"Cruel Justice is one of the best books in William Bernhardt's excellent Ben Kincaid series. It is a thoroughly entertaining page-turner. The perfect fast read." --Phillip Margolin Oklahoma lawyer Ben Kincaid, the hero of William Bernhardt's bestselling legal thrillers, returns--and this time his crusade for justice places him on a collision course with a malevolent mastermind. Ten years ago, Leeman Hayes, a black teenager, was accused of brutally beating a young woman with a golf club at a posh country club in Tulsa. Kinks in the legal system have kept Leeman locked up without a verdict for a decade. Now the case is finally going back to court, and Ben Kincaid has stumbled into the job of defense attorney. But what possible chance does he stand against Tulsa's crack prosecutor, Jack Bullock? Nothing short of a miracle is going to save Leeman Hayes from the death sentence. As Kincaid struggles to pull together a defense, another young boy is falling into the clutches of a child molester. Ten-year-old Abie Rutherford is the perfect victim--comely and acquiescent, miserably lonely and desperate for approval. Abie thinks the handsome, smiling stranger in the baseball cap might be that friend he has longed for. When Abie Rutherford vanishes without a trace one hot summer day, Ben Kincaid, like everyone else in Tulsa, fears the worst. Then a bone-chilling discovery compels Ben to forge a link between the missing boy and the seemingly hopeless case of Leeman Hayes--thereby igniting the fuse for the most explosive courtroom case of Ben's career. With Cruel Justice, William Bernhardt delivers an absolute spellbinder, a novel that confirms his status within the top ranks of courtroom novelists. Make no mistake about it: this is Bernhardt's best yet.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
The loyalty of suspense and mystery fans is not fickle, so long as the author produces credible characters and allows them to develop; humor and a certain feckless quality in a major character are lagniappe and much appreciated. Cruel Justice is just such a treat. Tulsa defense lawyer Ben Kincaid finds himself with a hopeless case. His client is a mentally challenged, confessed killer. Moreover, there's a serial killer on the loose in the city, Ben's sister hands him a baby and disappears, and his mother comes to town. Ben and his helpers scramble against the clock to develop a defense for his client. The author plays fair, dropping clues in all the right places and building the scaffolding for the sequel. If the humor is occasionally a bit broad and the minor characters a bit one-dimensional, true genre fans won't care; they will be too busy hunting for Bernhardt's previous books (e.g., Double Jeopardy, Ballantine, 1995) and waiting for the next. For all popular collections. -?Elsa Pendleton, Boeing Computer Support Svcs., Ridgecrest, Cal. Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Here Bernhardt reintroduces attorney Ben Kinkaid, absent from his previous book, Double Jeopardy , to star in another superb legal thriller. Bernhardt is expert at maintaining a keep-'em-guessin' quality as Kinkaid, a lawyer in Tulsa, Oklahoma, becomes involved in a an old murder case: a woman was found impaled by a golf club in the country-club caddy shack. One of the caddies was incarcerated, but because of problems stemming from his limited mental faculties, he is being brought to trial 10 years after the murder occurred. Kinkaid reluctantly takes the case, for a voice keeps telling him he needs to pursue a practice loftier than representing "hard-luck stories." Meanwhile, a rash of child molestation and murder has thrown the city into a panic. Twists and turns and several subplots only add to the deliciousness of the complicated story line as Kinkaid unearths connections between Tulsa's upper crust and the city's drug-dealing underworld. Those very connections eventually answer the question of who really was the golf club^-wielding murderer. Wonderfully diverting reading. Brad Hooper--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
I love my job. Even on the worst day when I can't seem to put together a coherent sentence, I am grateful for having been given this magnificent opportunity to participate in the literary exchange of ideas. My mother says I was telling people I wanted to be a writer when I was seven. I know that seems incredible, but she's my mom, so we have to believe her. I never missed an opportunity to visit the library, which was blissfully near my home, and the librarians there took a great interest in this nerdy, shy, bespectacled kid who kept reappearing almost every day. They encouraged me to read widely and to read the best of everything, and that is exactly what I did and have continued to do all my life.
