Customer Reviews

The Great Divide

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Attorney, Marcus Glenwood is struggling to put his life back together after suffering a tragic accident, and a messy divorce.

Marcus leaves the corporate law firm he was working at to start over in a small town in North Carolina, rebuilding the house his grandparent's lived in. The simple life he is adjusting to will be disturbed when he is approached by Alma and Austin Hall. The Hall's daughter, Gloria, has disappeared. Gloria was in China researching slave labor practices that were in connection to a major sporting goods company.

Marcus knows the case is difficult, if there is a case at all but the Hall's desperation to find their daughter encourages him to look into the accusations the Hall's are making.

With the help of Kirsten Stanstead, Gloria's roomate, Marcus uncovers a web of deceit involving New Horizons (the sporting goods company).

Marcus must not only find Gloria, he must battle rival lawyers set out to destroy him, as well as people in high positions who will stop at nothing to cover up wrong doing.

"The Great Divide" is a fast-paced, gripping thriller that grabs hold on page one, and pulls you through to the climax. It has all the high drama, and interesting plot twists to make this a must read legal thriller.

T. Davis Bunn has written other books (none of which I have ever read), this new book will be his breakout bestseller. Bunn's style of writing compares to that of John Grisham, so all you legal thriller fans take note, Bunn is an author to watch.

A MUST read!

Nick Gonnella

Marcus Glenwood is rebuilding his life and legal practice after the tragic death of his young children and the divorce from his wife. He is asked to represent the parents of Gloria Hall, who believe she has been kidnapped in a prison-like shoe factory operated by New Horizons in China.

With little physical evidence and not much on which to build a case, Marcus goes to court against the massive New Horizons, which seems to have tentacles and connections everywhere. New Horizons will stop at nothing to keep their secrets intact, and Marcus is threatened, beaten and attacked in his quest to expose the reprehensible practices of this monolithic company.

The descriptions of labor practices in China paint a horrendous picture of inhumane treatment and are very timely in the current political climate. The legal intrigue surrounding Marcus' quest to reveal New Horizons' is fascinating in its details. But the real story here is the integrity of Marcus, Gloria's parents, the judge, and many other secondary characters who are deeply committed to doing the right thing.

Bunn is also a master at skillfully building believable and empathetic secondary characters. Long before the book is over, you feel like you know these people and would like to spend more time with them.

A fascinating story, well written, very entertaining, very informative. T. Davis Bunn has given Turow and Grisham some real competition in the legal thriller genre.

WOW!

What a super book! This was the first T. Davis Bunn novel I had the pleasure of reading. It was a gift or I might never have discovered a wonderful book and author.

I fell in love right away with the author's pace and way of storytelling. I could hear the drawls of the friends Marcus made in the rural part of North Carolina. I could see his home, the trees behind it, and each of Bunn's characters clearly in my mind (this is rare for me to be able to picture and imagine a book so vividly!).

It scared me that this book, and the subject matter, could actually be true. New Horizons could be any number of companies located in the US. That makes it so real, and so scary.

If you aren't sure if you like legal thrillers, this is more than that. You CARE about the people in the book, worry about them, and get scared with them. The heartwarming hospitality shown by various southerners is just as I imagined it, the same as is the good ole boys network working against them.

Read this. You won't be disappointed.

This is the type of legal thriller that Grisham used to write. You actually cared about the characters and wanted to find out what would happen next.This is written so that there are a number of sub-plots, twists and turns that you become an observer of the story not a reader (in my case a listener, the reader from Brilliance is a gem). I don't like to give out 5 stars unless I feel the book was in the "classic" arena. My only issue is the treatment of "Black Culture". Although its not as trite as Patterson's stuff has become, it's still a bit shallow. Many people of color really do have deepth. And Asians are not all mysterious. I may be a bit more sensative than another reading this novel; however, I have seen persons with disabilities turned into shallow Tiny Tim like characters that I tend to look hard at the way a writer treats certain cultural groups.I would recommend this book strongly. I have read some of the past reviews of Bunn's work -so- I hope you'll ignore those and give this exciting and "current' legal thriller a go.

The Great Divide is an excellent read! It is along the lines of a Grisham novel but even better. It has an engaging plot and I wasn't able to put it down. It was my first introduction to T. Davis Bunn who has quickly become my favorite Christian author. I've recommended this book to several other Christian fiction fans and they have all raved about it. Give this as a Christmas gift--they won't be disappointed!

Believe me it won't be long until Davis Bunn, the author, of THE GREAT DIVIDE is a household word. Today he may be the best kept secret on the bestseller list, but tomorrow, he'll be a star with his incredible talent. It is obvious that Mr. Bunn is a master at research. Being a former Southerner, I felt as though I was back sitting on my front porch in the South listening to the night chorus as I read his authenic descriptions! You will agree that he has a brillant, yet charming command of the English language.

I took this book along on a coast-to-coast flight, and my reactions to the events and the characters were so intense . . . I think my fellow passengers were beginning to wonder about me!

This book is a great page-turner. Davis Bunn has an incredible talent for creating characters who stay with you for a long time . . .they're like old friends. I stayed up all night reading this book when I arrived at my destination and canceled my first appointment of the day so I could finish the book. When I read the last page,I felt like crying because it ended and I wanted more!

