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Slander
Slander is set in rainy, foggy Seattle. The narrator, Liz Finnegan, is a brash, bright, petite women’s rights lawyer. She’s 26, and a defender of abortion clinics (they’re being bombed by “Christian” rednecks), abused women, and related liberal causes. Her nemesis is a handsome, long-haired judge (Vandergraaf) whom she publicly savages, at a press scrum, for giving a slap-on-the-wrist sentence to a white-collar rapist. Along comes a new client, a middle-class woman who has gone back to university as a mature student. When last in college, she was raped by Judge Vandergraaf (she says), then a law student, but was dissuaded by her religiously conservative parents from reporting it. Blocked in her every effort to open up this old case, Liz finally holds an impromptu press conference, laying out the accusations, and daring the judge to sue for slander. It’s the only way she can get the matter before the courts. Vandergraaf takes up the challenge, and sues for $10 million.This is a very well-written legal thriller, more Scott Turow than John Grisham. In addition to delving into women’s issues, the book offers insight into the law of slander. How do courts deal with submerged memories? Are judges beyond the law? Do women receive equal treatment in courts?
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
59 people want to read
About the author
William Deverell
62 books68 followersWilliam Deverell was born in 1937 in Regina, Saskatchewan. He put himself through law school by working as a journalist for the Canadian Press, Vancouver Sun, and Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. Deverell served as counsel for over a thousand criminal cases and is a founding director and former president of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association. He created the television series, Street Legal, and has written screenplays and radio plays. Deverell lives on Pender Island, British Columbia.
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
* 1998 – Trial of Passion – Winner
* 2006 – April Fool – Winner
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
* 1998 – Trial of Passion – Winner
* 2006 – April Fool – Winner
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 8, 2018
William Deverell is one author whose work is not for the reader interested in superficial legal dramas. He sinks his teeth into an issue and explores it in depth, providing the reader with a thorough exploration of its foundations, as well that the characters involved. In this piece, Deverell takes the reader into Seattle, where Elizabeth Finnegan has been honing her legal skills. Her passion is women’s rights, particularly the right to choose, which has brought her much work, even in the late 1990s. When Judge Hugh Vandergraaf issues a slap on the wrist sentence to someone before him for rape, Finnegan cannot help but cry ‘old boys club’. This earns her much ire from Vandergraaf and fifteen minutes of media attention. While she is not one to reject some free publicity, she does not want to be chastised by any judge with whom she may have to work later in her career. When Elizabeth is approached by a woman who accuses Vandergraaf of rape, she cannot help but jump to offer her services. Might this judge be as horrid as the men he lets off with tepid punishment? The greatest issue is that the assault was twenty-seven years ago, meaning the statute of limitations has long since expired. This shoes not stop Elizabeth from piecing together a case and a handful of others who speak to Vandergraaf’s sexual proclivities while a university student. In what might be a saving grace, the assault happened in Canada, so the rape change could see a courtroom. As the novel progresses, Vandergraaf has chosen to take Elizabeth to court for slandering him about these rape allegations. It is here that the crux of the novel develops. While Elizabeth is on the hot seat, she chooses to defend herself and brings up much of the evidence that may be used in her Canadian trial, trying to pin Vandergraaf down as a sexual predator and someone who not only did rape her client, but should be held accountable. The further things go, the more trapdoors emerge, pitting Elizabeth Finnegan and Hugh Vandergraaf in one final stand-off that could ruin them both. Deverell shows why he is the master with this novel, pulling the reader in and holding their attention until the final sentence. Highly recommend for those readers who love the law but are not looking for something light and airy!
