Fans of legal thrillers and true-crime stories will likely enjoy this ride.
Burke’s (The Paradiso Files, 2008) true-crime drama depicts the trials of three different women, each of whom endured a tragic loss.
The author’s decision to leave his job as a Boston assistant district attorney is put on hold when he learns about Holly Robins, the victim of a brutal rape. With the encouragement of Boston Police Detective Reggie Rose, he decides to take on one last case before moving to private practice. After that case is concluded, he finds he’s unable to escape “the recurring presence of murder and rape, death and violence in its worst forms.” The very first private-practice case he accepts is that of Ruth, a frail black woman whose beloved teenage son Lonnie died in Boston Children’s Hospital from a fatal reaction to prescribed medication. He also tackles the case of Deirdre Griffiths, the wife of a police officer who wants to sue the owners of a Dorchester building where he was shot and killed. Each woman affects Burke profoundly, and he’s inspired by their fortitude and courage in the face of adversity. He also discusses several secondary cases, and although they may interest fans of courtroom drama, they also diffuse the story’s focus. The trials’ outcomes also aren’t always immediately revealed, and this delayed gratification may frustrate some readers. That said, Burke’s prose is affable and clear, even if descriptions of courtroom particulars occasionally impede the otherwise brisk plot. The theme of fate, contrasted with the random violence Burke sees regularly, is central to the story. While some readers may feel that the author’s frequent ruminations border on sentimentalism, others may embrace his sense of perspective on horrific events.
Fans of legal thrillers and true-crime stories will likely enjoy this ride.Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2013
ISBN: 978-0615850764
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Timothy M. Burke
Review Posted Online: Dec. 11, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
