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Barbara Holloway #13
By Stone, by Blade, by Fire
Travis Morgan's case seems open and shut: a plot to kill his estranged father, fundamentalist preacher Arlie Morgan, goes awry and his bullet slays an innocent bookkeeper. Two eyewitnesses seal Travis' fate. But despite damning evidence and an admitted hatred of his father, Travis staunchly maintains his innocence. Beseeched by his anguished mother, veteran defense attorney Barbara Holloway agrees to represent Travis. With the support of her father, attorney Frank Holloway, and crack private investigator Bailey, Barbara reveals a zealot, his ultrarich backers, and unimaginable atrocities. Travis' case proceeds to trial, and Barbara finds herself pitted against a complacent legal system and a judge eager to simply close the case and retire. Knowing she must intervene decisively to avoid a conviction, Barbara steps squarely into the path of danger. Risking her own life, Barbara confronts the killer in order to save Travis'.
Audio CD
Published December 3, 2012
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About the author
Kate Wilhelm
275 books446 followersKate Wilhelm’s first short story, “The Pint-Sized Genie” was published in Fantastic Stories in 1956. Her first novel, MORE BITTER THAN DEATH, a mystery, was published in 1963. Over the span of her career, her writing has crossed over the genres of science fiction, speculative fiction, fantasy and magical realism, psychological suspense, mimetic, comic, and family sagas, a multimedia stage production, and radio plays. She returned to writing mysteries in 1990 with the acclaimed Charlie Meiklejohn and Constance Leidl Mysteries and the Barbara Holloway series of legal thrillers.
Wilhelm’s works have been adapted for television and movies in numerous countries; her novels and stories have been translated to more than a dozen languages. She has contributed to Quark, Orbit, Magazine of Fantasy and ScienceFiction, Locus, Amazing Stories, Asimov’s Science Fiction, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Fantastic, Omni, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Redbook, and Cosmopolitan.
Kate Wilhelm is the widow of acclaimed science fiction author and editor, Damon Knight (1922-2002), with whom she founded the Clarion Writers’ Workshop and the Milford Writers’ Conference, described in her 2005 non-fiction work, STORYTELLER. They lectured together at universities across three continents; Kate has continued to offer interviews, talks, and monthly workshops.
Kate Wilhelm has received two Hugo awards, three Nebulas, as well as Jupiter, Locus, Spotted Owl, Prix Apollo, Kristen Lohman awards, among others. She was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2003. In 2009, Kate was the recipient of one of the first Solstice Awards presented by the Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA) in recognition of her contributions to the field of science fiction.
Kate’s highly popular Barbara Holloway mysteries, set in Eugene, Oregon, opened with Death Qualified in 1990. Mirror, Mirror, released in 2017, is the series’ 14th novel.
Wilhelm’s works have been adapted for television and movies in numerous countries; her novels and stories have been translated to more than a dozen languages. She has contributed to Quark, Orbit, Magazine of Fantasy and ScienceFiction, Locus, Amazing Stories, Asimov’s Science Fiction, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Fantastic, Omni, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Redbook, and Cosmopolitan.
Kate Wilhelm is the widow of acclaimed science fiction author and editor, Damon Knight (1922-2002), with whom she founded the Clarion Writers’ Workshop and the Milford Writers’ Conference, described in her 2005 non-fiction work, STORYTELLER. They lectured together at universities across three continents; Kate has continued to offer interviews, talks, and monthly workshops.
Kate Wilhelm has received two Hugo awards, three Nebulas, as well as Jupiter, Locus, Spotted Owl, Prix Apollo, Kristen Lohman awards, among others. She was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2003. In 2009, Kate was the recipient of one of the first Solstice Awards presented by the Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA) in recognition of her contributions to the field of science fiction.
Kate’s highly popular Barbara Holloway mysteries, set in Eugene, Oregon, opened with Death Qualified in 1990. Mirror, Mirror, released in 2017, is the series’ 14th novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
October 19, 2014
[library audiobook, no financial investment in finishing]
[plot summary elsewhere]
Gave it a 4 because it's the familiar Barbara and Frank Holloway show with their regular company of characters doing their usual shtick with the usual reader and usual voices. Also, the usual round of home cooked gourmet dinners, wine and coffee endlessly. I listened for the end when I could have been doing other things. Hope it's not a spoiler that the religious fanatics, mercenaries and corporate bad guys don't win.
