Customer Reviews

High Crimes

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The protagonist of this thriller is a woman attorney who is described as "winning the tough cases." One of those "tough cases" she won involves getting a rapist's conviction overturned on a technicality. So, Finder has written Claire Heller as a brilliant and gifted attorney, but I wanted to know more about the woman who finds legal loopholes to free rapists rather than just the smart attorney side of her. What I liked about High Crimes was that Finder didn't lose sight of the person behind the attorney and how what she does for a living affects her in all parts of her life.

When Claire Heller finds out that the man who helped her through a rocky time in her life, and who she then eventually came to love and marry, is not the person she thought he was, she's stunned and torn between who and what to believe. Then the professional attorney part of her kicks in, and she decides to defend the man she married, no matter who he is, against charges that he massacred 87 innocent people in El Salvador when he was part of a Special Services Unit in the armed forces. For those who enjoy courtroom drama and tactics, this book certainly delivers on all counts. As others before me have said, it was hard to put this one down because the story keeps developing with new levels of information that dig deeper into who Claire's husband really is and whether he could have done the horrible crimes for which he is accused. While Claire dilligently works to collect whatever evidence she can use to clear her husband of his charges, she never loses sight of the fact that if he isn't who she believed him to be, then what kind of man did she marry?
Ultimately she gets her answers in a very well written ending.

I haven't read any of Finder's other books, but on the basis of this one, I'm interested in reading more of his work. It has been a while since I've read a book that was difficult to put down while at the same time made me aware of just what it is lawyers do to win cases for people who are accused, and are possibly guilty of, heinous crimes. Finder's descriptions are so clear and vivid, I was right there in the courtroom with Claire experiencing the action through a spectator's eyes. One cross-examination in particular was just riveting and shows off Finder's writing talent perfectly.

I gave this book 5 stars because 6 stars wasn't an option. Yep, it's THAT good! From everything I've heard and read, we should all skip the movie and either read or reread the book. That way we certainly won't be disappointed!

As someone who despises the corruption far too often found in American government and fascinated with the workings of our legal system - both civilian and otherwise - this title really was a grand slam with me. It was entertaining while still being down to earth and representative of the issues any trial lawyer with scruples must wrestle with.

The pace at which this title keeps the reader turning pages is ferocious and accuracy of the legal events in the title is astounding. At the same time, a sense of realism and a sense of normalcy is maintained throughout. At several times the reader is startled by unexpected events to keep him going.

But perhaps the most startling event of all is the ending. In nearly all cases... the knowledgeable reader already has a good idea what the ending will be before reading 75% of the title and is rarely shocked by the ending. There are plenty of hairpin turns and sharp corners in this book, none are more abrupt than the ending which leave the reader both satisfied and puzzled.

This was the first book by Joseph Finder I have ever read. Seldom do I encounter a book which I truly hate to see end. Finder is as exciting, albeit more readable, than Robert Ludlum. His villains are menacing, his characters are people you care about, and the endings have unique twists.The ending of High Crimes was a total, yet logical, surprise. I was so impressed I immediately read Zero Hour, and currently have his other two books in my home. This is a writer who I will be reading from now on, every time a new book appears. Great, great stuff!

If you are a fan of the late, great author, Alaister McLean, then this book is for you. Surprises at every turn, superb courtroom dialogue, compelling arguments from both the prosecution and defense all make this book a fun read, and it will not insult your intelligence. The spoiled and somewhat selfish little girl was an uncomfortable distraction for me, but I could see why she was written into the story. (She is a wonderful argument for some "loving" corporal punishment). Please don't stop reading just because you think the ending has arrived, because the final page packs quite a revelation.

High Crimes begins with great promise: idyllic lives are shattered with the sudden appearance of federal agents with the intent of arresting the husband of successful attorney and law professor, Claire Heller Chapman. The arrest warrant is for Ron Kubick, not Tom Chapman, the name by which Claire had always known her husband. To add to Claire's astonishment, Ron/Tom escapes from the agents through a series of highly athletic and violent escape moves that an investment consultant could scarcely possess.

As it turns out, Ron has evaded answering for war crimes that he allegedly committed some thirteen years prior as a member of an ultra-secret special operations unit. Part of the evasion was the creation of an entirely new person. Claire, convinced of her husband's innocence, decides to defend him despite her ignorance of the workings of military justice. About half of the book is concerned with the actions of Claire and her two attorney partners, one a black man rescued off of a scrap heap and the other a young JAG officer, in dealing with military trial procedures and is somewhat interesting.

