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A Covenant With Death
Set in 1923 in the American southwest, a young judge has an enormous responsibility to make in a capital case where a man is charged with murdering his beautiful wife. The parallel plot is his inability to handle life, love, success. Great story.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1964
114 people are currently reading
474 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Becker
43 books13 followersStephen Becker (1927–1999) was an American author, translator, and teacher whose published works include eleven novels and the English translations of many works, including Elie Wiesel’s The Town Behind the Wall and The Forgotten and André Malraux’s The Conquerors.
He was born in Mount Vernon, New York in 1927, and after serving in World War II, he graduated from Harvard University and studied in Peking and Paris, where he was friends with the novelist Richard Wright and learned French in part by reading detective novels. The recipient of Paul Harris and Guggenheim Fellowships and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, Becker taught at numerous schools throughout the United States, including the University of Iowa, Bennington College, and the University of Central Florida in Orlando.
His best-known works include A Covenant with Death (1965), which was adapted into a Warner Brothers film starring Gene Hackman and George Maharis; When the War Is Over (1969), a Civil War novel based on the true story of a teenage Confederate soldier executed more than a month after Lee’s surrender; and the Far East trilogy of literary adventure novels: The Chinese Bandit (1975), The Last Mandarin (1979), and The Blue-Eyed Shan (1982).
Equally distinguished as a translator, a biographer, a commentator on the popular arts, and a novelist, Stephen Becker brings to his fiction a breadth of experience with world culture and human behavior which yields moral complexity and psychological verity in his work. Two major themes intertwine through his novels—the problems of justice and the necessity for self-knowledge and self-fulfillment.
Becker's examination of society's structure and limitations and his portrayal of men seeking "grace under pressure" is a significant contribution to contemporary fiction. The existential premises of the works—individuals finding meaning inside the arbitrary bounds of social order—reflect our acceptance of the civilization we have built.
Read more: Stephen (David) Becker Biography - JRank Articles http://biography.jrank.org/pages/4144...
He was born in Mount Vernon, New York in 1927, and after serving in World War II, he graduated from Harvard University and studied in Peking and Paris, where he was friends with the novelist Richard Wright and learned French in part by reading detective novels. The recipient of Paul Harris and Guggenheim Fellowships and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, Becker taught at numerous schools throughout the United States, including the University of Iowa, Bennington College, and the University of Central Florida in Orlando.
His best-known works include A Covenant with Death (1965), which was adapted into a Warner Brothers film starring Gene Hackman and George Maharis; When the War Is Over (1969), a Civil War novel based on the true story of a teenage Confederate soldier executed more than a month after Lee’s surrender; and the Far East trilogy of literary adventure novels: The Chinese Bandit (1975), The Last Mandarin (1979), and The Blue-Eyed Shan (1982).
Equally distinguished as a translator, a biographer, a commentator on the popular arts, and a novelist, Stephen Becker brings to his fiction a breadth of experience with world culture and human behavior which yields moral complexity and psychological verity in his work. Two major themes intertwine through his novels—the problems of justice and the necessity for self-knowledge and self-fulfillment.
Becker's examination of society's structure and limitations and his portrayal of men seeking "grace under pressure" is a significant contribution to contemporary fiction. The existential premises of the works—individuals finding meaning inside the arbitrary bounds of social order—reflect our acceptance of the civilization we have built.
Read more: Stephen (David) Becker Biography - JRank Articles http://biography.jrank.org/pages/4144...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
August 26, 2016
A Covenant With Death by Stephen Becker from 1964 is a hidden gem of a book that has been compared as a southwestern To Kill a Mockingbird. Taking place in 1923 Soledad City, New Mexico in the early days of statehood and using exquisite prose that we do not often find in contemporary novels, I rate this novel 4.5 stars.
Ben Lewis Morales is a young judge and is often compared to both his father and the honorable Judge Hochstadter. Day to day life in Soledad City during prohibition is boring on an exciting day, and the profession of judge usually entails reading and writing briefs. That changes one day in May 1923 when Bryan Talbot is charged with strangling his wife Louise to death. Talbot maintains his innocence and employs defense attorney Oliver Parmelee. The state counters with defense lawyer Alfred Dietrich. The case proceeds, according to an older Judge Lewis reminiscing, to make daily life interesting over an otherwise dull summer, and does not end until additional people are dead.
Yet, what makes this courtroom drama different than contemporary books of this genre, is that we are offered a glimpse into Judge Lewis' personal life. The Judge resides with his professional mother Eulalia Morales Lewis. We see the Judge's struggle to live up to his father's judicial record as well his own personal struggle to find a wife who measures up to his mother's expectations. Becker offers a secondary plot of Judge Lewis learning how to love as an adult versus an adolescent even though he has reached the age of twenty-nine. This sparked my interest as Becker fleshed out Eulalia's character and background so the reader could sympathize with Judge Lewis' quest to find a wife that appeals to both him and his mother. This takes up as much of Lewis' emotional energy as the legal proceedings do.
I enjoyed reading about Judge Lewis and the other characters of Soledad City. Becker has the judge quote Gibbon, Aristotle, and 1600s French thinkers in his briefs. Meanwhile we learn much about the legal system of the 1920s. New Mexico is a long way from Washington and has state control over most of her legal issues including the court and prohibition. In many ways it is still more of a Wild West society of bandits and Rangers than a member of the United States. It is in this context that Judge Lewis writes his memorable brief on the Talbot case.
I am glad that I uncovered Stephen Becker. He wrote and translated many books before his death including an award winning biography of Marshall Field. A Covenant of Death was a real find, and even though it is told through the eyes of a 63 year old judge rather than a girl, I can see how the comparisons to To Kill a Mockingbird arose. For its unique perspective and wonderful prose, I rate A Covenant With Death 4.5 stars and look forward to revisiting Stephen Becker's memorable writing.
Ben Lewis Morales is a young judge and is often compared to both his father and the honorable Judge Hochstadter. Day to day life in Soledad City during prohibition is boring on an exciting day, and the profession of judge usually entails reading and writing briefs. That changes one day in May 1923 when Bryan Talbot is charged with strangling his wife Louise to death. Talbot maintains his innocence and employs defense attorney Oliver Parmelee. The state counters with defense lawyer Alfred Dietrich. The case proceeds, according to an older Judge Lewis reminiscing, to make daily life interesting over an otherwise dull summer, and does not end until additional people are dead.
Yet, what makes this courtroom drama different than contemporary books of this genre, is that we are offered a glimpse into Judge Lewis' personal life. The Judge resides with his professional mother Eulalia Morales Lewis. We see the Judge's struggle to live up to his father's judicial record as well his own personal struggle to find a wife who measures up to his mother's expectations. Becker offers a secondary plot of Judge Lewis learning how to love as an adult versus an adolescent even though he has reached the age of twenty-nine. This sparked my interest as Becker fleshed out Eulalia's character and background so the reader could sympathize with Judge Lewis' quest to find a wife that appeals to both him and his mother. This takes up as much of Lewis' emotional energy as the legal proceedings do.
