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A Very Simple Crime

by Grant Jerkins (Goodreads Author)

3.55 of 5 stars 3.55 · rating details · 296 ratings · 89 reviews

A twisting debut novel of murder and dark family secrets from a riveting new voice in crime fiction.

A murdered woman. A grieving husband. And their son-a mentally handicapped adult with a history of violent outbursts. A very simple case. Or is it?

Leo Hewitt, an Assistant DA once blamed for setting free a notorious child-killer, is eager to redeem himself with this intim...more

Paperback, 264 pages

Published November 2nd 2010 by Berkley Trade (first published January 1st 2010)

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Apr 11, 2012 Dan Schwent rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime-and-mystery, firstreads, freebies-for-reviewing, 2011

A wealthy woman is killed and all signs point to her mentally disturbed son. Disgraced attourney Leo Hewitt uncovers new evidence pointing to the woman's unhappy husband. Can Leo help the DA's office put him away?

I won this book in a Firstreads giveaway and didn't realize it was a legal thriller. Yawn city, right? Well, it turned out to be a lot better than the dreary courtroom drama I was expecting.

Jerkins uses shifting viewpoints to his advantage. Adam Lee, the suspect, has his part of the sto...more

22 likes · like · see review

Nov 12, 2010 Chris Wolak rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-thriller

Enjoyed this book, and enjoy it more as it continues to play around in my mind. I recommend it to readers who like their mystery/thrillers to have a psychological edge and at little legal action. The writing is deceptively simple. Take my advice and pay attention to the details as you're reading. If the beginning is a little slow or hard to get into, stick with it. It's one of those thrillers that starts with some short chapters that leave you wondering what the heck is going on, but you quickly...more Enjoyed this book, and enjoy it more as it continues to play around in my mind. I recommend it to readers who like their mystery/thrillers to have a psychological edge and at little legal action. The writing is deceptively simple. Take my advice and pay attention to the details as you're reading. If the beginning is a little slow or hard to get into, stick with it. It's one of those thrillers that starts with some short chapters that leave you wondering what the heck is going on, but you quickly get drawn into the story and when you think you know what's going on that's when you really don't know what's going on.

A Very Simple Crime is the story of Adam Lee, a man who was orphaned at a young age and, along with his older brother Monty, is sent to live with his mother's sister's family. Adam is a man who seems to have skimmed along the surface of life, not living very deeply. His older brother Monty is one of the most successful criminal defense lawyers in the Atlanta area and a handsome womanizer who seems to have it all. Adam has worshiped Monty since the two brothers were boys.

Adam marries Rachel, a mentally disturbed woman who is the sole heir to her wealthy father's fortunes. They have a child, Albert, who is mentally handicapped. Adam gets a job in his father-in-law's firm and is initially a competent, proficient worker. During his son's childhood, however, he starts to throw himself into his work and is surprised that he becomes successful. Eventually it becomes obvious that Albert needs to be institutionalized after he hits his mother in the head with an ashtray, hard enough that she is hospitalized. Life goes one. At first Adam and Rachel visit Albert regularly, but then Rachel's own mental illness intensifies and the visits dwindle. Adam seems trapped in his sick marriage . . . and from there the plot takes off.

When Rachel is found dead and obviously murdered, is seems a simple conclusion can be drawn that Albert, the son, did it. He was home visiting his mother that weekend. But complications arise. Enter Leo Hewitt, a junior deputy prosecutor whose once stellar career is now in shambles after being blamed for releasing a suspected child murder who was later caught red-handed. Leo is prompted to dig into this new crime. The authorities were going to consider the murder an open and closed case. But Leo finds some damning evidence. Dark history between Adam and Monty comes to light. Did Adam do it? He's claimed all along that he loved his wife....

A Very Simple Crime is one of those crime novels where you're left pondering characters, scenes, and the entire plot. You'll find yourself flipping back through parts of the book and realizing that little things mentioned here and there turn out to be significant things later on.

