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A review by ncrabb
Dead Even by Brad Meltzer
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.