I enjoyed reading about Judge Lewis and the other characters of Soledad City. Becker has the judge quote Gibbon, Aristotle, and 1600s French thinkers in his briefs. Meanwhile we learn much about the legal system of the 1920s. New Mexico is a long way from Washington and has state control over most of her legal issues including the court and prohibition. In many ways it is still more of a Wild West society of bandits and Rangers than a member of the United States. It is in this context that Judge Lewis writes his memorable brief on the Talbot case.
I am glad that I uncovered Stephen Becker. He wrote and translated many books before his death including an award winning biography of Marshall Field. A Covenant of Death was a real find, and even though it is told through the eyes of a 63 year old judge rather than a girl, I can see how the comparisons to To Kill a Mockingbird arose. For its unique perspective and wonderful prose, I rate A Covenant With Death 4.5 stars and look forward to revisiting Stephen Becker's memorable writing.
March 5, 2019
Well, my goodness, what to say about such a great book?
First, thank you to Tina for finding this in a box of books 3 years ago, reading it and introducing this forgotten author to all of us. Second, thank you to Wyndy for reading and championing Stephen Becker with a great review. Third, thank you to Hoopla for making Becker's books available through the library system.
It's only March 5th and this may be my favorite book of the year, and I've been reading some great ones lately. It's described as a courtroom drama, but it's way more than that. It's also a coming-of-age story, although the person struggling to mature is our narrator, a 29 year old State appointed judge. A beautiful young wife is murdered, her husband is arested, and, as Shakespeare would say, thereby hangs a tale.
These pages contain not only a whodunit, with edge of your seat writing, but philosophy, history, quotes from learned men of the past, men vs women, old vs young, justice vs injustice, and surprises that knock you for a loop, but it is also rife with ironic humor throughout. That always makes a book special to me, the type of humor that elevates the characters into real people and imparts wisdom at the same time. I especially enjoyed the relationship between Judge Lewis and his native American clerk, John Digby, and that of he and his mother Eulalia. She was brilliant in her non-traditional way.
I'm not ashamed to say that the conclusion of this novel brought me to tears, for several different reasons, not the least of which is the beauty of the legal system when justice is finally done. I leave you with a quote, which just happens to be the last paragraph of this book:
"Wiggle your fingers. Wiggle your toes. Go naked to the market. Rejoice in all mornings. Join hands and kiss. Laugh. Love. If you cannot live, pity. If you cannot pity, have mercy. That man is not your brother; he is you".
Do yourself a favor and read this book, without expectations. I promise you a great experience.
First, thank you to Tina for finding this in a box of books 3 years ago, reading it and introducing this forgotten author to all of us. Second, thank you to Wyndy for reading and championing Stephen Becker with a great review. Third, thank you to Hoopla for making Becker's books available through the library system.
It's only March 5th and this may be my favorite book of the year, and I've been reading some great ones lately. It's described as a courtroom drama, but it's way more than that. It's also a coming-of-age story, although the person struggling to mature is our narrator, a 29 year old State appointed judge. A beautiful young wife is murdered, her husband is arested, and, as Shakespeare would say, thereby hangs a tale.
These pages contain not only a whodunit, with edge of your seat writing, but philosophy, history, quotes from learned men of the past, men vs women, old vs young, justice vs injustice, and surprises that knock you for a loop, but it is also rife with ironic humor throughout. That always makes a book special to me, the type of humor that elevates the characters into real people and imparts wisdom at the same time. I especially enjoyed the relationship between Judge Lewis and his native American clerk, John Digby, and that of he and his mother Eulalia. She was brilliant in her non-traditional way.
I'm not ashamed to say that the conclusion of this novel brought me to tears, for several different reasons, not the least of which is the beauty of the legal system when justice is finally done. I leave you with a quote, which just happens to be the last paragraph of this book:
"Wiggle your fingers. Wiggle your toes. Go naked to the market. Rejoice in all mornings. Join hands and kiss. Laugh. Love. If you cannot live, pity. If you cannot pity, have mercy. That man is not your brother; he is you".
Do yourself a favor and read this book, without expectations. I promise you a great experience.
May 1, 2019
The year is 1923 somewhere in the southwest where the oppressive heat is a part of life. A young judge, newly appointed by the state, struggles with this honor and responsibility against his personal life, which is still not completely baked.
I am bereft. Seeing the comparisons made to "To Kill A Mockingbird" may have allowed my expectations to soar too high. Or it's altogether possible that this just wasn't the book for me. It is well written and the characters are realistic, but it did not sing to me.
The mention of a hand fan from the funeral home brought back memories. Back in the day, very few business establishments had air conditioning. The occasional exceptions were movie theatres and the odd corner grocery store. These oases would sport a welcome sign on the door with a penguin saying "Come in. It's Kool inside". At any rate, the churches had those hand fans, the ones with the flat wooden handle stapled or glued to a cardboard fan (along with the church name, of course). They were tucked into the hymnal racks built on the back of the pews. You could really go to town with those things, they worked remarkably well.
This book was not available from our library, but I was able to get a copy courtesy of the Mobius program. It speaks volumes that this edition came from the St. Louis University Law Library.
I am bereft. Seeing the comparisons made to "To Kill A Mockingbird" may have allowed my expectations to soar too high. Or it's altogether possible that this just wasn't the book for me. It is well written and the characters are realistic, but it did not sing to me.
The mention of a hand fan from the funeral home brought back memories. Back in the day, very few business establishments had air conditioning. The occasional exceptions were movie theatres and the odd corner grocery store. These oases would sport a welcome sign on the door with a penguin saying "Come in. It's Kool inside". At any rate, the churches had those hand fans, the ones with the flat wooden handle stapled or glued to a cardboard fan (along with the church name, of course). They were tucked into the hymnal racks built on the back of the pews. You could really go to town with those things, they worked remarkably well.
This book was not available from our library, but I was able to get a copy courtesy of the Mobius program. It speaks volumes that this edition came from the St. Louis University Law Library.
October 26, 2024
Set in 1923 in Soledad City, New Mexico, a newly minted state, A Covenant With Death is a courtroom drama that evolves into so much more. Ben Morales is a young, inexperienced district judge in this town where serious crime is rare, and the murder of Mrs. Louise Talbot is far from being an open and shut case. What he learns as this case develops, and what we learn along with him, is literary genius.
This is a book about justice, the difficult kind, the kind that calls into question the most basic tenets around which we operate and tests the foundation of the system it rests upon. Man is not clairvoyant and judges and juries are men, and therein lies the rub, as Hamlet might tell us.
...and if justice was not rightness, how could it be justice? That was why you shot a crippled horse. That was also why you drank during Prohibition. Because sometimes justice and rightness did not seem to be the same. Justice was public and rightness was private and if they were not the same you chose rightness and did not inflict pain.
More than the details of the murder, the process of the trial, or the guilt or innocence of the accused, this is a story about the struggle of a good man to judge the life of another without prejudice or bias. It is about reaching deep and finding the best you can be among the foibles that make you a human being. It is about the choice every man who is challenged with injustice must make: whether to be part of the status quo or to risk stepping outside the boundaries that are comfortable to us all.
