Death Qualified

A Barbara Holloway Novel

By: Kate Wilhelm

Narrated by: Anna Fields

Length: 15 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

Five years ago Barbara Holloway gave up practicing law, disillusioned with a profession that put politics before justice. Then she receives a phone call, with a simple message: "I need you."

Nell Kendricks's husband disappeared seven years earlier, abandoning his young family. Nell hasn't seen him since, until the day Lucas Kendricks arrives at the edge of her property and is shot, instantly killed.

Accused of his murder, Nell turns to lawyer Frank Holloway for help. But Frank knows he cannot win this case alone. He calls upon his daughter Barbara, who remains "death qualified," legally able to defend clients who face the death penalty if convicted.

Barbara is determined to stay distanced from the case, but the more she learns, the more questions she finds herself asking. Is Nell innocent, as Frank attests? Where has Lucas Kendricks been for the past seven years? Despite her vow, Barbara finds herself drawn to the case and reclaims the search for truth that first led her to the law.

It's legal: download more of Barbara Holloway's cases.

©1991 Kate Wilhelm (P)2003 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Wilhelm is a masterful storyteller whose novels have just the right blend of solid plot, compelling mystery, and great courtroom drama." (Library Journal)

Chaotic

An undisciplined rambling with just enough plot to keep me plodding through.
Don’t think it was worth the effort.

Very captivating 📗

The narration is awesome. Such a well written book I’ve found a new author just love her stories. There are bits that are even funny.

a very good book

I really enjoy Kate Wilhelm novels and found this be no exception. In fact this is one of my favorites for some of the reasons many of the other reviewers disliked it, i.e. some futuristic topics thrown in, NW scenery and cleanly written relationship scenarios. I am relieved to hear the double sentences are not an error of my equipment, but what gives!

Good, but...

This was a really good book. I just wanted to keep listening, it had me on the edge of my seat with anticipation. But then it just... ended. Dozens of loose threads, unsolved Mysteries. Even a book that's going to be part of a series needs its own ending.

Barbara Holloway Series

The chaos theory and fractals part of the story were interesting. This series of books is one of my favorites. The stories are entertaining and I find them easy listening.

Excellent to the end.

It was excellent. I couldn’t stop listening but the ending has to be assumed. That part I didn’t like. I hope the next book continues from here.

Ending needed help.

This was a great book with lots of twists and turns. Then it just ended without tying things up.

Just a couple of things bothered me

The editors should have caught the repeating of paragraphs and the use of the word "lighted" instead of "lit".

The story was good and I agree with several others in the fact that the ending could have been better, left too many unanswered questions.

The book and narrator are great.

What?!

This one kind of creeped me out. I don't appreciate all the swearing. This author doesn't understand that a book can be good or even better without that. I don't care much for the judgement of Barbara. Yeesh, let people be themselves and be quiet.

Complicated story

Overall the story was good, but there are lot of characters, and the storyline itself is complicated and sometimes hard to follow. The narration is fine, but there are a few aces where full paragraphs are repeated. The first time it happened, I thought I may have done something to cause it, but after the 2nd and 3rd time, I knew it wasn't me. The ending is a little depressing.