Flat Lake In Winter

Rating:
Summary: This Author Is A Real Find!
Review: Because I read three or four books a week, it is rare that I find a book thoroughly engaging in both substance and style. The style is unusual and fascinating; the author does not "write" in the usual sense. Klempner CONFIDES. It is as if you were sitting in a chair across from this author as he tells you the story, complete with "inside information" and amusing asides. In fact, the first paragraph of the book begins this process and I was captivated by the author's intimacy with the reader. The plot is not very original but it is solid. The ending is a heart-tugger, completely in line with the aauthor's style. I will definitely read anything Klempner writes; reading his book has made me a fan and a friend of his.

Rating:
Summary: Fastmoving story, beautifully read
Review: Richard Rohan reads this complicated story about a sensational murder case in a sparsely populated area of the Adirondacks, where killing is usually confined to the slaughter of moose, deer or fish. In books on tape a lot depends on the reader. A fine reader can make a poor book sound good. Rohan's an excellent reader.

When authorities are called to the scene of a spectacularly gruesome murder of an elderly couple by their retarded grandson, Jonathan Hamilton, they immediately assume that he's the perpetrator. The assumption is seemingly verified by his confession when taken into custody. As the story unfolds, though, the actions of those authorities come under question. Evidence such as blood on Jonathan's forehead and hands and bloody footprints solidify opinions against the young man.

Matthew Fielder, a big-city criminal defense lawyer drop-out, especially trained to handle "death cases," is assigned to defend Jonathan and the more he learns about the case, the more he's convinced that Jonathan is innocent. The battle lines are drawn and both sides go for the jugular as the trial commences, its fury fed by the media into a frenzy.

A chilling story, laced with legal detail and feisty, memorable characters, FLAT LAKE IN WINTER is just the tale to see you through a quiet, fall evening. Klempner's legal fiction compares pretty favorably with Grisham's.

Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly good
Review: While the 'legal thriller' genre gets larger exponentially every day, it seems harder and harder to find a really good read - which makes this book a real find. What I loved about the book was its original narrative style, bouncing from an omniscient third person to a sort of research persona, almost as if most of it is a true crime book written after the fact. It gave the book an air of authenticity that was added to by the author's obvious knowledge of the legal system.

Even without the unique narrative style and the well-researched legal environment, it is still a book that is marginally better than most books of this type. Overall, a very worthwhile read.