Mystery Writers of America Presents: The Prosecution Rests: New Stories about Courtrooms, Criminals, and the Law

by Linda Fairstein (Editor), Phyllis Cohen (Contributor), Edward D. Hoch (Contributor)

From the Salem witch trials to Depression-era Chicago, from the exclusive country-clubs of the wealthy to the depths of today's toughest ghettos, this riveting collection traces the triumphs, defeats, and temptations of two opposing sides: those sworn to defend the accused, and those tasked with prosecuting them. They are the stories of lawyers under pressure, of criminals facing the needle, and of the heartbroken families--of both the victim and the defendant--who hope for justice from the back of the courtroom, and who sometimes take it into their own hands. This tantalizing collection proves that after the crime is over, the real drama begins.

In James Grippando's "Death, Cheated," a lawyer defends his ex-girlfriend in a case against the investors who bet $1.5 million on her death. In Barbara Parker's "A Clerk's Life," a disillusioned clerk at a corporate law firm suspects the worst of his colleagues when one of the firm's employees is murdered. In Phyllis Cohen's "Designer Justice," a cold-blooded killer thinks he's lucked out when he lands a high priced lawyer as his appointed attorney, only to learn that there are worse fates than being found guilty.

Filled with shocking twists, double-crosses, and edge-of-your seat suspense, this page-turning collection is not to be missed.

Genres: Short Stories, Mystery, Fiction, Anthologies, Crime, Courtroom Drama, True Crime

418 pages, Paperback

First published March 31, 2009

About the author

Linda Fairstein (born 1947) is one of America's foremost legal experts on crimes of violence against women and children. She served as head of the sex crimes unit of the Manhattan District Attorney's office from 1976 until 2002 and is the author of a series of novels featuring Manhattan prosecutor Alexandra Cooper.

Like Fairstein, Alex ('Coop') Cooper is in charge of the Special Victims Unit of the Office. She works closely with NYPD detectives Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace. The 17th book in her best-selling series - DEVIL'S BRIDGE - launches in paperback in June, 2016. The 18th novel - KILLER LOOK - debuts on July 26th.

This year, Fairstein will debut a new series for Middle Grade readers - 8-12 years old. Her kid sleuth, Devlin Quick, appears in INTO THE LION'S DEN in November, 2016. The series is an homage to Nancy Drew, whose books inspired Linda's two careers - in crime fiction and in the law.

Ms. Fairstein is an honors graduate of Vassar College (1969) and the University of Virginia School of Law (1972). She joined the Manhattan District Attorney's office in 1972 as an Assistant District Attorney. She was promoted to the head of the sex crimes unit in 1976. During her tenure, she prosecuted several highly publicized cases, including the "Preppy Murder" case against Robert Chambers in 1986.

Linda Fairstein left the District Attorney's office in 2002, and has continued to consult, write, lecture and serve as a sex crimes expert for a wide variety of print and television media outlets, including the major networks, CNN, MSNBC among others. Ms. Fairstein is often called to provide her opinion on high profile prosecutions including: Michael Jackson's molestation charges in 2004, Kobe Bryant's sexual assault charges, and Scott Peterson's trial. She is also a frequent speaker on issues surrounding domestic abuse.

Ms. Fairstein lives in Manhattan and on Martha's Vineyard with her husband, Michael Goldberg. Her novels draw on Ms. Fairstein's legal expertise as well as her knowledge of and affection for the rich history of the city of New York.

Series:
* Alexandra Cooper Mystery

Reviews

[Paul Weiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

First rate legal and police drama ... LAW AND ORDER on the printed page!

Linda Fairstein, herself a prosecutor in Manhattan for 25 years, has compiled an anthology of legal shorts written by some of the most well known and most exciting members of the Mystery Writers of America. If you like legal thrillers, police procedurals, courtroom drama, judicial hanky-panky, the ethics of criminal aggressive defense and prosecution and the twists in our modern system of jurisprudence, then it's a sure bet that THE PROSECUTION RESTS will thrill you to your toes.