This is a Grisham-like legal thriller but with much more depth. Marcus Glenwood, the central character, is down-and-out, and his future's looking pretty dim. You almost ache for Gloria Hall's parents sinking their money and all their hopes into this has-been lawyer. You have great sympathy for this guy and a he's a likable chap, but you don't want him for your lawyer! Looks like the Hall's have placed their money and their hopes on the wrong horse this time. But as the case evolves and the book moves forward,the reader becomes acquainted with the abundance of goodness in this complex guy in spite of all his flaws and ghosts. You'll find yourself pulling for him against all kinds of odds.You'll want to invite Marcus over for a cup of tea and encourage him!

Davis Bunn is a master with twists and turns. Just as you are beginning to figure everything out, it goes off in another direction.

You're going to love this book and these characters. It's been a long time since I've been capitivated by a book like I was this book. Marcus Glenwood teaches us all an age old spiritual lesson about redemption even after one has lost it all. Thank you, Davis Bunn, for a captivating story and deep, complex characters. Hurry up and give us another book! How about a movie on this one? Maybe a great role Harrison Ford! Jude Law would be great as the dispicable defense attorney. This man made my blood boil.

A winner! Must read!

The two novels of T. Davis Bunn I'd read previous to this effort both revolved around Christmas sentimentalism, and were somewhat trite and disappointing. Not so with "The Great Divide". As a reader who has thoroughly enjoyed practically all of John Grisham's books for their legal drama, thriller suspense, and clean content, I was delighted to find that this effort by Bunn practically matched Grisham on all counts! Not only that, Bunn is extremely talented in his use of the English language, with delightfully descriptive language, metaphors and similes, and vivid characterization. In almost all regards it is quite different from his earlier works. Bunn's other efforts were more distinctly Christian in character and theme, and although this novel is not specifically Christian (aside from the involvement of a church community as part of the story line) it is far more suspenseful and successful.

The story-line features Marcus Glenwood, an attorney who is recovering after a terrible car accident which claimed the lives of his two young children and destroyed his marriage. When asked to uncover the mystery behind the disappearance of Gloria Hall, Marcus is initially reluctant. But as he discovers the truth behind the claims of Gloria's parents that she was abducted in a Chinese factory run by the American sports clothing manufacturer New Horizons, he agrees to undertake legal action against the manufacturing giant on their behalf. With one of Gloria's friends, Kirsten, as his ally, and with several of his former colleagues as his nemesis, the suspenseful court-room drama slowly builds up momentum, with several attacks on Marcus' life outside the courtroom adding a chilling spice to an already chilling tale. Slowly, Marcus uncovers the horrible web behind New Horizons, and the truth behind the disappearance of Gloria Hall. The only thing that remains a mystery to me in the end is the significance of the title!

The bittersweet ending is somewhat satisfying, but is dampened by the startling thought that this could be a true story, a story where the endings are not happy. One cannot help get the feeling that Bunn is using this novel to unmask human rights abuses in Chinese sweatshops, and expose the support of these abuses by giant manufacturers of sporting clothing who bow to the almighty dollar. It does not take much imagination to substitute the name "New Horizons" for the name of a contemporary manufacturing giant of sporting clothing, and raise questions about their practices and ethics. One of Bunn's final acknowledgements is very telling, where he acknowledges the help of his wife, an international attorney, whose "first thesis was on the issue of human rights violations within the Chinese lao gai prison network." While thoroughly enjoying this book as a work of fiction, I could not help but get the cold feeling that behind the fiction was a great deal of fact. This novel will do more than just awaken your suspense, it may also awaken your conscience.

Great book. I had never heard of T. Davis Bunn. After reading this, I will search for more of his work. This book is every bit as gripping as a Grisham novel and it has spiritual implications!

Mr. Bunn has written the best novel that I have ever read. It is full of mystery, intrigue, and passion for both life and virtue. T. Davis Bunn masterfully takes us into the life of a lawyer that has lost just about everything important in his life... only to find out that there are still things worth fighting for. I literally could not wait to get home at night and read this book. His connection to China Trade Issues and Human Rights violations is abosultely fascinating. This book gave me so much! I can't stop thinking about the characters and the redemptive power of Jesus Christ. This is a mystery right to the end. Kudos... Mr. Bunn! This book will stay with me for a long time.

T. Davis Bunn's basic premise is compelling: an American activist is captured while seeking to expose slave labor conditions in Chinese factories that double as prisons for political undesirables. A brave Southern lawyer bucks enormous odds to try to win her freedom and expose the collusion between an American textile giant and the Chinese slavemasters. I listened to this book on tape and several times I found myself sitting in my car after I'd arrived at my destination wanting to hear what would happen next. My main criticism is Bunn's writing. His descriptions of people, places, and emotions caused me to wince on many occasions. He uses words imprecisely and seems to think that combining several ill-chosen words will more effectively convey his point. Also, the good people in his story are all good and the bad people are all bad, with no gray areas. Last, most of the main characters are seriously depressed, and I saw no gradual transformation through the story that would lead me to believe that their struggles led them to a better life.