The House of Pain [Hardcover]

Franklin Allen Leib (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1998

When a spoiled teen is kidnapped outside her prestigious prep school, her parents are faced with the horror only those who've lost a child know. In their desperation and afraid to contact the police, they enlist the help of millionare "Crazy Johnny", a former Vietnam tunnel rat. A sufferer of post-traumatic stress disorder due to the brutality he watched children endure in the war, he agrees to help the girl's father, but is afraid that if they pay up the girl will be killed anyway. Crazy Johnny tracks down the kidnappers, determined that the only way to save Sally is to free her by force. Blood is spilt and only in its aftermath does the true nature of the crime emerge. It is then up to the US legal system to judge Johnny's vigilantism, and up to an old-time attorney and a young African American woman lawyer to see that justice emerges from the courtroom.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A deep compassion for fellow Vietnam veterans runs through Leib's (Fire Arrow) gripping courtroom drama about a Connecticut kidnapping rescue that goes horribly wrong. Sally Collins is 15 when she is abducted in a van outside the Westport Country Day School. Despite the family's apparent wealth, her father is broke and unable to meet the kidnappers' half-million-dollar demand. He turns to John Dietrich (aka Crazy Johnny), the girl's godfather, who cut his teeth on rescue missions in war-torn Hue. Johnny saves Sally, but not before killing her captors during a hallucinatory flashback triggered by his post-traumatic stress disorder. The courtroom battle that ensues when Johnny comes to trial reveals the case to be more complicated than at first it seemed?and little Sally less the ingenue. And Johnny turns out to be the real victim as he is forced again to confront the haunting guilt of his discovery, in Hue in 1968, of a basement full of dead children. Leib keeps the pace brisk and alternates effectively between his beleaguered protagonist and the suffering Collins family. In prose that's short and sharp, if somewhat canned, this solid legal thriller never loses contact with the moral questions that lie at its center.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

YA-This novel combines a murder trial with the realities of post-traumatic stress disorder. Set in Westport, CT, the story revolves around the rescue of 15-year-old Sally Collins, who was kidnapped as she left her school, in full view of her mother. When her father cannot come up with the ransom demanded, he goes to Sally's godfather, "Crazy Johnny" Dietrich, a Viet Nam vet. Traumatized by the butchery of children that he discovered during the war, Johnny has become a best-selling author by recording his experiences in a book entitled House of Pain. He knows that since Sally has seen her kidnappers, they have no intention of returning her alive, whether or not the ransom is paid. Rather than handing over the money, he offers to rescue the girl. As a "tunnel rat" in Viet Nam, he was well trained in infiltration tactics. Through his Marine contacts, he has rapid access to weapons. Sally is rescued, the kidnappers are killed, and the full story comes out. Then, Johnny finds himself on trial for the vigilante murder of three teenagers. The remainder of the book is a fascinating voyage through legal tactics, courtroom testimonies, and behind-the-scenes machinations. An interesting story, this legal thriller will make a fast read for teens.
Carol DeAngelo, Kings Park Library, Burke, VA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Forge; 1st edition (December 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031286616X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312866167
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,992,919 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Very Best, December 14, 2000

By 

David A. Spearman (Harbor Beach, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The House of Pain (Mass Market Paperback)

Mr. Lieb has written a masterpiece, between the law and Vietnam I cannot think of any better I have read,His feel and discription of the camaraderie of all veteran's is right on target. No friends will ever be closer than those from the service. I will read all his books and praise his work highly. Semper Fi.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars SEMPTER FI, October 10, 2000

By 

sweetmolly (RICHMOND, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The House of Pain (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a book with an a-g-e-n-d-a. The author is passionately loyal to the Marines and Vietnam veterans. This a flaw and a virtue. A flaw because he sanctifies, hence simplifies, the Marines as an organization and Vietnam vets as individuals. A virtue because it binds his story and strengthens his portrayal of the repressed and anguished John Dietrich. I had a hard time suspending disbelief.

I awarded the 3rd star because the first quarter of the book moved very well, set the scene quickly and entertainly, and had good momentum. The other 3/4 slowed down, and I found myself skipping areas that consisted solely of impassioned speeches. I just couldn't credit a recovery group that contained all loyal, subservient and committed members. Surely, there must have been a bad apple or two. I have known many former and present Marines. I have never met one who was not proud of his service, but I also have never met one who was completely obsessed with his "Marineness." Oddly enough, the tormented John Dietrich did come off as a "real" person. I felt pity and admiration in equal parts for this man.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A page turning courtroom drama; you can't put it down., March 11, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Connecticut) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The House of Pain (Hardcover)

The trauma of years in Vietnam follows an ex-marine into civilian life and ultimately results in his trial on a homicide charge. Move over Grisham. The courtroom drama that follows is enlighting as to the process and doesn't permit one to put the book down.