Customer Reviews

Silent Justice

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

What do a firey bus accident following a company party, a gunman holding hostage a college classroom, a mass murder who tortures to death his victims in the most cruel ways, and eleven children dead from Luekemia have in Common? That is what Ben Kincaid and Staff discover in "Silent Justice". Ben knows that to fight one of Tulsa's finest law firms reprsenting the H.P. Blaylock Industrial Machinery Corporation will bring only bills, bills and more bills. It's not the smart thing to do nor the safe thing to do, but after peering into those eleven sets of eyes in photographs shown to him by the childrens parents, Ben knew it was the only thing he could do. His small law firm might be bankrupted by the effort, but he had to try to get justice for the young victims. Meanwhile, Ben's former brother-in-law and friend, Mike Loving has an unbelievable serial murder case on his hands. Cruel torture appears to be the only common thread between victims until Mike discovers that all the victims worked together and even played together at one point. From there Mike and Ben working separately ultimately end up involved with the same case. The reader is kept guessing until the very exciting and suspenseful ending. Great Courtroom drama, suspense and mystery make this a must read. Definately one of the best!

Ben Kincaid takes a break from his usual criminal law activity to take on a civil case. Aided by his trustworthy support staff, including his girl friend (if not girlfriend) Christina, Ben battles the evil forces of big business accused of polluting well water that causes an outbreak of leukemia in a small Tulsa suburban community. The pieces of the story take time to come together, including reasons for including apparently dissimilar incidents which took place months and years before the novel's main action. In addition to the civil action, there are several murders related to Ben's case, although he does not make the connection until late in the plot. Bernhardt keeps the action moving, interspersing the usual Ben Kinkaid humor. The courtroom scenes may not resemble real-life litigation, but the reader remains interested in the precedings, and nervously waits with Ben for the verdict. Silent Justice is the flipside of A Civil Action, and a far easier read.

This is one of his best books todate. I couldn't stop reading. I love reading about Ben Kincaid and his cohorts. Bring on the next.

In Blackwood, a small town near Tulsa, a stunned Cecily Elkins learns that her beloved little boy is dying from leukemia. Even more shocking, his doctor Harlan Freidrich gives her a list of other families with children who also suffered from the deadly disease. After her child dies, Cecily learns of the illegal dumping of toxins in the drinking water by the Blaylock Industrial Machinery Corporation.

Cecily and the other parents turn to lawyer Ben Kincaid for help in filing a class action suit for wrongful death against the big corporation. Though civil law is not his strength and the odds against winning are astronomical, he accepts the case. However, his calculations fail to include the other side retaining a powerful attorney with questionable connections to the judge who is a friend to big business. Additionally, a serial killer surfaces whom murders Blaylock employees.

SILENT JUSTICE is an exciting legal thriller from one of the sub-genre's best. However, the story line is very similar to A CIVIL ACTION though kept fresh by William Bernhardt's writing skills. The class action suit is extremely entertaining and will thrill the audience. The serial killer subplot is also well written and ties back to the main tale, but feels unnecessary as it diverts attention from the exhilarating prime plot. Kincaid continues to dream of being a superhero like Captain Marvel while his support crew adds vigor and wit as they struggle to right social injustice. Mr. Bernhardt remains one of the best authors of legal thrillers and anyone who has not tasted a Kincaid tale will want to try this novel and the previous works, which are all excellent stories.

Harriet Klausner

In Blackwood, a small town near Tulsa, a stunned Cecily Elkins learns that her beloved little boy is dying from leukemia. Even more shocking, his doctor Harlan Freidrich gives her a list of other families with children who also suffered from the deadly disease. After her child dies, Cecily learns of the illegal dumping of toxins in the drinking water by the Blaylock Industrial Machinery Corporation.

Cecily and the other parents turn to lawyer Ben Kincaid for help in filing a class action suit for wrongful death against the big corporation. Though civil law is not his strength and the odds against winning are astronomical, he accepts the case. However, his calculations fail to include the other side retaining a powerful attorney with questionable connections to the judge who is a friend to big business. Additionally, a serial killer surfaces whom murders Blaylock employees.

SILENT JUSTICE is an exciting legal thriller from one of the sub-genre's best. However, the story line is very similar to A CIVIL ACTION though kept fresh by William Bernhardt's writing skills. The class action suit is extremely entertaining and will thrill the audience. The serial killer subplot is also well written and ties back to the main tale, but feels unnecessary as it diverts attention from the exhilarating prime plot. Kincaid continues to dream of being a superhero like Captain Marvel while his support crew adds vigor and wit as they struggle to right social injustice. Mr. Bernhardt remains one of the best authors of legal thrillers and anyone who has not tasted a Kincaid tale will want to try this novel and the previous works, which are all excellent stories.

Harriet Klausner

A practicing attorney in Tulsa, Bernhardt has added Silent Justice to his well received series beginning with Primary Justice. To date, this series has won him a legion of fans and garnered the Oklahoma Book Award.