The plot, though perhaps a bit on both the unbelievable and predictable sides, moves fairly steadily. It is in the area of character development and interactions that the book exhibits some shortcomings. Some of the characters' actions just do not feel right. A petite attorney kneeing her husband in the groin after a reunion under trying circumstances seems bizarre. The interactions with the six year old daughter are especially grating. Numerous other exchanges seem spliced together. One reviewer comments on the improved dialog. There is still a ways to go.

High Crimes has a good overall story line, but the discontinuities, as noted, do not help it. Not having read other Finder books, it will be interesting to see if a smoother presentation can be found in other and future books.

As in The Moscow Club and Extraordinary Powers, Joseph Finder has written a very entertaining,fast-paced book that once you start , you won't want to put down.

The story has lots of surprises, the dialogue is crisp and, for the most part, realistic. The main characters are mostly likable but could have been more fully developed. Nonetheless, High Crimes is well worth reading! Further, if this is your first book by Finder, you might also want to read The Moscow Club and Extraordinary Powers. His third book, The Zero Hour, was not as good.

My practically perfect spouse brought this book home from the library. I settled in to read a few pages before bed.

That was four hours and 300+ pages ago. I finished it in one sitting and was riveted from start to finish.

Yes, there are some obvious errors....Claire and her team should have believed Embry and looked for another source of their leak....and, why was there no formal investigation of the sabatoge on Claire's car....and, why didn't someone follow up on those early morning phone calls?

Even with those glitches, I found this book to be one of the most interesting, complex and suspense-filled stories to come down the pike in a while. I'm a long-time suspense/thriller/mystery reader -- I remember when Ludlum was GOOD, so I was delighted to find a new voice in my favorite genre.

Keep it up, Mr. Finder!

As usual the book is better than the movie. Having seen the movie first, I hesitated reading this legal thriller about a woman who is a Harvard law professor and a highly regarded defense attorney who defends her husband in a military trial. He is accused of killing 87 unarmed civilians in San Salvador thirteen years previous. He had been living with wife Claire Heller Chapman as Tom Chapman, a new identity for this Special Forces soldier named Ronald Kubik.

Claire is shocked and overwhelmed when he is arrested and charged. After realizing he will be convicted quickly in a military court, she decides to apply her skill as a gifted defense attorney and defend him. She must learn the nuances of military jurisprudence, so she hires ex-JAG attorney, Charles O. Grimes III ( Morgan Freeman in the movie).

Claire wants desperately to believe her husband is not a killer, despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. As the evidence is presented, she raises creative challenges that would normally cause reasonable doubt in a civilian jury. However, the judge doesn't give her any favorable rulings and Claire realizes she is working against a stacked deck. This realization helps extinguish any lingering doubt that something is wrong and convinces her of Tom's professed innocence.

This multi-layered plot helped erase my own doubt about the time I spent reading a story of which I already knew the outcome. There is enough difference in the storyline as well as in the complexity of the plot that I was actually unsure if the book would end in the same way as the movie. There is enough difference to recommend the book for both those who have seen the movie and those who haven't to find out how it ends. I think you will be pleasantly satisfied.

High Crimes was almost impossible to put down. Thankfully I read this book over the Thanksgiving holiday, when some serious time could be allocated to relaxing and reading. High Crimes is a fast-paced, enjoyable read from the very beginning. There is action, excitement, intrigue, and frequent plot twists. In the story itself, law professor Claire Chapman comes to defend her husband, Tom Chapman, against charges that he committed a military atrocity under a different identity while serving in the US Army. Although some of the action is predictable, confusion, uncertainty, and surprise is the general rule, thus driving the reader to want to read "just one more chapter." I strongly recommend High Crimes. It should prove to be an entertaining read. The only downside is that it will be over all to quickly.

I read a lot of thrillers, and I think Joseph Finder is one of the best writers in the genre. He first came to fame in 2004, when he wrote an excellent novel called PARANOIA. But before he wrote that novel, he wrote a number of other books that were not as successful. HIGH CRIMES is one of them, and it's actually a pretty terrific effort.

HIGH CRIMES is a legal thriller involving a civilian attorney who must defend her husband in military court. I won't say much more about the plot, because the storyline has a ton of twists and turns, and it's fun to experience them yourself.

The legal plotline of HIGH CRIMES isn't particularly realistic, but Finder has done enough research into military courtroom procedure to make it seem believable. The story moves forward at warp speed, and it's pretty much a blast to read. The ending is controversial, but Finder deserves credit for avoiding a predictable finish.

HIGH CRIMES doesn't have a tremendous amount of depth, but it's fun and exciting and I don't think you'll be disappointed with it. If you like this novel, try Finder's PARANOIA and COMPANY MAN, which are also both terrific books.