But, the narrative has a lot of problems. The psychotic preacher was too over the top. The mastermind was never really explained. The good guys and bad guys have too much endless flow of money. There's no gun shot residue test which would have cleared the boy in peril [or given Holloway something else to explain.] [Also, with such a large caliber near antique gun, I think the GSR could be detected by small. Photos are taken at the crime scene with the wounded boy lying on the floor untreated. The judge, after implacably keeping exonerating stuff out of the trial, all of a sudden lets Holloway get all sorts of stuff in.
Wilhelm is getting up in years, wonder if she needs a collaborator. Either way I will read the next one.
[plot summary elsewhere]
Gave it a 4 because it's the familiar Barbara and Frank Holloway show with their regular company of characters doing their usual shtick with the usual reader and usual voices. Also, the usual round of home cooked gourmet dinners, wine and coffee endlessly. I listened for the end when I could have been doing other things. Hope it's not a spoiler that the religious fanatics, mercenaries and corporate bad guys don't win.
But, the narrative has a lot of problems. The psychotic preacher was too over the top. The mastermind was never really explained. The good guys and bad guys have too much endless flow of money. There's no gun shot residue test which would have cleared the boy in peril [or given Holloway something else to explain.] [Also, with such a large caliber near antique gun, I think the GSR could be detected by small. Photos are taken at the crime scene with the wounded boy lying on the floor untreated. The judge, after implacably keeping exonerating stuff out of the trial, all of a sudden lets Holloway get all sorts of stuff in.
Wilhelm is getting up in years, wonder if she needs a collaborator. Either way I will read the next one.
March 19, 2013
Really more like 3.5. Couldn't stop till the end. Love the way it derides religious bigots!
January 11, 2013
I've decided after reading all the books in this series, i do not like the main character. She is a pushy broad. I love the author's writing style, I enjoy the other characters very much, the plot is always satisfying with no deux es machina or anything but I do not like the main character, and I am ok with that. I will continue to read and enjoy and just continue to dislike Barbara. Good book.
November 29, 2020
Notes:
Currently on Audible Plus (last book of the series on AP)
Events have become more exciting in the series, but I want more development on Barbara's personal life too. It's interesting to see what kinds of extremes Barbara swings as she tries to balance work & the rest of life.
Currently on Audible Plus (last book of the series on AP)
Events have become more exciting in the series, but I want more development on Barbara's personal life too. It's interesting to see what kinds of extremes Barbara swings as she tries to balance work & the rest of life.
May 10, 2017
Barbara Holloway had the impossible task of keeping her client, Travis Morgan, out of jail. She knew he was innocent but proving it was another matter. Barbara was up against a hostile judge who wanted the jury to bring in a guilty verdict and a seasoned prosecutor but with the help of her team she was able to prove that Travis’s father, the Rev Benjamin Morgan who was the fundamentalist pastor of the Church of Purity and Redemption, had motive and opportunity. Travis had run-a-way from his dad when he learned that his dad had him scheduled to be circumcised but what Travis hadn’t known was that his dad had the same surgery planned for his sister who eventually committed suicide.
Kate Wilheim did a phenomenal job in getting into the mind of the fundamentalist pastor. Kate Wilhelm is one of the few legal thrillers writers who can keep me enthralled in a story. By Stone, by Blade, by Fire was well written, well edited, believable on a subject that we hear about nearly every day.
Why Carrington MacDuffie was chosen to be the voice of the characters is beyond me but in spite of her storytelling, I enjoyed By Stone, by Blade, by Fire immensely.
Kate Wilheim did a phenomenal job in getting into the mind of the fundamentalist pastor. Kate Wilhelm is one of the few legal thrillers writers who can keep me enthralled in a story. By Stone, by Blade, by Fire was well written, well edited, believable on a subject that we hear about nearly every day.
Why Carrington MacDuffie was chosen to be the voice of the characters is beyond me but in spite of her storytelling, I enjoyed By Stone, by Blade, by Fire immensely.
November 7, 2017
I enjoy courtroom drama and legal strategies, but this book took a long time to delve into anything legal. To me, it did not seem plausible that Barbara Holloway, the lawyer defending Travis Morgan, would do so much personal detective work. Aren't investigators hired for that purpose? Don't lawyers generally have many cases to prepare for? I had a difficult time caring about any of the characters. They were either wooden, over-the-top, or just plain boring. But when the book finally arrived at the trial, Barbara's defence arguments demonstrated other possible scenarios for the facts, which made the book a bit more interesting.
September 15, 2017
Audiobook. Reader pretty good. More like 2.5 stars.
To me it was a pretty straightforward mystery court room thriller. The characters main and subsidiary seemed fairly cliché, not unusual in a prolonged series. The ending seemed contrived and convenient. The courtroom drama details stopped just this side of boring. Lots of description of meals. Will I read more of this series-hard to say. It is the kind of stuff I pick up at the library for minor entertainment listening. I have not read any of the others in these series.
