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312th out of 1,095 books
—
717 voters
Primal Fear (Vail/Stampler #1)
"Spine-tingling...Mr. Diehl can sustain suspense."
THE NEW YORK TIMES
Martin Vail, the brilliant "bad-boy" lawyer every prosecutor and politician love to hate, is defending Aaron Stampler, a man found holding a bloody butcher's knife near a murdered archbishop. Vail is certain to lose, but Vail uses his unorthodox ways to good advantage when choosing his legal team--a tight...more
THE NEW YORK TIMES
Martin Vail, the brilliant "bad-boy" lawyer every prosecutor and politician love to hate, is defending Aaron Stampler, a man found holding a bloody butcher's knife near a murdered archbishop. Vail is certain to lose, but Vail uses his unorthodox ways to good advantage when choosing his legal team--a tight...more
Paperback, 393 pages
Published
April 2nd 1994
by Ballantine Books
(first published 1993)
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Aaron Stampler is found in a confessional booth holding a knife, proclaiming his innocence, after someone killed the revered Bishop of the city. Martin Vail, a quick-witted lawyer who isn't afraid to leap before he looks, is basically coerced into defending the young man who appears guilty in every sense of the word. Every politician in the city seems to have a vendetta against Vail and looks foward to seeing him lose the case.
Liked the movie. Loved the book. As with most book-to-movie adaptatio...more
Liked the movie. Loved the book. As with most book-to-movie adaptatio...more
First and best in a series, followed by "Show Of Evil" and "Reign In Hell."
Also a great film starring Richard Gere and Edward Norton in his debut role.
The city of Chicago is shocked when their "saint of Lakeview Drive," Archbishop Richard Bernard Rushman, is brutally murdered in his own rectory. Nineteen year old Aaron Stampler is found crouched in a church confessional, covered in the bishop's blood, mumbling, "Didn't do it, Mama."
Attorney Martin Vail is known for his rough tactics as well as h...more
Also a great film starring Richard Gere and Edward Norton in his debut role.
The city of Chicago is shocked when their "saint of Lakeview Drive," Archbishop Richard Bernard Rushman, is brutally murdered in his own rectory. Nineteen year old Aaron Stampler is found crouched in a church confessional, covered in the bishop's blood, mumbling, "Didn't do it, Mama."
Attorney Martin Vail is known for his rough tactics as well as h...more
The novel Primal Fear was such a thrilling book that it never left my hands. If you love murder mysteries then you will this book. The author probably did extensive research for this book. He went on talking about multiplie personality disorder like it was second nature to him. The novel went into hidden secrets within the case. This made the book even more compelling and interesting. As a reader I really enjoyed this book and made me enjoy reading murder mysteries.
The first pages start off wi...more
The first pages start off wi...more
Dec 28, 2010
Maciek
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fans of psychological and legal thrillers
Although I saw the movie adaptation with Richard Gere and Edward Norton, I wanted to read this book because I was curious how the author would present his story on paper. It turned out that William Diehl did a great job at mixing psychological suspense with legal coutroom drama.
Aaaron Stampler is accused of murdering Archbishop Richard Rushman - in fact police find him near the scene of the murder - hiding in a confessional, soaked with blood and gripping the murder weapon. Defense attorney Mart...more
Aaaron Stampler is accused of murdering Archbishop Richard Rushman - in fact police find him near the scene of the murder - hiding in a confessional, soaked with blood and gripping the murder weapon. Defense attorney Mart...more
2 likes · like · see review
May 01, 2013
Ashley
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
controversial-books,
courtrooms,
crime,
dark-humor,
famous-murders,
good-vs-evil,
keep-ya-on-your-toes,
law-lawyers,
life,
mental-illness,
overcoming-hardship,
own,
part-of-a-series,
real-issues,
religion,
sexuality,
thriller,
suspense,
violent,
who-done-it,
pure-evil,
schizophrenia,
dsm3,
multiple-personality-disorder
Ok this was a book that while I was reading was good very detailed, fun believable characters, witty commentary I thought I had this book down ......BANG what was that oh just the many twists in the book that happen just when you think your ok and got a hold on the book. I could not believe how many times I had to go back not 1, not 2 but 4 chapters( at the lest) to see ok did I just read over something where did that come from... This is a terrific pei e of mystery thriller literature. Absolute...more
Like all of Diehl's books, Primal Fear is outstanding. A week after it was published I was reading it on a flight from Atlanta to San Francisco. First class was almost empty and I was the only one awake when the steward knelt down beside my seat and whispered, "I noticed the book you are reading. It's obvious you are either a psychologist or a psychiatrist." Before I could correct him, he blurted out, "I have a primal fear of flying." I listened to his entire story, carefully closing the book an...more
4 likes · like · see review
I will never forget when I was finishing this book. I was relaxing after a day at work with the last 50 pages, enjoying the way Diehl was wrapping up the story. I got to the last few pages and was so completely surprised by the twist Diehl put into the story that I sat bolt upright, said basically what the heck (and no, not I didn't actually use that mild of an explicative) and instantly turned back those pages to make sure I wasn't hallucinating what I had just read. I don't get a lot of what t...more
2 likes · like · see review
WOW! Very intriguing!
