Violent Crimes

An Amanda Jaffe Novel

By: Phillip Margolin

Narrated by: Therese Plummer

In this mesmerizing tale of suspense from New York Times bestselling author Phillip Margolin, attorney Amanda Jaffe—star of Wild Justice, Ties That Bind, Proof Positive, and Fugitive—becomes entangled in a murder case involving Big Oil, an estranged father and son, and the greatest ethical dilemma of her career .

Dale Masterson, senior partner in a large Portland, Oregon, law firm, has become wealthy and successful representing the interests of oil and coal companies. When his colleague, Christine Larson, is found dead, Masterson’s business practices are put under surveillance and a lower-level employee stands accused.

The controversy surrounding the firm is magnified tenfold when Dale is found beaten to death in his mansion. But this time Dale’s son, Brandon, is seen fleeing the scene. A dedicated eco-warrior obsessed with saving the planet, Brandon confesses to killing his father—for revenge, he claims—on behalf of all the people whose lives are being destroyed by his father’s questionable clients.

Veteran lawyer Amanda Jaffe is hired to represent Brandon, but what seems like an open-and-shut case quickly begins to unravel. If Brandon is really innocent—a radical activist determined to martyr himself for his cause—then who viciously murdered Dale Masterson? And what, if any, is the connection between his murder and the murder of Christine Larson? Smart, fierce, and unafraid of the truth even if it puts her in danger, Amanda begins to look deeper. What she finds will force the seasoned legal pro to make the hardest professional decision of her life.

Short and bad narration

What did you love best about Violent Crimes?

I really like Phillip Margolin and have been a fan for 20+ years. He's an excellent writer.

Would you be willing to try another book from Phillip Margolin? Why or why not?

Yes, based on his previous books.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

When I read an audiobook, I want the narrator to be unobtrusive. I want him/her to blend with the content so I can focus on the story. In this book, I kept focusing on the narrator. It wasn't that she was horrible, but she kept whispering, and her timing was very slow. The book was already short. If she had read at a normal pace, it probably would have been 3 hours in length.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

It didn't have enough substance to be a film.

Any additional comments?

This is the first book I've listened to where I was surprised when the ending credits hit. I thought, "you're kidding. It's over???" I was not pleased with the amount of content. I've read all of Margolin's other books and this one felt like it was written by someone else.

However, my dad read the book and loved it; so perhaps it was the narration that irritated me the most.

Riveting

This is the latest book in the Amanda Jaffe series. I have always enjoyed this series but it has been so long since the last book I thought Margolin had discontinued it. Amanda is a defense attorney in Portland, Oregon. It is great to have a book take place in some place other than NYC or LA. At the request of a fellow attorney, Christine Larson, Amanda successfully defends Larson’s paralegal, a former Navy SEAL, Tom Beatty, from a charge of assault. Then Larson is murdered and her body planted in Beatty’s place. Amanda accepts the defense of Beatty as she believed that Dale Masterson killed Larson because she was investigating his financial statements. She obtains the release of Beatty on bail when Masterson is murdered. Meanwhile, Amanda had accepted the defense of Brandon Masterson, an eco-warrior, when suddenly he is a suspect in the murder of Masterson. Now Amanda has an ethical situation in attempting to defend these two men.

The book is well written and the plot is convoluting and twisty. The pace is fast with lots of suspense. The ending of the book was a nice twist that caught me by surprise. I found this book hard to put down even as the clock ticked into the wee hours of the night. Therese Plummer does a good job narrating the book.

Super

Super! Loved the book. Totally entertaining. Always, akways, always enjoy his books on tape. wow

had me confused

all his other books I was able to figure out who the killer was midway through. this one had me until the end.

not one of the authors better books

disappointing. sophomoric attorneys with dialog that is unrealistic. Have read away better books from Margolin