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First Sentence
A February morning in Portland, Oregon, and it was still dark outside when I walked into the courthouse, the air thick with the annoying drops of humidity that pass for rain in the Pacific Northwest. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
A February morning in Portland, Oregon, and it was still dark outside when I walked into the courthouse, the air thick with the annoying drops of humidity that pass for rain in the Pacific Northwest. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
In her debut novel, Alafair Burke introduces us to Deputy District Attorney Samantha Kincaid in an excellent start to what looks like a very successful career.
Sam Kincaid takes a case that looks like it could be poison from the start. A 13-year-old prostitute and heroin addict is raped, severely beaten and left for dead by a couple of men. Even though the girl can positively identify one of her attackers, the fact that she’s a prostitute will mean the jury could be unsympathetic to say the least. Sam puts a case together regardless and pretty soon the evidence begins building and the case looks stronger. It’s only halfway through the trial that things begin to go wrong and the case doesn’t look so clear cut after all.
This really is a particularly good legal thriller and the fact that it’s the author’s debut novel makes it all the more commendable. Through Sam, we are stepped through the legal procedure as seen from the DA’s perspective, told in a way that keeps it fresh and interesting.
As for the mystery, I thought it was very well constructed, complete with a clever twist or two at the end.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
29 reviews
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Excellent first effort
21 Jun 2003
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Having been a James Lee Burke fan for quite some time, I fully expected to find an intriguing tale, but with JLB overtones. Not at all. Judgement Calls is fast-paced, immediately engaging and definitely the author's own. The dialog is realistic, sharp and often very funny. Burke's Samantha Kincaid is well drawn, an imperfect, thoroughly likable, bright Assistant District Attorney with minor emotional baggage (no angst) and an attitude to which any woman can relate. The other characters are better than adequate; not as detailed as one might like, but their motivations are clearly understood. The story is a gut-wrencher for anyone with teens (and Burke gets the teen attitude down to the rolling-eye sighs!). The story is a little convoluted, perhaps because of the legal details, but it pulls you in and by the end you've got it. I'm glad I started this book on Friday evening, because I was up all night finishing it!
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Mr. Burke Would Agree
3 July 2003
Format:Hardcover
As a loyal James Lee Burke fan, I couldn't pass on the temptation to read his daughter's debut. I knew it would be different from her father's, but I found myself comparing for the first twenty pages or so.
While the prose is lean and gritty--a family writing trait--the inner turmoils are less pronounced and the settings less colorful. Soon, though, I found myself intrigued by this story of an underage prostitute discovered almost dead in the woods outside of Portland, Oregon. I began to care for the female deputy DA as she unraveled the case, as she struggled with her own relational hangups. I turned the pages...and forgot about comparisons.
"Judgment Calls" starts a little rough, reading more like a manual on legal procedures at times, but Alafair Burke knows her stuff and begins to smooth out the ride as the novel progresses. She tells a good mystery, and I look forward to the sequel. Why live in her father's shadow when she can stand admirably on her own! And I'm sure Mr. Burke would agree.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
reads like the real thing
2 Sep 2003
Format:Hardcover
If you've spent any time inside a DA's office you know Alafair Burke delivers the goods. The story is believable and accurate in tone and detail. The characters seem real and the plot is not some far-fetched Grisham-like fantasy that could never happen in a million years. I enjoyed this book a great deal and have recommended it to several friends. Just because her dad is a legendary writer himself doesn't mean A. Burke doesn't earn her kudos. I am eagerly awaiting her next one.
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