One of my favourites in the collection, for example, DESIGNER JUSTICE, tells the chilling tale of a top-flight defense lawyer whose cross examination is so perfectly focused and constructed that the jury has no alternative but to acquit the defendant. However, it turns out that the person footing the bills for the defense has their own agenda that probably isn't quite on the same page as that of the newly released "innocent" murderer. QUALITY OF MERCY, a topical story about whether human euthanasia constitutes homicide, ends with a thoroughly entertaining and utterly blindside twist. NIGHT COURT, one of the shortest entries in the collection, tells a fine story about, shall we call it, "alternative" justice systems. The collection closes with GOING UNDER, an amusing ironic tale of a sting designed to apprehend a dentist whose practice is definitely not on the up and up! Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg. When you open THE PROSECUTION RESTS, you can put your feet up and look forward to several evenings of entertainment over 22 different stories.

Great drama, great story-telling, great twists, great characters and great dialogue ... all in all, an anthology that is enjoyable from first page to last. I hope that Ms Fairstein will consider putting together a second collection to follow up this winner. Highly recommended.

Paul Weiss

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this collection from the Mystery Writers of America, Fairstein edits the compilation and presents an interesting cross-section of legal-based short stories. Some are mere entertainment, where the reader can watch for the pitfalls and turns the author weaves before turning a story on its head and leaving a character blindsided. Other tales tell of a deep and sadistic side of the law, through acts of senseless murder or child pornography. While it is not the place or time to summarise the collection here, I can say that the wide variety within the collection should appeal to many readers, who can pick and choose what interests them most. Whatever one thinks of the law and those who depict it in their writing, there is bound to be something for everyone, enough to tickle one's fancy as well as leave one wanting to skip over certain stories. Whatever the take, it's an interesting collection, worth examining and enjoying.

There will be those who lament the collection, especially those who sit behind a desk and practice law, but to those folks, I can say but one thing, get a life. These are stories to entertain and provoke thought, just as Perry Mason and LAW & ORDER seek to entertain. Has Fairstein chosen the best and brightest? Perhaps not, as this is a genre in which I am highly interested and have never heard of many of these writers. That is not the sole basis for this collection. Does it entertain? Most certainly! Does it make the reader think a little? Definitely! Will I rush out to read full-length novels penned by many of the contributors? Not on your life. That said, it allowed me to see who I liked and who can continue collecting dust for the foreseeable future. And for that, I thank the Mystery Writers of America and Linda Fairstein.

Well done Madam Fairstein. I look forward to reading more from some of your brood, while others await their capital punishments.

[4cats · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really solid collection of short stories. As with any collection there are maybe 2 or 3 I didn't get on with but the rest are really entertaining. I love short story anthologies as you get a chance to read authors you might never find on a shelf.

[Eric_W · Rating 3 out of 5]

For whatever reason, I am not usually a fan of short fiction. This collection of legal-related short fiction is an exception. A nice mix of police procedurals, courtroom drama, and legal ethical conundra with interesting twists.

I learned something interesting in a James Grippando story called “Death, Cheated.” A viatical settlement is when someone with a substantial life insurance policy who learns s/he is terminally ill, can sell that policy to another person or group of investors for less than the face value of the policy but more than its cash value. The investors can reap a substantial return on their investment when the principal dies. In the story a woman asks Jack Swyteck to help defend her from a lawsuit of a group of investors. She had been diagnosed with ALS having an anticipated life span of only 2-3 years and sold her life insurance policy for a considerable sum only to discover she had lead poisoning instead which mimics ALS so she wasn’t going to die after all. The ending is somewhat predictable, but a good story. The tables are also turned in “Knife Fight” which has a nice little twist at the end. And “The Flashlight Game” which an engineer father who files constant pro se lawsuits and then gets arrested for murder is fun.

One nice thing about collections of different writers is that new authors are often discovered and so it is here.

[Les · Rating 1 out of 5]

I generally don't do this but while I enjoyed the stories in this book it is because I was unaware who the editor / author is

Turns out she's a jackbooted thug who railroaded 5 innocent teens back in the 80's
She should burn in hell

Anyway if you can steal a copy of this book, or borrow it from a library so this inhuman pile of scum doesn't make a thin dime from it it's readable.

I only paid $2 so I hope her percentage is < 1¢

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good read, fun. Good short mysteries and short stories! Love to find more good anthologies.

