Scan barcode
book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
Audio book read by Cassandra Campbell and Paul Boehmer
This is a collection of short stories about Courtrooms, Criminals and the Law. All take place after the crime has been committed and, in general, deal with “justice” and what it means to various people connected with the crimes. The story lines, which are completely independent of one another, include some very interesting twists, more than a few double-crosses, and consistent suspense.
I listened to the audio book; Campbell and Boehmer are both talented voice artists and actors. They breathe real life into these stories, easily differentiating characters and reading at a pace that heightens the suspense.
It’s a great introduction to 22 very talented mystery/suspense/thriller authors – including Paul Levine, Michele Martinez, Joel Goldman, and Linda Fairstein. I do think I might have enjoyed the book more if I was reading the text, and if I read just a couple of stories at a time, rather than the entire collection in one fell swoop.
This is a collection of short stories about Courtrooms, Criminals and the Law. All take place after the crime has been committed and, in general, deal with “justice” and what it means to various people connected with the crimes. The story lines, which are completely independent of one another, include some very interesting twists, more than a few double-crosses, and consistent suspense.
I listened to the audio book; Campbell and Boehmer are both talented voice artists and actors. They breathe real life into these stories, easily differentiating characters and reading at a pace that heightens the suspense.
It’s a great introduction to 22 very talented mystery/suspense/thriller authors – including Paul Levine, Michele Martinez, Joel Goldman, and Linda Fairstein. I do think I might have enjoyed the book more if I was reading the text, and if I read just a couple of stories at a time, rather than the entire collection in one fell swoop.
labunnywtf's review against another edition
4.0
Kinda adored this book. The stories, for the most part, are short enough to keep the anticipation up without bogging you down with legal jargon and coffee talk. That's the part that turns me off with most legal fiction. Each story had a twist ending, which is what I look for in books and movies, and it was 20+ twist endings at a time. I was in heaven.
My all-time favorite story, that will stay with me far longer than I'll remember which book I read it out of, was Quality of Mercy. Years from now, I'll remember that story, but not the book. And I love that.
Very recommendable. Extremely.
My all-time favorite story, that will stay with me far longer than I'll remember which book I read it out of, was Quality of Mercy. Years from now, I'll remember that story, but not the book. And I love that.
Very recommendable. Extremely.
weaselweader's review against another edition
4.0
First rate legal and police drama ... LAW AND ORDER on the printed page!
Linda Fairstein, herself a prosecutor in Manhattan for 25 years, has compiled an anthology of legal shorts written by some of the most well known and most exciting members of the Mystery Writers of America. If you like legal thrillers, police procedurals, courtroom drama, judicial hanky-panky, the ethics of criminal aggressive defense and prosecution and the twists in our modern system of jurisprudence, then it's a sure bet that THE PROSECUTION RESTS will thrill you to your toes.
One of my favourites in the collection, for example, DESIGNER JUSTICE, tells the chilling tale of a top-flight defense lawyer whose cross examination is so perfectly focused and constructed that the jury has no alternative but to acquit the defendant. However, it turns out that the person footing the bills for the defense has their own agenda that probably isn't quite on the same page as that of the newly released "innocent" murderer. QUALITY OF MERCY, a topical story about whether human euthanasia constitutes homicide, ends with a thoroughly entertaining and utterly blindside twist. NIGHT COURT, one of the shortest entries in the collection, tells a fine story about, shall we call it, "alternative" justice systems. The collection closes with GOING UNDER, an amusing ironic tale of a sting designed to apprehend a dentist whose practice is definitely not on the up and up! Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg. When you open THE PROSECUTION RESTS, you can put your feet up and look forward to several evenings of entertainment over 22 different stories.
Great drama, great story-telling, great twists, great characters and great dialogue ... all in all, an anthology that is enjoyable from first page to last. I hope that Ms Fairstein will consider putting together a second collection to follow up this winner. Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
Linda Fairstein, herself a prosecutor in Manhattan for 25 years, has compiled an anthology of legal shorts written by some of the most well known and most exciting members of the Mystery Writers of America. If you like legal thrillers, police procedurals, courtroom drama, judicial hanky-panky, the ethics of criminal aggressive defense and prosecution and the twists in our modern system of jurisprudence, then it's a sure bet that THE PROSECUTION RESTS will thrill you to your toes.
One of my favourites in the collection, for example, DESIGNER JUSTICE, tells the chilling tale of a top-flight defense lawyer whose cross examination is so perfectly focused and constructed that the jury has no alternative but to acquit the defendant. However, it turns out that the person footing the bills for the defense has their own agenda that probably isn't quite on the same page as that of the newly released "innocent" murderer. QUALITY OF MERCY, a topical story about whether human euthanasia constitutes homicide, ends with a thoroughly entertaining and utterly blindside twist. NIGHT COURT, one of the shortest entries in the collection, tells a fine story about, shall we call it, "alternative" justice systems. The collection closes with GOING UNDER, an amusing ironic tale of a sting designed to apprehend a dentist whose practice is definitely not on the up and up! Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg. When you open THE PROSECUTION RESTS, you can put your feet up and look forward to several evenings of entertainment over 22 different stories.
