Customer Reviews

Directed Verdict

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Randy Singer has a style that is similar to John Grisham, with legal issues developed into in a novel. However, this book has more twists and turns, multiple plot lines, and tackles deeper issues than greed. The basic premise is about a woman who wants to sue the government of Saudi Arabia for the torture and death of her husband by their police. A lawyer and his new aid attempt to take on more than just a powerful government. This brings up international law issues, as well as issues of faith.

I found it hard to put the book down, and was racing to the end. The characters are well defined, although the antagonists are perhaps a bit one-dimensional. The best aspect of the book is the compelling storyline, and the plot twists that are unexpected and keep the reader guessing.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes legal thrillers and good novels that are fun escapes. Despite the fact that Randy Singer is not well known yet, with books as good as this one that deserves to change.

Do we really need another John Grisham? Lovers of great fiction, especially legal thrillers, will say a resounding YES! And those who've read "Directed Verdict" will say,"Randy Singer is the new Grisham." This is a great read from page one. The settings are vivid. The characters and dialog are so real I can hear them. And, the story line, although growing out of the very real religious persecution in Saudia Arabia, is uplifting and heartening. You know a book is good when you think about it when you're not reading it, longing to get back to it...that's Directed Verdict. I loved it! Hey, Mr. Singer, when's book 2 coming out?

It is unfortunate that Randy Singer is not more well known. He is an excellent writer.

'Directed Verdict' is really a superb novel that is very difficult to put down. It begins with severe religious persecution in Saudi Arabia by the Muttawa - the Saudi religious police. They have targeted an American missionary couple with unspeakable brutality.

Sarah Reed, who is the surviving wife of the couple, pushes for legal recourse in the States to expose their tactics and hopefully prevent more terror directed against Christians.

She hires legal ace Brad Carson and his team who are rather unconventional, but very tenacious. The story contains numerous plot twists. Every time I thought I had the story figured out, it took another turn.

This book is on a par with Grisham's best - his first few novels. Actually, this is even better than that as Singer addresses much more important issues - those with eternal significance.

I highly recommend this book. If you haven't read Randy Singer yet, you don't know what you're missing.

I really wanted to like this book: most of the reviews were glowing, I love legal thrillers, and I thought a Christian legal thriller might be good. But it did not work for me at all. The Christian part was fine, the legal part not so good.

First things first: if you are not a Christian (and preferably an evangelical), chances are good you will not like this book. It is not so much the lawyer or his staff who are Christians, it is the two clients whose cases are described in detail. The first is a minister charged with praying outside an abortion clinic (presumably under the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act). That case was included to show how much a particular judge was biased against the protagonist attorney Brad Carson specifically and also against Christians in general. The second client Sarah Reed is the one central to the plot. She was a missionary to Saudi Arabia who, with her late husband, was tortured by the religious police and then arrested on phony drug charges and deported to the U.S. She initially hires Brad because the insurance company denies payment on her husband's life insurance policy. From there, Brad convinces her to sue Saudi Arabia (and the individual torturers) for her torture and for causing her husband's death.

The one thing that really did work for me in this book is the description of the persecution experienced by Christians in the Middle East, especially converts from Islam.

I was much less impressed with the legal parts of the book. If you are a practicing lawyer, there is also a good chance you will not like this book. There were things that did not fit. One small example: the opposing firm disqualifies a judge they don't want to hear the case by offering his clerk a job. We are supposed to believe the clerk is so desperate for a job he jumps at an offer he gets over the phone without even an interview. In reality, a job offer to a clerk alone probably wouldn't disqualify a judge because they have 2 clerks, judges typically set out ground rules for their clerks about job hunting while clerking, and federal judicial clerks have their choice of good jobs and wouldn't need to talk to a firm handling a case that has already been in front of that judge. Also, if a law student has good enough grades to get a federal clerkship, he or she most likely will have no trouble getting a job for after the clerkship and may already have accepted an offer before starting the clerkship. There are more specific examples, but I don't want to give away too much of the plot.

The description of "co-counsel" law student Leslie Connors and her work on the case stretched my credibility beyond my ability to suspend disbelief and the responsibility the attorney gave her and the paralegal seemed irresponsible if not malpractice. And I didn't believe the legal resolution of the case.

If a reader doesn't have a legal background or has a greater ability to suspend disbelief, the book has lots of suspense and thrills.

