is also very funny in places, as well as touching, uplifting and, ultimately, thought-provoking. I mulled over the book's ironic ending long after I finished reading. I'll be reading it again, which I can't say about many other books. This book is very good read.
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Summary: Couldn't put it down!
Review: This is excellent story telling from a first time author. Rich character development, interesting plot twists and a "hum-dinger" ending. Highly recommended!
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