There must come to every man who is part of an apparatus a moment when the apparatus functions without him, in spite of him, unheeding; the moment when he must say, You take the king’s shilling, you fight the king’s war. Either that or he deserts. But the moment is a hard one. You join up because they need a man and you think you are a good one, and suddenly you are not a man at all but one small dumb erg in a monstrous blind force.
My friend Kirk told me long ago that this was a book I should read. I put it on my TBR and bought it for my Kindle. I sometimes wonder how it is I let gems gather dust so often, but I shall not worry over that now but celebrate that I have finally dusted it off. I wish Kirk were here…I’d like to say “thank you.”
This is a book about justice, the difficult kind, the kind that calls into question the most basic tenets around which we operate and tests the foundation of the system it rests upon. Man is not clairvoyant and judges and juries are men, and therein lies the rub, as Hamlet might tell us.
...and if justice was not rightness, how could it be justice? That was why you shot a crippled horse. That was also why you drank during Prohibition. Because sometimes justice and rightness did not seem to be the same. Justice was public and rightness was private and if they were not the same you chose rightness and did not inflict pain.
More than the details of the murder, the process of the trial, or the guilt or innocence of the accused, this is a story about the struggle of a good man to judge the life of another without prejudice or bias. It is about reaching deep and finding the best you can be among the foibles that make you a human being. It is about the choice every man who is challenged with injustice must make: whether to be part of the status quo or to risk stepping outside the boundaries that are comfortable to us all.
There must come to every man who is part of an apparatus a moment when the apparatus functions without him, in spite of him, unheeding; the moment when he must say, You take the king’s shilling, you fight the king’s war. Either that or he deserts. But the moment is a hard one. You join up because they need a man and you think you are a good one, and suddenly you are not a man at all but one small dumb erg in a monstrous blind force.
My friend Kirk told me long ago that this was a book I should read. I put it on my TBR and bought it for my Kindle. I sometimes wonder how it is I let gems gather dust so often, but I shall not worry over that now but celebrate that I have finally dusted it off. I wish Kirk were here…I’d like to say “thank you.”
March 14, 2022
This is an interesting crime novel I’d never heard of. It has some qualities of old fashioned noir. The sullen, cynical, worldly narrator comes straight from that background. Written in the 1960s and set in the 1920s shortly after WWI it also has a whiff of Western like Larry McMurtry. Soledad City is a small New Mexican town supposedly near the border with Old Mexico. It’s in the throes of transitioning from an earlier time to the modern world.
I’d never heard of this author and I have no idea if his other works are anywhere near this good. Not only is there a great sense of time and place but the dialog is fantastic. The main character is a young (29 year old) judge who is partly of Mexican descent himself although an accepted feature of the “good” part of town. Times are changing.
There is a murder in Soledad City, New Mexico in a not quite nice family. The town is divided on racial and religious lines (the west side white and Protestant/the east side Mexican and Catholic with a few blacks). The accused is the husband of the victim. Murders there are almost always the barroom type so this brings the town prurient into a near frenzy. Most of the novel revolves around the courtroom which also makes it an interesting legal drama.
The ambiguous 20th century morality shakes the town out of its old ways, at least temporarily. The husband is “like a naked baby in a front yard, a red shirt at a funeral”…but was he the murderer
and will the result drag Soledad City into the 20th century?
Becker’s book is a well written example of dark Americana but I was uncomfortable with how long the judge goes on and on. It also has a very Mickey Spillane-ish attitude towards women. With the exception of the judge’s Mexican matriarch, cigar smoking mama, all women are bad one way or the other. Well hey, the men are really no better.
I’d never heard of this author and I have no idea if his other works are anywhere near this good. Not only is there a great sense of time and place but the dialog is fantastic. The main character is a young (29 year old) judge who is partly of Mexican descent himself although an accepted feature of the “good” part of town. Times are changing.
There is a murder in Soledad City, New Mexico in a not quite nice family. The town is divided on racial and religious lines (the west side white and Protestant/the east side Mexican and Catholic with a few blacks). The accused is the husband of the victim. Murders there are almost always the barroom type so this brings the town prurient into a near frenzy. Most of the novel revolves around the courtroom which also makes it an interesting legal drama.
The ambiguous 20th century morality shakes the town out of its old ways, at least temporarily. The husband is “like a naked baby in a front yard, a red shirt at a funeral”…but was he the murderer
and will the result drag Soledad City into the 20th century?
Becker’s book is a well written example of dark Americana but I was uncomfortable with how long the judge goes on and on. It also has a very Mickey Spillane-ish attitude towards women. With the exception of the judge’s Mexican matriarch, cigar smoking mama, all women are bad one way or the other. Well hey, the men are really no better.
April 12, 2019
How to describe this book? A sophisticated literary novel with such inventive vocabulary, you might need a dictionary (“borborygmus”—stomach gurgle and groan!) or a law degree. A crime novel that takes place in 1923 but has a kind of ribald, irreverent humor that feels contemporary—so perhaps it’s timeless and it is merely generational arrogance that fancies it invents it. A noir story about a small-town big-psyche crime and dilemma, written with far more psychological complexity, depth, fury, and despair than is usually demonstrated in the noir genre.
All of these descriptors are accurate.
The dialogue is wonderful. And even better is the understanding of men’s and women’s differences, youth and age, and our “precarious humanity (221)” as we grapple over what’s just, what’s right, and what’s legal. And it’s all done in a tale recalled by a seventy-year-old judge, looking back at himself as a very young judge presiding over the trial of a 1923 crime in an unnamed state populated by white people, Mexicans, Native Americans, and Jews (yes, race is dealt with the most contemporary way) in a small Southwestern town called Soledad (loneliness).
Perfect.
All of these descriptors are accurate.
The dialogue is wonderful. And even better is the understanding of men’s and women’s differences, youth and age, and our “precarious humanity (221)” as we grapple over what’s just, what’s right, and what’s legal. And it’s all done in a tale recalled by a seventy-year-old judge, looking back at himself as a very young judge presiding over the trial of a 1923 crime in an unnamed state populated by white people, Mexicans, Native Americans, and Jews (yes, race is dealt with the most contemporary way) in a small Southwestern town called Soledad (loneliness).
Perfect.
January 30, 2018
Where has this book been all of our lives? Only 112 GR ratings? I'm stunned. And also thrilled to discover a new favorite writer.
""Members of the jury," he said, "look upon the accused. Accused: look upon your jurors." And that was honorable. Every hour we judge one another; and how often do we look?" ~ Soledad City resident, narrator and District Judge, Benjamin Morales Lewis, 1923
"Needing most to be ourselves, relaxed, mortal, receptive to good sense and to the nuances of truth and falsehood, available to the urgent supplications of wisdom and mercy - precisely then we deck ourselves in cold anonymity, that heads may better roll. If judges were required to sit stark naked we would have more justice." ~ Ben Lewis, 1923, on being a judge and donning "the obligatory robe"
Part courtroom drama, part philosophy on society, love, capital punishment and duty, this book was published in 1964 and has been deemed a classic and compared to 'To Kill A Mockingbird.' Murder in a small town, May 1923. Husband charged in the first degree, despite no physical evidence and repeated pleas of innocence. 29-year-old rookie judge dealing with his own personal issues amid his first capital trial. Classically written with timely quotes from Aristotle, Thomas Hobbes, Edward Gibbon. Brilliant, unexpected turns and thought-provoking questions of justice and morality. This was an outstanding read, and Judge Ben Lewis, as he reflects on this trial and his personal life, 40 years later, one of my favorite narrators of all time. Thanks to fellow GR readers and members of On The Southern Literary Trail for bringing this 5-star book to my attention. It truly has it all - power, prose, plot, people, place. Every one should read this, at least once.
