Customer Reviews

Absolute Certainty : A Crime Novel

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I read at least one crime novel each week to the point I have to keep a list of those read so I don't walk out of the library or store with a previously read book under my arm. This list has grown to nine pages and 74 authors. Without a doubt Absolute Certainty ranks right up there with the best of them. I found it riviting and was unable to put it down except to eat and sleep.To be sure I am a Cape Codder, and the fact that I am familiar with the locale and have served on a jury in the courthouse described perhaps heightened my interest but I can assure the next reader that the author has done a marvelous job of setting the scene, establishing the characters, and spinning a yarn that very likely could have happened here. Spellbinding.

In Cape Cod, Massachusetts, young men are being murdered without any logical reason and nothing, other than location, connects the men.

Martha "Marty" Nickerson is an assistant DA in Cape Cod. She considers herself a professional and feels a high level of accomplishment when the jury finds Manuel Rodriguez guilty of killing college student Michael Scott.

With the guilty verdict in, there is a sigh of relief within the communtity but before Marty can relax, another young man is found murdered. When an autopsy is finished this body has a roman numeral II scratched on his chest. But how could this be, Marty wonders, with the killer sitting in jail?

In close communities, sometimes there are connections between the victims and the attorneys and Marty has this close connection to the second victim's family. She is taken off the case and another person in her department is assigned to the case.

Wondering how Marty could help with the case, she is asked to accompany the defense attorney to visit the man accused of the second killing. When Marty gets some surprising details and informs her boss, Geraldine Schilling. Schilling is furious. The next day, while in court, Schilling accuses Marty of working with the defense to undermine the prosecution's case.

The author does a fine job of describing the internal politics of a prosecuting attorney's office and the consecquences of an attorney who puts a political goal above doing the right thing.

Marty is a fine attorney. We see her family life and the internal conflicts that she has with family time compared to the time on her job. It is also admirable that we see Marty's first obligation is not to put someone in jail. Marty tells the reader that her first obligation is for justice. This sense of morality would make the novel a good mandatory read for many of the corporations where greed more than honesty and justice seems to prevail.

I enjoyed this story and found it a good debut. At the same time it was more cute than suspenseful. Marty was somewhat unique for a prosecuting attorney but much of the material here has been done before. My rating was 3 1/2 moved up to 4 as credit for a debut novel and an attorney who has a high sense of justice above career.

Barnstable County, Assistant District Attorney, Marty Nickerson asked only three things of the jury. First, examine every exhibit carefully. Second, listen and absorb all the testimony given during the trial. And third, use your own gut, your common sense and judgement when making your decision. "We impaneled seven men and five women. All of them promised. And I believe they kept their promises. It was the criminal justice system that failed..." Marty believed in the guilt of Manuel Rodriguez. He was accused of brutally murdering a twenty year old college student exactly one year ago on Memorial Day; a young man with a bright and promising future ahead of him. Putting Rodriguez behind bars for the rest of his life let her speak for the victim, and validated the criminal justice system. But when an eerily similar murder happens this Memorial Day, Marty begins to question the impossible, whether Rodriguez was wrongly convicted. Could there be a serial killer on the loose on Cape Cod? But when a third murdered teenage boy is found just a week later, Marty deliberately ignores the orders of her ambitious boss to stay away from the case, and puts her job and the integrity of the District Attorney's office on the line to find the truth..... Newcomer, Rose Connors, makes a spectacular debut with this compelling and suspenseful legal thriller. Her well paced story line is tight and tense, and filled with well-drawn characters, intriguing twists, and vivid and riveting courtroom scenes. Ms Connors indepth knowledge and expertise in the workings of the D.A.'s office, the courtroom, and Cape Cod, add real credibility to the story and bring it to life on the page. With a stunning climax and very satisfying ending that ties up all the loose ends, Absolute Certainty is a winner, and should find itself at the very top of all legal thriller lovers' "must read" lists.

Marty Nickerson is a dedicated prosecutor for the DA's office on Cape Cod. As this debut novel opens, she is wrapping up a murder case, with absolute certainty that the defendant is guilty. When a similar murder occurs the day after the trial ends, she's still certain that the state has its man. But public defender Harry Madigan, an attorney whom Mary admires, is convinced the opposite is true. The reader is privy to Ms. Nickerson's thought process as she sifts and resifts through evidence, considers and reconsiders, consulting privately with Harry as the situation grows more intense.

