Customer Reviews

Motion To Dismiss

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I read this book at the suggestion of a friend (I'm not a big fan of legal thrillers) and really enjoyed it. There's plenty of courtroom action, but it's presented in such a way that what you see are the people more than the legal two-step. In fact, it's the characters that make this book good and that delineate it from many others in the genre. Kali O'Brien is a complex and likable narrator I'm looking forward to seeing again.

This is a new author for me, but am I ever glad I made the discovery. Motion to Dismiss is a well written page-turner with depth and realistic characters. Kali O'Brien is an attorney who reluctantly represents the husband of a friend when he is accused of date rape. Rape grows to murder and she again agrees to represent him for the sake of her friend. There are several subplots - an ex-lover law partner who seems impicated in the crime, a second death - and they all tie together at the end. Pick up the book and settle in for an afternoon (or evening) of good reading. Just don't plan on getting anything else accomplished.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the characters and I never did guess the killer, alhough I can see now that there were clues along the way. Readers who enjoy books by Perri O'Shaughnessy and Lisa Scottoline will probably enjoy this as well.

I am a sucker for court room dramas and although this book kind of by passes that (hint: the title) there is enough legalesse in it that I was held a captive audience of one. I was really grateful I found a book I could read that held my attention. I didn't find the payoff that rewarding, but it was plausible. The characters were fine, not real three dimensional, but enough to be individualized. I will read her other earlier works for sure.

Kali O'Brien used to have a law practice in the San Francisco Bay area before she decided to rent out her home and relocate in Silver Creek. However, she needs to return home, so, ironically, becomes a tenant in her own home. Kali's best friend attorney Nina Barrett asked Kali to take over her Berkley-based practice because the pregnant woman has cancer and cannot start chemo until after the baby can safely be birthed.

While Kali will do anything for Nina, she never liked her friend's spouse Grady. Thus, when a woman accuses Grady of date rape, Kali reluctantly agrees to represent the man. However, the situation worsens when someone murders the accuser. The police arrest Grady because most of the evidence points to his being the perpetrator. Kali begins to dig for the truth even though her quest places her in peril.

Before this novel, Jonnie Jacobs deserved fame and fortune for her brilliant novels. MOTION TO DISMISS should be that break out book that provides her a best seller. The legal procedural delves into the pre-trial aspects of the justice system. The characters seem human, making readers either love or hate the individual. The flawed lead character demonstrates the inner strength of a woman with the fortitude to do what it takes to get the job done. Readers will want the likable Kali to make encore appearances.

Harriet Klausner

An interesting, fast-paced legal thriller with realistic characters. Kali defends the husband of a friend charged first with date rape (he's been cheating on her friend) and then with murder. At the same time, she's involved with an old boyfriend, who she begins to distrust. I'm going to go back and read the earlier novels in this series. Highly recommended.

Kali O'Brien is back with her third case. She is helping a friend who is suffering from cancer while enduring a dangerous pregnancy. While she enjoys being in the Bay Area, she is somewhat uncomfortable with her friend's law partner, who was Kali's lover in law school. The affair ended with Kali hurt and humiliated. She still feels the attraction for Marc. This complication appears to be the least of her worries, when her friend's husband, Grady, is accused of rape. Kali has never been fond of Grady and believes he is quite capable of this behavior. However, for her friend's sake, she will defend him. The murder of the alleged rape victim provides an even tougher case. Well written with an exciting climax, "Motion to Dismiss" is an exciting novel that will keep you up way past your usual bedtime.

I read the first chapter of this book thinking that I would save the rest until I'd finished a major project I'd started. Didn't work. I kept reading and my weekend was shot. The plot is suspenseful and gripping, and the characters are all interesting. The plot premise is a fascinating one, and the author handles it with insight. I've enjoyed all the books in this series, but his is clearly a step above.

This is a great book. I've enjoyed the others in the series, but MOTION TO DISMISS, takes Kali to a new level. The plot is intriguing and the pacing suspenseful, but what makes this book stand out in my mind are the characters. All of the main characters are flawed and complex human beings. They are very real and believably unpredictable. There are lots of weighty issues to ponder here, but they never get in the way of the story. This is an author to watch.

Easy reading. Mostly dialog. Good plot. Starts snappy but gets very draggy until the trial.