The Defense [Hardcover]

D. W. Buffa (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 1997

Defense attorney Joseph Antonelli is a stranger to defeat. Until Judge Rifkin asks Antonelli to defend Johnny Morel, a con man and convicted drug dealer accused of raping his 12-year-old step-daughter, Michelle. The prosecution's case is riddled with inconsistencies. Antonelli never confused the legal system with justice, so it should have been routine to defend a man he knew was guilty. And it should have ended there. No one suspected it would end in murder.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

There are occasional echoes of Scott Turow and John Grisham in this debut thriller by Oregon lawyer D. W. Buffa, but for the most part his voice is as refreshingly original as the sinuous plot line. "I never lost a case I should have won, and I won nearly all the cases I should have lost," says the arrogant but undoubtedly gifted criminal defense lawyer Joseph Antonelli. When his friend and mentor, Judge Leopold Rifkin, asks him to defend Johnny Morel, a man accused of raping his 12-year-old stepdaughter, Antonelli agrees. Morel is obviously guilty, but aided by the girl's lying, amoral mother, Antonelli plants enough seeds of doubt to get the sleazeball off. Years later, after the girl has disappeared, the mother is shot to death--in Judge Rifkin's living room. Under Buffa's sly direction, these twists and turns add up to a wonderfully rich story.

From Library Journal

In this first novel, Buffa hands self-assured defense attorney Joseph Antonelli a particularly tough case: a con man and convicted drug dealer is accused of raping his 12-year-old stepdaughter. Hot stuff, indeed, and the folks at Holt are so fired up about their new find that they opted for a 100,000-copy first printing.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 322 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Company; 1st edition (October 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805053077
• ISBN-13: 978-0805053074
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,264,154 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars HIDDEN IN THE LIBRARY, December 20, 2002

By 

Goodbye "Mr P" (Rural England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Defense (Mass Market Paperback)

I found it by chance at the back of a dusty shelf in my village library. Hadnt been read for a long time.

It was surprisingly well written: a clear, uncomplicated and crisp style. It told the story in an economical way which but a little wooden. One reviewer compared it unfavourably to a John Grisham, but it was BETTER than that! This had a lot of interesting twists and turns which were too far fetched, but hey...it's only a story.

I did enjoy the cod philosophy and it set me thinking about the issues.

The characters were well rounded and beleivable.

The ending came too suddenly and because of this it lost its effect.

Overall...I would recomend the book.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A NEW STAR IN THE SKY OF THRILLERS, January 30, 2000

By 

Editorial Libra,S.A. de C.V. - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Defense (Mass Market Paperback)

It was about time! Writer Habemus...It has ALL: Professionalism as a writer;a great but humble exhibition of culture mixed well into the story;strong characters; the exact speed; Originality and a talentous, unexpected but logical end; not one single flaw in development, Good timing...NOt heavy or dull in the Court of Justice scenes; sensitive characters...Beautifully done. You can read it as you wish:As a thriller, a Legal, a suspense...You decide: But be careful with your timing, because you will not be able to put this book down until you read the last page. Send your wife and kids on a weekend trip. Unhook your phones Have something to eat You will not leave your place until the end of THE DEFENSE... I should know. I am a choosy Book Publisher Georgina Greco

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars FOR THE DEFENSE -- JOE ANTONELLI, October 25, 2000

By 

Nancy Martin (Pennsylvania (orig. NY)) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Defense (Hardcover)

This is the first book by D. W. Buffa, an Oregon defense attorney turned author. It reads so well for a first novel, that you just know that Buffa is going to be around for quite a while.

The best part of this book is the main character Joe Antonelli. Like Buffa, he's a defense attorney. One thing that separates him from most other defense attorneys, however, is the fact that he's never lost a case and he's proud of passing this information on to anyone interested. I usually find this lack of humility in characters to be less than endearing but, for some reason, I think it adds to Antonelli's overall makeup. As is usual with most legal thrillers, there are enough twists and turns to give you a stiff neck. Somehow though, Buffa keep you guessing.

This case involves a less than desirable subject matter as Joe defends Johnny Morel, who is accused of raping his 12 year old stepdaughter. He has agreed to represent Morel at the request of his mentor, Judge Leopold Rifkin. The events surrounding this case will cause disastrous ramifications years down the road for all involved. The saying "what goes around, comes around" is definitely evidenced in the end of the book. Unfortunately, some innocent people will be hurt, an attorney will be left disenchanted and the reader will anxiously await the return of Joe Antonelli in Buffa's sequel, The Prosecution.

I do recommend reading these books in order just to get a better idea of what really makes Antonelli tick -- a character greatly admired by this reader.