Keep And Bear Arms (Book) - 12/6/2008 6:32:53 PM
excellent defense twist to the modern courtroom thriller
I've read quite a few courtroom thrillers from the likes of Turow and Lescroart, and Bob Auler's "Keep and Bear Arms" was right up there in characterization, suspense, and interesting topics.
But Auler's tale was different... and all the better for it. He told it from the point of view of a big-city liberal defense attorney, Carl Hardman, who's trying a terrorist case in a small conservative town with a mildly corrupt old-boy-network legal system. Sort of like "My Cousin Vinny", but Hardman ain't new at this: he's a washed-up 50-something lawyer who's not even happy about defending an accused terrorist, but who wants to make sure the guy isn't railroaded into a lethal injection.
I liked Hardman - he's real, sympathetic, and driven. He struggles with problems beyond the case, like an ex-wife, an eleven year old daughter he doesn't get to see as much as he needs, and the hots for his client's sexy wife. Auler also does a nice job building out a strong characterization in Brother Bill, the leader of a far-right protest group.
"Keep and Bear Arms" tells how an unlikeable Lebanese American is accused of fire-bombing an old judge, right in the middle of a courtroom. The FBI jumps in and calls it terror. Hardman is sucked into his defense. The far-right gets upset that a big-city lawyer is gonna cut a deal and plots their own mischief. Hardman is fighting with his nasty client. And all the time he's struggling with his convictions about how he's going to defend somebody who he already thinks is guilty.
Auler spins all his characters through twists on the same dilemma--one we should maybe ask ourselves every now and then: how do we put aside our own "gut level" beliefs and prejudices and follow the rules, especially when we have the power to climb above the law? Some of his characters are able to surmount this challenge, and some aren't--and it's not the ones you'd expect.
This was a fantastic legal read, and it really made me think on the deeper issues of how the rule of law keeps us human. Thanks, Bob, and keep writing!
Keep And Bear Arms (Book) - 8/10/2008 2:04:28 AM
I'm normally in bed at ten, but I stayed up until almost one o'clock last night finishing Keep and Bear Arms. The last hundred pages compel you to continue reading to find out the dramatic ending.
A not very likeable naturalized U.S. citizen, born in the Middle East and suspected of terrorist leanings, is in the crosshairs of the post-9/11 state and federal justice systems. Accused of a heinous murder of a judge, the defendant is subjected to an entire legal system that now seemingly believes "guilty until proven innocent".
The court room scenes are highly charged and very real. It gives one pause to consider what happens when everyone presumes guilt. This is a must read for liberals and conservatives alike.
Benjamin Blue - author of the mystery/thriller novel Storm Killer