'Primal Fear' has all the elements I always craved for in a book. I can say that by the way it gripped me altogether.
This books, surely deserved a 4 star rating until the last 10-12 pages just made it so damn interesting.
And this is one of the books, where the last line reveals the suspense. So I suggest, not to, even accidentally read the last line. And if you do, be naive, like me. I read the last line, and thankfully it didn't spoil the brunch for me.
I truly admire the au...more
'Primal Fear' has all the elements I always craved for in a book. I can say that by the way it gripped me altogether.
This books, surely deserved a 4 star rating until the last 10-12 pages just made it so damn interesting.
And this is one of the books, where the last line reveals the suspense. So I suggest, not to, even accidentally read the last line. And if you do, be naive, like me. I read the last line, and thankfully it didn't spoil the brunch for me.
I truly admire the au...more
Did not see this ending coming. Not since Orwell's 1984 has a last line in any novel chilled me the way Diehl's has. Far superior to any courtroom drama, "Primal Fear" employs the essential stream of suspense, but also tackles the psychological interior of criminal mind and motive. His style is blatant, sometimes crude; Diehl is not striving for poetic analogies or metaphors, but mostly dialogue, upbeat, fluid, and remarkably realistic. He uses this dialogue and characters with seemingly tangibl...more
Compelling page-turner. Anyone who enjoyed the film will find that the book fills in the backstory--what went on in Aaron's hometown of Crikside (because it is beside a crik) Kentucky, anyway? And he was hot for teacher at age 14?
The only minuses are the completely fictional descriptions of areas of Chicago and the perpetually hot-to-trot bunch of colleagues. I like to be able to read a location-specific thriller with a map of the city in front of me. (Stephen King's "It" was good for that--a v...more
The only minuses are the completely fictional descriptions of areas of Chicago and the perpetually hot-to-trot bunch of colleagues. I like to be able to read a location-specific thriller with a map of the city in front of me. (Stephen King's "It" was good for that--a v...more
This novel is not just another court-room drama, William Diehl created a bad-ass lawyer that contradicts with John Grisham lawyers (the conscience-loving lawyers).
At first, you would think the story is quite predictable for the reason that the case seems rather clear: an altar boy running away from the home of the bishop where he's killed (scenario: a bishop with blood all over his clothes). No doubt that you would think of something like, 'he absolutely did it! Case closed!' However, the first...more
At first, you would think the story is quite predictable for the reason that the case seems rather clear: an altar boy running away from the home of the bishop where he's killed (scenario: a bishop with blood all over his clothes). No doubt that you would think of something like, 'he absolutely did it! Case closed!' However, the first...more
I didn't think I would like this book as much as I did. One reason I didn't think so was that I had seen the movie with Edward Norton and Richard Gere, and thought that there would be no suspense because of the unknown. What I enjoyed most were the courtroom manuevers by Vail, and his ability to change the subject ever so slightly. The movie changed the way Vail discovered the truth about Roy/Aaron, and I think it added a little bit to the story. I give this a 7 out of 10.
This was a rather compelling story, once you got beyond the bloody, perverted part of the story. Martin Vail is a good defense lawyer with good backup from his researchers and the psychiatrist, Molly Arrington.
The defendant is an interesting character, a hillbilly type with a genius IQ. His backgound and reasons for moving to Chicago make a lot of sense.
I did not see the film made of this book, starring Richard Gere, but would consider seeing how it was handled by Hollywood.
The defendant is an interesting character, a hillbilly type with a genius IQ. His backgound and reasons for moving to Chicago make a lot of sense.
I did not see the film made of this book, starring Richard Gere, but would consider seeing how it was handled by Hollywood.
This is an example of how you can sometimes be positively surprised by randomly picking out a book. At first I thought it had a rather corny title, but what heck I said to myself, I'll just read it.
A simple story really, and a lot of cliches... but for some reason I didn't care much for those cliches really. Anyway, it is very well written and it drags you into reading it non-stop... and it does have a really frightening ending.
So, it gets my thumbs up!
A simple story really, and a lot of cliches... but for some reason I didn't care much for those cliches really. Anyway, it is very well written and it drags you into reading it non-stop... and it does have a really frightening ending.
So, it gets my thumbs up!
I've first read this book 10 or 11 years ago, got it as a gift from a friend along side a few other novels (Wild Horses, The Contract and a few others).
