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A review by thephdivabooks
Her, Too by Bonnie Kistler
5.0
Part legal thriller, part dramatic suspense, Her, Too is more than a revenge story, more than a story about a woman being victimized by the very person she just legally defended, and more than a story about whether it is worth risking her career—this is a story about the very nature of these crimes, about there being no stereotypical victim, and about how people are much more than they may seem to outsiders.
Plot
Kelly McCann is a defense attorney who has made herself a national name defending high profile clients accused of sex crimes. Her success often means defending men who may be guilty of what they were accused of (though not always). But Kelly has a family with unique needs who depend on her income. She has to admit she also is also driven by a strong desire to win, which is part of what makes her so successful.
The other part—the part less within her control—is that she is an attractive female attorney in a field largely defending accused men against the allegations from women. This puts her in the unique position of helping to level the playing field, which allows her to use her determination and laser sharp focus to win the cases.
In her most recent case, Kelly has successfully gotten the charges against Dr. George Benedict dismissed. Dr. Benedict is a renowned scientist who leads a company and research team who may have discovered a cure for Alzheimer’s. He was also accused and tried for sexually assaulting a former researcher of his, Dr. Reeza Patel.
It is a short-lived victory for Kelly McCann, however. After winning the case she agrees to have a brief dinner at Dr. Benedict’s home to celebrate, and he sexually assaults her too. In the wake of her assault, Kelly knows she can’t report it without destroying her own career and reputation in the process.
Kelly doesn’t back down from a fight and she certainly won’t now. She has information on her side—she knows about three of Dr. Benedict’s other victims, and she knows how to hit him where it hurts. Joining forces, the four women set out to seek revenge.
But someone may be out for them as well, and they are going after them one-by-one. Can they get their revenge before someone gets to them?
Review
This is an absolute five-star, unputdownable stunner of a legal thriller. I went into this book with an entirely different idea of who I thought Kelly McCann would be as a character compared to who she really was. Kelly isn’t the heartless, competitive woman I expected. She is deeply complex and empathetic. Her back story absolutely captivated me.
Through flashbacks, we understood each decision Kelly made that led her to this trial and then to her own assault at the hands of her client in a heartbreaking fashion. But I also liked that Kelly was fiercely strong both before and in the wake of what happened.
Another interesting element to this book is the three NDA women, as they’re called, who she enlists to help her. These are women that Dr. Benedict admits may have a case against him to join Reeza Patel in the trial, and Kelly approaches them for a pay-off and non-disclosure agreement to keep their story to themselves and out of the courtroom.
They remind the reader that there is no profile or type who is victimized by men like Dr. Benedict. That one is a former girlfriend who is smart, bold, talented, successful, and stunning, one is a mousy, respected researcher with a PhD, and one is a meek, waifish housekeeper who would have never felt confident reporting in the first place after a lifetime of abuse by men, doesn’t go unnoticed.
Add to that Kelly as a victim—a woman who successfully got the charges dismissed that it now becomes apparent he was guilty of, in addition to so many other crimes—and it becomes clear that victims defy stereotyping. None of them asked for it. There isn’t a fault in the victim responsible for what was done to them. These crimes affect women from all walks of life.
The book starts as a legal thriller, takes a turn towards revenge thriller, but ends as a compelling drama exploring the fallout of the abuser at the center of it all and what it takes to try and bring someone like that down. At the end of the book we find Kelly, a woman who was his defender, his victim, and finally the person who made it her mission to expose him. Kelly’s growth arc throughout the book and her story, both involving Dr. Benedict and outside of him, sung to me. She’s a character I cares deeply for by the end of the book and I wanted to understand how this would impact her life and family.
Powerful!
Plot
Kelly McCann is a defense attorney who has made herself a national name defending high profile clients accused of sex crimes. Her success often means defending men who may be guilty of what they were accused of (though not always). But Kelly has a family with unique needs who depend on her income. She has to admit she also is also driven by a strong desire to win, which is part of what makes her so successful.
The other part—the part less within her control—is that she is an attractive female attorney in a field largely defending accused men against the allegations from women. This puts her in the unique position of helping to level the playing field, which allows her to use her determination and laser sharp focus to win the cases.
In her most recent case, Kelly has successfully gotten the charges against Dr. George Benedict dismissed. Dr. Benedict is a renowned scientist who leads a company and research team who may have discovered a cure for Alzheimer’s. He was also accused and tried for sexually assaulting a former researcher of his, Dr. Reeza Patel.
It is a short-lived victory for Kelly McCann, however. After winning the case she agrees to have a brief dinner at Dr. Benedict’s home to celebrate, and he sexually assaults her too. In the wake of her assault, Kelly knows she can’t report it without destroying her own career and reputation in the process.
Kelly doesn’t back down from a fight and she certainly won’t now. She has information on her side—she knows about three of Dr. Benedict’s other victims, and she knows how to hit him where it hurts. Joining forces, the four women set out to seek revenge.
But someone may be out for them as well, and they are going after them one-by-one. Can they get their revenge before someone gets to them?
Review
This is an absolute five-star, unputdownable stunner of a legal thriller. I went into this book with an entirely different idea of who I thought Kelly McCann would be as a character compared to who she really was. Kelly isn’t the heartless, competitive woman I expected. She is deeply complex and empathetic. Her back story absolutely captivated me.
Through flashbacks, we understood each decision Kelly made that led her to this trial and then to her own assault at the hands of her client in a heartbreaking fashion. But I also liked that Kelly was fiercely strong both before and in the wake of what happened.
Another interesting element to this book is the three NDA women, as they’re called, who she enlists to help her. These are women that Dr. Benedict admits may have a case against him to join Reeza Patel in the trial, and Kelly approaches them for a pay-off and non-disclosure agreement to keep their story to themselves and out of the courtroom.
They remind the reader that there is no profile or type who is victimized by men like Dr. Benedict. That one is a former girlfriend who is smart, bold, talented, successful, and stunning, one is a mousy, respected researcher with a PhD, and one is a meek, waifish housekeeper who would have never felt confident reporting in the first place after a lifetime of abuse by men, doesn’t go unnoticed.
Add to that Kelly as a victim—a woman who successfully got the charges dismissed that it now becomes apparent he was guilty of, in addition to so many other crimes—and it becomes clear that victims defy stereotyping. None of them asked for it. There isn’t a fault in the victim responsible for what was done to them. These crimes affect women from all walks of life.
The book starts as a legal thriller, takes a turn towards revenge thriller, but ends as a compelling drama exploring the fallout of the abuser at the center of it all and what it takes to try and bring someone like that down. At the end of the book we find Kelly, a woman who was his defender, his victim, and finally the person who made it her mission to expose him. Kelly’s growth arc throughout the book and her story, both involving Dr. Benedict and outside of him, sung to me. She’s a character I cares deeply for by the end of the book and I wanted to understand how this would impact her life and family.
Powerful!