""Members of the jury," he said, "look upon the accused. Accused: look upon your jurors." And that was honorable. Every hour we judge one another; and how often do we look?" ~ Soledad City resident, narrator and District Judge, Benjamin Morales Lewis, 1923
"Needing most to be ourselves, relaxed, mortal, receptive to good sense and to the nuances of truth and falsehood, available to the urgent supplications of wisdom and mercy - precisely then we deck ourselves in cold anonymity, that heads may better roll. If judges were required to sit stark naked we would have more justice." ~ Ben Lewis, 1923, on being a judge and donning "the obligatory robe"
Part courtroom drama, part philosophy on society, love, capital punishment and duty, this book was published in 1964 and has been deemed a classic and compared to 'To Kill A Mockingbird.' Murder in a small town, May 1923. Husband charged in the first degree, despite no physical evidence and repeated pleas of innocence. 29-year-old rookie judge dealing with his own personal issues amid his first capital trial. Classically written with timely quotes from Aristotle, Thomas Hobbes, Edward Gibbon. Brilliant, unexpected turns and thought-provoking questions of justice and morality. This was an outstanding read, and Judge Ben Lewis, as he reflects on this trial and his personal life, 40 years later, one of my favorite narrators of all time. Thanks to fellow GR readers and members of On The Southern Literary Trail for bringing this 5-star book to my attention. It truly has it all - power, prose, plot, people, place. Every one should read this, at least once.
September 13, 2023
5 🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️
Thank you to the members of the jury, I mean the members of The Southern Literary Trail, for bringing to my attention books of great merit which should not be forgotten, but read and enjoyed and passed on to others in want of greatreads.
You are hereby not dismissed from further adjudication of great literature.
Thank you to the members of the jury, I mean the members of The Southern Literary Trail, for bringing to my attention books of great merit which should not be forgotten, but read and enjoyed and passed on to others in want of greatreads.
You are hereby not dismissed from further adjudication of great literature.
July 31, 2023
I was really looking forward to this. I found the story immediately engaging. An elderly judge looks back to the beginning of his career and a critical junction of his life. A beautiful married woman is murdered, and given the circumstances, her husband is the obvious suspect. We get to experience the case from the judge’s point of view, which makes us partner to the facts, the human elements and the legal implications.
The story was what carried this book. For what is a short novel (my edition was 240 pages) there were a lot of characters. Most of the first 100 pages is spent introducing characters, and quite a few of them play a minor to negligible role in the story. The prose also never grabbed me. I never felt a rhythm or fluidity in the writing. I recognize that this rating is partially due to my expectations being too high or my meeting the book at the wrong time. Oh well...
The story was what carried this book. For what is a short novel (my edition was 240 pages) there were a lot of characters. Most of the first 100 pages is spent introducing characters, and quite a few of them play a minor to negligible role in the story. The prose also never grabbed me. I never felt a rhythm or fluidity in the writing. I recognize that this rating is partially due to my expectations being too high or my meeting the book at the wrong time. Oh well...
March 6, 2019
This is a short book which packs a lot of punch.
It's an old time courtroom drama about a man accused of killing his beautiful flirtatious wife in small town Soledad City, and the newly appointed young judge Ben Lewis (who while struggling with plenty of his own personal problems) will be called upon to make sure justice is served in his case.
It's written with the elegance of a classic, a storyline that will keep you guessing, few lessons about life and love, and tells of the moral dilemmas which are encountered along the paths of everyday folks who for the most part are just trying to do the right thing.
4 stars
It's an old time courtroom drama about a man accused of killing his beautiful flirtatious wife in small town Soledad City, and the newly appointed young judge Ben Lewis (who while struggling with plenty of his own personal problems) will be called upon to make sure justice is served in his case.
It's written with the elegance of a classic, a storyline that will keep you guessing, few lessons about life and love, and tells of the moral dilemmas which are encountered along the paths of everyday folks who for the most part are just trying to do the right thing.
4 stars
February 11, 2016
This is going onto my Favorites shelf. It begins as a stylish mystery and rises to lofty and inspiring heights. It simply does everything right. The narrator is extremely credible, a young man recently appointed as District Judge. He maintains a continuous thread of sarcasm and humor that keeps a balance with the more serious nature of the murder case being tried. Great court room drama, and the final few scenes were as rewarding and noble as any ever put on a page. The actual content encompasses far more than I could begin to describe. I really enjoyed this one!
January 2, 2016
Who the heck is Stephen Becker? That's what I thought when I found this tattered paperback that was in a stack of old books that had belonged to my great aunt. This .75 book (it is printed on the front right side of the cover) was written in 1964 and was obviously read until it fell to pieces by my great aunt or some other member of my family. So, A Covenant With Death couldn't be that bad to be that loved up and tattered. Right?
This tattered book by a long forgotten author named Stephen Becker was a treasure in a pile of trash books. The writing is solid and, even when it becomes long-winded, beautifully written. A parallel story of murder, love, lust, justice and injustice in the Southwestern United States in the ripe old year of 1923.
Take your time and savor Stephen Becker's words because he has a lot to say. There are some real quotable gems in A Covenant With Death. I can't wait to read all the other books he wrote before his death in 1999.
My rating - 4.5 stars.
This tattered book by a long forgotten author named Stephen Becker was a treasure in a pile of trash books. The writing is solid and, even when it becomes long-winded, beautifully written. A parallel story of murder, love, lust, justice and injustice in the Southwestern United States in the ripe old year of 1923.
Take your time and savor Stephen Becker's words because he has a lot to say. There are some real quotable gems in A Covenant With Death. I can't wait to read all the other books he wrote before his death in 1999.
My rating - 4.5 stars.
December 11, 2021
There have been so many good reviews about this book there is little more I can add. It's without doubt the best book I've read this year and I'll be reading it again soon. It's one of the most quotable books I've ever read. Like most I had a tear in my eye at the end. It's rare to read a book and feel a better person at the end of it. This book will do that for you. If you haven't read it, you should.
July 21, 2024
Courtroom dramas, especially murder trials, are usually told from the point-of-view of a lawyer, a defendant, a cop or otherwise some interested observer. But telling the story, as is done here, from the viewpoint of a judge, lends an immediacy that could not otherwise have been achieved. It’s the realization that “the buck stops here” that ratchets up the dramatic tension.
From the outset, Stephen Becker’s ironic, epigrammatic prose evokes echoes of Damon Runyon, James Thurber — or even O. Henry. But so much for first impressions: Despite that breezy style, Becker is in fact deadly serious; and this is a stunning book!