[Peacejanz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another one of the books organized by the Mystery Writers of America. It is edited by Linda Fairstein, a wonderful mystery writer herself. The titles of these books of short stories are meaningful. This one is about attorneys who mess up - I only realized this when I had read several of the short stories. I love these books, quick reading and some authors I know and love and some others I never heard of. In this book alone, there are 12 short stories by writers I have never read but will look for in the future. Some of the stories are funny, some catch the attorney in his/her own nest of lies. And Linda Fairstein is no slouch. Her short story is one of the best in this collection. When you see one of these collections at the thrift store or in your home library, grab it. Try it. If you like mystery and good stories, this series is wonderful.

[Matthew Olson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good stories, but a lot of bad

Some of these stories don't stand up to muster. Plot holes abound.

Other stories just don't have a good enough of an edit.

There are some gems like By Hook or By Crook. That one was worth buying this. A few other good ones and it does make it worth even more.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmph. I thought this was going to be a book of TRUE courtroom stories but actually it is just a bunch of fiction short stories. As someone who works in this field, I know there are plenty of real stories out there that would be very interesting to read. Why read someone's make believe tale when you can hear real stories that are far more compelling? Some of the stories are better than others and I think this book is a good concept; it just isn't what I was expecting.

[Francelia Belton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed most of the stories in this one, and that's hard to do with anthologies. Sometimes it can be hit or miss.

[Daniel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Legally incompetent

[Spicydish · Rating 4 out of 5]

An anthology of stories involving legal trials with forward by Linda Fairstein.
This collection had some very good stories and a few bland ones.
I should point out that a major problem with this audio version is that there was no index. Because there were no chapter numbers separating the stories it was difficult to know where the stories began or ended.

A few of the memorable stories:

Red Dog by Anita Page
(Red dogging is a term used to describe killing someone.)
Lucy Ann, 14 years old, had a miserable home life. Her father had run off and her mother was married to Mr. Davis. He was a drunk who routinely beat Lucy Ann’s mother. During a particularly bad fight Mr. Davis was shot. Lucy Ann’s mother disposed the body after severing its head, butchering the body like a hog and grinding the bones for chicken feed. Mother and daughter rehearsed their story about how Mr. Davis met his end after the police followed up on a missing persons report in this small town. The mother is put on trial, found guilty and sent to prison. We later discover that she wasn’t the murderer.

Hard Blows by Morley Swingle
County District Attorney Jack Hogan sits in the bleachers in a remote part of the gym where his daughter, Amber, is attending gymnastics practice.
Sitting beside him is an annoying talkative father interrupting Jack’s preparation for closing argument in an upcoming court appearance. The dad asks Jack if he remember him. Jack handles so many trials he doesn’t remember him. The dad is Floyd Thompson, former dry cleaners owner, who killed an irate employee who accused Thompson of having an affair with his wife. During the argument the employee turns around to get a gun. Fearing for his life Thompson shoots the guy in the back. Turns out the employee was unarmed. Jack Hogan was the attorney prosecuting Thompson. He vehemently and successfully argued that shooting an unarmed man was cowardly and inexcusable in any circumstance. As a result of Thompson’s imprisonment, he lost his business, his wife divorced him, currently remarried and now mother of five children, and their only child fell ill and died.
Hogan is sorry but he was only doing his job. Thompson threatened to harm his daughter and his wife in very gruesome detail. He had two weapons. A gun and a knife. Thompson left the gun beside Hogan on the bleacher then went charging toward Amber with the knife in his pocket. Jack picked up the gun and fired. He shot Thompson in the back. As he lay dying he revealed that he didn’t have a knife. He taunted Jack into shooting him in the back hoping to repeat the punishment he received by Jack Hogan’s prosecution.

Custom Sets by Joseph Wallace
A motherless Russian girl, was pimped out by her father and uncle who enjoyed luxuries far above their impoverished circumstances by her exploitation. At age ten her father plopped down a bag of clothes. Unused to such a rare gift, upon opening the bag Zinnia discovered skimpy outfits in which to be photographed as she laid on a bed. When she was 14 this trio first moved to a Russian enclave in New York. She was given the name The Divine Davina with her customers called devotees.