If you're interested, read the book now, because the movie version is in pre-production. (less)

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Jul 31, 2011 Jamie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: goodreads-firstreads, mystery-suspense, crime

An interesting yet crude book. The book focuses primarily on a man named Adam Lee. He married a woman who has serious psychological issues. They have a son with mental issues who spends several years in an institution for violence. One weekend he takes his son home from the institution for a weekend at home. That same weekend he leaves on an affair getaway. When he returns, his wife is found dead. Adam turns to his brother, Monty, for his legal help as a lawyer. Monty then involves another attor...more

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Mar 18, 2012 Julia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-crime

Grant Jerkins defies the structure of a typical mystery as well as conventional writing rules surrounding POV and tense. A less skilled author would have butchered this novel by defying these rules, but Jerkins does it nicely.

The novel is divided into three parts. The first is told in present tense and the first person POV, as seen through the eyes of the key suspect before the crime takes place. The second part of the book is told using the past tense and the third person omniscient POV; it foc...more

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Aug 20, 2011 James Thane rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime-fiction, noir

Adam Lee, a businessman who has not entirely outgrown his troubled childhood, is on trial for the murder of his wife. He claims that he loved his wife and that he is innocent. He insists that, tragically, his wife was killed by their mentally ill son, Albert, who was home on a visit from the institution where he is normally committed. Adam is represented by his older brother, Monty, a handsome and successful lawyer, whom Adam has always worshipped.

Initially, the authorities had also concluded th...more

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Jun 10, 2011 Joyce rated it 5 of 5 stars

A Very Simple Masterpiece

If you are looking to read a mystery with a blatant psychological edge, this is the new book for you. Nothing is really simple about A Very Simple Crime except the short, direct sentences and chapters. The prose is not ensconced in metaphors, it is direct and there are many zinger phrases, "can I acknowledge......that I was attracted to mental illness....Darkness is drawn to darkness." And dark is this novel, one feels drawn down to deeper levels alongside the characters...more A Very Simple Masterpiece

If you are looking to read a mystery with a blatant psychological edge, this is the new book for you. Nothing is really simple about A Very Simple Crime except the short, direct sentences and chapters. The prose is not ensconced in metaphors, it is direct and there are many zinger phrases, "can I acknowledge......that I was attracted to mental illness....Darkness is drawn to darkness." And dark is this novel, one feels drawn down to deeper levels alongside the characters.

None of the characters is likeable or sympathetic. Two brothers Monty and Adam Lee, become orphaned after their parents' violent death. They are relegated to their aunt's dark basement for their living quarters. Adam, the narrator, is comfortable in the gloomy basement where he and his brother enjoy being sequestered. Monty is handsome and bright and grows up to be a successful criminal defense attorney. He appears to be "his brother's keeper." Adam works for his father-in-law after he marries Rachel who is paranoid and consumed with jealousy. She exists on drugs and alcohol and becomes agoraphobic. They have a child, Albert, who initially seems to be a normal infant but he becomes a lumbering retarded young man who is sent to an institution. He is violent and only reaches a five-year-old intellectual level.

Adam plods along in his narration, seemingly trapped in a sick marriage, and the reader is only given glimpses into his psyche. He professes his love for his wife and admiration for his perfect brother. The reader purposely cannot grasp his covert feelings. Grant Jerkins keeps us wondering how this horrific family portrait will play out. We know from early on that Adam is accused of killing his wife and Monty is defending him at the trial. As the narrator, he reminds us of his faithfulness to Rachel and then his sexual depravity as his son becomes older.

Jerkins adds subordinate characters who are fascinating and contribute to this very simple crime. There are the women: Violet Perkins, nursing assistant, Anne Hunter, journalist, Paula Manning, prosecutor, and Mrs. Herbert Watkins, tourist. The men also distinguish the plot: Leo Hewitt, attorney, Box Fox, prosecutor and Mr. Herbert Watkins, tourist. The author doesn't waste his characterizations, there is a sense of purpose

Amid the darkness, there are obsessions with retribution, brutality, madness and sheer violence. It all seems so simple as the reader peers into the darkness and sees what the author want us to perceive. Highly recommended. (less)

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Jan 27, 2011 Paul Pessolano rated it 3 of 5 stars

Grant Jerkins lives in Atlanta and his book, "A Very Simple Crime", takes place in Atlanta. In fact the murder takes place in Peachtree Battle.

