A Criminal Defense: Philadelphia Legal

Could never have predicted the ending. A great legal thriller and amazing writer. Need more space in the top legal writers ledge above - so move over Grisham you have an equal contender!

This is one of those books that get you straight away.the build up gets you gripped and you don't want to put it down.

William L Myers, Jr certainly gives us an intriguing novel here which takes place in Philadelphia. Narrated in the first person by Michael ‘Mick’ McFarland we see that he is a lawyer. Originally a leading light in the prosecuting world, working in the DA’s Office he is now currently a partner for a firm on the other side of the legal table.We obviously have the main case in this book, where Mick is called upon by an old friend from law school to defend him on a murder charge, but there are others that are mentioned here which makes this a bit more interesting and adds extra depth. But what has McFarland got himself involved in when he takes on the case of David Hanson?David was caught sneaking away from a house where the owner is found murdered, and he was obviously cleaning the place up. But did he kill the woman, a young journalist who has certainly been making a name for herself, not least in revealing a case that is being secretly investigated about corruption in the police force. Of course Hanson, rich and influential says he is innocent, but there is something slightly off, especially as he has been telling some lies already.We do wonder about our narrator as at times he does seem a bit naive, and there are also moments that make you think that perhaps he is holding things back, but is he unreliable or just a bit dim at times? With a plot that takes in so many elements some will obviously work out what is going on between the lines, whereas for others this may prove surprising at times. This is well enough plotted and written so that you should get what is happening, and even if you don’t you will understand certain conclusions as the story unfolds.But ultimately with Hanson in court and facing a stretch inside can Mick save him, and how far will he go to make sure his client remains free? This makes for a really good strong read where so many different characters are holding back secrets, or trying to manipulate others and does sort of reveal the shenanigans that can go on behind the scenes to make people seem whiter than white, rather like politicians and their spin. A legal thriller with more than a few twists and turns and some mystery, who at the end of the day is pulling the strings and manipulating things in their best interests? In all I think that this should do well, and is certainly worth reading.

It is difficult to write about this book without revealing too much of the storyline and ruining it...However, it's fair to say none of the characters are particularly endearing or have any redeeming qualities. This kind of characterisation would normally be a huge turnoff or a hard-slog-of-a-read for me... But this book was a rare exception for me...I am not sure if this is simply because the book was very well written and structured well or because I have just read a lot of very mediocre legal dramas recently and have been hankering for a good courtroom drama/mystery/suspense novel and this came along and fit the bill...In any event, I do think it's fair to say that Myers Jr. is a very good writer and I would definitely commend his writing style and imagination. A cleverly constructed story that is a fluid read.... Whilst there are a lot of angles to the story, he does reign them in and tries to tie them all together at the end... The ending teeters on the edge of fantastical but on the whole a satisfying read... In fact, I must add that - I re-read the book straight after I finished it - something I have never done before... A slightly different book the second time around but equally satisfying...

4.5★I love a really good court drama and this definitely fits the bill.The book focuses on the death of a young journalist. A wealthy man is accused and charged with her murder. However, it is not an open and shut case. Mr Myers introduces many angles throughout the storyfor the reader to consider. Are some red herrings? It is hard to say and even at the end of the book I'm pretty sure a lot of readers, like me, are going to be saying that they didn't see the ending coming.The book is narrated in the first person by the key player, lawyer Mike McFarland and while I don't normally enjoy books written in this way the author moves the story along at a such a cracking pace that the first person narrative doesn't really become a problem.Talking about pace, I read this book in one sitting. It really does grab you so it's best not to start reading this book at bedtime or you are going to be the worse for wear the next day. However, I thoroughly encourage you to buy it and find out for yourself.I am very much looking forward to Mr Myers next book. I hope it will be of a similar calibre to'A Criminal Defense'.

As a lover of crime shows like Law & Order, I found this to be a great read - but only until about half way through. At this point, I started to see where things might be going and, by the end, having figured pretty much all of the twists out, found it all a little too farfetched. Too many twists to make for an "interesting" ending meant that all the good background work done earlier in the book was undone, and one or two things that you wanted clearing up, never quite were.All in all, a good read, if only for the reason that rather than a cops view, you got things from a defensive attorney perspective.

This is a well-written, cleverly constructed story by someone who knows his subject - he is/was a lawyer. Because of some dry - but still interesting - reading, when the sudden twists and shocks come they have such impact and keeps you hooked.Trouble was I couldn't warm to any of the characters, including the narrator. They were just "not nice" people, all cheating on each other in one way or another. So did I enjoy it? Not really. All too much like real life. So will I read other books in the series? Probably, but with some other escapism reading in between.