Her father made weekly kiddie porn videos of his daughter and sold online subscriptions for $24.95 monthly. Grittier videos called custom sets would be made for a larger price. There were thousands of subscribers worldwide.

Her father and uncle were living it up on this lucrative enterprise. What money they did spend on their outside a]entertain away from the apartment, her father hid in the apartment because he did trust banks.

Zinnia wasn’t allowed to leave the apartment so she spent her days going through her father’s computer and improving her English watching Court TV.
Zinnia lived this torment for 7 years. Her customers complained that she was getting too old. They liked prepubescent girls. Nearing the end of her usefulness to her father and brutal Uncle Mikhail, they were making plans to sell her. It came as quite a surprise to them that they met their untimely end by bring stabbed to death by Zinnia. She emptied the cash in the secret drawer with enough money to travel and live anonymously.

Amazingly she followed the trials of pedophiles as she crisscrossed the country by bus.

The Secret Session by Ed Hoch
The Chief Justice Banger, a white haired avuncular judge on the bench on the Court of Appeals for twelve years, calls together 5 justices to investigate illegal political contributions that would cause quite a scandal if revealed to the public. Justice Collin Penny was forced to resign when investigative Maeve McGuire uncovered a large political contribution given to him a lumber company. She was persuaded to quash the story upon his resignation but she had another juicy story about to break. She confided once again to Justice Banger, with whom she had an affair, that another story was of corruption was about to be printed. Shortly after her clandestine admission to Banger, she was killed in a hit and run. Who did it?

Designer Justice by Phyllis Cohen
Harold Veckt was a thief. He robbed a husband and wife of cash and jewelry. The wife surrendered all but a locket, reminiscent of the couple’s deceased only child. When she refused to relinquish it, Veckt shot her in the chest. She died.
Veckt was put on trial. He was found not guilty. Grateful that his high priced attorney had taken his case pro bono, when the not guilty verdict was announce Veckt congratulated him thankfully. The attorney slipped hi. An envelope. The attorney had not looked at its contents nor did he want to. Veckt stuffed the unopened envelope in his pocket and went off to celebrate with his mother in a nearby bar. He wrapped up the celebration by sending his mother back by bus to her apartment in another New York borough. Once he arrived at his own apartment he finally opened the envelope. It contained several thousand dollars in cash and the offer of more if he went, unarmed, to the enclosed address.
The promised amount was more than the thief could earn in a year so he eagerly went to the address. Once he arrived, his fate was sealed.
The high powered attorney didn’t take the case pro bono. The husband of his murdered wife paid the attorney’s fee. He also paid for the testimony of expert witness who convinced the jury that the evidence was questionable.

The windowless room, lacking a toilet but possessing a drain hole in the floor, was to be his new home. He would be given food periodically and only so long as the widower lived. The building in this desolate neighborhood was owned by the widower. The address was removed from its exterior. No one would ever be able to find him.

He didn’t received the promised additional payment but he did receive The Big Payback

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some really great stories, some not so great. "Designer Justice" haunted me for a while and was my favorite. I didn't read past the first few pages of two stories, but that's what is great about collections like this - you don't have to read them all. 3.7 stars.

[Matthew Jay · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible book and terrible author. Hopefully she reads the reviews one day and realizes that those who would knowingly prosecute children like she did should suffer the same punishment and more. Truly evil.

[Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Secret Session” by Edward D. Hoch was excellent. It looks at the inner workings of an appellate court, the chief justice of which is adamant that no scandal ever contaminates his court. When someone kills a reporter in a hit-and-run accident and a misallocated voicemail alerts an appellate judge to the repair costs of a fellow judge’s car, the investigation is on in earnest. While this isn’t the kind of locked-room story Hoch is famous for, it’s an excellent one.

Phyllis Cohen’s “Designer Justice” has a magnificent ending you shouldn’t miss. A mugger thinks he got away with a nice heist, but the victim’s husband turns the tables, and how!

“Follow up” by Jo Dereske is a good story about a mother’s anguish, a parole board officer, and a snowstorm.

In “By Hook or by Crook,” Charlie Drees writes about a shyster lawyer who thinks he can get the hot (but married) babe and her money. Think again, pal.

“The Letter” by Eileen Dunbaugh is a story of old family secrets committed to paper.