The story starts with two young boys, Monty and Adam Lee, who just lost their parents in an automobile accident. The book moves quickly to their lives as adults. Monty is now a big time lawyer and Adam has married into money.

Adam finds out that not only has he married into money but his wife, Rachel, is to say the least, psychotic. They have a child, Albe...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Robyn rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"A Very Simple Crime" is aptly titled, as this is a very simply plotted book. My quibbles with the novel are more structural and basic, rather than about the plot per se.

First, the characters are superficial. I never really felt like I knew them, despite learning important points of their backstories. The characters simply read like characters, rather than real people to care about.

Second, the last name of two primary characters is Lee (brothers Adam and Monty). The first name of a third major...more

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Nov 19, 2010 Elizabeth A. rated it 5 of 5 stars

"If you are unlucky enough to have known the dark as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for darkness is a movable feast." - Adam Lee

There’s enough darkness following Adam Lee, the main character in Grant Jerkins’ debut novel A Very Simple Crime, to fuel a Thanksgiving sized feast. The book opens with Adam on trial for the murder of his wife, Rachel. As we learn through Adam’s narrated flashback to the events that brought him to this point in his life,...more "If you are unlucky enough to have known the dark as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for darkness is a movable feast." - Adam Lee

There’s enough darkness following Adam Lee, the main character in Grant Jerkins’ debut novel A Very Simple Crime, to fuel a Thanksgiving sized feast. The book opens with Adam on trial for the murder of his wife, Rachel. As we learn through Adam’s narrated flashback to the events that brought him to this point in his life, it seems that darkness has followed him like a specter from the time his parents were killed in a car accident when he was a child.

He grows up only to marry a woman whom turns out to be seriously mentally disturbed, and with her has a son, Albert, who is born severely developmentally disabled. Though he doesn’t grow much mentally, Albert does grow to be a very physically large young man, one prone to violent outbursts. After nearly killing his mother during a confrontation Albert is finally institutionalized.

Trying to get some breathing space from his suffocating home life, Adam begins having an affair with one of Albert’s attendants at the institution. To occupy his wife while he sneaks away with his mistress for the weekend Adam brings Albert home from the institution for a visit. Upon his return home from the tryst, however, he finds Rachel dead and Albert nearly nearly catatonic, rocking back and forth in a corner of the room.

With Albert the only one present, and having a history of violence against his mother, the police conduct a perfunctory investigation; it’s clear to them what happened. The setup and majority of the backstory established, it’s at this point A Very Simple Crime turns from pure Southern Gothic into a legal thriller that just happens to be set in the South. And, if possible, it gets even darker.

Assistant Prosecutor Leo Hewitt is a man with some hefty baggage of his own. Once the seeming heir apparent to the District Attorney’s chair, his botching of a high profile case has delegated him to paper pushing and occasional appearances in traffic court. Seeing the Rachel Lee murder case as his last shot at redemption, Leo elbows his way into the investigation and convinces his superiors Albert isn’t the one they should be looking at, Adam is.

Back where we started, with Adam on trial, finds Adam in the company of the one bright spot in his life, his older brother Monty. Handsome and charming, Monty also happens to be a successful defense attorney, and Adam is counting on the big brother he’s looked up to and idolized his whole life to get him clear of the murder charges he’s up against.

As the trial unfolds, Adam’s stoic, matter-of-fact narration of the burdens he carries initially paints him as a noble man trying to make the best of a crappy lot in life. As the story progresses, however, it becomes increasingly apparent that Adam’s dispassionate demeanor is in fact a direct reflection of his soul, cold and empty. Ah, but does that necessarily mean he’s a killer?