I sent off my first submission when I was eleven, to Highlights Magazine. This was a poem of which I was particularly proud concerning the Oklahoma Land Run. They turned me down. Yes, that was my first rejection letter. Over the next twenty years, I collected over 400 more of them. No, I'm not exaggerating. I still have them. Every last one. There was a reason, I realize now, why all those compositions were being rejected. They weren't very good. But they improved over time. I didn't know it, but during the entire torturous process of submission and rejection, I was learning how to write.
I finally had my first novel published (by Ballantine, a division of Random House) when I was thirty-one. To some, this may seem an early age to publish, but if you clock it from my first rejection, it took twenty years. That was a great year--my first son, Harry, was born in August, and my first book, Primary Justice, was born in December. The book surprised everyone and the follow-up did even better and before I even realized it I had accomplished my goal--I was a real honest-to-gosh writer. I've been writing ever since. I've written more than twenty novels, edited two anthologies, done two books for children, and published numerous stories, essays, puzzles, and poems. I have three children now, and this job allows me to be present when they come home from school and available when they need me during the day, which is a blessing I could not have anticipated back when I was a seven-year old gazing dreamily at author photos on dust jackets, wishing I could see myself there.
My goals for the future are to continue to learn, to grow, to find new ways of doing my work and doing it better. I think the current interest in thrillers provides a marvelous opportunity to spin bigger and more exciting stories. I've learned that I enjoy teaching, which has led to the William Bernhardt Writing Programs and The Fundamentals of Fiction DVDs, as well as many speaking and teaching engagements throughout the year. My interest in mentoring aspiring writers led me to start the Small-Group Seminars and Master Classes, which allow me to teach my favorite subject all across the nation. And in my personal life, my goal is I to be the best parent possible to Harry, Alice, and Ralph, and the best possible partner to my wife, Marcia. I'm very excited about the future--my personal life with these extraordinary people, and my professional life, creating new stories for you wonderful people who still understand the importance of storytelling and the written word. ------- William Bernhardt is the author of more than twenty novels, including Primary Justice, Murder One, Criminal Intent, Death Row, Capitol Murder, Capitol Threat, Capitol Conspiracy, and Nemesis. He is one of fewer than a dozen recipients of the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award given "in recognition of an outstanding body of work in which we understand ourselves and American society at large." He is also one of the country's most popular writing instructors, teaching at various conferences throughout the year. A former trial attorney, Bernhardt has received several awards for his public service. He lives in Tulsa with his wife, Marcia, and their children.
This is the best! He cunningly puts 2 stories you wouldn't think would fit together and then all of a sudden, BAM! It hits you, this is this and that goes with that and it is so amazing! I love this book!
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This is a story of a poor, struggling lawyer who takes on a case that's impossible to win and pays no money. He wins. Fame and fortune follow. This story has been done over and over and been done better. The opening court scene is a ploy to set up animosity between attorney Ben Kincaid and the prosecutor, his former friend, and is just plain silly. There are attempts to bolster the main plot with side issues...Kincaid's sister unexpectedly leaves her baby with him...his mother shows up...his ex-brother-in-law is tracking a child molester. The main story line, which was mildly interesting, could have been expanded and stood on it's own. As it was, all the little side stories only detract from the main plot and weaken an otherwise good idea for a story.
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This book, as well as the previous ones provides an entertaining time without the overly twisted plot some other authors within the legal thrillers category elaborate. The Kincaid books also have a good amount of humor and the side stories relating to Ben Kincaid, his assistant, mother, sister and ex brother in law provide an extra appeal to the series. This side stories make it worthwile to read the books in order, which is what I am doing.
If you are looking to have a good time with a book that reads fast and easy, this is one of your best options.
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First Sentence:
"It's dark in here, Daddy." Read the first pageKey Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Leeman Hayes, Maria Alvarez, Judge Hawkins, Captain Pearson, Utica Greens Country Club, Carlee Crane, Ernie Hayes, Judge Hart, Rachel Rutherford, Celebration Station, Jack Bullock, Harold Rutherford, William Bernhardt, Abie Rutherford, Ben Kincaid, Chief Blackwell, Chris Bentley, Ramona de Vries, Lieutenant Morelli, Ronald Pearson, United States, Dick Crenshaw, Little Elvis, Nichols Hills, Central Division
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