Customer Reviews

Equivocal Death

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

 

 

Equivocal Death is a sophisticated and highly engaging thriller from a talented new author. It delivers suspense, atmosphere, and even a rare glimpse inside the Harvard Club of New York City. But the novel has a lot to offer besides great entertainment: It is also an honest and thoughtful examination of the limited lives of lawyers working in huge firms, by someone who's been immersed in that world.

"Equivocal death" is a police term for an ambiguous death scene which could be either a murder or a suicide. The phrase has this meaning in Gutman's novel, but it is also a metaphor for the main character's ongoing spiritual death as she encloses herself in a seemingly stable and safe but actually quietly deadly world of nonstop work. Is it murder or slow suicide? These important questions dovetail nicely with the fast-paced crime plot of Equivocal Death.

I just finished reading Equivocal Death, and I have to say--it's a great book. It's a gripping, well-constructed thriller with a very appealing protagonist. And it definitely meets the can't-go-to-sleep-till-you-know-how-it-ends test. But it's also got something larger to say. Not just about law and big-time law firms (though the author gets that part exactly right). But about people who use careers and institutions to cut themselves off from the world. Definitely a gripping, rewarding read.

This novel is as much about the insanity of life in the city as it is about the insanity of a killer. Kate Paine, the protagonist, driven like all the rest of those seeking fame and fortune in the big apple, is so caught up in the whirlpool of work, that she cannot see what is really happening to her and her co-workers. Murder, the ultimate crime, comes off almost as an inconvenience to those she admires and strives to become at the prestigious law firm where she works. She is so caught up in society's expectations, she finds she is slowly losing her mind - and ultimately - her life. This novel is a great parable of our time. Whatever it takes to get ahead, there is no time to stop and mourn over those we have destroyed in our path. A page turner with the time to stop and consider the irony of working yourself to death.

Equivocal Death is a great expose of life at a large New York law firm. Like Solzhenytsin's books about the gulag, Amy Gutman's novel is filled with little details that, together, powerfully depict the absurd misery of law firm life - the pompous senior associate who is more concerned about a research memo than the murder of one of the partners the previous night, the backstabbing among partners over "lockstep" compensation, tales of partners throwing staplers at paralegals and associates who collapsed during all night conference calls, and the hypocrisy of representing repugnant and demanding clients. It is alternately amusing and horrifying and, always, realistic. But the book is, above all, a gripping murder mystery full of unexpected plot twists that kept me riveted until the very end. The first time author, who quit law to write full time, definitely made a good career choice. We can only hope that she will stick with novels and write a sequel that is on a par with Equivocal Death.

Everything one could want in a legal thriller . . . and more. The story works on many levels: it's a page-turner that kept me up most of the night; a subtle, cool, and cutting portrait of high-powered law firm life (and death); a well-wrought character study with Kate Paine as the complex, likeable protagonist; and a savvy exploration of bigger issues such as sexual harassment at work. "Equivocal Death" is fabulously written and tightly edited. I loved the book, recommend it highly, and look forward to Amy Gutman's next.

If you are looking for a good read to divert you at the end of a busy day -- or a busy week -- this fills the bill. Equivocal Death has all the ingredients of escape: violence, romance, sordid sex, comtemporary social issues, and a glimse into a rarified world few inhabit.

This passed my first test: I couldn't stop reading until I finished it. And then I was sorry I'd read it so fast, because I had enjoyed it so much.

A week later, I knew it had passed my second test: I was still thinking about it.

But how is this different? Any good murder-mystery has to pass those two tests.

What's different is that in most mysteries, the central character is a paragon. she is clever and savy, he's takes care of others; we're secure in the knowledge that our hero or heroine is worthy of the role, and will live to triumph. Not so with Kate Paine. She's naive, compliant, and so self-centered she can't see anyone else's problems. In spite of that -- or because of it? -- I cheered at her triumphs, cringed at her terrifying attacks, and didn't know till the very end just how it would turn out.

I can't wait for the movie! Or for Gutman's next book.

Having read a number of legal thrillers, Equivocal Death is simply a favorite. It is well written, the plot made me want to say up all night reading, and the authors' subtext of contemporary feminist issues made it more interesting and engaging. In short, I highly recommend it.

At last, a legal thriller with a psychologically and emotional complex female lead. In many ways this novel breaks the rules when it comes to what we expect of our lead character. I can't divulge more on this point without giving away too much of the plot.

I must say that the most satisfying thing about the book is the way in which Amy Gutman plays on the somewhat "normal" psychological profile of a young woman with a bit of an imposter complex, who, due to her own personal history and the over-assuming law firm culture, completely subordinates her own needs and physical well-being for her corporate sponsors. In an utterly chilling moment, her intense sense of loyalty to her employer crosses over from dutiful to dangerous.

After completing Equivocal Death, I had that sweet ambivalence that only comes at the end of a wonderful event. I felt the investment had been well worth the wait. All of the pieces came together. Yet, at the sime time, I felt a sense of emptiness and loss rush in. It's over and I just got to know the protagonist, Kate and the other characters.

I found this novel to be extraordinary--riveting suspense and beautifully crafted writing. The author displays a gifted eye for nuance, which one expects from the best of contemporary novelists, with an uncanny ability to entertain in a manner which keeps you up late into the night reading. Ms. Gutman informs and entertains at the highest level. What a treat to find this book. Where is her next one? I can't wait.

Equivocal Death is a fine legal thriller by first-time author Amy Gutman. I enjoyed the pace and interesting turn of events. Though I had little trouble figuring out the culprit well in advance of the ending, that may be more of a reflection of being a criminologist and legal novelist myself.

Overall, I think that Gutman's novel was a pleasant addition to the legal thriller genre and look forward to her next one.

From R. Barri Flowers, author of DAMNING EVIDENCE, POSITIVE I.D., and JUSTICE SERVED.