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71 of 72 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Getting His Day in Court, July 6, 2008
Since Grisham and Turow became household names, the legal thriller has been a staple on the bestseller lists. Like serial killers and nukes in the hands of radicals, the fodder for material seems to be without end--as evidenced nearly every day in the headlines.
"By Reason of Insanity" is laced with all the elements that make for a great summer read, whether in the newspapers or latest page-turner. Singer does a masterful job of setting up multiple characters, as well as multiple-personalities. We start with Quinn Newberg, a lawyer representing his own sister who has confessed to killing her abusive husband. We meet Catherine O'Rourke, a tenacious reporter with a troubled past of her own. To complicate matters, we discover there is a vigilante on the loose, a person going by the name Avenger of Blood.
Singer draws these different characters and storylines together, slowly twisting them tighter, until the pages are flying and the revelations mounting. To protect Catherine's life, Quinn relies on the insanity plea, and truly things begin to get crazy. The courtroom scenes are pure Singer--tense, witty, realistic, while never losing the sense of the story and plot. The interactions and relationships are spot-on, and the underlying themes woven in without being forced.
In the last year, I've been underwhelmed by some of the latest legal thrillers from the big dogs of the genre. I'd say it's time a few new names get their day in court...with Randy Singer at the top of that list.
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28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Incredible!, June 7, 2008
When I read Directed Verdict, I thought Singer was really good. When I read False Witness, I thought he was excellent. After reading By Reason of Insanity, he's established himself as an elite author.
I've come to expect Singer to write gritty, emotional books that mirror reality and he's delivered again. After years of abuse, Annie killed her husband. She doesn't deny it. Her lawyer, who happens to be her brother, doesn't deny it. But the question is, did she understand what she was doing when she shot him. As a reporter, Catherine has covered numerous trials, but Annie's is different. It brings up hurts and a past she's tried hard to bury. After eight years of suppressing her emotions following a college rape, who is she and what has she become?
Well written books involving victims of abuse are never easy to read. It's heart wrenching to even read about characters humiliated and dehumanized by abuse, but it's even more emotional knowing this happens daily. Singer handles these issues with grace, giving dignity to victims who may be reading his books. He's tackled some tough issues in this book--abuse, revenge, renegade justice, and legal ethics to name a few. When the legal system fails, how do people deal with the consequences? How far should defense attorneys go to assure their clients receive `justice'? When is someone truly insane? What is the Bible's view of a child's responsibility for their parent's sins?
By Reason of Insanity offers something for about every reader. It's an intense suspense thriller, with lots of plot twists and turns, but with a gentle touch. The number of surprises really makes it difficult to ever know exactly what's going to happen. A great book for those who like a good mystery with a lot of questions and some great things to ponder. Excellent job from first page to last!
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Slow Burner of a read., June 15, 2008
Randy Singer, along with Robert Whitlow, are among my favorite authors of all time. A new novel from either is an event in itself. What I have noticed with Mr. Singer, practically with this and his last novel False Witness is the way the Christian influence within them aren't up in the fore front, like his earlier novels, and alot of the Christian thrillers on the market. But slowly, and surely this influence seeps into the story, much like real life, and we have a profound message that makes one think. In this novel we have visions, incest, murder, rape, and now the insanity plea is perceived by many in our society. A must for all Randy Singer fans.
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