The only other book by Wilhelm I have read (and enjoyed as I recall) is "Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang" back in the late 70's which at the time was considered boundary breaking science fiction.
To me it was a pretty straightforward mystery court room thriller. The characters main and subsidiary seemed fairly cliché, not unusual in a prolonged series. The ending seemed contrived and convenient. The courtroom drama details stopped just this side of boring. Lots of description of meals. Will I read more of this series-hard to say. It is the kind of stuff I pick up at the library for minor entertainment listening. I have not read any of the others in these series.
The only other book by Wilhelm I have read (and enjoyed as I recall) is "Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang" back in the late 70's which at the time was considered boundary breaking science fiction.
December 25, 2013
Book number 13 in the Barbara Holloway series by Kate Wilhelm - 2 stars. Barbara defends a young man accused of inadvertently murdering a church bookkeeper while attempting to murder his father. I probably would have rated this book a bit higher for the story if Ms Wilhelm could have kept her personal politics out of the story. But I found her political bias personally insulting, and because of that my whole reading experience suffered. The last time I read one of Ms Wilhelm's books I noted the same problem and swore that I would never subject myself to her again - I should have stuck with that assessment.
October 4, 2018
This is a mystery author I like. In addition to solving the crime, her main character, Barbara, a defense attorney, must get her client (always innocent, of course) acquitted by a jury. In this book, her client has been framed and Barbara must present a defense before a cantankerous, elderly judge who is interested only in a speedy conviction.
I especially enjoy the trial portions of Wilhelm’s books, where she demonstrates how the truth can be thwarted by a host of technical legal procedures and an innocent defendant can still be convicted.
I especially enjoy the trial portions of Wilhelm’s books, where she demonstrates how the truth can be thwarted by a host of technical legal procedures and an innocent defendant can still be convicted.
August 26, 2013
Carrington MacDuffie did a lovely job reading By Stone, by Blade, by Fire, a twisty-turny mystery featuring attorney Barbara Holloway and her crew of friends, family, and cohorts. Opening with a seemingly open-and-shut murder case of a boy murdering his estranged father, Holloway uncovers a complex web of insanity, religious fervor, money, power, and greed. I think this book would stand alone well for someone new to the series, but it is a better read if you've read the earlier books.
December 27, 2018
Terrible things happened but everything seemed to fly by so fast that it was hard to believe it was over by the ending. The danger did not seem real.
February 23, 2025
Too much repetition of same info, first with witnesses, then the lengthy closing arguments going over and over the same things. Gave up. Too slow getting to the end.
Read
May 15, 2025love he voce
November 11, 2018
THIS SUMMARY/REVIEW WAS COPIED FROM OTHER SOURCES AND IS USED ONLY AS A REMINDER OF WHAT THE BOOK WAS ABOUT FOR MY PERSONAL INTEREST. ANY PERSONAL NOTATIONS ARE FOR MY RECOLLECTION ONLY
**
From the standpoint of looking at this Barbra Holloway novel purely as escapism, it is a page turner. Watching Barbara take on a fire and brimstone, fundamentalist preacher, whose estranged son is accused of murder, is entertaining, and at times laughable as the preacher shows no hesitation at publicly lambasting Barbara, not even while giving testimony during his son's trial. It was very easy to get caught up in the story of young Travis Morgan and his sister, June. As Barbara unravels the details of the case, it is clear that it is much more complicated than that of a troubled young man who intends to kill his father and kills the wrong man by accident.
For Barbara, the case quickly becomes personal, and she becomes intent not just on exonerating Travis, but in bringing down his father. To do so, she has to find out the truth about not just the murder of Arlie Morgan's bookkeeper, but of June and another young girl. This puts Barbara in danger as the sinister cabal that protects Arlie Morgan sets its sights on her.
And yet as the book progressed, I found myself feeling disappointed.
**
Barbara Holloway had the impossible task of keeping her client, Travis Morgan, out of jail. She knew he was innocent but proving it was another matter. Barbara was up against a hostile judge who wanted the jury to bring in a guilty verdict and a seasoned prosecutor but with the help of her team she was able to prove that Travis’s father, the Rev Benjamin Morgan who was the fundamentalist pastor of the Church of Purity and Redemption, had motive and opportunity. Travis had run-a-way from his dad when he learned that his dad had him scheduled to be circumcised but what Travis hadn’t known was that his dad had the same surgery planned for his sister who eventually committed suicide.
Kate Wilheim did a phenomenal job in getting into the mind of the fundamentalist pastor.
