Witness for the Defense [Paperback]

Michael C. Eberhardt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1998

After a lifetime devoted to the law, a San Francisco attorney's life is torn apart when he is accused of coercing testimony from witnesses. His only hope is a beautiful lawyer whose ex-judge father holds a grudge against him. But for her help, he must agree to represent her father's handyman who stands accused of kidnapping. He takes the case reluctantly with the hope of salvaging his dwindling reputation, but knows it will take a miracle to win. With the life of an innocent man as well as his own in the balance, the attorney will come face-to-face with a twisted murderer--one which he may be powerless to stop!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Eberhardt's (Against the Law) latest courtroom-lawyer mystery is set in and around San Francisco. Hunter Dobbs, the sometimes hot-headed public defender at the center of the novel, is framed by a gang-banger client for subornation of perjury. Enter the stunning and plucky Sarah Harris, daughter of retired Judge Avery Harris, Hunter's old nemesis. She agrees to defend Hunter if he'll assist in the defense of her father's longtime friend, charged with kidnapping a child. Nothing comes easy, of course, and soon secrets about the judge pop up along with a body. Hunter's first-person narration is effective, but the romantic involvement is obvious from the get go, leaving the reader no room for the imagination. Though the novel incorporates an interesting angle—Hunter can't defend himself against the perjury charges without violating lawyer-client privilege—the plot is slack, with only Hunter's occasional flare-up adding spice.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Onyx (December 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451192222
• ISBN-13: 978-0451192226
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 3.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,357,456 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Big E sits on the court with the best legal thriller writers, October 10, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Witness for the Defense (Paperback)

For almost a decade, public defender Hunter Dobbs has worked in the San Francisco legal system. However, today going about his job is a bit difficult because his divorce was just finalized yesterday. Even as he knows he must focus on the Martinez murder case, Hunter continues to dwell on what went wrong in his relationship with his former spouse, Marlene. The day gets worse when Hunter struggles with a slightly tipsy judge and dealing with Bobby Miles, a so-called witness willing to lie under oath.

However, his day turns worse when the dedicated attorney is accused of suborning perjury. Bobby claims that Hunter tried to coerce him into lying in court. The California Bar is looking into the charges. A peer Sarah Harris offers to represent him with the bar if he will defend a friend accused of kidnapping. He accepts her offer, but neither one expected to be involved in a murder that will require their intercession to insure that a second killing does not occur.

Michael C. Eberhardt clearly sits on the highest bench of legal thrillers with peers such as Turow, Patterson, and Grisham. His novels are always personal and thrilling. Mr. Eberhardt's latest book, WITNESS FOR THE DEFENSE, needs no defense as the awesome author of such classy tales as BODY OF A CRIME and AGAINST THE LAW has provided a great story. The gut attack on Hunter's belief system is brilliantly developed, making all the characters and their motives seem so real. There is no appeal for any sub-genre fan who has failed to read Mr. Eberhardt from being sentenced to a lifetime of solitary confinement on the Rock.

Harriet Klausner

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars exquisite, February 4, 2001

By 

Min-Seong, Jean (kyunggido South Korea) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Witness for the Defense (Paperback)

Exquisitely, brilliantly written. I would prefer Eberhardt to Grisham. Eberhardt starts the novel with two incidents. they get inextricably intertwined with each other. I wish I could write just this well. But one thing, Obviously passion didn't give birth to this book. This one is more like a Hollywood action block-buster.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good, March 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Witness for the Defense (Paperback)

A fast-paced, easy read, this is a very good legal thriller. It's certainly better than the wooden prose of Mr. Grisham.