“Spectral Evidence” by Kate Gallison is a little something set during the Salem witch trials. I didn’t connect with it at all well.

“Knife Fight by Joel Goldman reminds me of why I enjoy his writing. Elizabeth Rosenthal is a Jewish lesbian lawyer whose client is a streetwise black guy who isn’t sure how he feels about Jewish lesbians, let alone lawyers. It’s all about his relationship with his mom and the alibi she can produce.

James Grippando’s “Death, Cheated” features Jack Swyteck, a fictional lawyer around whom he built an entire series. It’s a great story you shouldn’t miss about some funky medical chicanery.

“My Brother's Keeper” by Daniel J. Hale is a memorable piece about brothers and family dysfunctionality. It’s not one I’d skip, but of course, you’re going to do what makes sense to you as a reader.

The flashlight game by Diana Hansen-Young looks at our world of constant victimization and society’s propensity to file complaint after complaint whether they have meaning or not.

Paul Levine’s “Mom Is My Co-Counsel” is a thoroughly creepy story with an ending that will make you wonder almost aloud what the heck you just read. You’ll wonder that in the best possible way, not out of disappointment or reader’s rage at the author cheating you with an ending that frustrated you.

Leigh Lundin’s “Quality of Mercy” takes a chilling look at end-of-life decisions. It’s a must-read.

“The Mother” by Michele Martinez is a story that features Melanie Vargas who is the main character in a four-book series. Martinez writes well, and you should include this one in your reading list from this book.

Anita Page’s “Red Dog” looks at how one mother handled spousal murder in 1910 rural America. It’s well written and the young female character will stay with you long after you’ve moved onto the next story.

“A Clerk's Life” by Barbara Parker takes you behind the scenes in a tension-fraught law firm.

“Time Will Tell” by Twist Phelan is a decent submission about a vibrant female attorney and an accountant. There’s no courtroom drama here, but Phelan’s writing style is always worth your time.

John Walter Putre’s “The Evil We Do” is the one story in the book I didn’t connect with well at all.

“Night Court” by S. J. Rozan wasn’t as memorable as are her books about Lydia Chin and Bill Smith.

“Hard Blows” by Morley Swingle moves competitive sports for children and the parents who watch them to a whole new level of tension. Again, no courtroom drama here, but a grudge-holding ex-con gets what he wants most—or does he? This one’s very much worth your time.

Joseph Wallace’s “Custom Sets” may work well for some readers; I didn’t find it all that memorable for whatever reason.

“Bang” by Angela Zeman looks at what happens when scientists and lawyers go awry.

“Going Under” by Linda Fairstein demonstrates her skill as a writer. If you’re female, and if that tooth really hurts, you may consider putting off a trip to the dentist after you read this.

Only a couple of these stories were full-on ho-hum for me. Most of them kept me fully engaged with the anthology to the back page. I wish there had been more courtroom drama than there was, but that can’t be easy to write in a short story.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an anthology of short stories pertaining to the criminal justice system in America. All of the stories inside are fiction; I had for some reason thought this book was nonfiction but that is not the case. The average story in this book is about twenty pages, though one is only seven pages while I think the longest comes in at about twenty-six pages. Almost all of these stories are about criminal cases but there is one civil lawsuit story. Most of the stories are about lawyers but there are a couple which have judges, paralegals, prison officials, and members of the Catholic church. All of the stories are set in America across the history books from the Salem witch trials in 1692 through modern day life. For the most part I enjoyed reading these stories. They were short little bits, some of which gave me pause to think and one or two which did not.

There was only one, "Bang," by Angela Zeman which I did not like at all and could have done without reading. "Bang" is about a woman on a mission to find the person responsible for the death of her best friend. The parts which I strongly disliked was the most inaccurate portrayal of a person's death, followed by an even more unbelievable action sequence involving a gun. I feel like the author could have researched how people die and written a much better story; as it stands, the jarring disconnect with reality only served to make the story less realistic.