**
From the standpoint of looking at this Barbra Holloway novel purely as escapism, it is a page turner. Watching Barbara take on a fire and brimstone, fundamentalist preacher, whose estranged son is accused of murder, is entertaining, and at times laughable as the preacher shows no hesitation at publicly lambasting Barbara, not even while giving testimony during his son's trial. It was very easy to get caught up in the story of young Travis Morgan and his sister, June. As Barbara unravels the details of the case, it is clear that it is much more complicated than that of a troubled young man who intends to kill his father and kills the wrong man by accident.
For Barbara, the case quickly becomes personal, and she becomes intent not just on exonerating Travis, but in bringing down his father. To do so, she has to find out the truth about not just the murder of Arlie Morgan's bookkeeper, but of June and another young girl. This puts Barbara in danger as the sinister cabal that protects Arlie Morgan sets its sights on her.
And yet as the book progressed, I found myself feeling disappointed.
**
Barbara Holloway had the impossible task of keeping her client, Travis Morgan, out of jail. She knew he was innocent but proving it was another matter. Barbara was up against a hostile judge who wanted the jury to bring in a guilty verdict and a seasoned prosecutor but with the help of her team she was able to prove that Travis’s father, the Rev Benjamin Morgan who was the fundamentalist pastor of the Church of Purity and Redemption, had motive and opportunity. Travis had run-a-way from his dad when he learned that his dad had him scheduled to be circumcised but what Travis hadn’t known was that his dad had the same surgery planned for his sister who eventually committed suicide.
Kate Wilheim did a phenomenal job in getting into the mind of the fundamentalist pastor.
February 11, 2015
From the standpoint of looking at this Barbra Holloway novel purely as escapism, it is a page turner. Watching Barbara take on a fire and brimstone, fundamentalist preacher, whose estranged son is accused of murder, is entertaining, and at times laughable as the preacher shows no hesitation at publicly lambasting Barbara, not even while giving testimony during his son's trial. It was very easy to get caught up in the story of young Travis Morgan and his sister, June. As Barbara unravels the details of the case, it is clear that it is much more complicated than that of a troubled young man who intends to kill his father and kills the wrong man by accident.
For Barbara, the case quickly becomes personal, and she becomes intent not just on exonerating Travis, but in bringing down his father. To do so, she has to find out the truth about not just the murder of Arlie Morgan's bookkeeper, but of June and another young girl. This puts Barbara in danger as the sinister cabal that protects Arlie Morgan sets its sights on her.
And yet as the book progressed, I found myself feeling disappointed.
[SPOILER ALERT!!! DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS!!!]
I found the entire Homeland Security thread to be extraneous and a needless distraction. I get that Wilhelm was setting up a rationale for external funding of Morgan's church and that she was making Morgan a pawn for a homegrown militia group, but it ultimately didn't go anywhere. Homeland Security swooped in, arrested people who were peripheral to the story, made a lot of noise about wanting whatever information Barbara had about Morgan, and then went away.
I also found Barbara's courtroom defense of Travis Morgan to be insufficient. I was expecting her to do more with information she had gathered about the death of Travis' sister and about the death of another young man who had tried to kill Arlie Morgan.
I thought Barbara's meeting in the church with Arlie Morgan and Dr. Nolan was a case of entrapment. It doesn't matter that the police dd not know what she was gong to do, they supported the sting, listened to the implanted bugs and were prepared to make arrests based on the outcome. I guess Barbara was not expecting any of the information that resulted to ever end up in a courtroom, but I still found it to be of questionable ethics.
Finally, I found the killing of Arlie Morgan at the end to be a real cop out. I was looking forward to seeing him dragged away in cuffs, to see his empire crumbling around him, and to see him exposed as a child abusing old fraud. Being shot to death was too good an end for him.
For Barbara, the case quickly becomes personal, and she becomes intent not just on exonerating Travis, but in bringing down his father. To do so, she has to find out the truth about not just the murder of Arlie Morgan's bookkeeper, but of June and another young girl. This puts Barbara in danger as the sinister cabal that protects Arlie Morgan sets its sights on her.
And yet as the book progressed, I found myself feeling disappointed.
[SPOILER ALERT!!! DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS!!!]
I found the entire Homeland Security thread to be extraneous and a needless distraction. I get that Wilhelm was setting up a rationale for external funding of Morgan's church and that she was making Morgan a pawn for a homegrown militia group, but it ultimately didn't go anywhere. Homeland Security swooped in, arrested people who were peripheral to the story, made a lot of noise about wanting whatever information Barbara had about Morgan, and then went away.
I also found Barbara's courtroom defense of Travis Morgan to be insufficient. I was expecting her to do more with information she had gathered about the death of Travis' sister and about the death of another young man who had tried to kill Arlie Morgan.