With Silent Justice Bernhardt continues the story of almost-too-honest-and-courageous-to-be-true lawyer Ben Kincaid. This time, although every nerve ending urges him to back off, Ben takes on a powerful manufacturing company that has contaminated the city's water supply by dumping toxic waste. Ben's stance puts him head to head with Tulsa's most powerful law firm and his former employer, Raven, Tucker & Tubb.

A hater of civil defense "because there's nothing civil about it" Ben prepares to take on the city's legal and financial structures as well as a judge who leans toward big business. He has been moved by the plight of the middle class families whose children died dreadful deaths due to the contaminated water. "I think we're doing the right thing here. Not the smart thing," Ben declares. "Certainly not the safe thing. But the right thing."

The riveting courtroom drama is set against a string of brutal murders perpetrated by a fiend gone amok.

Bernhardt takes no chances here as he injects suspenseful subplots, which serve to propel the non-stop action. There are plenty of thrills in Silent Justice for those who like their reading spattered with blood and smattered with legalese.

- Gail Cooke

I have read all the series in order, this being number nine. I really liked the first ones much better. Silent Justice really has two stories at the same time. Ben has a class action suit against a big company for dumping chemicals into drinking water and therefore killing children. Meanwhile, his friend, Mike Morell is after a person who is killing people for no apparent reason. What is the killer looking for? What is the merchandise? I nearly went to sleep reading page after page of much to complicated words for my small brain understand during the trial. I really like Ben, Christina McCall, Jones, Loving and Mike. Maybe its time for me to change instead of thinking Bernhardt will go back to writing like he did earlier. It is sort of a surprise ending but I thought I would read forever to get to that part. Sorry, but the writer has done better.

What begins as a young boy thinking he has the "flu", turns into something much deadlier.

Ben Kincaid know the class action suit against a powerful corporation charged with dumping chemicals into drinking water, and killing children, will be suicide for his small firm, but he must fight the good fight, and bring the company to it's knees.

Ben begins a massive legal battle against Tulsa's largest law firm-not to mention the short-tempered judge who favors big business.

As the case moves along, a series of murders begin, leading Ben into a deadly face off with a ruthless killer.

Ben's quest for justice will turn into a war that no one is prepared for.

"Silent Justice" is another good entry in this series. The pages turn fast, as each piece of puzzle falls into place.

William Bernhardt handles the sub-plots carefully, twisting and turning them, until they come together. Mr. Bernhardt keeps this series going full steam ahead, proving he is never at a loss for coming up with original, suspenseful plots.

Nick Gonnella

I've read all of William Bernhardt's Ben Kinkaid novels, and the latest one doesn't disappoint. His newest adventure for nontraditional attorney Ben Kinkaid involves a class action suit filed by a group of parents whose children all died from the same type of cancer. The children all lived in the same area of town and used water from the same well source, which a report from EPA shows to contain carcinogens that some medical researchers believe can cause leukemia. Has Blaylock Industries disposed of its waste properly, or has some toxic waste found its way into the groudwater that feeds the well? The larger question: Even if this is the case, can Ben Kinkaid and his equally nontraditional and unconventional staff go up against the most prestigious and snooty law firm in town and prove the parents' claims? Bernhard't book is a great read! John Grisham's books have become so preachy that they've turned me off. Bernhardt is much more subtle, and I was grateful that any personal feelings he may have about big business versus the little guy did not overshadow or distract from his writing. Most of all, I love these characters. Ben, Jones, Loving, and Christina are three-dimensional characters that you really care about and can identify with. I also liked the serial killer subplot that I knew would somehow tie in to the main story. It was fun reaching that point. There are some clever plot twists and surprises along the way that held my attention. I like books where I don't figure out everything by the middle! The only negative comment I have is about some of the details in the serial killer subplot. I won't give anything away, but I wonder if anyone else found these victims incredibly stupid in terms of protecting themselves. Anyway, read this book! I also recommend you go back to the beginning and read all the Ben Kinkaid series. They're well worth it. Can't wait for the next one.

A twelve year old child dies from acute lymphocytic leukemia and he's not the first in the small town of Blackwood, Oklahoma. Eleven other children between the ages of eight and fifteen have recently died of the disease. Blaylock Industrial Machinery has been doing a little toxic dumpin and Attorney Ben Kincaid, champion of the underdog, is seeking justice for the victims. This is almost a suicide case for Ben as he's a sole practioner up against a well heeled, powerful law firm.

Then there is the small matter of the serial killer who appears to be targeting Blaylock employees. So you can see there is room for plenty of suspense in this book and Mr. Bernhardt does not disappoint or shirk his writer's duties. He delivers well rounded characters, a first-rate plot and plenty of action in this gem of a story that showcases Mr. Bernhardt's great trial writing.