I stumbled onto Deverell’s writing last spring when I was reading his stellar Arthur Beauchamp series. While it took a while to get acclimated, the series grew on me and by the end I know I would have to try some of the author’s one-off work, which has been a sensational adventure all on its own. Deverell paints his characters so vividly and keeps them developing throughout. Elizabeth Finnegan has a lot going for her as she seeks to keep women from being downtrodden in her own way. While she may have a passion for the law, she surrounds herself in a law firm with a number of men who seem not to fully comprehend equality or be in touch with empathy. With a few scandalous issues outside of work to contend with as well, Elizabeth is forced to juggle quite a bit as she seeks to keep from scorching herself while pushing back against her legal opponent, the great Judge Vandergraaf. On the other side, Vandergraaf has quite the reputation that he has kept under wraps. Said to be on a shortlist for a prominent federal court position, Vandergraaf must face his dalliances head-on as he brings suit against young Finnegan. Refusing to let his pride stand in the way, Vandergraaf issues blunt admissions, as the reader sees that he is sure he can bury this young lawyer simply because he is in a position of authority. Deverell adds an interesting diary of sorts to the end of certain chapters, where the reader sees some of the judge’s insights, which reach their climax in the closing pages of the book and provide some strong aspects to his ongoing character development. The handful of other characters offer some added flavour and help pace the story and the legal action throughout, keeping things interesting without getting too bogged down in legal minutiae. The story flows really well and keeps the reader hooked, bouncing from the legal matter at hand to some of the more vapid aspects of Finnegan’s life. Told in chapters that encapsulate an entire day, Deverell offer an interesting build-up throughout each day and the slow—or sometimes jagged—ending before hitting that reset button. This is an effective measure, as the reader is kept wondering what is to come without too many drastic cliffhangers, at least until the ending, and what a culmination it is! I am impressed yet again with William Deverell and his writing. He mixes an interesting legal matter with highly complex characters, creating a winning formula.
Kudos, Mr. Deverell, for another great novel. I have a pile of your work still to read and I am even more excited to get to them now!
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
I stumbled onto Deverell’s writing last spring when I was reading his stellar Arthur Beauchamp series. While it took a while to get acclimated, the series grew on me and by the end I know I would have to try some of the author’s one-off work, which has been a sensational adventure all on its own. Deverell paints his characters so vividly and keeps them developing throughout. Elizabeth Finnegan has a lot going for her as she seeks to keep women from being downtrodden in her own way. While she may have a passion for the law, she surrounds herself in a law firm with a number of men who seem not to fully comprehend equality or be in touch with empathy. With a few scandalous issues outside of work to contend with as well, Elizabeth is forced to juggle quite a bit as she seeks to keep from scorching herself while pushing back against her legal opponent, the great Judge Vandergraaf. On the other side, Vandergraaf has quite the reputation that he has kept under wraps. Said to be on a shortlist for a prominent federal court position, Vandergraaf must face his dalliances head-on as he brings suit against young Finnegan. Refusing to let his pride stand in the way, Vandergraaf issues blunt admissions, as the reader sees that he is sure he can bury this young lawyer simply because he is in a position of authority. Deverell adds an interesting diary of sorts to the end of certain chapters, where the reader sees some of the judge’s insights, which reach their climax in the closing pages of the book and provide some strong aspects to his ongoing character development. The handful of other characters offer some added flavour and help pace the story and the legal action throughout, keeping things interesting without getting too bogged down in legal minutiae. The story flows really well and keeps the reader hooked, bouncing from the legal matter at hand to some of the more vapid aspects of Finnegan’s life. Told in chapters that encapsulate an entire day, Deverell offer an interesting build-up throughout each day and the slow—or sometimes jagged—ending before hitting that reset button. This is an effective measure, as the reader is kept wondering what is to come without too many drastic cliffhangers, at least until the ending, and what a culmination it is! I am impressed yet again with William Deverell and his writing. He mixes an interesting legal matter with highly complex characters, creating a winning formula.
Kudos, Mr. Deverell, for another great novel. I have a pile of your work still to read and I am even more excited to get to them now!
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
June 28, 2024
A riveting courtroom drama!
Elizabeth Finnegan is a brash, young, opinionated and outspoken beautiful young women living an outrageously off-the-wall, outré lifestyle. A talented and busy litigation lawyer in a well-respected downtown law firm, she's also not afraid to loudly voice her liberal, left-leaning political views. When Hugh Vandergraaf, a charismatic senior judge with aspirations to the US Supreme Court, hands down a slap-in-the-wrist sentence on a rape conviction, Finnegan goes ballistic. She holds a press conference liberally dispensing with vicious sound bites in which she criticizes the judge as a brainless "ego-testicle" member of some old boy's club. Of course, this earns her a trip to the proverbial judiciary woodshed in which she is soundly spanked and given a warning by Judge Vandergraaf to conduct herself with greater decorum lest she be hauled up before the bench on charges of contempt.