I thought Barbara's meeting in the church with Arlie Morgan and Dr. Nolan was a case of entrapment. It doesn't matter that the police dd not know what she was gong to do, they supported the sting, listened to the implanted bugs and were prepared to make arrests based on the outcome. I guess Barbara was not expecting any of the information that resulted to ever end up in a courtroom, but I still found it to be of questionable ethics.
Finally, I found the killing of Arlie Morgan at the end to be a real cop out. I was looking forward to seeing him dragged away in cuffs, to see his empire crumbling around him, and to see him exposed as a child abusing old fraud. Being shot to death was too good an end for him.
Read
December 29, 2018Kate Wilhelm is an engaging writer, and this novel doesn't disappoint on that front. Things move along quickly, engaging courtroom drama, etc etc..
But there were a few sour notes that ultimately colored the whole book for me. The first I'm not going to call a spoiler, as it's not actually connected to any plot points or anything. Which makes it all the more baffling why it would be included. It is a throwaway anecdote that a character (older man, Herbert, present as bodyguard with his dog Morgan) uses to deflect the questions of main character's step son (Todd, late teens.) It's really icky, casual anti-native racism which I think we're supposed to read as touching light hearted bonding?
The other thing like this for me was the repeated times where various characters try to talk each other into, or reassure each other that, the big villain is "crazy" or "insane" when he's really just evil.
But there were a few sour notes that ultimately colored the whole book for me. The first I'm not going to call a spoiler, as it's not actually connected to any plot points or anything. Which makes it all the more baffling why it would be included. It is a throwaway anecdote that a character (older man, Herbert, present as bodyguard with his dog Morgan) uses to deflect the questions of main character's step son (Todd, late teens.) It's really icky, casual anti-native racism which I think we're supposed to read as touching light hearted bonding?
"Well, it's this way," Herbert said. "Down south, Arizona, a while back, see, I was playing poker with a bunch of Apaches and I kept winning. Didn't plan to, just lucky that night, but they began to act like they thought I was cheating or something. I wasn't cheating. I'd be scared to death I'd get caught, but that wasn't a good place to be, a big white dude with a bunch of Indians not far removed from their scalping days, and I was getting just a mite uneasy when there was a commotion in the next room and they all got up to have a look-see and I skedaddled lickety-split. A few weeks later I got to thinking that Indians don't forget, and they don't forgive, and it bothered my sleep so I had a little talk with Morgan and told him he had to warn me if they ever got on my trail. I always show him the boundaries, sort of, and if any Apaches set foot across it, I'll have time to skeddaddle again, just like before. Don't want no trouble with them, and I sure don't want my head to show up naked one morning."
Todd laughed, and in the living room Barbara smiled, then returned to the sermon she was trying to read.
The other thing like this for me was the repeated times where various characters try to talk each other into, or reassure each other that, the big villain is "crazy" or "insane" when he's really just evil.
Read
December 31, 2012By Stone, By Blade, by Fire, by Kate Wilhelm, a-minus, Narrated by Carrington MacDuffie, Produced by Blackstone Audio, Downloaded from audible.com.
This is the latest Barbara Holloway mystery. We have Barbara’s dramatic courtroom scenes, her arguments and discussions with her father, lawyer Frank Holloway, wonderful discussions of food and comfort, and the characters of the investigators Frank and Barbara hire to help them defend their clients. The case begins with a man coming into Frank’s office. He’s been beaten up; he can barely talk, but he hands Frank a folder filled with lists of names and says: “Don’t let them get this list.” He doesn’t get a chance to tell Frank what the list is, who shouldn’t get it. He’s very injured and he ultimately dies. Frank, not knowing what else to do, keeps the list in his safe and goes no further. Then, months later, Barbara is asked by a mother to defend her son, Travis Morgan. Travis is the son of a zealot and insane preacher. He ran away from home and hates his father, but he is now accused of coming to see his father and killing his father’s bookkeeper mistaking him for his father. Travis says he doesn’t own a gun and has never shot one in his life. Further, he was knocked out and only knows that he was pushed into a room, hit with something hard, and woke up in the hospital. The preacher’s two bodyguards insist they saw Travis shoot the bookkeeper. Barbara begins digging for whatever can turn this case away from the open-and-shut case the prosecution thinks It is. She and her father end up involved in a conspiracy with wide-reaching implications as well as in danger from a very dangerous preacher. This is one of the best of the Holloway series, and I’ve liked them all. The narrator continues to do a wonderful job, particularly of portraying Barbara, but her various male voices are very good as well. Highly recommended.