Probably among the first novels I've read in English (apart from a few Jerome K. Jerome works). I've actually enjoyed this one quite a lot, reading it twice the same month.
I've forgotten it's name or author, until I've accidentally seen the last 2 minutes of a film and went: hey, I've read this book!
Probably among the first novels I've read in English (apart from a few Jerome K. Jerome works). I've actually enjoyed this one quite a lot, reading it twice the same month.
I've forgotten it's name or author, until I've accidentally seen the last 2 minutes of a film and went: hey, I've read this book!
One man I want to talk about, he is Martin (Richard Gere)the clever lower who cares only about money ,fame , power and lights , and his view in life : Why gamble with money when you can gamble with people's lives? This kind of lower is everywhere now in many fields, medicine , engineering , Education ....the movie is not interesting to me at all in spite I like these movies running in courtroom , and one scene between ( Norton Edward ) Roy and jennet (Laura Linney )said :what she got to do if sh...more
There are very few books in this world that have made me gasp out loud when I got to the end. This is one of those few. The 'Wow' factor lies not so much in what the ending is, but how wonderfully you are lead down the various garden paths to get there. I wish the movie, though good, had packed the same punch that the book did.
Unlike the movie adaptation, this book was soooo good...one of those books that you can't shake that eerie feeling after you've read it. Loved the twist at the end too...didn't see it coming. If you haven't seen the movie, read the book. You'll want to smack everyone who had a part of that movie for ruining such a good book.
I love love love this movie. Can't say the same about the book. To me there was a lot going on that didn't make sense. And I had a lot of questions after I was finished reading this book... and not in a good, ooh I need to know more, way, more like a why did this happen and what was going on kind of way.
Exceptional book. Suspenseful, clever, great story and sub-tales, decent writing. Just do yourself a favor and do not see the movie after reading this book. It was The Worst movie-to -book experience. I was just stunned after watching the movie. Totally ruined the book.
This is one of the best legal thrillers I've read. An interesting story, great characters, and fast pacing make this a must read for anyone who likes the genre. If the movie was seen first, some of the surprises are ruined but the book is worth reading, anyway.
Read this couple of years back. Remember being quite enthralled though the legal portions of the book, only to be put off by the climax. Or was I rather impressed? Don't remember, though I do remember the twist, as well as the name of the character, Aaron.
A story about a lawyer that is trying to seek the release of his client which was caught in a scene murder. He is trying to find any possible way to release that boy as the sentenced him in jail to death, so what is going to happen>
Very good ending.
Very good ending.
This is a suspensful, can't put down, kind of book. If you've ever seen the movie, forget what you saw, and read this book. The movie was, in my opinion, only similar to the book and the book was MUCH better (as is usually the case).
Imagine if John Grisham's "A time to kill" was merged with Thomas Harris's "Silence of the Lambs" Not a perfect analogy but that basically sums up the hybrid fusion of this novels general plot theme. The charachters in this novel are excellent, and the story is top rate. This was the best novel that I can remember reading in some time. This book has two sequels to it "A Show of evil" and "Reign in Hell" in that order. I had previously read Reign in Hell, and was impressed enough with it to turn...more
I read this book back in college and remember coming to the conclusion that the drier the writer, the better it would translate onto film. With that said, the writing is DRY, but the story really makes up for it.
I actually read this book after the sequel 'Show of Evil' and I have to say this book was way better than the 2nd. The storyline was intriguing and the twist at the end of the story was just unbelieveable.
A chilling story about the brutal murder of a bishop apparently
committed by an alter boy found cowering in a confessional holding
the murder weapon. Another Diehl gem. Made a movie of this one.
committed by an alter boy found cowering in a confessional holding
the murder weapon. Another Diehl gem. Made a movie of this one.
I was soooo sad when Diehl died, because I loved his books. It's a tragedy when an author's light/mind/imagination is gone - it's like a star went out and now, it's just a gaping black hole.
'Primal Fear' has it's fair share of problems but the tense, thick atmosphere and a carefully dictated plot build up to an unsuspected ending in a manner one of the greats would write it.
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| legal/lawyer | 1 | 8 | Sep 10, 2012 06:13pm |
William Diehl was an American novelist and photojournalist.
Diehl was fifty years old and already a successful photographer and journalist when he decided to begin a writing career. His first novel, Sharky's Machine, which became a movie by the same name was directed by and starred Burt Reynolds. Diehl saw the movie shot on location in and around his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia.
Following the succ...more
More about William Diehl...
Diehl was fifty years old and already a successful photographer and journalist when he decided to begin a writing career. His first novel, Sharky's Machine, which became a movie by the same name was directed by and starred Burt Reynolds. Diehl saw the movie shot on location in and around his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia.
Following the succ...more
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Mar 23, 2011 03:16pm