Author Grant Jerkins has crafted a masterfully Hitchcockian story in A Very Simple Crime. Every time you think you know where things are headed and what a character is about, Jerkins throws in another twist that leaves you shaking your head at its diabolical cleverness. This is not, however, a book for the faint of heart or those easily offended. There are very graphic descriptions of both sex and violence, and virtually every character in the book is hiding something, working some angle, or trying to manipulate the people around them.

Jerkins’ writing is both brilliant and brutal in its take no prisoners look at the spectacularly dysfunctional Lee family. Every layer of their apparent normalcy is mercilessly peeled back to reveal the deeply damaged and delusional personalities hiding, sometimes not so deeply, underneath. These are not pretty people, but they are endlessly fascinating. A Very Simple Crime is a very impressive debut. Grant Jerkins has serious skills, and you’ll be kicking yourself if you don’t jump on board his bandwagon and get a comfy seat now because there’s going to be standing room only soon.(less)

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Aug 05, 2011 Neil Mudde rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a great read! did not know what to expect Grant Jenkin's first novel looking forward to reading more of his writing. He puts many established mystery writers to shame.
The story starts off with a sad description of 2 brothers who are left after their parents are killed (Why is it that often parents or one parent died of some horrific accident before a mystery story starts?) Due to the circumstances of their placement they begin an interesting relationship, which comes up ever so often during...more

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Oct 26, 2010 Rich Stoehr rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: amazon-vine

Every crime tells a story - especially murder. The motivations, the events, the hidden desires...sometimes it really is simple, and sometimes it only seems that way.

A Very Simple Crime tells just such a story, one that seems all too familiar. A man trapped in a marriage and a life he doesn't want, looking for a way out. He goes away for a weekend with a lover and returns to find his wife dead, and his disabled son traumatized. It seems simple, at first.

What keeps Grant Jerkins' tale of murder mo...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Gerald Kinro rated it 3 of 5 stars

Once a promising prosecuting attorney, Leo Hewitt has fallen from grace because his mishandling of a case that let a child killer free. He is relegated to prosecuting traffic cases. In a story of twists, a woman is found brutally murdered. Still more—her son is a mentally handicapped adult with a history of uncontrollable violent outbursts. Her grieving husband is the one finally accused.

This story keeps twisting and turning until the surprising conclusion. It is a good story that is well plott...more

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Dec 28, 2012 Dianne Emley rated it 4 of 5 stars

A dark tale that's an entertaining, fast read. A character-driven mystery with a cast of really unique characters, most with hidden agendas. A couple of great plot twists. I didn't give it five stars because I found it difficult to root for any of the main characters. They were all either despicable or so quirky I found them off-putting. I'm a fan of quirky characters and have included many in my books, but I balance the bizarre by including characters we do care about, in spite of their flaws....more

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Jan 06, 2011 Karen & Gerard rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, relationships

Wow! What a twist at the end in A Very Simple Crime by Grant Jenkins. This is about two brothers, Adam and Monty. One day Adam comes home after a weekend escape with someone not his wife to find his wife dead. The only other person home was their mentally impaired son who is known for violent outbursts. When Adam is charged with murder, Monty becomes his lawyer.

A Very Simple Crime goes very fast. I got into it quickly and found it hard to put down. I was only going to give it a 7 plus rating, b...more

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Jan 14, 2011 Kristy rated it 2 of 5 stars

I guess I'm in the minority when I say I really didnt care for this book. I saw every twist and turn coming from a mile away and kept wanting more from it...and never got it. Anyone that reads thrillers or mystery type books should have no prob figuring this book out right from the begining. Again I was really wanting the author to suprise me and make me think. But I never got it. Its wasnt a bad book, it just didnt live up to my expectaions and the only thing that kept me wanting to read it, wa...more

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Feb 07, 2011 Barbara Brien rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book illustrates perfectly why I have been giving most books the same three star review on the "I like it" scale. Because I am completely ambivalent. In this case, I disliked the story, but I thought the book was good. That being said, if I had not won the book in a Goodreads giveaway, I do not think I would have finished reading it.