This is the latest Barbara Holloway mystery. We have Barbara’s dramatic courtroom scenes, her arguments and discussions with her father, lawyer Frank Holloway, wonderful discussions of food and comfort, and the characters of the investigators Frank and Barbara hire to help them defend their clients. The case begins with a man coming into Frank’s office. He’s been beaten up; he can barely talk, but he hands Frank a folder filled with lists of names and says: “Don’t let them get this list.” He doesn’t get a chance to tell Frank what the list is, who shouldn’t get it. He’s very injured and he ultimately dies. Frank, not knowing what else to do, keeps the list in his safe and goes no further. Then, months later, Barbara is asked by a mother to defend her son, Travis Morgan. Travis is the son of a zealot and insane preacher. He ran away from home and hates his father, but he is now accused of coming to see his father and killing his father’s bookkeeper mistaking him for his father. Travis says he doesn’t own a gun and has never shot one in his life. Further, he was knocked out and only knows that he was pushed into a room, hit with something hard, and woke up in the hospital. The preacher’s two bodyguards insist they saw Travis shoot the bookkeeper. Barbara begins digging for whatever can turn this case away from the open-and-shut case the prosecution thinks It is. She and her father end up involved in a conspiracy with wide-reaching implications as well as in danger from a very dangerous preacher. This is one of the best of the Holloway series, and I’ve liked them all. The narrator continues to do a wonderful job, particularly of portraying Barbara, but her various male voices are very good as well. Highly recommended.
February 15, 2015
This was my first Barbara Halloway novel. It is number 14 in the series. I enjoyed it, most of the time. Barbara Halloway is a successful attorney. She lives with her partner and his son, and I'd like to go back in the series to find out a bit more about them, as they don't seem more than props in this installment. Barbara takes on the defense of a young man accused of murdering his father's accountant. His father is a sex-obsessed preacher who believes that sex is at the root of all evil and that eunuchs are the only men who are free and pure. The father somehow has attracted a benefactor, who later is hinted to be a militia group. Barbara becomes incensed at the father's treatment of his daughter and her boyfriend, and determined to bring him down, even though she is actually supposed to be trying to clear the son's name only.
I didn't like Barbara. She was almost as righteous in her views as the zealot preacher. Everyone around her seems to treat her in awe, like she was a child prodigy. I could have gotten this impression from the audiobook narrator. Her interpretation colored my understanding, but some of the other reviewers seem to agree with me.
There were a couple of things I didn't understand. Francis is accused of shooting the accountant to death, but no mention is ever made of checking his hands for gunshot residue. That seems a major omission. The other thing that made no sense is why Dr. Nolan stood by the crazy preacher. He is the preacher's doctor and confidant but it is never clear to me why he stands by the preacher. It's obvious that he doesn't share the same level of commitment in the preacher's message, or perhaps that just me because I found the preacher's message to be so repulsive.
So, final verdict is that it's an okay read. I won't purchase any of the books but if I find them at my library, I'll give them a go.
I didn't like Barbara. She was almost as righteous in her views as the zealot preacher. Everyone around her seems to treat her in awe, like she was a child prodigy. I could have gotten this impression from the audiobook narrator. Her interpretation colored my understanding, but some of the other reviewers seem to agree with me.
There were a couple of things I didn't understand. Francis is accused of shooting the accountant to death, but no mention is ever made of checking his hands for gunshot residue. That seems a major omission. The other thing that made no sense is why Dr. Nolan stood by the crazy preacher. He is the preacher's doctor and confidant but it is never clear to me why he stands by the preacher. It's obvious that he doesn't share the same level of commitment in the preacher's message, or perhaps that just me because I found the preacher's message to be so repulsive.
So, final verdict is that it's an okay read. I won't purchase any of the books but if I find them at my library, I'll give them a go.
September 11, 2016
I've now read all the Barbara Holloway Mysteries. This latest is every bit as intriguing, convoluted and engaging as earlier ones in the series. Barbara Holloway, maverick defense attorney reluctantly takes on client Travis Morgan after
..two witnesses swear they saw Travis Morgan walk into his father's house and shoot the man at his desk. Although he admits to a passionate hatred and fear of his father, a fundamentalist preacher, Travis swears he is innocent. Barbara Holloway believes him, and as she investigates, the case explodes into a dangerous conspiracy, causing Frank, Barbara's father and part-time associate, to hire a bodyguard to protect her. (So says the publishing blurb).
