Marcia Clark's first Samantha Brinkman mystery uses the author's prior experience as a criminal defense attorney. Blood Defense is a fast-paced story with a plot that kept me guessing, and it certainly doesn't lack in verisimilitude. However, there was "too much middle" which did slow down the action a bit until the explosive ending.
The secondary characters all seemed rather one-dimensional, too. This is definitely Sam's show. She is a nuanced, fascinating character, but unfortunately, I could never warm up to her. Sam always has one eye on the percentages and keeps close tabs on what she can reap from every sentence she speaks, every smile she bestows. Useful for a lawyer who's trying to get her practice off the ground, but not the sort of person I enjoy being around. There's also another reason why I didn't warm up to Sam. I can't go into this reason in any depth because I would reveal too much of the story, so I'll just say that she makes several morally ambiguous choices that I don't agree with.
With the exception of a slightly sagging middle, this is a good legal thriller; however, its main character will keep me from reading further in the series. (Perhaps I'm more prosecutor than defense attorney.)
The secondary characters all seemed rather one-dimensional, too. This is definitely Sam's show. She is a nuanced, fascinating character, but unfortunately, I could never warm up to her. Sam always has one eye on the percentages and keeps close tabs on what she can reap from every sentence she speaks, every smile she bestows. Useful for a lawyer who's trying to get her practice off the ground, but not the sort of person I enjoy being around. There's also another reason why I didn't warm up to Sam. I can't go into this reason in any depth because I would reveal too much of the story, so I'll just say that she makes several morally ambiguous choices that I don't agree with.
With the exception of a slightly sagging middle, this is a good legal thriller; however, its main character will keep me from reading further in the series. (Perhaps I'm more prosecutor than defense attorney.)
Excellent thrill ride! Samantha Brinkman is a defense attorney who is broke, has mother issues and is struggling to survive in the legal world out in LA. Along comes the case of a life-time. A cop is going on trial for murdering a well-loved actress and her roommate. Sam decides to take the case, after her office mates tell her to or they will mutiny. The cop, Dale, tries to convince Sam that he is innocent, but the more digging she and her team do, the more it seems like he is a the perfect murder. This courtroom thriller keeps you on your toes with tons of characters, lots of twists (some really oddball ones) and enough drama to have to reading late into the night. I really enjoyed the character development. I loved Sam's interactions in Court and with her friends. The twist at the end will definitely have me pre-ordering the next in the series.
Thanks Netgalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks Netgalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