INCREDIBLE!! This book has it all courtroom drama, edge of your seat action, and just the right measure of romance. You have the victim Sarah and her champion Brad. You want the good gal to be vindicated, but at every turn the bad guys seem to be a step ahead. I read this book very quickly, I could not put it down. And when I did I could not get the story out of my head, I just had to know what was going to happen next. This was my first book by Randy Singer and I can say with conviction it will not be my last. He is so much better than John Grisham. I would love to see this book as a movie thriller, it would fly!!!

A novel this serious shouldn't be this much fun! Randy Singer offers a bright future for those of us who feel Grisham's latest legal thrillers have lost their sparkle.

"Directed Verdict" weighs in at 485 pages, but these pages turn quicker than most. A brash young trial lawyer finds himself defending Sarah Reed, a woman who lost her husband while they were working as missionaries in Saudia Arabia. Sarah's husband, already weakened by heart trouble, died due to interrogation by the Saudia Arabian secret police, and now she calls those responsible to account in the American courts. (This idea is timely, in light of recent suits by Americans affected by Sept. 11.)

The premise seems straightforward, but Singer introduces numerous complications, keeping our interest and keeping things racing along. Mixing the fast-paced, intricate plotting of original Grisham, the intriguing characters of Turow, and the humorous sprinkles of Meltzer, Singer creates a wonderful story. The courtroom maneuvers are masterful. The in-fighting and conniving are genuinely shrewd and nasty. The plot twists are believable. And, ultimately, the spiritual applications to our modern day world are noteworthy.

I hope Singer has more books coming, because I had a blast reading this one.

This is a christial legal Thriller that I really enjoyed. Why? The chracters are well rounded, and developed, and our sympathetic. The story line is relevant to our times: the persecution Of Christians. Some may say this is anti-Islamic, but I believe the author addressed an issue that is all to similar. Mr Singer is a new name on the block, and one who I look forward to reading more often in the future.

Due to the fact that I've heard Randy Singer preach a time or two at my home church, I was more than happy to hear that he had written a book. With possible aspirations of becoming a lawyer in the future, I was very excited to read this book and see what this very neat guy had to offer in literature.

I was not disappointed! Randy Singer spins a tale together that is so intriguing, you can't put it down. I've tried reading Grisham before. I thought it was okay. Other mysteries and legal books spark my interest somewhat. However, "Directed Verdict" captivated me (as well as several other people I know from church who have read the book), and I couldn't put it down until the end. There will be twists and turns all along the way that will make you wonder just what is coming next, who did what, and exactly how everything falls into place. If you are looking for a good story falling into the legal fiction category, I highly recommend "Directed Verdict."

All I can say is, "WOW!" Directed Verdict invites you into the life of the characters and leaves you intrigued with the work that God is doing in and through each of them. It combines the components of a best-selling legal thriller and a Christian novel about God's amazing grace and power across this earth! The only downside to the book is that I could not go to sleep, but only because I could not put the book down! You will grow to love the characters, hoping and praying for them as they go through the amazing trials during the book. The book is a must read! Go ahead and grab a cup of coffee, a comfortable seat and clear time in your schedule to read this book because you may have to do it all in one sitting! Prepare to be amazed with the twists and turns that will leave you spinning in disbelief, saying, "What? How did he think all this up?" This book celebrates the lawyers who stand to serve this country and the Lord almighty through their careers. Directed Verdict will take you into a story that is out of this world, yet, such a reality for those who serve God through missions in foreign lands!

Randy Singer delivers a work of art with this book, invoking every emotion all in one book. Each word draws you in and envelopes you in the characters' lives. The last page will leave you wanting more. Lastly, I say, "Watch out John Grisham, Randy Singer is here to stay!!!"

I want the next book from Randy singer ASAP!!!

I began this book with a bit of skepticism because I just didn't see how a Christian legal novel could compare with the likes of John Grisham. Not only am I surprised at the quality of this novel, but I am surprised I have never heard of Randy Singer before now. Directed Verdict is right up there with anything Grisham has ever written, maybe even better.

Great writers write what they know, and Randy Singer knows the law. This story takes you into the depths of international law, and Singer is thorough without ever being dry or boring. Your heart will go out to missionary Sarah Reed as her and her family face severe persecution for their unwavering faith. Lawyer Brad Carson takes Sarah's case and files an unprecedented civil rights suit against the nation of Saudi Arabia and her persecutors.

Singer's novel is full of unexpected twists and turns and riveting courtroom scenes. There are themes of forgiveness and faith all throughout and even a love story. I was hooked from page one and I couldn't put it down. If you love legal thrillers you'll love Randy Singer.