Much of this episode is similar to earlier entries in the series: Barbara still gets obsessed with her clients and neglects not only her health but her relationships with partner Darren and her father. There are still enough red herrings thrown in to keep the reader guessing well into the story not only about the murder but all the clues and issues needed to be developed to resolve the story. Barbara's ageless and charming father Frank, the irrascible PI Bailey, and bubbly perky brilliant associate are still here, and seamlessly woven into another great courtroom drama. It is particularly intriguing with its focus on the veracity of eye witnesses.
I especially enjoy these in audio format. Carrington MacDuffie's narration is perfect for the personalities portrayed. Let's hope Wilhelm has some more adventures for this intrepid attorney tucked away. I can't wait.
..two witnesses swear they saw Travis Morgan walk into his father's house and shoot the man at his desk. Although he admits to a passionate hatred and fear of his father, a fundamentalist preacher, Travis swears he is innocent. Barbara Holloway believes him, and as she investigates, the case explodes into a dangerous conspiracy, causing Frank, Barbara's father and part-time associate, to hire a bodyguard to protect her. (So says the publishing blurb).
Much of this episode is similar to earlier entries in the series: Barbara still gets obsessed with her clients and neglects not only her health but her relationships with partner Darren and her father. There are still enough red herrings thrown in to keep the reader guessing well into the story not only about the murder but all the clues and issues needed to be developed to resolve the story. Barbara's ageless and charming father Frank, the irrascible PI Bailey, and bubbly perky brilliant associate are still here, and seamlessly woven into another great courtroom drama. It is particularly intriguing with its focus on the veracity of eye witnesses.
I especially enjoy these in audio format. Carrington MacDuffie's narration is perfect for the personalities portrayed. Let's hope Wilhelm has some more adventures for this intrepid attorney tucked away. I can't wait.
September 21, 2018
I listened to this audiobook. I would give this 3 1/2 stars. Barbara Holloway is a defense attorney along with her father Frank in Oregon. In this story Travis Morgan stands accused of killing his estranged father's bookkeeper in what the prosecution calls a case of mistaken identity. Travis allegedly was trying to kill his father. The reason? Arlie "Benjamin" Morgan is an extremist preacher who is cruel and has twisted views about chastity. Travis ran away years ago to escape his tyranny and has come back to try to rescue his sister who he believes is being held against her will by the madman father. It seems to be an open and shut case with two eye witnesses. Travis claims he was knocked unconscious when he entered the room and did not shoot the bookkeeper. Barbara takes the case and beings to uncover the truth of the preacher's extremism. She also uncovers evidence of a militia. A lot of the book shows the discoveries of the preacher's militia activities, and the fact that his daughter is dead under suspicious circumstances. A lot of the book covers the trial and how Barbara unravels the eye witnesses statements. Then when she is unsure that she has has done enough in the courtroom to ensure Travis' acquittal, she devises a plan to trap the preacher. It is risky, but she sees no other recourse. I liked the overall story, but some of the courtroom scenes were a little long. And also, the militia storyline didn't really go anywhere.
May 1, 2016
Barbara Holloway is a defense attorney in Eugene, Oregon. When her father points her toward Travis, a young man who has been accused of murdering the bookkeeper of the church his father founded, she quickly comes to believe in his innocence. As she prepares her case for trial, all sorts of threads begin to unravel: Travis's parents were divorced when the young man was a child and it is only recently that he discovered that his mother was forced to give up contact with her children; Travis's father is a zealot who preaches abstinence except for procreation and sees women as mere incubators for the next generation; there is a mysterious "Chateau" near Pendleton that is affiliated with the church somehow, where groups of men go to train for some sort of militia; Travis's sister has disappeared and is later found to have committed suicide. As Barbara and her investigative team dig further, they discover frightening events and tragic deaths, all tying back to the church.
Even though there are two eye witnesses who swear Travis shot the bookkeeper, Barbara is determined to plant seeds of doubt in the jury. The cast of character and the tentacles reaching out from this case across the Northwest, make for an intense and absorbing story.
Even though there are two eye witnesses who swear Travis shot the bookkeeper, Barbara is determined to plant seeds of doubt in the jury. The cast of character and the tentacles reaching out from this case across the Northwest, make for an intense and absorbing story.
Read
May 18, 2020Travis Morgan's case seems open and shut: a plot to kill his estranged father, fundamentalist preacher Arlie Morgan, goes awry and his bullet slays an innocent bookkeeper. Two eyewitnesses seal Travis' fate. But despite damning evidence and an admitted hatred of his father, Travis staunchly maintains his innocence. Beseeched by his anguished mother, veteran defense attorney Barbara Holloway agrees to represent Travis. With the support of her father, attorney Frank Holloway, and crack private investigator Bailey, Barbara reveals a zealot, his ultrarich backers, and unimaginable atrocities. Travis' case proceeds to trial, and Barbara finds herself pitted against a complacent legal system and a judge eager to simply close the case and retire. Knowing she must intervene decisively to avoid a conviction, Barbara steps squarely into the path of danger. Risking her own life, Barbara confronts the killer in order to save Travis'.