Part of the problem was that the story was not what I expected. The blurb description focused on a cut out character who played a relatively minor part. Since...more This book illustrates perfectly why I have been giving most books the same three star review on the "I like it" scale. Because I am completely ambivalent. In this case, I disliked the story, but I thought the book was good. That being said, if I had not won the book in a Goodreads giveaway, I do not think I would have finished reading it.

Part of the problem was that the story was not what I expected. The blurb description focused on a cut out character who played a relatively minor part. Since that description was what I expected to see developed, I felt a bit cheated. I expected a strong detective to piece together bits of a murder mystery, exhonerate an innocent person at the mercy of a brain disorder, and come out a hero at the end. The plot was actually radically different, focusing more on the father of the accused.

I believe the story line was well thought out and the plot twist superb. Having said that, I believe the character development over all could have been better, with the possible exception of the actual main character, Adam Lee. And even his character had gaping holes. Did the circumstances of his life lead to his actions, or did he have a chemical imbalance? Is this all it takes to make a sociopath? The author seems to point a finger at both nurture, nature, and neither, without allowing for the possibility that Mr. Lee could have chosen to honestly seek help for his problems.

what I perceived as the main point of the story - that mental "illness" is more prevalent thatn we believe, that all persons have chemistries different from others, that our choices based upon the chemicals in our brains can span a very wide range of "normal" - came across loud and clear. And, from that I inferred the message that we still know very little about what goes on in our own brains. But in the end we are all at the mercy of our pasts and our chemistry.

What I really disliked about the story was that there was no good person in it, other than the man who got duped, and in the end profists from the crime, so is not good after all. The secondary message seemed to be that you have to be selfish, manipulative, back-stabbing, or go along with the evil scheme to be successful. In other words, man is inherently evil.

If you are looking for a book close to the true crime genre, or exploring the intricacies of mental disorders, you might like this book. If you are looking for a light, entertaining mystery, I am not sure this is the choice for you. (less)

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Dec 29, 2012 Gina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: child-murder, death, death-child, drama, library, mental-illness, mystery, mystery-crime, mystery-detective, murder, noir, suspense, thriller, 2012, book-club, ccc-club, challenges-2012, 5-00-rating

Goodreads Description- A twisting debut novel of murder and dark family secrets from a riveting new voice in crime fiction.

A murdered woman. A grieving husband. And their son-a mentally handicapped adult with a history of violent outbursts. A very simple case. Or is it?

Leo Hewitt, an Assistant DA once blamed for setting free a notorious child-killer, is eager to redeem himself with this intimate and grisly crime. As he digs below the surface he discovers more than he ever anticipated-includin...more Goodreads Description- A twisting debut novel of murder and dark family secrets from a riveting new voice in crime fiction.

A murdered woman. A grieving husband. And their son-a mentally handicapped adult with a history of violent outbursts. A very simple case. Or is it?

Leo Hewitt, an Assistant DA once blamed for setting free a notorious child-killer, is eager to redeem himself with this intimate and grisly crime. As he digs below the surface he discovers more than he ever anticipated-including an emotionally disturbed wife, a husband who'd do anything to escape his disastrous marriage, and an accused young man with no apparent means of defense. But with each shocking new revelation, Leo is only led deeper and deeper into the darkness-an inescapable trap of blood bonds and twisted family secrets.

A Very Simple Crime is the story of Adam Lee, a man who was orphaned at a young age and, along with his older brother Monty, is sent to live as what as a described "a life of darkness" with his mother's sister's family. They are relegated to the lightless basement only to have contact with those who "live above" when they use the bathroom. This seems to be a driving theme in the book...darkness...and it continues to drive both brothers into adulthood.

Adam is a man who seems to have skimmed along the surface of life, not living very deeply. His older brother Monty is one of the most successful criminal defense lawyers in the Atlanta area and a handsome womanizer who seems to have it all. Adam has worshiped Monty since the two brothers were boys.