Still seething from the very public dressing down she had received at Vandergraaf's hands, Finnegan is appalled when, a few days later, a woman arrives in her office with a story that Vandergraaf had raped her when she was attending university more than twenty-five years earlier. Although the rape is statute barred in the state of Washington because of the elapsed number of years, Finnegan is told that the act was actually committed on a sailing trip in Canadian waters. When she undertakes to charge Vandergraaf in Canada and extradite him to face a Canadian justice system (which has no such statute of limitations on sexual assault or rape), she is sued for slander in Washington. If she loses, she faces a lifetime crippling $4 million in punitive damages and the certain loss of her career.
SLANDER is a riveting courtroom drama that is at once witty and humourous, gritty and compelling, emotionally moving and thought-provoking. It touches upon important timely issues such as pro-choice vs the right to life anti-abortion movements, custody of children by gay parents and when free speech crosses the line into hate and the advocacy of criminal activity. Ultimately, Finnegan receives much more than she ever bargained for in an unforeseen twist ending that would do the likes of Jodi Picoult very proud.
I've been a long time fan of Canadian author William Deverell since his spectacular 1979 debut thriller NEEDLES that dealt with the violent drug trade in Vancouver, then touted as the heroin capital of North America. Thirty years later, SLANDER certainly does nothing to diminish my enthusiasm for the skills of this fine author. Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
Elizabeth Finnegan is a brash, young, opinionated and outspoken beautiful young women living an outrageously off-the-wall, outré lifestyle. A talented and busy litigation lawyer in a well-respected downtown law firm, she's also not afraid to loudly voice her liberal, left-leaning political views. When Hugh Vandergraaf, a charismatic senior judge with aspirations to the US Supreme Court, hands down a slap-in-the-wrist sentence on a rape conviction, Finnegan goes ballistic. She holds a press conference liberally dispensing with vicious sound bites in which she criticizes the judge as a brainless "ego-testicle" member of some old boy's club. Of course, this earns her a trip to the proverbial judiciary woodshed in which she is soundly spanked and given a warning by Judge Vandergraaf to conduct herself with greater decorum lest she be hauled up before the bench on charges of contempt.
Still seething from the very public dressing down she had received at Vandergraaf's hands, Finnegan is appalled when, a few days later, a woman arrives in her office with a story that Vandergraaf had raped her when she was attending university more than twenty-five years earlier. Although the rape is statute barred in the state of Washington because of the elapsed number of years, Finnegan is told that the act was actually committed on a sailing trip in Canadian waters. When she undertakes to charge Vandergraaf in Canada and extradite him to face a Canadian justice system (which has no such statute of limitations on sexual assault or rape), she is sued for slander in Washington. If she loses, she faces a lifetime crippling $4 million in punitive damages and the certain loss of her career.
SLANDER is a riveting courtroom drama that is at once witty and humourous, gritty and compelling, emotionally moving and thought-provoking. It touches upon important timely issues such as pro-choice vs the right to life anti-abortion movements, custody of children by gay parents and when free speech crosses the line into hate and the advocacy of criminal activity. Ultimately, Finnegan receives much more than she ever bargained for in an unforeseen twist ending that would do the likes of Jodi Picoult very proud.
I've been a long time fan of Canadian author William Deverell since his spectacular 1979 debut thriller NEEDLES that dealt with the violent drug trade in Vancouver, then touted as the heroin capital of North America. Thirty years later, SLANDER certainly does nothing to diminish my enthusiasm for the skills of this fine author. Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
September 21, 2008
Is it just the mood I am in, but this book right from the beginning had my attention, and it didn't dissapoint me at all..I don't like to give 5 stars..but think this one warrants it. It wasn't thought provoking at all, just well written and thoroughly enjoyed.
September 26, 2022
The TL;DR - I got this for free, and had never read a courtroom drama before this. I took a couple days after finishing to post this review. I feel like this book tugged me in a bunch of different directions, and definitely took me outside my comfort zone. I have some problems with the twist towards the end (read on at your own peril) but overall I think the book touched on some very important real-world issues about 20 years before the #MeToo movement really gained traction.
If you don't like really pro-feminist prose and bizarre twists, this isn't going to be for you.
🔸 Characters🔸
Okay, so to start the dissection, lets talk about our protagonist, Elizabeth Finnegan. Young, talented lawyer who also happens to be quite the looker. Has a temper, which is a tad on the nose for her having Irish ancestry, especially when taken with her overindulgence in the alca-booze. And she's very, very feminist.