Didn't finish.
Didn't finish.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2023
Religious zealotry is always disturbing, and now we know how Kate Wilhelm feels about it. An insane priest tortures his family and terrorizes his children, to such a lunatic extent that you wonder how has wife got away sane and happy. Now the son is accused of a murder he couldn't have committed, and the daughter is missing. The revelations of how things reached this point are beyond disturbing, but there's a wonderful scene where intrepid lawyer Barbara Holloway stages a private negotiation with the nutjob replete with costume and attitude meant to trigger the patriarchy into complete apoplectic breakdown. Wilhelm really gets how the courtroom is a kind of theater, and lawyers are actors on a stage. This books is rather prescient on today's links between right wing politics and fascist personality tendencies.
August 26, 2013
I said I would never read another Barbara Holloway book again but hey it was available and I had some vague memories of how I enjoyed some of the earlier books in the series. I had two problems with this book. I listened to this as an audiobook and the reader was subpar. The reader earlier in the series was terrible-every male character was indistinguishable from the other. The reader of this one is a little better, but does nothing to enhance how prosaic the writing is in BSBBBF. The plot, the dialogue and the characters are so trite and uninteresting that had I purchased this book, I would have sought a refund from the book seller. Everything about it is old and tired.
July 17, 2015
As a fan of Barbara Holloway this is a hard review to write. The writing and storyline were harder to follow. I think this is because of reduced editing due to the decision to release as an e-book only. The language was choppy. The story details to an outside reader (me and anyone else) were cloudy. Finally, the obvious and growing fascination with vicious religious fanatics made the content distasteful and disgusting to this reader. Murder is never pretty and I don't expect it to be portrayed as such. Religious fanaticism is scary and needs to be addressed. If you have seen this in other Barbara Holloway stories, you know it was. In By Stone By Blade By Fire she takes it over the top.
December 3, 2018
What I like about Kate Wilhelm’s books is the easy reading and great courtroom scenes. If you want flowery phrases, look elsewhere; though there is realistic description. And my Grandmother, who gave me the love of reading, would have liked this series. First, she read all the great mystery writers: Christie, Erle Stanley Gardner, Rex Stout, to mention a few. But when my Grandmother would be reading to my sister and I and they would have a meal, she always wanted them to tell what they ate. Well, Wilhelm often writes what is being eaten—sometimes how the food is fixed. So if you like a good courtroom mystery, try this series.
August 1, 2013
A 16-year old runaway boy is accused of murdering his oh-so-famous and sex-hating (unless if is only for procreation) fire and brimstone minister's bookkeeper by an errant shot, aimed at dear old daddy. It's a tough call because there are two eye witnesses that are certain it was Travis. Travis' mom (now the ex-preacher's wife) goes to Barbara Holloway to take the case, to set her son free. What ensues is a richly tangled story upon story, and a really terrific courtroom drama. I do love a brilliant courtroom exchange!
August 21, 2019
Wilhelm is pretty brave to write a book with a negative portrait of a fundamentalist Christian. I've read a lot of terrible books that got five star reviews because these books cater to authoritarian Christians who apparently never actually read the book, but regularly rate "Christian authors" with five stars. The characters drawn in this novel are very similar to the authoritarian despots I have known who use the Bible as a bludgeon and are only interested in justifying their own particular dogma.
June 20, 2014
For fans of Wilhelm's Barbara Holloway legal thrillers, By Stone is a solid read, complete with Barbara's detailed court room scenes. It is necessary to be familiar with the characters and the back stories, so reading at least the salient prior novels is useful. Also, as usual, a lot goes on in Barbara's mind as she walks, contemplates, etc. that gets revealed in her closing statements. The red flag is for depicted sexual violence implied but not described in detail)and extreme religious "fervor." Satisfying.
September 18, 2014
This is a great book. We don't always get to hear Barbara in the courtroom, and she's there quite a bit in this book. There are some great courtroom scenes. I don't think I've heard objections from the prosecution during the closing arguments before, but there were some in this case.
The case involves a young man named Travis Morgan. He is accused of shooting and killing a man, and there are two witnesses. Barbara does her usual digging to try and find something, anything, that will keep her client out of prison.
The case involves a young man named Travis Morgan. He is accused of shooting and killing a man, and there are two witnesses. Barbara does her usual digging to try and find something, anything, that will keep her client out of prison.
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