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[Anatomy of A Murder] by Robert Traver
4★
First published by St. Martin's in 1958, Robert Traver's Anatomy of a Murder immediately became the number-one bestseller in America, and was subsequently turned into the successful and now classic Otto Preminger film. It is is not only the most popular courtroom drama in American fiction, but one of the most popular novels of our time. A gripping tale of deceit, murder, and a sensational trial, Anatomy of a Murder is unmatched in the authenticity of its settings, events, and characters. This new edition should delight both loyal fans of the past and an entire new generation of readers.
"The characters are as fresh as when they were first created, the tension high, and the cross- examinations and legal chicanery full of suspense. The novel is simply what it says on the cover. A classic." This is the first time I have read the book but I remember it being the first movie of this type that I and my cousin were allowed to watch. I think it's what hooked me on this genre of books and films.
The story is about a murder and the efforts of the defense lawyer to prove his client was innocent due to temporary insanity or "uncontrollable impulses" due to his reaction to finding out his wife was raped and beaten by an acquaintance. The reader sees both sides of the story as being entirely understandable. A wonderful look into the mind of the attorney who is way out of his league trying to pit his knowledge and experience against the prosecution who has no doubt in his own mind ...and the reader will have no doubts either...that he's superior. A battle takes place that will surprise everyone.
