FROM THE BOOKLIST....
"Donald Willis, "the most hated man in Houston," is presumed guilty. Out of prison after being convicted of kidnapping, he looks the perfect fit for [attempting?] another kidnapping. This time the victim is Houston society belle Diana Greene, who tells quite a story. Donald grabbed her outside a drug store, she says, put a bag over her head, drove her to a deserted house, and held her for ransom. She escaped. Donald's luck bottoms: Diana is the sister of the Houston district attorney. All this is the starter motor for disbarred lawyer Edward Hall's attempt to get back in the game. It can happen, the DA says, if Hall agrees to defend Donald, implying that he'd be smart to lose. Instead, Hall puts up a ferocious fight and uncovers a possibly murderous scheme. The pace is brisk and the writing elegant: a cop is a short man "who made up for that by living at the gym." Fans of legal thrillers should give this priority." |
FROM THE KIRKUS REVIEW on From the Grave
"Readers are well advised to stay the course for a satisfying double twist at the very end."
"Highly accomplished... work from a pro."
"Readers are well advised to stay the course for a satisfying double twist at the very end."
"Highly accomplished... work from a pro."
Here's one from a long-time reader:
"I just now have permitted myself to read your new book From the Grave--it took a lockdown or whatever it is. I rewarded myself for getting work done by letting myself read a few pages at a time. The book was perfect from every angle. Your taut and understated style; psychologically insightful characterization of so many in the book; techniques of handling plot development; and especially--as always--your masterful trial scenes with inner glimpses of motivation--couldn't have been better. I am probably one of your few readers who observed with satisfaction your use of sentence fragments,careful choice of words with the perfect connotations, sharp dialog, chapter "hooks' foreshadowing what is to come--etc. Only an English teacher and student of great literature can fully and consciously appreciate such things--unlike mere mortals who eagerly turn pages to see whodunnit. I qualify in both categories. I am so grateful you are such a great writer. Thank you."
"I just now have permitted myself to read your new book From the Grave--it took a lockdown or whatever it is. I rewarded myself for getting work done by letting myself read a few pages at a time. The book was perfect from every angle. Your taut and understated style; psychologically insightful characterization of so many in the book; techniques of handling plot development; and especially--as always--your masterful trial scenes with inner glimpses of motivation--couldn't have been better. I am probably one of your few readers who observed with satisfaction your use of sentence fragments,careful choice of words with the perfect connotations, sharp dialog, chapter "hooks' foreshadowing what is to come--etc. Only an English teacher and student of great literature can fully and consciously appreciate such things--unlike mere mortals who eagerly turn pages to see whodunnit. I qualify in both categories. I am so grateful you are such a great writer. Thank you."
AfterImage: "Haunting, profound, and breathtaking, Jay Brandon's AfterImage is perhaps the finest legal thriller since Presumed Innocent." ~ William Bernhardt, bestselling author
AfterImage: "Taut and intense, AfterImage is also a novel about loss and reclamation, written with a complexity and depth of feeling that raises it far above other novels of its kind." ~ Martha Grimes
Running With the Dead: "A brilliant entry in a series that just keeps getting better." ~ Kirkus
Executive Privilege: "An expert blend of intelligent plotting and adrenaline-pumping suspense." Booklist
"Brandon writes with verve and authority. He knows the law. And he knows how to grab the reader and keep those pages turning." ~ Houston Chronicle
Local Rules: "Poignant and convincing... Brandon does courtroom drama as well as John Grisham or Scott Turow. And he does love stories better." ~ Philadelphia Inquirer
In general: "I've long been persuaded that Jay Brandon is the finest writer of legal thrillers in the country." ~ bestselling author,
Jeremiah Healy
AfterImage: "Taut and intense, AfterImage is also a novel about loss and reclamation, written with a complexity and depth of feeling that raises it far above other novels of its kind." ~ Martha Grimes
Running With the Dead: "A brilliant entry in a series that just keeps getting better." ~ Kirkus
Executive Privilege: "An expert blend of intelligent plotting and adrenaline-pumping suspense." Booklist
"Brandon writes with verve and authority. He knows the law. And he knows how to grab the reader and keep those pages turning." ~ Houston Chronicle
Local Rules: "Poignant and convincing... Brandon does courtroom drama as well as John Grisham or Scott Turow. And he does love stories better." ~ Philadelphia Inquirer
In general: "I've long been persuaded that Jay Brandon is the finest writer of legal thrillers in the country." ~ bestselling author,
Jeremiah Healy