Great drama, great story-telling, great twists, great characters and great dialogue ... all in all, an anthology that is enjoyable from first page to last. I hope that Ms Fairstein will consider putting together a second collection to follow up this winner. Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
aspygirlsmom_1995's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
marthareads's review against another edition
3.0
Like any compilation, the stories are varied and somewhat uneven. There are a few that really stand out, but most are good, not excellent.
ericwelch's review against another edition
3.0
For whatever reason, I am not usually a fan of short fiction. This collection of legal-related short fiction is an exception. A nice mix of police procedurals, courtroom drama, and legal ethical conundra with interesting twists.
I learned something interesting in a James Grippando story called “Death, Cheated.” A viatical settlement is when someone with a substantial life insurance policy who learns s/he is terminally ill, can sell that policy to another person or group of investors for less than the face value of the policy but more than its cash value. The investors can reap a substantial return on their investment when the principal dies. In the story a woman asks Jack Swyteck to help defend her from a lawsuit of a group of investors. She had been diagnosed with ALS having an anticipated life span of only 2-3 years and sold her life insurance policy for a considerable sum only to discover she had lead poisoning instead which mimics ALS so she wasn’t going to die after all. The ending is somewhat predictable, but a good story. The tables are also turned in “Knife Fight” which has a nice little twist at the end. And “The Flashlight Game” which an engineer father who files constant pro se lawsuits and then gets arrested for murder is fun.
One nice thing about collections of different writers is that new authors are often discovered and so it is here.
I learned something interesting in a James Grippando story called “Death, Cheated.” A viatical settlement is when someone with a substantial life insurance policy who learns s/he is terminally ill, can sell that policy to another person or group of investors for less than the face value of the policy but more than its cash value. The investors can reap a substantial return on their investment when the principal dies. In the story a woman asks Jack Swyteck to help defend her from a lawsuit of a group of investors. She had been diagnosed with ALS having an anticipated life span of only 2-3 years and sold her life insurance policy for a considerable sum only to discover she had lead poisoning instead which mimics ALS so she wasn’t going to die after all. The ending is somewhat predictable, but a good story. The tables are also turned in “Knife Fight” which has a nice little twist at the end. And “The Flashlight Game” which an engineer father who files constant pro se lawsuits and then gets arrested for murder is fun.
One nice thing about collections of different writers is that new authors are often discovered and so it is here.
canada_matt's review against another edition
3.0
In this collection from the Mystery Writers of America, Fairstein edits the compilation and presents an interesting cross-section of legal-based short stories. Some are mere entertainment, where the reader can watch for the pitfalls and turns the author weaves before turning a story on its head and leaving a character blindsided. Other tales tell of a deep and sadistic side of the law, through acts of senseless murder or child pornography. While it is not the place or time to summarise the collection here, I can say that the wide variety within the collection should appeal to many readers, who can pick and choose what interests them most. Whatever one thinks of the law and those who depict it in their writing, there is bound to be something for everyone, enough to tickle one's fancy as well as leave one wanting to skip over certain stories. Whatever the take, it's an interesting collection, worth examining and enjoying.
There will be those who lament the collection, especially those who sit behind a desk and practice law, but to those folks, I can say but one thing, get a life. These are stories to entertain and provoke thought, just as Perry Mason and LAW & ORDER seek to entertain. Has Fairstein chosen the best and brightest? Perhaps not, as this is a genre in which I am highly interested and have never heard of many of these writers. That is not the sole basis for this collection. Does it entertain? Most certainly! Does it make the reader think a little? Definitely! Will I rush out to read full-length novels penned by many of the contributors? Not on your life. That said, it allowed me to see who I liked and who can continue collecting dust for the foreseeable future. And for that, I thank the Mystery Writers of America and Linda Fairstein.
Well done Madam Fairstein. I look forward to reading more from some of your brood, while others await their capital punishments.
There will be those who lament the collection, especially those who sit behind a desk and practice law, but to those folks, I can say but one thing, get a life. These are stories to entertain and provoke thought, just as Perry Mason and LAW & ORDER seek to entertain. Has Fairstein chosen the best and brightest? Perhaps not, as this is a genre in which I am highly interested and have never heard of many of these writers. That is not the sole basis for this collection. Does it entertain? Most certainly! Does it make the reader think a little? Definitely! Will I rush out to read full-length novels penned by many of the contributors? Not on your life. That said, it allowed me to see who I liked and who can continue collecting dust for the foreseeable future. And for that, I thank the Mystery Writers of America and Linda Fairstein.
Well done Madam Fairstein. I look forward to reading more from some of your brood, while others await their capital punishments.
More...