The personality and state of mind of the narrator himself introduces a note of uncertainty: although he tells it as an old man, in retrospect, he presents himself as he was in his youth and he is far from kind to his younger self, revealing him as a callow fellow, placed in a situation and facing a challenge that promised to far exceed his readiness. In more ways than one, this youthful judge has a good deal of growing up to do. All in all, this makes for an intriguing mix.
Judges’ decisions, written out in detail, are likely to make for pretty dull reading, being burdened with legalistic jargon, comprehensible only to lawyers; so they rarely appear in novels. But Becker fearlessly writes his protagonist’s decision from the bench and I don’t believe I have ever read such a compelling summation as that which Becker delivers here.
Once again, I must thank my Goodreads friend Diane Barnes for introducing me to a terrific author I had never known existed. A wonderful discovery!
From the outset, Stephen Becker’s ironic, epigrammatic prose evokes echoes of Damon Runyon, James Thurber — or even O. Henry. But so much for first impressions: Despite that breezy style, Becker is in fact deadly serious; and this is a stunning book!
The personality and state of mind of the narrator himself introduces a note of uncertainty: although he tells it as an old man, in retrospect, he presents himself as he was in his youth and he is far from kind to his younger self, revealing him as a callow fellow, placed in a situation and facing a challenge that promised to far exceed his readiness. In more ways than one, this youthful judge has a good deal of growing up to do. All in all, this makes for an intriguing mix.
Judges’ decisions, written out in detail, are likely to make for pretty dull reading, being burdened with legalistic jargon, comprehensible only to lawyers; so they rarely appear in novels. But Becker fearlessly writes his protagonist’s decision from the bench and I don’t believe I have ever read such a compelling summation as that which Becker delivers here.
Once again, I must thank my Goodreads friend Diane Barnes for introducing me to a terrific author I had never known existed. A wonderful discovery!
August 17, 2020
I join with many other reviewers here who expressed surprise and delight at discovering this unsung author and his extraordinary novel of law, justice, human folly, and redemption. There are many good GR reviews that summarize the plot and the wonderful characterizations, so I will just include two quotes from the book that only hint at the kind of experience this read can be...
"Well, they grow up a lot faster nowadays, don't they? Which means that they early commence killing and owning. Most of them never make it all the way; they live to be a hundred and are still twelve or thirteen when they die, hoarding goods and triumphs and vital juices, fearfully squaring up the edges of home, community, nation, God."
"Ringing phrases. Subject, verb, object. The adjective is the death of the noun. The adverb is the death of the verb. Well, no. It was a rich world and a rich tongue and why impoverish either? Why kill? Why demean? Why prune and slash and dominate? In what fear? Why geld?"
Also like many others here have said, this is my new favorite author. I wish I had known about him while he was still alive. I have ordered several of his books, beginning with The Far East Trilogy: The Chinese Bandit, The Last Mandarin, and The Blue-Eyed Shan. He has used his talent to write adventure stories that are steeped in culture and characters and insight. I can't wait.
A Covenant With Death - 5 stars - Highly recommended
[When researching this author, remember that his first name is spelled StePHen (there is another Becker author who spells his first name Steven).]
"Well, they grow up a lot faster nowadays, don't they? Which means that they early commence killing and owning. Most of them never make it all the way; they live to be a hundred and are still twelve or thirteen when they die, hoarding goods and triumphs and vital juices, fearfully squaring up the edges of home, community, nation, God."
"Ringing phrases. Subject, verb, object. The adjective is the death of the noun. The adverb is the death of the verb. Well, no. It was a rich world and a rich tongue and why impoverish either? Why kill? Why demean? Why prune and slash and dominate? In what fear? Why geld?"
Also like many others here have said, this is my new favorite author. I wish I had known about him while he was still alive. I have ordered several of his books, beginning with The Far East Trilogy: The Chinese Bandit, The Last Mandarin, and The Blue-Eyed Shan. He has used his talent to write adventure stories that are steeped in culture and characters and insight. I can't wait.
A Covenant With Death - 5 stars - Highly recommended
[When researching this author, remember that his first name is spelled StePHen (there is another Becker author who spells his first name Steven).]
July 12, 2024
This has been described as a courtroom drama, but it isn't really. Oh there's a murder and a trial and all, but the focus is really on Ben Lewis, the narrator. Lewis is looking back 40 years to his very first capital case as a district judge. He was just 29 then and newly appointed by the governor (an old crony of this father's, hence the appointment). His life in the small town of Soledad City is relatively uncomplicated and mostly uneventful.
I have mentioned my work. There was not much of it. Soledad City, all four thousand of us, was a county seat. The county consisted of eleven hundred square miles with a total population of about nine thousand. There was a fair amount of theft, and there were a good many fights, and as the automobiles sputtered in we had accidents and insurance problems; there were wills to probate and an occasional divorce to maneuver; there were town ordinances to uphold and neighborhood bickerings to resolve and imprecise surveys to adjudicate; and there was local politics. Otherwise, it was a quiet life.
As a young judge, Lewis doesn't really take himself or his job seriously, and doesn't even know if the law is something he's passionate about. But when the murder trial takes an unexpected turn, Lewis is faced with a life and death decision and must determine whether it's truly in him to be a judge.
It's an interesting story and perspective on capital punishment, but if you're like me and prefer a simpler, leaner prose you may find the discursive rambling a bit tiring.
I have mentioned my work. There was not much of it. Soledad City, all four thousand of us, was a county seat. The county consisted of eleven hundred square miles with a total population of about nine thousand. There was a fair amount of theft, and there were a good many fights, and as the automobiles sputtered in we had accidents and insurance problems; there were wills to probate and an occasional divorce to maneuver; there were town ordinances to uphold and neighborhood bickerings to resolve and imprecise surveys to adjudicate; and there was local politics. Otherwise, it was a quiet life.
As a young judge, Lewis doesn't really take himself or his job seriously, and doesn't even know if the law is something he's passionate about. But when the murder trial takes an unexpected turn, Lewis is faced with a life and death decision and must determine whether it's truly in him to be a judge.
It's an interesting story and perspective on capital punishment, but if you're like me and prefer a simpler, leaner prose you may find the discursive rambling a bit tiring.
February 1, 2016
This is a re-issue as the author passed away in 1999. The setting of this story is 1920s .. a small town called Soledad in an unnamed state.
Ben Lewis is a very young judge, appointed more because of the friendship of the governor with Ben's deceased father. When a young woman is strangled in her home and her husband is accused of the crime, he has to face his own demons and how he interprets the law.
This one did not punch any of my buttons. It was a murder mystery, but there was little suspense. It is very wordy ... I felt more like I was in a schoolroom learning the lesson of the day, rather than enmeshed in a very good story.
There are several characters that did catch my eye. Ben is emotionally caught between two women and it's interesting to see how he relates to them and the world, in general. The young woman who was murdered was actually more fascinating after her death. Her husband, who plays a pivotal part, is seen as both guilty and innocent. Although the case looks like a slam-dunk, it really isn't.