There were several scenes involving alcohol and substance abuse. Some adult language peppered throughout. One or two implied sex scenes; I don't recall any vivid sex scenes. Otherwise, I really enjoyed this book and am happy to give it four stars.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Linda Fairstein has edited an eclectic mix of stories from the trial of Galileo thru the Salem witch trials to modern day courtroom drama. As with any anthology, some stories I wasn't wild about, some I liked and a couple I loved.
I always keep an anthology close by to read in those odd moments when I'm waiting for a friend, sitting in the doctor's office or needing a short read to help me fall asleep. I always discover a new author whose story intrigues me and whose additional work I want to pursue. This anothology was a success in those regards.

[Elizabeth Kukshtel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't realize how shitty Linda Fairstein is until after I picked this up from the library and read some reviews, and looked her up, but since there are other author contributors I will rate this book based on the stories themselves. I thought this was a good compilation of short fictional stories about crimes happening mostly outside of the courtroom, mostly focusing/involving lawyers. I feel like there aren't enough of these in the mystery genre, this was a fresh angle for me and I enjoyed most of the stories.

[Lisa]

SPOILERS: I like this set of short story puzzles. The spoiler is that a vast majority of the narrators are themselves the murderers. I wonder if each author thought they were doing something clever and then it ended up being the dominant narrative. It’s a nice range of contexts—including one historical mystery set during the Galileo trial of the 16th century.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Mystery Writers series is such a gem! The books are a nice break between some of the 'heavier' mystery/crime books on the market. A compilation of short stories written around a general theme by well known authors in the genre.

[Princess Nwachuku]

Really enjoyable anthology of short stories. As usual, some stories were far more interesting than others.

Some stories had little to do with characters actually practicing law or administering justice, but that didn't necessarily make them uninteresting.

[Penelope · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully varied collection of stories, many with a twist. All well narrated by Cassandra Campbell and Paul Boehmer, and all well written. Not a clunker in the lot! Unusually good.

[Di Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her short story in this book is outstanding, I wish she wrote more fiction.

[Janice Branning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the short stories.

[Lawanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short stories by various authors.

[Poptart19 (the name’s ren) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

[Book Concierge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audio book read by Cassandra Campbell and Paul Boehmer

This is a collection of short stories about Courtrooms, Criminals and the Law. All take place after the crime has been committed and, in general, deal with “justice” and what it means to various people connected with the crimes. The story lines, which are completely independent of one another, include some very interesting twists, more than a few double-crosses, and consistent suspense.

I listened to the audio book; Campbell and Boehmer are both talented voice artists and actors. They breathe real life into these stories, easily differentiating characters and reading at a pace that heightens the suspense.

It’s a great introduction to 22 very talented mystery/suspense/thriller authors – including Paul Levine, Michele Martinez, Joel Goldman, and Linda Fairstein. I do think I might have enjoyed the book more if I was reading the text, and if I read just a couple of stories at a time, rather than the entire collection in one fell swoop.

[Mrs. Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

MWA’s short story anthology The Prosecution Rests was well-edited by Linda Fairstein. There were few stories I didn’t care for, and 3 that I liked well enough to reread (“Follow Up,” “Knife Fight,” and “Mom Is My Co-Counsel”), all by authors I’d never heard of, but one of whom now has a novel waiting on my TBR shelf. Discoveries like these are what can make an anthology worth reading, and it’s my opinion that Fairstein edits better than she writes. For true crime fans the stories won’t provide revelations about the legal system, but although that is the fabric from which all are cut out, the finished garments are interesting because of what they’re sewn into, rather than from. Recommended.

[Bunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kinda adored this book. The stories, for the most part, are short enough to keep the anticipation up without bogging you down with legal jargon and coffee talk. That's the part that turns me off with most legal fiction. Each story had a twist ending, which is what I look for in books and movies, and it was 20+ twist endings at a time. I was in heaven.

My all-time favorite story, that will stay with me far longer than I'll remember which book I read it out of, was Quality of Mercy. Years from now, I'll remember that story, but not the book. And I love that.

Very recommendable. Extremely.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a compilation of short stories, all dealing with crimes, the courtroom, or justice. I listened to the book in audio format, and it was the perfect audio-book for a car trip, filling in gaps in conversation or boring sights with half-hour short stories. And being short stories, there was no concern of not being able to hear the final chapter before the destination was reached.
I was pleasantly surprised by most of the stories. Finishing each chapter made me anticipate the next even more. Cleverly written, surprise endings, and interesting premises made the book a winner.