Defense for the Devil: Library Edition (Barbara Holloway Novels) [Audio CD]

Kate Wilhelm (Author), Anna Fields (Narrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 15, 2007 | Series: Barbara Holloway Novels

In her three previous novel appearances, attorney Barbara Holloway has taken on the sort of cases no one else wants--hopeless messes, all of them--and with the help of her father, Frank, she has pulled through each time.

But even from the start, this new case is different. In order to clear up the murder of Mitch Arno, she's going to face a worthy opponent: herself.

Mitch Arno always meant bad news for the coastal town of Folsum, Oregon. When they ran him out of town seventeen years ago, he left behind a wife with two daughters and a family that never wanted to see him again.

When he returns, he brings trouble in the form of a lot of suspicious money. As Barbara attempts to counsel Mitch's wife about the money, a second form of trouble arrives: a corpse. Mitch's. And now Barbara is in a morass of conflicting interests, and the only way out could lead her straight into the arms of the devil.

Defense for the Devil is another page-turning delight from the queen of courtroom drama.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Can this marriage be saved? Oregon's take-no-prisoners defense attorney Barbara Holloway wed geologist John Mureau in her last book, and already things are looking bad. The problem isn't Barbara's lack of cooking skills: her father, Frank, has enough of those to spare and will whip up a gourmet meal for everyone in sight at the slightest pretext. Nor is it the crush of living and office space--renting two adjoining apartments in a new building in Eugene takes care of that. What really bothers John is the constant danger that Barbara's work conjures up for her, for her family, and now for his children, if they should be around when a case explodes.

Barbara Holloway is using every slick legal arrow in her quiver to make sure that her client, Maggie Folsum, gets to keep a large lump of cash that her career criminal husband left behind when he trashed Maggie's bed and breakfast and then was found beaten to death. The danger to Holloway begins when Maggie's brother-in-law is charged with the murder, even though the most obvious candidate is the crime boss who employed (and was double-crossed by) the late husband. Will Barbara fight off the IRS in time to defend the innocent brother-in-law? Will the mysterious mobster (powerful enough to make witnesses perjure themselves) actually give up his minions if pressed hard enough? Will John and Barbara stay together in those two terrific apartments, and will her white sauce ever work? Unlike most writers of legal thrillers, Wilhelm cares as much about her characters as she does about her courtrooms--which is why her books (including The Best Defense, For the Defense, The Good Children, and Justice for Some) are such genuine pleasures. --Dick Adler --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

"Evil infects some people... it gets into the system and stays like a virus that is never killed," seasoned criminal lawyer Barbara Holloway reflects, in the fourth thriller by Wilhelm (The Good Children) to feature the Eugene-based attorney. Maggie Folsum's abusive ex-husband, Mitch, has come tearing back into her life, threatening Maggie and ransacking the inn she operates. The dirt that Holloway's investigation turns up on Mitch piles higher and higher?until he's six feet under it and his good-guy brother Ray stands wrongfully accused of his murder. Holloway agrees to defend Ray, hoping to secure long-in-arrears child support from Mitch's stash of dirty money. She's up against a corrupt organization run by a man named Palmer, whose cleverness and casual violence are frightening, but she believes that she can outwit them. After Ray's trial, and as the tension mounts, Wilhelm employs an overused device for the disappointing denouement: Palmer's arrogance undermines his ingenuity. The nuances of courtroom procedure are compellingly presented, however, including a sophisticated look at the complex psychology of a jury.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks; MP3 Una edition (February 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786170646
• ISBN-13: 978-0786170647
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,709,990 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born in 1928, Kate Wilhelm the author of more than thirty novels including Where Late the Sweet Bird Sang and The Unbidden Truth. Her work has been adapted for TV and film and translated into twenty languages. She has been awarded the Prix Apollo, Kurd Lasswitz, Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Awards. In 2003, she was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame. Her short fiction appeared in landmark anthologies such as Again Dangerous Visions, Orbit, The Penguin Book of Modern Fantasy by Women, and The Norton Book of Science Fiction. A cofounder of the Clarion Writers' Workhops, she continues to host monthly writing workshops in Eugene, Oregon.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Disappointment, February 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Defense For The Devil (Barbara Holloway Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

Wilhelm is one of those writers who gets overwhelmed by the publicity machines that promote Grisham, et. al. So she seems to have become Grishamesque in an effort to sell books. Too bad. I found this one tedious and overcomplicated with bad guys suddenly dropped in from nowhere. It also lacked the character development that has elevated her other books above run of the mill. I suspect the hand of an overeager editor and publisher because Wilhelm seems too intelligent to turn out this mish mash.

And does anyone know what's become of John?

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Barbara Holloway legal thriller, February 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Defense for the Devil (Hardcover)

Seventeen years ago, the townsfolk of Folsum, Oregon ran Mitch Arno out of town. The nasty Mitch left behind an abused wife and infant. Now he is back in town, prepared to throw his weight around since he carries a suitcase filled with money and an attaché case containing valuable but stolen software. A few hours after his reappearance, someone murders Mitch.

The initial thought is that his spouse could not deal with being a punching bag. However, the police soon turn to

Mitch's brother Ray, whom they arrest. Barbara Holloway, known for wining hopeless cases, cannot defend Ray due to a conflict of interest. Still, she cannot idly stand by and watch as Ray's lawyer provides his client a defense pathetic enough tto get him hanged.Instead, she tries to prove from the sidelines that Ray is innocent.

In her fourth legal thriller, Barbara remains an entertaining, feisty character. However, the same cannot be said this time about the major support cast. For instance neither Ray nor Maggie (Mitch's spouse) generate empathy because they appear one-dimensional. On the other hand, Mitch is a complex protagonist, who will elicit strong reaction from the audience. The complex story line is vintage Kate Wilhelm as it rapidly moves forward to an exhilarating climax even with several interesting sub-plots added to provide depth. DEFENSE FOR THE DEVIL needs no reader defense as it's a believable, well-written entry to a fine series.

Harriet Klausner

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't believe all you read, December 6, 2007

By 

J. Riker "J.R. Enterprises" (Southern Oregon) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Defense For The Devil (Barbara Holloway Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

There were some negative reviews for "Defense for the Devil" but I must say those reviewers were awfully picky. As in all books there were a couple of minor "glitch points", but as a recreational read, Kate Wilhelm has produced another great "page turner" book. I hope she does an additional dozen Barbara Holloway novels; I will buy every one!!!!!