And while I wasn't invested in the story, I think there are many who would find it a captivating look at a courtroom drama.
My thanks to Open Road Integrated Media and NetGalley who furnished a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
Ben Lewis is a very young judge, appointed more because of the friendship of the governor with Ben's deceased father. When a young woman is strangled in her home and her husband is accused of the crime, he has to face his own demons and how he interprets the law.
This one did not punch any of my buttons. It was a murder mystery, but there was little suspense. It is very wordy ... I felt more like I was in a schoolroom learning the lesson of the day, rather than enmeshed in a very good story.
There are several characters that did catch my eye. Ben is emotionally caught between two women and it's interesting to see how he relates to them and the world, in general. The young woman who was murdered was actually more fascinating after her death. Her husband, who plays a pivotal part, is seen as both guilty and innocent. Although the case looks like a slam-dunk, it really isn't.
And while I wasn't invested in the story, I think there are many who would find it a captivating look at a courtroom drama.
My thanks to Open Road Integrated Media and NetGalley who furnished a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 31, 2016
Stephen Becker (1927-1999) has the legacy of a great writer and being “an extraordinary man,” according to John Cheever in his letters. “A Covenant of Death” is one of those books that restore a reader’s faith in good fiction, entertaining and written with great skill. That was the hallmark of Becker’s books.
“Covenant” takes place in a small southwestern town that, in 1922, was “part frontier, part plantation, part pleasure, part cruelty, part old Mexico, part clanking modernity and, as noted, part murder.” It is this murder that is explored by the author, bringing forward details of the act, the arrest, the trial, and subsequent aftermath that befalls the alleged murderer. The narrator is a twenty-nine year old inexperienced judge who is beset with life’s problems, none of which seem particularly earth shattering until he takes charge of the legal proceedings that follow the actual trial. His confidence is shaken.
It’s a great book, written by an author with skills that allow him to speak elegantly, use immaculate sentences and project absolutely spot-on phrasing. His verbiage, although flowery at times, is mannerly and refined. His legal maneuvering is plausible and sometimes innovative, although I find no record of a legal background in his resume. His characterizations are carefully honed with each participant being clearly defined with qualities that are essential to the story.
Becker contracted Guillain-Barre syndrome when he was 32 and was unable to walk. Most of his life after that was spent in a wheelchair. In spite of the handicap his life was full with an active family, adventurous travel, and an extraordinary career as a man of letters, writing novels, biographies, screenplays, reviews, translations, and, finally, with a short career as an English professor.
Needless to say, the author does not need these accolades. But I offer them as enticement to you, the reader, to get to know Stephen Becker and to experience the pleasure of his writing skills.
August 11, 2009
I read this when I was a teenager and enjoyed it immensely. A real moral conundrum!
December 28, 2015
A gorgeous small town beauty has been strangled – but by whom? Her husband, drunk, found her – and he is arrested. But he keeps saying he’s innocent. Who wouldn’t?
Could someone else be her killer? She was bored, often seemed to be looking for friends – and many men loved to see her.
Ben Lewis, a young judge, appointed by the governor as a favor for Ben’s dad who had saved the governor’s life years ago, wonders if her husband is really guilty and soon finds himself judging not only himself, but the nature of the law itself, thoughsome doubt Ben’s legal ability – and Ben often does as well.
Of course Ben also has two loves – a fair haired Swedish beauty many hours north in Albuquerque – and a Spanish beauty many hours south in Mexico.
Torn by his love needs and suddenly saddled with having to judge what has become a complex case, without clear precedent, Ben learns as much about the purpose of the law and its relation to society, as he learns about himself.
This is a mystery, a journey into the law, and the growth of one man faced with his own innocence and his need to face the truth about himself and the purpose of our laws in our country – an extraordinary piece of work.
Could someone else be her killer? She was bored, often seemed to be looking for friends – and many men loved to see her.
Ben Lewis, a young judge, appointed by the governor as a favor for Ben’s dad who had saved the governor’s life years ago, wonders if her husband is really guilty and soon finds himself judging not only himself, but the nature of the law itself, thoughsome doubt Ben’s legal ability – and Ben often does as well.
Of course Ben also has two loves – a fair haired Swedish beauty many hours north in Albuquerque – and a Spanish beauty many hours south in Mexico.
Torn by his love needs and suddenly saddled with having to judge what has become a complex case, without clear precedent, Ben learns as much about the purpose of the law and its relation to society, as he learns about himself.
This is a mystery, a journey into the law, and the growth of one man faced with his own innocence and his need to face the truth about himself and the purpose of our laws in our country – an extraordinary piece of work.
January 10, 2016
A COVENANT WITH DEATH is a remarkable, deep and entertaining book, with a non-stop plot that will convey the reader into a better understanding of how justice is carried out.
The paragraph about death and it’s inevitability, on page 136 really had my brain in a quandary, when Ben, asked, “How can they feel the beat of their own hearts and still kill?” And on page 146 where he was talking with his mother about what a race we are, and a miracle, that our organs work. That made me stop and think for a moment. Then, as I read on, his mother plainly told him. And, to find out what she said, you simply have to read this very interesting book, in order to find out. The author gave the reader some very in-depth reasoning on fairness.
As our story opens Louise Talbot has been found dead with her husband sitting with her, and he kept saying over and over again. “I didn’t do it.” If he didn’t kill her, than who did? And, why was he still there? Doesn’t the guilty person usually try to get away?
The mystery deepens as the trial begins. Will the husband of Louise Talbot be found to blame for her murder, or is the real killer still out there watching every move that is made? This intriguing tale is a must read.
The paragraph about death and it’s inevitability, on page 136 really had my brain in a quandary, when Ben, asked, “How can they feel the beat of their own hearts and still kill?” And on page 146 where he was talking with his mother about what a race we are, and a miracle, that our organs work. That made me stop and think for a moment. Then, as I read on, his mother plainly told him. And, to find out what she said, you simply have to read this very interesting book, in order to find out. The author gave the reader some very in-depth reasoning on fairness.
As our story opens Louise Talbot has been found dead with her husband sitting with her, and he kept saying over and over again. “I didn’t do it.” If he didn’t kill her, than who did? And, why was he still there? Doesn’t the guilty person usually try to get away?
The mystery deepens as the trial begins. Will the husband of Louise Talbot be found to blame for her murder, or is the real killer still out there watching every move that is made? This intriguing tale is a must read.
March 30, 2019
A Covenant With Death
Stephen Becker
This is a quick, enjoyable, thought-provoking read. Yes, that statement is somewhat contradictory, but it was also true for me.
Louise Talbot has been murdered. The prime suspect is her husband. Set in a small town in post WWI, American south-west, there is lots of talk about the character of the murder victim and her husband. There is also a lot of speculation and moralizing about the trial and its aftermath.
Judge Ben Lewis has a dual role. First, as a beginning judge, he is the principal narrator. Later, in his old age, he reflects back on the events.
One has an opportunity to see young Judge Lewis take an analytical legal approach to the events, often with some knowledge of classical literature, while at the same time reflect on his own, self-centered, actions as a young man. Old Judge Ben Lewis, of course, has a slightly different point of view.
