The Best Defense

A Barbara Holloway Novel

By: Kate Wilhelm

Narrated by: Anna Fields

Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

A gripping, poignant, and masterful courtroom novel, The Best Defense is a major work from one of America's most popular writers.

After her recent harrowing experiences, attorney Barbara Holloway isn't looking to take on any new courtroom cases; instead she's happy working from a booth in a cafe in the local working-class neighborhood.

But when the sister of "Baby Killer" Kennerman asks for help, Barbara reluctantly looks into matters and finds that incompetent lawyers and a smear campaign from the local right-wing press are going to allow a killer to go free. The deeper Barbara delves into the case, the more atrocities she finds and the more she believes that the best defense may not be enough.

With this extraordinary novel, Kate Wilhelm returns to the marvelous milieu of Death Qualified, bringing us a legal thriller of the finest caliber.

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

©1994 Kate Wilhelm (P)2003 Blackstone Audiobooks

Wilhelm books do not disappoint

Because it was a recent release, I got it thinking it was next in the series. It is actually an earlier novel, and that is the only thing I regretted. The book kept my interest and the narration brings the characters alive. I recommend.

Couldn't put it down

Anna Fields now has a fan in me for her character readings. And Kate Wilhelm's plot is full of surprises and new twists. Great investigative and courtroom scenes. I could not put it down, and found myself looking for an excuse to get back to the book. It is a great sequel to Death Qualified. I highly recommend it.

Triple Winner

This book is a winner three times over for its characters, plot and narration. Once again, Kate Wilhelm has written a compelling, creative, and challenging story that is very hard to put down until the very end. Barbara Holloway is a complex character and despite the brilliance of her legal acumen, her humanity is what comes through most clearly on every page. The plot takes a remarkable number of disparate facts and weaves them together slowly until the very end when the entire picture becomes suddenly clear -- the result of Wilhelm's masterful writing. The continually developing relationship between Barbara and her father is another intriquing element of the plot that captures the most human elements of Barbara's character, necessary to counter the brilliance of her skills as a trial lawyer. Anna Fields narration is another fine example of her skilled mastery of an artform.

I highly recommend this book, but also recommend it best for a long drive or flight, as it is very difficult to put down once you begin.

Wow

If I ever need an attorney, I hope and pray that it's. Attorney Barbara and her father. Geez

Excellent Series

I am a mystery fan, and when I find a good series I order the whole list. Kate Wilhelm's Barbara Holloway series meets that standard. Barbara Holloway is a lawyer in practice with her father Frank in Oregon. The cases she handles are interesting and not the run-of-the-mill situations. She pursues justice in a legal system that often tips the balance from the innocent towards expedience and special interests. It is a well researched series so you learn a lot about related areas like timber industry, politics, and Oregon itself. I'm reading it in sequence and now on the fifth. Well worth a look.

Might be good ...

The story was interesting enough, especially the beginning. Unfortunately, by 3/4 of the way through, I couldn't stand to listen to the narrator any longer. I didn't even care anymore how the story ended. Interestingly, my husband really liked this audiobook.
This narrator really "overacts" and tries too hard to sound male during the male parts, and just sounds silly. It's a shame more narrators don't "get" that reading an audiobook is not the same as radio theatre. Maybe some listeners enjoy that approach. I like audiobooks read with enough expression to capture the atmosphere created by the writing. If I "notice" the narrator much, it's probably because they're annoying. If I forget that I am listening instead of reading, the narrator is a master.
I gave 2 stars instead of 1 because the story isn't bad.

Love this author!

I have read another of Kate Wilheim's from Audible and absolutely loved both of them. Your interest never wanes and the pace of the story is such you don't want to quit listening. Also, the narrator is so good, I Googled her and was not surprised how "seasoned" she is in her craft. Changing her voice for the various characters is amazing. Don't miss this one!

Love the author, love the reader

I first downloaded this book in 2006. I really like Barbara Holloway and her dad and Bailey - Just relistening for the 3rd time.

UNIQUELY EUGENE, OR.

Unless you’d come of age in the mid-1960s to mid-1970s and received your degree from the University of Oregon in Eugene and also hailed from the area, you couldn’t really get the full flavor of this book. I may be mistaken, but it’s my observation, having skated between both worlds of outsider/insider, on a razor thin edge. It’s simply that I’d known people who were born and who’d grown up there, and who were so confused by the sorts of people from big cities, other countries, and almost afraid of them. I wasn’t a student. Wasn’t a native, either. I’d followed my boyfriend there, and he lived in the dorms. I’d found work in a rose nursery, earning $1.05/hour - and that was after the 5 cent raise. Farm workers wages. (Next salad you eat, think who’s making any real profit, ‘cause it’s not who’s picking the vegetables). Sorry for the tangent.

During the beautiful reading by Anna Fields of Kate Wilhelm’s very uniquely Eugene, Oregonian murder-suspense novel, I was somehow reminded of the childhood books of Beverly Cleary. I kept thinking that if Beverly Cleary wrote a murder mystery this would be it.** I don’t mean this as a slight against the author. Not at all! I grew up on in Cleary’s books, so this was a fond comparison.

Most of the action takes place in my favorite arena; the courtroom. That’s not to say there aren’t some suspenseful moments in other places with nefarious sorts of shady characters. They’re at work, so don’t fear… or fear, I should say. It’s just that my favorite thing about any murder mystery has always come down to the courtroom. I’m a sucker for the U.S. judiciary system. It looks good in black and white, anyway. But, back to the book.

As I was droning… er, rambling, this small town is host to a large university, but one thing it has in common with lots of other small towns throughout our country is its Pro-Life leaning majority. You won’t find Pro-Choice people holding up their hands in a crowded town hall meeting, unless it’s taking place within an urban setting. Diversity allows for greater understanding when in the company of people different from yourself. This book targets, I think very bravely, a subject for which there can be found no common ground; Pro-Choice vs. Pro-Life. The truly amazing thing is in her uncovering of the true murderers, cover up, etc., Ms. Wilhelm succeeds in narrowing the gap between ‘us’ and ‘them’. More than solving the crime, lawyer, Barbara Holoman shows not just the court and its spectators, but an entire town, how something as unruly and potentially violent as a mob can so effortlessly spread like… well, like fire through a women’s shelter.

In summation, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Audible public, The Best Defense is one of the best ways to while away a rainy Sunday, or a bedtime story meted out over a few nights’ time. Here’s what makes this type of ‘reading’ even better - or, should I say, some of the things that make it even better? - you can crochet, knit, draw, or my favorite, untie all the knots in everyone else’s jewelry chains while it’s being read to you by someone else. Such a luxury!

** After typing this sentence I decided to Google Beverly Cleary. When someone’s name continuously comes to mind, there’s usually good reason for it. Well, how about that! Beverly Cleary was, herself, a native Oregonian She passed away in March of 2021 at the age of 104. Though she was twelve years Kate Wilhelm’s senior, the authors seemed to share the same Oregonian sensibility.

Language

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Anyone who doesn't mind profanity! I love a good mystery and have read hundreds without bad language.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Still looking!

Would you be willing to try another one of Anna Fields’s performances?

I would have to give it a lot of thought.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment!

Any additional comments?

I didn't even listen to 5 minutes of this book. WHY do authors use bad language in their books? I would never recommend this author to anyone! I question the narrator in their choice too!