Adam marries Rachel, a mentally disturbed woman who is the sole heir to her wealthy father's fortunes. They have a child, Albert, who is mentally handicapped. Adam gets a job in his father-in-law's firm and is initially a competent, proficient worker. During his son's childhood, however, he starts to throw himself into his work and is surprised that he becomes successful. Eventually it becomes obvious that Albert needs to be institutionalized after he hits his mother in the head with an ashtray, hard enough that she is hospitalized. Life goes one. At first Adam and Rachel visit Albert regularly, but then Rachel's own mental illness intensifies and the visits dwindle. Adam seems trapped in his sick marriage . . . and from there the plot takes off.

When Rachel is found dead and obviously murdered, is seems a simple conclusion can be drawn that Albert, the son, did it. He was home visiting his mother that weekend. But complications arise. Enter Leo Hewitt, a junior deputy prosecutor whose once stellar career is now in shambles after being blamed for releasing a suspected child murder who was later caught red-handed. Leo is prompted to dig into this new crime. The authorities were going to consider the murder an open and closed case. But Leo finds some damning evidence. Dark history between Adam and Monty comes to light. Did Adam do it? He's claimed all along that he loved his wife....

One thing I must say is that every character in this book has serious issues. Some more than others. The characters were well written. Leo's desire to regain his lost position was fairly powerful. Monty Lee seemed like a douchebag attorney and Paula's drive to get to the top was also pretty convincing. Adam Lee, the conflicted suspect, was both sympathetic and repugnant at the same time. Plumbing his past was good for some foreshadowing of the future

Jerkins uses shifting viewpoints to his advantage. Adam Lee, the suspect, has his part of the story told in the first person while the rest is told in the third person, primarily from the point of view of Leo Hewitt. This works to Jerkins' advantage. While I was pretty sure what was going on from the beginning, he had me doubting myself quite a few times. Jenkins had me flipping pages back and forth because the twists kept coming.

I enjoyed this book, and enjoy it more as it continues to play around in my mind. I recommend it to readers who like their mystery/thrillers to have a psychological edge and a little legal action. The writing is deceptively simple. Take my advice and pay attention to the details as you're reading. If the beginning is a little slow or hard to get into, stick with it. It's one of those thrillers that starts with some short chapters that leave you wondering what the heck is going on, but you quickly get drawn into the story and when you think you know what's going on that's when you really don't know what the heck is happening.

I enjoyed the simplicity of the writing: monotonous, understated, and apathetic in the face of mental illness, adulterous sex, and murder. A Very Simple Crime was a twisted, yet fascinating journey into the psyche of a clever, almost sociopathic criminal. Highly recommended! 5 stars!

(less)

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Jul 24, 2012 Ed Schneider rated it 5 of 5 stars

Grant Jerkins debut novel is a dark, twisted tale of sibling rivalry, family secrets, a mentally retarded adult son and, oh yes, murder. The author's seeming simple writing style is more complex than it appears, as is the murder of one brother's wife and the defense of the accused husband by his attorney/brother. As the story unreels, truths become questioned, observations become questionable, and secrets turn the tale on its tail. It's a wonderful, mesmerizing yarn by a writer with a strong, un...more

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Aug 21, 2011 J. Ford rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have to say I really enjoyed this book. It's been a while since I've read a good legal thriller and this one didn't let me down. It was definitely a page-turner and I read it in a couple of hours.