The maturation of Judge Lewis and the resolution of the legal dilemma both reach a climax and resolution. That helps explain the meaning of this book's title.
Stephen Becker
This is a quick, enjoyable, thought-provoking read. Yes, that statement is somewhat contradictory, but it was also true for me.
Louise Talbot has been murdered. The prime suspect is her husband. Set in a small town in post WWI, American south-west, there is lots of talk about the character of the murder victim and her husband. There is also a lot of speculation and moralizing about the trial and its aftermath.
Judge Ben Lewis has a dual role. First, as a beginning judge, he is the principal narrator. Later, in his old age, he reflects back on the events.
One has an opportunity to see young Judge Lewis take an analytical legal approach to the events, often with some knowledge of classical literature, while at the same time reflect on his own, self-centered, actions as a young man. Old Judge Ben Lewis, of course, has a slightly different point of view.
The maturation of Judge Lewis and the resolution of the legal dilemma both reach a climax and resolution. That helps explain the meaning of this book's title.
March 29, 2023
For me, this book's genre is difficult to define. It startes out as historical fiction, quickly turns to a crime/law mystery, then just as quickly turns into a self awareness story and finally ends as a reflective love story.
Stephen Becker takes a crime, puts a twist to it, then adds a further twist just to make it interesting. He then turns it into an examination of the protagonist's flaws as they pertain to life and personal relationships, finally he throws in a last twist, wraps it up neatly and delivers a powerful and satisfying ending. He saves the best insights for the last two chapters. The next to the last chapter proved to be the most moving for me and as the story draws to an end and the last chapter becomes comfortably satisfying. Read it, it will be worth your time.
Stephen Becker takes a crime, puts a twist to it, then adds a further twist just to make it interesting. He then turns it into an examination of the protagonist's flaws as they pertain to life and personal relationships, finally he throws in a last twist, wraps it up neatly and delivers a powerful and satisfying ending. He saves the best insights for the last two chapters. The next to the last chapter proved to be the most moving for me and as the story draws to an end and the last chapter becomes comfortably satisfying. Read it, it will be worth your time.
January 29, 2016
This is a classic literary offering with all the delicious quandaries and insights. I love to read books written by men about men... they are so much more authentic than books about men written by women or vice versa. This has the same flavor that "A Prayer for Owen Meany" had.
The plot revolves around a small town beauty's murder, but goes so much deeper with moral dilemmas, small town gossip and politics with small town, bigger than life characters, and a generous sprinkling of young man ponderings from an old man's mind. Those shoulda-beens and why-nots play a big role in how the author draws the reader into this swirl of characters.
This is also classic because the characters are truly and delicately developed. The reader knows as muc about the Ben Lewis as his mother, his mentor, his neighbors, and the characters suspected of the murder. In fact, the murderer is no real surprise at the end.
But that is not the objective of this book. The objective is how a small town copes with something so shocking as one of their own being murdered and her husband being accused. It also delves deeply into race relations, prohibition, and intimate relationships all from a young man's perspective.
The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five stars is because it was very wordy in parts, and at time too introspective that did not move the story along. But then, that was the kind of story people liked to read in 1964.
Description
A riveting tale of love and death in a small New Mexico town that ranks alongside Anatomy of a Murder and To Kill A Mockingbird as one of the twentieth century’s most captivating courtroom dramas
On a sultry day in the spring of 1923, Louise Talbot spends the last afternoon of her life lounging in the shade of a sycamore tree in her front yard. Beautiful and vivacious, Louise is the talk of Soledad City—every man lusts after her; every woman wants to know her secrets. She is found strangled to death that evening, and when the investigation uncovers her affair with another man, the citizens of the frontier town draw the obvious conclusion: Bryan Talbot murdered his wife in a fit of jealousy and rage.
Presiding over the trial is twenty-nine-year-old Ben Lewis. Appointed to the bench as a tribute to the memory of his late father, he fears he is too inexperienced to sentence another man to death. All the evidence points to Talbot, however, and it is a magistrate’s sworn duty to see that justice is served. But when a last-second twist casts the question of the defendant’s guilt or innocence in a shocking new light, Judge Lewis must decide whether to uphold the law—or let a murderer go free.
A thrilling suspense story and a fascinating inquiry into human nature and the true meaning of justice, A Covenant with Death was a New York Times bestseller and the basis for a feature film starring George Maharis and Gene Hackman.
Received from Netgalley for my honest review.
The plot revolves around a small town beauty's murder, but goes so much deeper with moral dilemmas, small town gossip and politics with small town, bigger than life characters, and a generous sprinkling of young man ponderings from an old man's mind. Those shoulda-beens and why-nots play a big role in how the author draws the reader into this swirl of characters.
This is also classic because the characters are truly and delicately developed. The reader knows as muc about the Ben Lewis as his mother, his mentor, his neighbors, and the characters suspected of the murder. In fact, the murderer is no real surprise at the end.
But that is not the objective of this book. The objective is how a small town copes with something so shocking as one of their own being murdered and her husband being accused. It also delves deeply into race relations, prohibition, and intimate relationships all from a young man's perspective.
The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five stars is because it was very wordy in parts, and at time too introspective that did not move the story along. But then, that was the kind of story people liked to read in 1964.
Description
A riveting tale of love and death in a small New Mexico town that ranks alongside Anatomy of a Murder and To Kill A Mockingbird as one of the twentieth century’s most captivating courtroom dramas
On a sultry day in the spring of 1923, Louise Talbot spends the last afternoon of her life lounging in the shade of a sycamore tree in her front yard. Beautiful and vivacious, Louise is the talk of Soledad City—every man lusts after her; every woman wants to know her secrets. She is found strangled to death that evening, and when the investigation uncovers her affair with another man, the citizens of the frontier town draw the obvious conclusion: Bryan Talbot murdered his wife in a fit of jealousy and rage.
Presiding over the trial is twenty-nine-year-old Ben Lewis. Appointed to the bench as a tribute to the memory of his late father, he fears he is too inexperienced to sentence another man to death. All the evidence points to Talbot, however, and it is a magistrate’s sworn duty to see that justice is served. But when a last-second twist casts the question of the defendant’s guilt or innocence in a shocking new light, Judge Lewis must decide whether to uphold the law—or let a murderer go free.
A thrilling suspense story and a fascinating inquiry into human nature and the true meaning of justice, A Covenant with Death was a New York Times bestseller and the basis for a feature film starring George Maharis and Gene Hackman.
Received from Netgalley for my honest review.
January 13, 2016
Love, Death, and the Law
Ben Lewis is young for a judge. He was appointed by the governor as a favor to his dead father. Sometimes he doubts his ability as a judge and facing the most important trial of his career others do also. The trial concerns the murder of a beautiful woman. Her husband, who was drunk at the time, found her and immediately became the chief suspect. The case seems open and shut, but is it?
Ben has his own romantic problems being caught between two women, a desirable Swedish girl, and a sultry Mexican heiress. As Ben struggles with the trial and his personal demons, he faces the truth about himself and the law.