In fact, her brand of feminism almost made me toss the book in the first 40 pages with the sheer amount of navel-gazing that was going on. Many of the points she makes in her internal monologue are absolutely valid, but in that first 10% of the book she almost comes off as a caricature of womens' issues, thinking pretty much only about womens' issues. Like - to me - she'd be the kind of person to make a snide remark about you being sexist if you held a door for her
Thankfully, once those first 40 pages are over, her ardent commitment to her cause shifts into a driving force that pushes her into the main plot, and allows her to keep going whenever the going gets tough. I can't say I'd really like her as a person, but I'm glad there are people like her fighting for these issues, both in the book, and in the real world.
On the other hand, her antagonists are legion, and are very nuanced in how they were portrayed, even to the point where people on the opposition early in the book turn towards being allies later on. Part of what makes them interesting is because some of her antagonists, are just doing their job, and hold no animosity towards her. Others have personal goals that her crusade would impact, but in some cases those personal goals are almost as well-intentioned as hers are (sort of). Shout-out goes to Bill (the plaintiff's lawyer). Guy is just doing his job (and how), but holds no animosity towards Elizabeth. Even goes so far as to congratulate her on taking apart his case in a couple areas, calling it 'textbook'. They're on opposite sides, but his issue isn't with her directly.
And of course, the main antagonist (Hugh Vandergraaf) can also be viewed differently, depending on your perspective - either as a controlling, power-tripping monster just looking to destroy another person's life - or an arrogant, stuck up piece of crap who feels his actions should not have consequences - or even a relatively decent guy, who made a bunch of very, very poor decisions, and is now trying to cover them up.
Regardless though - let there be no mistake - he deserves to be brought to justice.
There's really only a couple outright evil sonsofa- in the book, and they get very little characterization. I'm referring to
And even those characters, I'm sure, would have a couple defenders in today's politicized climate.
Round out with a stellar cast of supporting characters (Nicholson steals every scene he's in) and you have a fantastic character-driven story here waiting to burst forth. I'd give it a perfect 10 if Elizabeth wasn't so obnoxious in the beginning.
9/10
🔹Atmosphere/Setting🔹
The setting itself was, I felt, loosely held together with details. We know it's happening in Seattle, and we get a few snapshots of individual locations - Elizabeth's loft, the Wandering I, the offices of JJ & Plum, etc, but the placement itself seems largely more to service the plot itself (allowing a boat to slip across to Canada, for instance) than to have any bearing on the atmosphere on the book.
However, despite this, Deverell made me feel threatened through most of the book. I'm not entire sure how he did it - maybe by keeping Elizabeth's position always precarious. But I never really felt comfortable. I'm still unsure of how he did it, but I feel with his tone he managed to make me feel like I imagine some women must feel, walking down a street at night, alone. I just felt vulnerable. It's rare a book manages to make me 'feel' something deep in my core, but this does it.
8/10
🔸 Writing Style🔸
1st person is typically not my favourite writing style, and as previously mentioned this led to me disliking the main character intensely because of her laser focus early in the book. However, once those 40 pages passed and the real story kicked into gear, I was swept along easily. The dialogue is snappy, especially in the courtroom scenes - sounded exactly like you'd expect to hear in A Few Good Men, for instance.
One thing I really appreciated (and created a sense of foreboding) was that every so often, we'd get a 2-3 page from Vandergraaf's point of view, usually reflecting on things that hadn't happened yet in the main storyline, which leaves us to wait for that shoe to drop. It was very effective.
On the other hand, something I didn't appreciate (for reasons that will become clear when the twist is talked about in the 'logic' header) were the constant asides about how sexually attracted to Vandergraaf Elizabeth was.
Being a legal drama, I did have to reach for the dictionary every so often to remind myself what certain terms meant, but aside from that, it was a fast read.
7/10
🔹 Plot 🔹
Quick Recap, that cuts off before the big twist at the end.
So, the plot. I liked the basis. I felt that a lot of the obstacles in Elizabeth's way were both realistic, and dangerous to her case. And of course, the stakes were huge... the case against her is worth 8 million dollars; about 4x more than I'll ever make in my entire life. And, she likely would've been disbarred. Clearly, I got into the wrong line of work.
I can't say this was creative within the genre, because I don't know the genre.
But where I have to raise complaints is the sheer suspension of disbelief required to believe that Elizabeth would've gone ahead with this trial based on the evidence that she had, especially with the personal risk she was taking. She was relying on not one, but two separate witnesses to just appear almost out of thin air to back her up. And worst yet, they don't even get the chance to testify, due to the plot taking a completely different tack.
I kept thinking throughout the case that in the real world, she absolutely would lose this. Except that in the real world, she never would've thrown her reputation behind Beatrice without a lot more evidence.
6/10
🔸 Intrigue🔸
Gah, that final plot twist. Last warning! Spoilers!
From what I gather, this was a one-off story, and Elizabeth never graced another of Deverell's courtrooms. I'm somewhat glad of this, because frankly, she's a lousy lawyer and only survived this trial on a basis of luck and God's hand in the machine.
6/10
🔹 Logic / Relationships🔹
I've already laid this up heavily in previous points, so to rehash - I feel like it was utterly illogical that Elizabeth would've gone ahead with the trial based on what little evidence she had, and I also feel the final twist was a giant helping of Deus Ex Machina. Without that,
5/10
🔸 Enjoyment🔸
I enjoyed a lot of the characters. Some of the court proceedings were well put-together. A couple of the smaller twists were well-executed. But the sheer unpreparedness of Elizabeth's case and the bizarre final twist took this from a 4 star to a 3. I don't regret reading it - I just feel like in the attempt to be sensational, some of the low-key drama was lost.
Speaking of physical enjoyment, it wasn't anything special (this copy) to read - cover was high-gloss, a generic image which I suspect is supposed to be Vandergraaf, and the pages were thin. Honestly, had I not been given this for free, I don't think this book would've jumped off the shelf at me.
All in all, I did enjoy my time with it, despite a few big bumps. I think I'd like to read another of his work before making a final decision on whether or not his writing as a whole is for me.
6/10
If you don't like really pro-feminist prose and bizarre twists, this isn't going to be for you.
🔸 Characters🔸
Okay, so to start the dissection, lets talk about our protagonist, Elizabeth Finnegan. Young, talented lawyer who also happens to be quite the looker. Has a temper, which is a tad on the nose for her having Irish ancestry, especially when taken with her overindulgence in the alca-booze. And she's very, very feminist.
In fact, her brand of feminism almost made me toss the book in the first 40 pages with the sheer amount of navel-gazing that was going on. Many of the points she makes in her internal monologue are absolutely valid, but in that first 10% of the book she almost comes off as a caricature of womens' issues, thinking pretty much only about womens' issues. Like - to me - she'd be the kind of person to make a snide remark about you being sexist if you held a door for her
Thankfully, once those first 40 pages are over, her ardent commitment to her cause shifts into a driving force that pushes her into the main plot, and allows her to keep going whenever the going gets tough. I can't say I'd really like her as a person, but I'm glad there are people like her fighting for these issues, both in the book, and in the real world.
On the other hand, her antagonists are legion, and are very nuanced in how they were portrayed, even to the point where people on the opposition early in the book turn towards being allies later on. Part of what makes them interesting is because some of her antagonists, are just doing their job, and hold no animosity towards her. Others have personal goals that her crusade would impact, but in some cases those personal goals are almost as well-intentioned as hers are (sort of). Shout-out goes to Bill (the plaintiff's lawyer). Guy is just doing his job (and how), but holds no animosity towards Elizabeth. Even goes so far as to congratulate her on taking apart his case in a couple areas, calling it 'textbook'. They're on opposite sides, but his issue isn't with her directly.
And of course, the main antagonist (Hugh Vandergraaf) can also be viewed differently, depending on your perspective - either as a controlling, power-tripping monster just looking to destroy another person's life - or an arrogant, stuck up piece of crap who feels his actions should not have consequences - or even a relatively decent guy, who made a bunch of very, very poor decisions, and is now trying to cover them up.
Regardless though - let there be no mistake - he deserves to be brought to justice.
There's really only a couple outright evil sonsofa- in the book, and they get very little characterization. I'm referring to
And even those characters, I'm sure, would have a couple defenders in today's politicized climate.
Round out with a stellar cast of supporting characters (Nicholson steals every scene he's in) and you have a fantastic character-driven story here waiting to burst forth. I'd give it a perfect 10 if Elizabeth wasn't so obnoxious in the beginning.
9/10
🔹Atmosphere/Setting🔹
The setting itself was, I felt, loosely held together with details. We know it's happening in Seattle, and we get a few snapshots of individual locations - Elizabeth's loft, the Wandering I, the offices of JJ & Plum, etc, but the placement itself seems largely more to service the plot itself (allowing a boat to slip across to Canada, for instance) than to have any bearing on the atmosphere on the book.
However, despite this, Deverell made me feel threatened through most of the book. I'm not entire sure how he did it - maybe by keeping Elizabeth's position always precarious. But I never really felt comfortable. I'm still unsure of how he did it, but I feel with his tone he managed to make me feel like I imagine some women must feel, walking down a street at night, alone. I just felt vulnerable. It's rare a book manages to make me 'feel' something deep in my core, but this does it.
8/10
🔸 Writing Style🔸
1st person is typically not my favourite writing style, and as previously mentioned this led to me disliking the main character intensely because of her laser focus early in the book. However, once those 40 pages passed and the real story kicked into gear, I was swept along easily. The dialogue is snappy, especially in the courtroom scenes - sounded exactly like you'd expect to hear in A Few Good Men, for instance.
One thing I really appreciated (and created a sense of foreboding) was that every so often, we'd get a 2-3 page from Vandergraaf's point of view, usually reflecting on things that hadn't happened yet in the main storyline, which leaves us to wait for that shoe to drop. It was very effective.
On the other hand, something I didn't appreciate (for reasons that will become clear when the twist is talked about in the 'logic' header) were the constant asides about how sexually attracted to Vandergraaf Elizabeth was.
Being a legal drama, I did have to reach for the dictionary every so often to remind myself what certain terms meant, but aside from that, it was a fast read.
7/10
🔹 Plot 🔹
Quick Recap, that cuts off before the big twist at the end.
So, the plot. I liked the basis. I felt that a lot of the obstacles in Elizabeth's way were both realistic, and dangerous to her case. And of course, the stakes were huge... the case against her is worth 8 million dollars; about 4x more than I'll ever make in my entire life. And, she likely would've been disbarred. Clearly, I got into the wrong line of work.
I can't say this was creative within the genre, because I don't know the genre.
But where I have to raise complaints is the sheer suspension of disbelief required to believe that Elizabeth would've gone ahead with this trial based on the evidence that she had, especially with the personal risk she was taking. She was relying on not one, but two separate witnesses to just appear almost out of thin air to back her up. And worst yet, they don't even get the chance to testify, due to the plot taking a completely different tack.
I kept thinking throughout the case that in the real world, she absolutely would lose this. Except that in the real world, she never would've thrown her reputation behind Beatrice without a lot more evidence.
6/10
🔸 Intrigue🔸
Gah, that final plot twist. Last warning! Spoilers!
From what I gather, this was a one-off story, and Elizabeth never graced another of Deverell's courtrooms. I'm somewhat glad of this, because frankly, she's a lousy lawyer and only survived this trial on a basis of luck and God's hand in the machine.
6/10
🔹 Logic / Relationships🔹
I've already laid this up heavily in previous points, so to rehash - I feel like it was utterly illogical that Elizabeth would've gone ahead with the trial based on what little evidence she had, and I also feel the final twist was a giant helping of Deus Ex Machina. Without that,
5/10
🔸 Enjoyment🔸
I enjoyed a lot of the characters. Some of the court proceedings were well put-together. A couple of the smaller twists were well-executed. But the sheer unpreparedness of Elizabeth's case and the bizarre final twist took this from a 4 star to a 3. I don't regret reading it - I just feel like in the attempt to be sensational, some of the low-key drama was lost.
Speaking of physical enjoyment, it wasn't anything special (this copy) to read - cover was high-gloss, a generic image which I suspect is supposed to be Vandergraaf, and the pages were thin. Honestly, had I not been given this for free, I don't think this book would've jumped off the shelf at me.
All in all, I did enjoy my time with it, despite a few big bumps. I think I'd like to read another of his work before making a final decision on whether or not his writing as a whole is for me.
6/10
July 7, 2014
We meet Liz Finnegan, a strong Seattle lawyer who supports women's rights and defends abused women. She is currently working with abortion clinics which makes her a target of a lot of crazies. When Judge Vandergraaf gives a rapist what is really a slap on the wrist, Liz denounces and vilifies him. The next time she's in his courtroom he takes the opportunity to dress her down in front everyone. The battle lines are drawn.
Liz is next approached by a woman who claims to have been raped by Judge Vandergraaf when they were in law school. Liz goes after the judge and they clash violently and he brings slander charges against her. Meanwhile, she's feeling something's not right with her husband (and partner) and his current divorce case, she ends up finding out just how much wrong there is. Then, enter the handsome and charming contract killer, all in very good time.
The question is, will she protect her career or go after him with every ounce of her being? Hmmmm. And will she survive?
A thoroughly entertaining and engrossing read.
Liz is next approached by a woman who claims to have been raped by Judge Vandergraaf when they were in law school. Liz goes after the judge and they clash violently and he brings slander charges against her. Meanwhile, she's feeling something's not right with her husband (and partner) and his current divorce case, she ends up finding out just how much wrong there is. Then, enter the handsome and charming contract killer, all in very good time.
The question is, will she protect her career or go after him with every ounce of her being? Hmmmm. And will she survive?
A thoroughly entertaining and engrossing read.
December 1, 2011
This book was terrific. I almost didn't read it, the first few pages were a bit flowery and I thought I wasn't going to like his 'style'. I kept on and soon it became interesting. I enjoyed the entire book and was not the least bit prepared for what comes about near the end. I am looking forward to reading more of his books.
August 22, 2009
William Deverell tackles the world of gender wars in this novel involving a hard working Crown Attorney and a potentially corrupt judge. The premise is wildly believable and the execution is a vivid portrait of the legal world.
December 29, 2025
This novel took a while to get off the ground and I'm not sure if my persistance was completely worth it. This was not my first Deverell novel, but this one was a bit of a struggle, primarily because he doesn't write a female character convincingly, which normally wouldn't be a big deal for a bit part, but in this particular case, the protagonist was female. I could never quite move past Elizabeth Finnigan's boots being on Deverell's feet. He'd painted a carticature of a feminist lawyer whose stated brilliance (skipped 2 grades in school & earned 2 degrees by the age of 21) was at odds with her behaviour & judgement, both inside & outside of the court room. Anyone even half as good at lawyering would never have taken this flimsy case to court. The surprise plot twist near the end of the book was too contrived to be believable- a real deus ex machina which solved all the problems & tied up all the loose ends. 2.5
February 25, 2023
Please read this. My God... not for the faint of heart, this book deals with extremely heavy topics and the author is not afraid to dig into it. The only real downside is that it reads very much like the typical "women written by men" trope. Definitely worth the 5-star rating for it's final quarter. I was shocked and totally taken by surprise in the best way.
June 7, 2018
A fun quick read
August 23, 2019
Did not enjoy
October 28, 2016
A good read for lawyer book lovers. A definitely different ending!
February 11, 2013
SLANDER has been on my shelf for a while. I finally pulled it out a few days before heading to Pender Island for a retreat. Once I started reading, I was devouring it late into the night and reaching for it first thing in the morning so that I could read just one more chapter before getting on with my day. Lawyer Elizabeth Finnegan drew me in with her passion and loyalty to her client. Her compassion is her Achilles heel in a work environment that often puts the dollar first. The characters are fleshed out in a way that makes the entire world of the book breathe. I'd forgotten how much I enjoy Deverell's writing.
April 23, 2016
This is a courtroom drama featuring a young, talented, and brassy women's rights lawyer as protagonist. The storyline encompasses issues such as sexual assault, the pro-choice/anti-abortion debate, parental rights of gay parents, the old boys club, and, of course, slander. The story is set in the late 1990s, and the author's treatment of the subject matter is still as relevant today. The story is set in Washington State and British Columbia, with the difference between the two justice systems forming an interesting part of the plot. Although the book was very readable, I found the plot twists stretched far beyond being believable.
February 17, 2013
A brilliant, snarky, defense attorney who champions women's rights finds herself being sued by a judge who gives "light" sentences to convicted rapists. Of course her sharp tongue got her in trouble. She has to defend herself, (as well as all the victims of sexual abuse who look up to her), against the "old boy" network who work overtime to defeat her. But the going gets rough when it appears she got herself in too deep. She has her weaknesses: to much alcohol on too many occasions when she is stressed. However, a great courtroom drama and a surprise ending give this book a solid 4 stars.
September 9, 2013
His mastery of the English language, combined with his extraordinary wit make his novels a delight to read. His characters and plot lines are wonderful. And what a delightful twist to end the novel with the protagonist being the daughter of the rapist antagonist!
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February 2, 2017couldn't finish
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