The story is about two brothers - Adam and Monty Lee. Adam is married to a very crazy woman and Monty is a sleezebag attorney. The story takes us from the time when Adam and Monty are young and their parents die, all the way to adulthood where Adam is married and working for his father-in-law as an in...more

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Mar 08, 2011 Ellie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011ind-chal200bks, first-reads, fiction, mystery

A Very Simple Crime by Grant Jerkins was a well-paced, well-written detective story with a satisfying plot, interesting characters, and just enough twists to keep the reader's interest alert.
Adam and his brother Monty are close, in that terminally ambivalent way that brothers so often seem to be. Orphaned at an early age, Adam looks to Monty for protection and Monty plays the sophisticated elder brother role well. A successful criminal attorney, Monty loses himself in both the law and the pleasu...more

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Aug 24, 2011 Kurt Reichenbaugh rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: noir

Good neo-noir novel. The prose is tight and brisk with a plot that moves along without ever bogging down in style. I'm still out on the different POV's. It worked here, and I don't see a way that it would have been pulled off it had been done entirely in the 1st person. Also what's interesting is how the reader should (or not) empathize with unlikable brothers Adam and Monty. Fans of noir should enjoy this one.

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Nov 19, 2012 John Kelley rated it 2 of 5 stars

A very quick read, and a very base writer. Can't authors with compelling stories get beyond themselves and trying to shock with gross perversions? Seems like he was just trying to write something that would wind up on film as the next "Presumed Innocent". You are left caring about none of the characters because they are all selfish, corrupt or deranged. There is better in life and I hope Jerkins finds it.

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Jan 30, 2011 Heather rated it 2 of 5 stars

I will try to review as simple as possible. (My ode to the title)

Raunchy, frantic, predictable and a bit hard is how I would describe this book.

I would venture to guess that the author is a huge fan of Law and Order Special Victims Unit. It read just like the one episode I've ever watched of that show.

Sadly, I will not be awaiting the next book by Grant Jerkins.

Simplicity is not always a good thing.

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Mar 18, 2011 Jeanne B. rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a very troubling but intriguing read with mostly unpleasant characters, but with a story line that keeps you reading. You have to know what really happened and whether you are being tricked, as you suspect right away. Not a five star book but definitely a very convincing and engaging plot. The hero of the story is hard to find.

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Mar 07, 2011 Rhonda rated it 4 of 5 stars

A quick read with a lot of twists. The author gives a little more background with each character, then a little more mystery ensues, then a little more background, etc. A man in an unhappy marriage comes home from a weekend tryst to find his wife murdered, assumedly by their retarded son. He counts on his brother to save the day.

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Apr 18, 2013 Stephanie Saylor rated it 5 of 5 stars

Disturbing yet amazing. The book was a very simple read (har-har). I was able to finish it in one sitting. Definitely a page turner. I am not a person who re-reads book but I would read this one again over and over! This book was very well written and the character development was on point!

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Nov 07, 2011 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm not huge on mystery novels because I always find them trite, but this one was pretty good. A quick read (I think I read it in 3 days), not so amazing characters but it was better than a James Patterson novel! I'd be interested in reading another book by this author.

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Jan 17, 2011 Jenna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

*I won this book* Thank you Goodreads's First-Reads!!!

A quick read with several twists and turns. Whenever I felt I knew what happened to Rachel, the author would reveal something new that changed everything. I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to more from Grant Jerkins.

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Feb 21, 2012 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars

If Alfred Hitchcock were alive, he'd make this into his next movie. Just loved it. Loved the plot twists, the points of view switching and the sly tone. This was so much better than his second book. REad this in just three evening sessions.

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Nov 18, 2011 Julie rated it 3 of 5 stars

3 1/2 A very wonderful first novel! A fast reading thriller with many twists and turns. Adam's wife is murdered while he is out of town with another woman. Is it his developmentally disabled son who murdered her? Things are not what they seem.

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About Grant Jerkins

Grant Jerkins's first novel, A Very Simple Crime, has been optioned for film by Oscar-nominated screenwriter Nicholas Kazan (At Close Range, Reversal of Fortune,) with Barbet Schroeder (Barfly, Single White Female) attached to direct. This will mark the first pairing of Schroeder and Kazan since their landmark, Oscar-winning film, Reversal of Fortune.

Grant lives with his wife and son in the Atlant...more

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8432523-a-very-simple-crime?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1311703176l/8432523.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8432523-a-very-simple-crime?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]A Very Simple Crime by Grant Jerkins[/url]

A Very Simple Crime

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