Trial and Terror [Kindle Edition]

Adam L. Penenberg (Author)

Book Description

The good news is that public defender Summer Neuwirth just won her first case, which involved a brutal rape and kidnapping. 

The bad news? Her client was guilty.

What's more, he knows all about Summer's past.

As Summer pursues her next case, this time to keep an innocent woman off death row, elements of that past--a mysterious case of childhood amnesia, her police officer father's involvement with a serial killer, a terrifying attack she survived just months earlier--entwine with her present legal work, her missing mother, and her rocky relationship with a private investigator, all of which culminate in a thrilling trial... and terror.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Adam L. Penenberg is a journalism professor at New York University who has written for Fast Company, Forbes, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Wired, Slate, Playboy, and the Economist. A former senior editor at Forbes and a reporter for Forbes.com, Penenberg garnered national attention in 1998 for unmasking serial fabricator Stephen Glass of the New Republic. Penenberg's story was a watershed for online investigative journalism and portrayed in the film Shattered Glass (Steve Zahn plays Penenberg).

Penenberg has published several books that have been optioned for film and serialized in the New York Times Magazine, Wired UK, and the Financial Times, and won a Deadline Club Award for feature reporting for his Fast Company story "Revenge of the Nerds," which looked at the future of movie-making. He has appeared on NBC's The Today Show as well as on CNN and all the major news networks, and has been quoted about media and technology in the Washington Post, the Christian Science Monitor, USA Today, Wired News, Ad Age, Marketwatch, Politico, and many others.

Product Details

• File Size: 325 KB
• Print Length: 262 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Wayzgoose Press (July 8, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B008J2MFRM
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #310,929 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent! July 12, 2012

By Reader

Format:Kindle Edition

I've recently discovered Adam Peneberg's fiction. For those that don't know, he's the reporter that broke the big Stephen Glass case. Stephen Glass was another reporter who fabricated stories for several years until Adam dug into the details and exposed the scam. He is a serious and well-respected journalist.

But the guy can write fiction too! Trial and Terror is a great thriller/mystery, taking a hundred twists and turns through the life of Summer Neuwirth. Summer is a Public Defender with issues. Lots of issues. Starting with getting her defendant off. Then finding out that maybe that wasn't the best thing to do. Her mother is missing, the prosecutor's been killed... but yet, there's more. Nothing is what it seems, even the hunky investigator assigned to work with her has secrets. You'll have to read to see how they all play out, but trust me - they do all come together, in ways you never expected.

All in all, a very good read. I liked his other fiction book, Virtually True, even better, but this is great if you want a nice solid mystery/thriller to keep you guessing throughout.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Thriller to the end August 28, 2012

By star2be

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

There are many things I love about this book, but I think my favorite was the juxtaposition of her most recent win where Summer got her client acquired, who was guilty. And now she is defending someone who is truly innocent and struggling to prove it. That dichotomy created a lot of internal struggles and plot twists that kept me enthralled the entire time. Then the ending ... well I guess you'll just have to read it your self. Bottom line, I was entertained, I felt like I was in there with her and I was at the edge of my seat not being able to put it down. It really delivered.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great thriller with a dose of mystery September 6, 2012

By Natalia

Format:Kindle Edition

Whoever you are, male or female, this read will leave you breathless, leaving you wanting more and more.

The center of the story is a female attorney Summer, whose life is at its peak and she must learn not to see the world as black and white. She is representing her clients, who are not what they seem to be, and the same can be said about her too, which will be revealed as you read further.

The story itself literally moves at lightning speed. It's well constructed, consistently absorbing you with every page full of twists, character revelations, and back stories that you could not have imagined. I become so involved in this ingenious thriller that it left me wondering what was going to happen next, almost making me skip pages, but nah I controlled myself, barely. I read it until my eyes became so sore that I had to put it down and take a walk haha.

I can honestly say that it entertained me quite a bit with gripping stories, amazing characters, and for the most part I wasn't able to figure out the end until the very end. It's full of surprises along the way, a real stunner.

Very good read which presents the reader an excellent storyline and a page-turning thriller, at least it did for me. I was delighted by how Summer reacted in certain situations, which only proves the author's imagination and top-notch writing quality.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun August 16, 2012

By Tigirlily

Format:Kindle Edition

A nice light read with a variety of characters and with an surprise twist at the end. Lots of action,and no grueling emotional wallowing. Perfect vacation book!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping thriller is a must read September 3, 2012

By Ariana R.

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a fabulous book you'll want to devour in one sitting. The book starts to the tune of Frank Sinatra with the murder of Harold Gundy, a top defender with a less than respectable reputation. Enter Summer Neuwirth, a gifted young defense attorney who doesn't get to cherrypick cases. First she finds herself defending the wrong man, next she's tasked with defending a stubborn client who doesn't trust her- in fact, she calls Summer "a Barbie doll bureaucrat trying her first murder case." The excitement rises with the body count- a string of murders hits frighteningly close to Summer's home, as a seemingly unbeatable villain pushes every button. But Summer is not as sunny as she seems. The darker side to her story- involving a troubling event from her past, her father's work, and her bright future- bring exciting twists and turns to a smartly written and thoroughly entertaining story.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Trial and Terror January 4, 2013

By Denise Gardner

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book was amazing. I haven't read many books on legal thrillers, but if this is an inclination of how they are, I plan on reading more. This story was very good. Well written. A cast of characters that ranged from good to pure evil. This book will take you through the life of an attorney, Summer, who ultimately writes her own ending. Very good twists and turns. The ending was a mouth dropping moment for me. Absolutely great. I recommend reading this book, Trial and Terror.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Trial & Terror December 5, 2012

By Jeanne Royer

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I enjoyed this book a lot it kept me very interested and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys mysteries

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling! November 27, 2012

By J. L. Hitchy

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Awesome! there is a thrill a minute. Well written and exciting. I would highly recommend this book to all mystery bluffs.

More About the Author

Adam L. Penenberg is a journalism professor at New York University who has written for Fast Company, Forbes, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Wired, Slate, Playboy, and the Economist. A former senior editor at Forbes and a reporter for Forbes.com, Penenberg garnered national attention in 1998 for unmasking serial fabricator Stephen Glass of the New Republic. Penenberg's story was a watershed for online investigative journalism and portrayed in the film Shattered Glass (Steve Zahn plays Penenberg).

Penenberg has published several books that have been optioned for film and serialized in the New York Times Magazine, Wired UK, and the Financial Times, and won a Deadline Club Award for feature reporting for his Fast Company story "Revenge of the Nerds," which looked at the future of movie-making. He has appeared on NBC's The Today Show as well as on CNN and all the major news networks, and has been quoted about media and technology in the Washington Post, the Christian Science Monitor, USA Today, Wired News, Ad Age, Marketwatch, Politico, and many others.