Helpful Score: 14
As much as I love Stephen Greenleaf, and as good as the basic story is, this is the least well-written of the Tanner mystries. It was as if he was trying too hard. Normally I'd give him 4-1/2 or 5 stars.
Tanner is hired by the family of a murdered woman to make sure her husband, a psychologist who specializes in working with defense attorneys to get clients off on insanity pleas isn't able to fake insanity and escape responsibility for killing his wife.
The tale takes twists and turns involving many other charactes, and is a great comparison of Berkeley today with the activist Berkeley of the 60s. It's a good story, the writing just isn't up to his usual standard.
Tanner is hired by the family of a murdered woman to make sure her husband, a psychologist who specializes in working with defense attorneys to get clients off on insanity pleas isn't able to fake insanity and escape responsibility for killing his wife.
The tale takes twists and turns involving many other charactes, and is a great comparison of Berkeley today with the activist Berkeley of the 60s. It's a good story, the writing just isn't up to his usual standard.
"Readers who like their private-eye novels witty, literate, and properly balanced between misanthropy and compassion will find Stephen Greenleaf's BEYOND BLAME exactly to taste" -- NEWSWEEK
Entertaining story of life in Berkeley among the legal and education communities. Concerns specifically the "Insanity" plea and folks who plan to use it even as they commit murder.
