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dannb's review against another edition
2.0
Not my favorite... another typical... wah, wah, wah NYers in their 30s stories. Too drawn out. His others are better.
scott_a_miller's review against another edition
4.0
This was much better than Meltzer’s first book. Enjoyable mystery with suspense.
ncrabb's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this book! I loved the premise. It may have been a tiny bit long, but I very much enjoyed the plot. If you read it, I will be greatly surprised if you decide not to finish. I could barely put it down.
It's a high-stakes game for Sara Tate and Jared Lynch. The New York City District Attorney's office hired her, and she is grateful to have the job. She experienced a serious employment drought, and she is glad it's over. Her husband, Jared, works for a hotshot Wall Street law firm. His salary kept them afloat while she looked for work. Naturally, she is thrilled to start the new job.
Almost immediately after she arrives at the workplace, she hears rumors that the mayor is imposing budget cuts. That means the most recent people hired will be among the first let go. There might be a way around it though. Sara's irrepressible assistant tells her if she can snag a high-profile case, she might be able to avoid the layoffs. To that end, she goes to the room where someone hands out new cases. She sees one with another attorney's name on the folder. Convinced it is a high-profile case, she surreptitiously removes the name, and she claims it for herself.
Initially, to her disappointment, the case looks like a small-time burglary. But things are never as they seem. As she digs into it, she realizes it is about far deeper things. Across town, her husband also draws a case. He will defend the burglar whom Sara plans to prosecute. The twist is this: Someone separately calls aside both Sara and Jared and warns them that if they lose their respective cases, someone will murder their spouse. Furthermore, they can’t tell each other what they know.
This plot gripped me with everything it had. It was easy for me to put myself in the place of these two people. How desperate would you become if you knew that someone whom you love deeply will die if you lose a case? It seems to me there is almost nothing at which you would stop to ensure the safety of your loved one. The suspense is high enough with that premise, but the author enhances it by making sure the two don't tell one another for a significant amount of the book. At some point, you want to just cry out “please! Talk to one another. Explain what is happening here.” I'm always saddened and fascinated by the number of times in real life and in books in which a tiny bit of communication would make an exponentially large difference in the lives of the non-communicants.
Others who reviewed this book indicated dislike for both characters. I could relate to the husband to some degree; and I found the wife to be pushy, but not obnoxious. Her personality seemed to suit the task at hand. I liked her. The final scenes are memorable and vivid. They involve guns and subway tracks. I need say no more! If you download this, you'll read it; if you read it, you'll more than likely finish it.
It's a high-stakes game for Sara Tate and Jared Lynch. The New York City District Attorney's office hired her, and she is grateful to have the job. She experienced a serious employment drought, and she is glad it's over. Her husband, Jared, works for a hotshot Wall Street law firm. His salary kept them afloat while she looked for work. Naturally, she is thrilled to start the new job.
Almost immediately after she arrives at the workplace, she hears rumors that the mayor is imposing budget cuts. That means the most recent people hired will be among the first let go. There might be a way around it though. Sara's irrepressible assistant tells her if she can snag a high-profile case, she might be able to avoid the layoffs. To that end, she goes to the room where someone hands out new cases. She sees one with another attorney's name on the folder. Convinced it is a high-profile case, she surreptitiously removes the name, and she claims it for herself.
Initially, to her disappointment, the case looks like a small-time burglary. But things are never as they seem. As she digs into it, she realizes it is about far deeper things. Across town, her husband also draws a case. He will defend the burglar whom Sara plans to prosecute. The twist is this: Someone separately calls aside both Sara and Jared and warns them that if they lose their respective cases, someone will murder their spouse. Furthermore, they can’t tell each other what they know.
This plot gripped me with everything it had. It was easy for me to put myself in the place of these two people. How desperate would you become if you knew that someone whom you love deeply will die if you lose a case? It seems to me there is almost nothing at which you would stop to ensure the safety of your loved one. The suspense is high enough with that premise, but the author enhances it by making sure the two don't tell one another for a significant amount of the book. At some point, you want to just cry out “please! Talk to one another. Explain what is happening here.” I'm always saddened and fascinated by the number of times in real life and in books in which a tiny bit of communication would make an exponentially large difference in the lives of the non-communicants.
Others who reviewed this book indicated dislike for both characters. I could relate to the husband to some degree; and I found the wife to be pushy, but not obnoxious. Her personality seemed to suit the task at hand. I liked her. The final scenes are memorable and vivid. They involve guns and subway tracks. I need say no more! If you download this, you'll read it; if you read it, you'll more than likely finish it.
tlbignerd's review against another edition
5.0
Fun legal drama focused on entertainment and an exciting story. Had a few twists.
bblawrence's review against another edition
4.0
Twists and turns
So many twists and turns along the way. Sara's final trap? I wee bit far-fetched, but I appreciated the drama all the same.
So many twists and turns along the way. Sara's final trap? I wee bit far-fetched, but I appreciated the drama all the same.
dontmissythesereads's review against another edition
4.0
Book #18 read in 2008
I liked this book very much! I enjoyed the characters and I was shocked and excited at all the right moments. The only thing I would change is how the ending happened. It was too much, too fast. I will defintley read more of this author.
I liked this book very much! I enjoyed the characters and I was shocked and excited at all the right moments. The only thing I would change is how the ending happened. It was too much, too fast. I will defintley read more of this author.
eandrews80's review against another edition
3.0
Entertaining, well-paced story about married lawyers who end up on opposite sides of the same case. Why would they ever agree to this conflict of interest? Because unbeknownst to the other, each has been promised that dropping or losing the case means the death of their spouse. Though the premise is clever, I had hoped for slightly better writing and more fully developed characters. I've read several of Meltzer's newer novels, and he's clearly come a long way since 1998!
rfwads's review against another edition
2.0
An okay novel. Yes it had some twist and turns but overall I didn't care to much for the novel. The novel focused on husband and wife fighting to win a case while outsiders manipulated each of them, in hopes of no harm coming to each other. You find out towards the end of the novel that the outsiders were supposed to be on the same team but one betrayed the other which led to killings of more people. Overall, it just didn't keep me interested and wanting to know what's going to happen next. There are better novels out there that have much more suspense!