A Covenant with Death is more than a murder mystery, it's a psychological exploration of the meaning of life and the relation of law to society. The novel takes place in an unnamed Southwestern county in 1923. The atmosphere of heat and sand is a perfect backdrop for the ensuing action. I thought the author did an excellent job showing how the town's people react during the complex case.
Ben's character is well done. Although I often dislike books where the main character does a lot of soul searching, in this instance it was compelling. I also loved the character of his mother. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy a good murder mystery, but even more if you're interested in truth, innocence, and the limits of the law.
I received this book for review from Net Galley.
Ben Lewis is young for a judge. He was appointed by the governor as a favor to his dead father. Sometimes he doubts his ability as a judge and facing the most important trial of his career others do also. The trial concerns the murder of a beautiful woman. Her husband, who was drunk at the time, found her and immediately became the chief suspect. The case seems open and shut, but is it?
Ben has his own romantic problems being caught between two women, a desirable Swedish girl, and a sultry Mexican heiress. As Ben struggles with the trial and his personal demons, he faces the truth about himself and the law.
A Covenant with Death is more than a murder mystery, it's a psychological exploration of the meaning of life and the relation of law to society. The novel takes place in an unnamed Southwestern county in 1923. The atmosphere of heat and sand is a perfect backdrop for the ensuing action. I thought the author did an excellent job showing how the town's people react during the complex case.
Ben's character is well done. Although I often dislike books where the main character does a lot of soul searching, in this instance it was compelling. I also loved the character of his mother. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy a good murder mystery, but even more if you're interested in truth, innocence, and the limits of the law.
I received this book for review from Net Galley.
December 29, 2015
A truly different novel. The story of a murder and the actions that follow provides the vehicle for an outstanding story of character development. The protagonist is a young judge, and his words and thoughts are filled with Latin phrases, Spanish thoughts, and a variety of big words. The writing flows very smoothly, and the imagery is quite effective. Each of the main characters is unique and their personalities play strongly into the entertainment value of the story. Definitely the sort of book you buy for re-reads.
August 3, 2023
Junior judge Ben Lewis is an amusing narrator and I like murder trials, at least in fiction. Fortunately I have not seen the film - I only now found out there is one - because the book and its descriptions are very visual. Reading the novel it is easy to picture what happens and how. I am not convinced about the ending though.
June 26, 2018
A Gritting murder Story very easy to read the story flows from the pages from the start to the finish. Great strong Characters was not able to put the book down A Covenant with Death has made it on to my top reads of 2018.
July 6, 2019
New Mexico, 1923. Young judge with maturity issues. Murder case with a really weird twist. The book moves rather slowly at first, but stick with it. When the judge hands down his decision, it is a gobsmacker. It will give you pause to think...a LOT. Highly recommend it.
July 9, 2025
“She was surpassingly alive and exuberantly feminine, and did not know that she was about to die.”
This was how the story began. Mrs. Louise Talbot (age 27) was considered ‘the most disturbing women in Soledad City’ because apparently there was not a man in town who had not surreptitiously lusted after her. Four hours after briefly chatting with her neighbors, she was dead. On returning home after drinks, her husband, Bryan, found Louise dead in her bathrobe with bruises on her neck. Bryan was alleged to have killed her.
The 1923 trial of Bryan Talbot for first degree murder was recalled by Judge Ben Lewis forty years later. At that time, 29-year-old Ben was one of two district judges of the state criminal court. This was his first capital trial. The timing was poor as the imperative to prove his worth despite his youth coincided with Ben dealing with matters of the heart.
Soledad was a small town where neighbors peered into each other’s window. The author fanned the interest surrounding Bryan Talbot’s trial by calling it “a community bloodletting”. “To the Mexicans, he was a gringo and a Protestant. Solidarity had come to the town, and Bryan Talbot was the common enemy, and everyone had a reason to be happy. Bryan Talbot had sinned against God and broken ancient laws, and for a few days everyone else in Soledad City felt virtuous.” Only the defense attorney, Oliver Parmelee, the town’s most distinguished lawyer, believed with absolute certainty in Bryan’s innocence.
There were lots of characters and I had to take notes and retrace my steps to remember who’s who. That they were interesting, nosy, and gossipy added to the fever surrounding the trial. I kept on turning pages in hopes of finding out who killed Louise Talbot and why.
A gripping court case aside, this novel explored the notions of justice and the all-powerful role of the judge. From his late father who was a county sheriff, Lewis learned this:
”Justice is not to inflict pain… Justice was public and rightness was private and if they were not the same you chose rightness and did not inflict pain.”
Part of the thrill is following Lewis’ daunting responsibility to do no wrong and to untangle the complex web of reasoning that must do justice not just to the dead but also the accused. This is a novel that will appeal to friends who are in the law profession.
I read with bated breath as I sensed the lawyers’ discomfort with a young judge, and I wondered what verdict Lewis would make.
You have to read the ending for yourself. This is an extremely compelling novel with much depth on the value of human life and how justice should be served. It deserves an outstanding five-star rating.
This was how the story began. Mrs. Louise Talbot (age 27) was considered ‘the most disturbing women in Soledad City’ because apparently there was not a man in town who had not surreptitiously lusted after her. Four hours after briefly chatting with her neighbors, she was dead. On returning home after drinks, her husband, Bryan, found Louise dead in her bathrobe with bruises on her neck. Bryan was alleged to have killed her.
The 1923 trial of Bryan Talbot for first degree murder was recalled by Judge Ben Lewis forty years later. At that time, 29-year-old Ben was one of two district judges of the state criminal court. This was his first capital trial. The timing was poor as the imperative to prove his worth despite his youth coincided with Ben dealing with matters of the heart.
Soledad was a small town where neighbors peered into each other’s window. The author fanned the interest surrounding Bryan Talbot’s trial by calling it “a community bloodletting”. “To the Mexicans, he was a gringo and a Protestant. Solidarity had come to the town, and Bryan Talbot was the common enemy, and everyone had a reason to be happy. Bryan Talbot had sinned against God and broken ancient laws, and for a few days everyone else in Soledad City felt virtuous.” Only the defense attorney, Oliver Parmelee, the town’s most distinguished lawyer, believed with absolute certainty in Bryan’s innocence.
There were lots of characters and I had to take notes and retrace my steps to remember who’s who. That they were interesting, nosy, and gossipy added to the fever surrounding the trial. I kept on turning pages in hopes of finding out who killed Louise Talbot and why.
A gripping court case aside, this novel explored the notions of justice and the all-powerful role of the judge. From his late father who was a county sheriff, Lewis learned this:
”Justice is not to inflict pain… Justice was public and rightness was private and if they were not the same you chose rightness and did not inflict pain.”
Part of the thrill is following Lewis’ daunting responsibility to do no wrong and to untangle the complex web of reasoning that must do justice not just to the dead but also the accused. This is a novel that will appeal to friends who are in the law profession.
I read with bated breath as I sensed the lawyers’ discomfort with a young judge, and I wondered what verdict Lewis would make.
You have to read the ending for yourself. This is an extremely compelling novel with much depth on the value of human life and how justice should be served. It deserves an outstanding five-star rating.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews