Primal Fear [Hardcover]

William Diehl (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 9, 1992

A bishop is mutilated and dismembered, and in his confessional an angelic-looking young men is found hiding, covered in blood and clutching the murder weapon - and claiming he's innocent. The most brilliant lawyer in Chicago is forced to defend him. By the author of "Thai Horse" and "27".

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In Chicago, a sainted archbishop is murdered, mutilated, and dismembered in his rectory. Aaron Stampler, an angelic-looking young man, is found crouched in a confessional, covered with blood, clutching a butcher's knife, swearing his innocence.

Martin Vail is the brilliant lawyer every prosecutor and politician loves to hate. It is up to him to defend Stampler, the young human monster. But first he must uncover the horrifying truth about the crime. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Ringing dazzling changes on the suspense format he worked so successfully in Sharkey's Machine and four other thrillers, Diehl here focuses on the maneuvers of Chicago defense attorney Martin Vail, a prosecutor's worst nightmare. Vail has vexed the political machine by winning a multimillion-dollar brutality judgment against the city, county and state police, but the powers that be think they see a way to pay him back. After discovering the mutilated body of Archbishop Richard Rushman in the rectory of his church, police find Aaron Stampler cowering in a confessional, blood-soaked and gripping the murder weapon. It seems like an ironclad case--psycho slasher carves up "the Saint of Lakeview Drive"--and a hostile judge appoints Vail as pro bono defense attorney, hoping to publicly humble him. Vail is impressed by Stampler, a runaway from the bishop's haven, Savior House, and builds a maverick defense team to butt heads with vengeful prosecutor Jane Venable. PI Tommy Goodman digs up some nasty news about the bishop (not what the reader expects) and uncovers a childhood of abuse and mysterious deaths in Stampler's Kentucky hometown. Psychiatrist Molly Arrington blows the case wide open by unearthing a terrifying secret that Vail springs in court. Diehl builds delicious tension, keeping the reader off balance right up to the gavel-pounding finale. 50,000 first printing; major ad/promo; movie rights to Paramount; Literary Guild special featured selection.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: William Heinemann Ltd (November 9, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 043419249X
• ISBN-13: 978-0434192496
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (72 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,071,973 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First-rate psychological thriller, January 13, 2003

By 

"efchay" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Primal Fear (Mass Market Paperback)

Although past its prime, this book is an absolute classic and has withstood the test of time to prove itself to be one of the very best psychological thrillers. Fast-paced and thorough, this thriller combines the best elements of the legal and psychological thriller genres to make for a fantastic read. As someone who is generally very critical of the realism in modern legal thrillers, I found little not to like in Primal Fear. Diehl is a first-rate writer.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Psychological suspense and great law scenes work wonderfully, August 3, 1999

By 

Jason Warner - See all my reviews

This review is from: Primal Fear (Mass Market Paperback)

I just got finished reading this and first, like has been mentioned in reviews in addition to mine, the ending was incredible. The book keeps you guessing right up until the second to last page about Aaron. Also, as mentioned, very nice love scenes, but it's curious to note that the women are on top each time...ah, but anyway, the courtroom scene was magnificently written and drew many, "Oooooh, nice one!" and the like from me as I read. All the characters are spectacular. I'm especially fond of Martin because I am a wise ass at heart. Aaron of course was the most well done. I am eager to pick up Show of Evil to see where the story goes from here.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Legal action AND a great THRILLER to boot!, November 9, 2000

By 

Jeff Edwards "RadioJeff" (Twin Falls, Idaho) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Primal Fear (Mass Market Paperback)

I'm gonna tell you right now, the last line of this book alone is worth the purchase price (and a lot more). I was left thinking about this book long after I finished it. TRUST me, if you saw the movie version, you will be forever disappointed with how they twisted it for whatever reasons to make it NOWHERE NEAR as good as it could and should have been.

Aaron Stampler is a FANTASTIC character, not 2-dimensional like so many in popular fiction today. Fully realized, and VERY complex. IS he guilty? Does he really have multiple personalities? OR is he a genius PRETENDING to be a somewhat backwards inbred mountain outcast? These questions will be raised and it won't be until the INCREDIBLE conclusion on the VERY LAST PAGE that you will be treated to one of my all-time favorite endings.

'Primal Fear' ranks as one of my favorite books, and after you finish it, I'm sure you will agree that it deserved all of the praise it received. I have to admit, the following sequels to 'Primal Fear' just didn't do it for me. I tried, honest to goodness I TRIED to enjoy them as much, but it didn't happen. And if someone tells you that one of the sequel's are BETTER than 'Primal' DON'T BELIEVE IT. If you count yourself a fan of John Grisham, Steve Martini, Richard North Patterson or MY personal favorite legal thriller author: Phillip Margolin do yourself a supreme favor and pick this amazing thriller up and devour it TODAY.