A Death in the Chambers

Rating:
Summary: very disappointing
Review: Although this book is "fiction", it is loosely based on an actual case which occured in Michigan. The potential was there for an excellent story, but the author unfortunately didn't take the time to edit the book very well. His use of pseudonyms for the characters would have been fine, except he couldn't keep the names straight, which made for a very confusing read, even for someone familiar with the case. For example, the medical examiner was referred to by three different names; Dr. Merritt Blanchard, Dr. Stephen Blanchard and Dr. Warren Blanchard. This is just one example of many throughout the book. Also, there were several instances where the pseudonym was dropped and the real name of the character was used, then the pseudonym was used. Just made it very hard to follow. I wouldn't recommend spending the $17 on this book-it's not worth it.

Rating:
Summary: Fiction v Reality
Review: Am not a professional reviewer but am familiar with the incident on which this novel is based. Summerfield knows his stuff be it law, law enforcement, or the brutalities that can be brought out in the divorce process.

The protaganist of the book, cop Frank Salter, is a man near the end of his police career. Like most of us, all he wants is a quiet retirement but his soon to be ex-wife, Susan Beckwith, isn't about to let that happen. Susan is a District Court Judge with a good public image and a private life that can't withstand much scrutiny. Their conflicts will lead to the death in chambers of the title, and take Frank Salter from trusted law enforcement officer to being a defendant on trial for murder.

Though based on reality, fiction begins where reality ends and the author makes that transition smoothly and successfully.

I got my money's worth. It's a good, solid piece of writing
and a darn good read.

Rating:
Summary: Divorce, Cop Style
Review: Author Dan Summerfield has combined elements of courtroom drama, a la Grisham, and murder mystery to give us a mainstream novel that takes a critical look at the justice system in America.

Main character Frank Salter is a veteran police officer who understands how to fight crime. What he can't understand are the deceptions of his unfaithful wife, District Court Judge Susan Beckwith, and when the final deception, a grab for all the marital assets, comes he confronts her in her chamber. That confrontation leads to a deadly result.

A DEATH IN CHAMBERS gives the reader a look inside the world of criminal justice as it is actually practiced, not how it is portrayed by television and Hollywood. Read this first novel by Summerfield...really read it...and you'll never see cops, attorneys and judges in the same light again.

Highly recommended.

Robert Shaw

Rating:
Summary: Divorce, Cop Style
Review: Cop and courtroom drama with a touch of Grisham and a dash of Wambaugh mixed into the formula.

Frank Salter, a cop near retirement age, is married to District Court Judge Susan Beckwith, the first woman ever elected to the bench in that county. Salter and Beckwith married for love and security but for both the sense of security died quickly, soon followed by the love. Now both want out of the marriage, but the problem is Beckwith wants all the marital assets. A pistol shot in her own chamber will settle the issue forever and turn Salter from law enforcer to criminal defendant.

A Death In Chambers works on several levels including an insightful look into a marriage that never should have happened and a very perceptive view of the criminal justice system.

I liked it and gave the book five stars, though some of the errors in editing were a bit distracting during the second reading. But put the blame on the editor, not the writer. He did his job and did it well.

Rating:
Summary: A Death in Chambers
Review: Highly recommended. It is apparent from the start of the novel that the author has a deep knowledge of the working level functions within the city/county level judicial system. As the characters within the story are introduced, great detail is given to the development of their personalities, making each individual vivid and credible. The way in which the lives and personalities become interwoven and affected by events as they unfold had me glued to the book throughout the story. Fantastic reading!