It has become a trend in recent years to write about professional disillusionment. Author Connors does so with refreshing style, penning terse courtroom segments, office infighting, and family/personal scenes with skill. She needs more work with creating genuine suspense, but three out of four's not bad. Good first effort.

The first unusual thing about this novel is that it follows the story of the prosecuting attorney, instead of the usual point of view of the defence lawyer trying to get their clients off. Our accomplished prosecutor is completely devoted to the criminal justice system until she starts to unwillingly question it. She is such a vividly-drawn character, vulnerable but brave, full of integrity but also passion. I mostly enjoyed that there is nothing unnecessary is this book - every detail is vital to the story and emotions are subtle but strong. Particularly, I liked the portrayal of the heroine's interaction with the defence attorney - so discreet but yet so heart-warming. It is an unpredictable story, at times giving the impression that the author had no clear plan in mind, and made it up as she went along, but in a good way! The book provides first-hand knowledge of the workings of the criminal procedures and rules of evidence and their shortcomings. The setting is clearly one the author is familiar with and is therefore extremely realistic. The author clearly knows her subject, and can also write so well! I am looking forward to the next book featuring Marty!

This is a must read book...Excellent....I can't wait for more from this author.

Absolute Certainty by Rose Connors is a gem of a crime novel.
It is well written, fast paced and you really feel you know the characters by the end of the book. Once I started reading it I could not put it down. The identity of the killer was an incredible surprise. I recommended this book highly and can't wait to read more about Marty Nickerson's adventures in Rose Connors' next book!

A fresh take on the criminal justice system from a true insider with a strong voice. This is an auspicious first novel by a savvy, experienced, trial attorney. Rose Connors has got it all really right: from her tough but vulnerable protagonist, Cape Cod ADA Marty Nickerson, and her completely believable relationship with an ex-husband and a teen-aged son, to a small select cast of interesting supporting characters.

We're in Barnstable County on Cape Cod when the novel opens and Nickerson is deep in the final stages of a rock-solid case against a vicious killer. The case is clean, the evidence huge, even the Public Defender agrees. All seems eminently satisfactory and the jury finds the man, Manuel Rodrigez, guilty. But then another body, is found under disturbingly similar circumstances to that of the first. Evidence points to the same killer. Copycat? Faced with a politically astute boss working hard to become the first female DA in the county, Nickerson can't get Rodrigez' case reexamined. She goes way out on a limb in fairness to her own sense of justice and right. What happens next is surprising.

We have a fine sense of place in this novel and the characters seem to be completely comfortable. They belong in these settings. One's sense of credibility is never strained beyond the breaking point. The dialog is crisp and centered. The pace is measured and the structure of the novel is taut. There is a relentless feeling, particularly in the last half of the book, which seems to take hold of the reader in a way that many novels are unable to exert. Add a handsome cover, good production and careful editing to a thoughtful, well-written provocative novel, and you have an outstanding debut.

Interestingly, I met Rose Connors at a mystery author booksigning at a little bookstore in Brewster, MA. She was there with Philip Craig whose work I have read and enjoyed. He strongly suggested Ms. Connors work so I picked it up and looked it over. On the cover is a brief review by Perri O'Shuaghnessy whose latest book was my beach read at the time! I happen to love mystery stories. Well, let me tell you, this book is GREAT! It is so well written, the characters come to life. the story is fast paced - a real page turner!! I was actually reading the book while the RED SOX game was on and I am a huge Red Sox fan!! I just could not put this book down! I cannot wait to read Ms. Connors latest work.

Being a summer resident of the Cape, I am used to light and questionably plotted Cape mysteries. Rose Connors uses her legal background, and knowledge of local lore to ensnare the reader into an exciting murder mystery. The characters are well developed, and the reader grows to care about them. The plot has rewarding twists and turns and keeps the reader very interested. The funeral scene is particularly well written and touching. Knowing that another novel with the same main characters is now available, makes one anxious to see what becomes of them.