Customer Reviews

The Final Judgment

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

When I give a book a five star rating, it means on a scale of 1-10, I have rated it an 8, 9 or 10. Believe me, very few books reach the "10" level but this one did. It's a case where Richard North Patterson's writing prowess is clearly evident.

If you've followed any of his earlier books, you'll know that he likes to bring back characters that he's already introduced you to in previous novels. The Final Judgment centers around one of my personal favorites, Caroline Masters, a character who put herself through law school and spent 15 years as a public defender before being appointed to a minor judgeship in the San Francisco Municipal Court. This appointment leads to a judge's dream. A high profile televised case is thrown in her lap where a well-known journalist is accused of killing an equally famous novelist. By the end of this trial, which occurs in Patterson's Degree of Guilt, Masters is a celebrity. Many offers pour in and Caroline chooses the one that would serve her ambitions and accepts a partnership in San Francisco's largest law firm. With the strength of this law firm behind her, in Eyes of the Child she ends up defending another high profile defense attorney who is accused of murder, once again putting her in the public eye.

As Final Judgment opens, we meet Caroline once again as she is waiting for the phone call that could change her life -- an appointment to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals which would put her one step away from her true goal in life -- a Supreme Court nomination. Just when it seems that Caroline's life is finally on track, she is summoned back home to New Hampshire to defend her niece who is accused of murdering her boyfriend. She hasn't been back there in over twenty years. Prior to this book, Caroline's private life has been an enigma. The only thing that the reader knows about her is that she is very fair, self-confident, intelligent and beautiful. We know virtually nothing about her personal life until it is finally revealed in this book. Richard North Patterson takes us back twenty-three years to Martha's Vineyard where Caroline's trust in her family was once shattered. In coming back to New Hampshire to defend her niece, it will be the first time she has seen her half sister and her father since then. What follows is a trial that proves Caroline's ability beyond a shadow of a doubt but also shows us the compassionate side of this possible future appellate court judge. This is an emotional story that starts out with Caroline finally realizing her dream of a high court judgeship yet could easily end with her finding herself empty handed as this trial becomes very public and her secrets could be revealed possibly ruining her chance to achieve her ultimate goal.

Of course, you have to read this book to find out if she ever makes it to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. I might even suggest reading all three of these books in order so you can appreciate, as much as I have, the development of this fascinating character. If you decide to do this, you have some excellent reading ahead of you.

While not the "standard fare" for Richard North Patterson, this was among his best novels. The characterization he brought to Caroline Masters and Sandy Stern was eloquent. In prior novels, Caroline was a supremely distant character whose history is now revealed and helps explain her behavior and mien in earlier novels. Sandy Stern continues to be something of an enigma, but he comes out being more "human" by the end of the tale.

As for the plot, I daresay there are a few flaws, most of which seem to come out during the lake scene. Beyond that, this novel is an extremely good read for those who enjoy not only plot, but character development as well. If character development is NOT something the reader enjoys, this is probably not the book for them.

Just wanted to say how much I loved Patterson's The Final Judgement. This has to be the best book I've ever read - one I couldn't put down. The character development here was tops! Yes, this was a courtroom drama, but more it showed how lives and destinies can be influenced by outside sources, like one's parents. Carolyn Masters was wonderful, dear compassionate, intelligent. I also fell in love with Brett. In fact, I want to read more about those two. I almost sense Patterson has left me hanging. Right now I'm going through withdrawls, and find I'm still thinking about this book weeks after I finished it. I will search out his other books for sure.

This is the third book of Patterson's I've read, and by coincidence, the character Caroline Masters was in all of them ... this time as the main character (the others were Degree of Guilt and Eyes of a Child). Although I had a hard time getting into the first half of the book, once I did I was hooked. Lots of flashbacks provided great background that made the characters come to life. The author kept me hanging on as he slowly doled out the pieces of information that brought the story all together to a very good ending.

This book is tightly written with most subplots fleshed out and resolved (which means Patterson has a good editor!). My only negative comment is the number of "twists" in this book. To me incredulity is strained to the point that the characters no longer matter and the reader is reduced to appreciating the writing style. That is what happened to me in this book. I love the writing, but so much "other stuff" was going on, that I lost touch with the main story line.

Bottom line - Mr. Patterson sold a book... I got to meet one of his recurring characters (Caroline Masters) and learned a little about how life runs in different social circles (I think he describes Martha's Vineyard incredibly well). It's not going on the shelf as a keeper, but I will pass this book on with a recommendation to read it. Good luck to all!

I read "Degree of Guilt" a couple of years ago, and enjoyed it. I picked up this book a few days ago, and have to say I'm very disappointed. The story, while at first intriguing, soon gets lost with flashbacks that really add little to the central theme. The worst part is Mr. Patterson's writing style. He belongs to the adverb/adjective-every-other-word-school, so much that every conversation is loaded with glances and movements pregnant with hidden and not so hidden meanings, many of which are redundent or a given. Worse, he contradicts the character's thoughts within one or two paragraphs. The only clean, strong writing is during the courtroom scenes. I suggest Mr. Patterson read "The Elements of Style" and learn to edit; his books will only improve.
To sum up, I'll say this: if you like books produced by writers such as Elizabeth George, then you'll like Patterson. If you prefer the clean, startling style of Grafton, Melissa Banks, Hemingway, Sherman Alexie or Eudora Welty, then stay away from this author's books.

Richard North Patterson is one of the most gifted authors that I have read and this ranks as one of his finest works. He is apept at taking a complex story and keeping it interesting with double and triple twists. The ability to effectively utilize flashbacks adds to this novel. Althogh he is most at home in the Cortroom setting, this book is far more than that. It is about deeply woven characters that the reader is able to feel an affinity for. It is also about family and the close as well as distant inter-relationships that frequently exist. Although this is not a page turner that will keep one up through the evening hours, it has a very smooth and satisfying flow to it that makes the reader want to learn about the motivations of the characters that the writer has so skillfully created in this work.

Awesome...that's all I can say about Patterson's books. As I read more of him, I continue to become fascinated with his style and his understanding of human foibles and complexities.
Caroline Masters, featured in supporting roles in two previous books, gets the whole shebang this time. There are many surprises in this book, and as the tragic picture of a New England family, dominated by the patriarch, Channing Masters, unfolds, one is caught up in the seemingly unending heartbreaks that have touched the family. There are some truly heart-tugging scenes and some real thrills in the murder and Caroline's resolution of it. Another classic from the best of the legal thriller writers!
HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Second book I have read of patterson's, will read more. Interesting story line, better character development in the second half and good flash back foundation. Found this book to be above average in all counts and will read more soon.

Not usually a fan of law concentrated novels, I was completely glued to my chair for the entire reading of this book. Caroline Masters is a fascinating character. Her life and her family are so intriguing that it makes you want more. I wish there was an entire series built around this character - although it is hard to imagine uncovering anything more about her past than already was in this book.