Presumption of Innocence

David Brunelle Legal Thriller Series # 1

By: Stephen Penner

Narrated by: Paul Costanzo

Length: 5 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

Homicide prosecutor David Brunelle faces the most difficult case of his career. An innocent young girl is murdered in a heinous, unforgivable way. The only evidence against the killer is the full confession of his accomplice - another young girl he also victimized. But the accomplice is charged with the murder as well, which means that she has the right to remain silent. And she's so scared of the killer, she refuses to take a deal to testify against him.

Brunelle can't just let the murderer walk, but how can he get a conviction when he has no admissible evidence and the killer is protected by the presumption of innocence?

©2012 Stephen Penner (P)2016 Tantor

Fast paced, well written legal thriller.

What does Paul Costanzo bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Paul Costanzo narrates this perfectly!

Any additional comments?

This is such a good courtroom drama. The lead character is Assistant DA David Brunell. Seems like a good guy but has his weaknesses - women. He is called to the home of a murder involving a 13 year old child. She's been hung upside down, her carotid artery nicked and she has been bled out. The only finger prints belong to that of a 15 year old girl. The police know she did not commit this crime on her own, if for no other reason, she could not have hoisted the girls body and hung it on her own.
At first the girl confesses but once her 20 year old accomplice is arrested she retracts her statement. The guy she was with had completely cleaned up after himself, leaving nothing to connect him to the crime.
The suspense is palpable. I know I'm not the only one who wants to scream when I hear about someone who has committed a heinous crime and gets away without serving a single day due to lack of evidence.
The story is believable and the writing is excellent. I've never read/listened to anything by Stephen Penner before but will certainly purchase the next two in the series on Audible.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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Good story a bit predictable

This was a pretty good formula, legal thriller. Although a bit shorter and less detailed than I prefer, I thought we had good character development and a pretty good storyline to me. It’s running about in the middle of the pack.

Excellent legal thriller

A 14 year old girl is killed in her home and her blood drained from her body. The blood is taken away. A 20 year old man is charged with her murder and his 15 year old girl friend is charged as an accomplice. Prosecutor David Brunelle has a difficult task as the accomplice refuses to testify because her testimony would put her in legal jeopardy. This excellent legal thriller plays out in the courtroom rather than outside it. This is my first Stephen Penner novel but it will not be my last.

Dark but engaging

I found this book a good distraction which is why I listen. I kept coming back which is a good endorsement as I don’t finish at least half of the books I begin.

pretty good suspense

lawyers would not like this as the story is not at all legally realistic but it is good enough to listen to

Awful

I can't even return this thing! Why? Over the course of months I kept returning to POI to try to finish it. Couldn't without eventually skipping to the end. Only to discover that it was more convoluted than a circus contortionist. How bad is it? Imagine a prosecutor talking his girlfriend's 16 year old daughter into risking her life against the girlfriend's wishes.

And he's the hero of this mess! How do these things get published? Imagine the highway carnage if say a bus maker had this sort of quality control. IF Penner gets better after POI, well I'll need proof. He's forfeited all presumption of competence.

Awful! Is book writing where failed lawyers go to die?

not my favorite

Not my favorite. probably won't be reading anything else in this series. Not enough plot or character development. Too much gratuitous everything.