In this, Volume 11 of the Stan Turner Mysteries, a triple homicide is caught on tape yet the person or persons responsible and the motive for this grisly crime are a mystery. This is the kind of high-profile murder case that attorney Paula Waters loves but as she tries to unravel the twisted facts a critical witness is murdered and two others disappear. When the trial finally begins and she thinks she has everything figured out, Stan informs her that she has it all wrong!
A triple homicide is caught on tape by a professional photographer yet the person or persons responsible and the motive for this grisly crime are a mystery. This is the kind of high-profile murder case that attorney Paula Waters loves but as she tries to unravel the twisted facts a critical witness is murdered and two others disappear. When the trial finally begins and she thinks she has everything figured out, Stan informs her that she has it all wrong!
Paula isn’t happy with Stan’s revelations, particularly since he has been of little help to her during the trial. In the past he has been right there with her from the beginning to the end, but this time he has been busy helping their new associate Jodie Marshall with her civil defense of an ex-Army MP who thwarted a thief in a jewelry store heist but managed to shoot the store owner in the process.
Stan has his own troublesome bankruptcy case too. A Pakistani immigrant has been defrauded of his life savings of $250,000 by a thug preying on fellow countrymen wanting to immigrate to the U.S. Stan puts his client into a chapter 11 reorganization but the thug has little respect for U.S. laws or its judicial system causing Stan’s plan to go awry.
Stan’s unexplained absences from the office further exacerbates his shaky relations with Paula, particularly when she discovers he’s apparently having liaisons with a hooker!
Professional Reviews DDTJ at Amazon
BRAVO! BRAVO!! This is the first of the Stan Turner books I have read and it WONT be my last(I ordered all the rest of them yesterday!) I loved the characters their lives and the plots that are packed into the story. I loved it all of it! what more can I say, except buy it!
Robin Leigh Morgan at Amazon
This is the first real mystery I’ve read/reviewed and the first time I’ve read anything written by William Manchee. The unfortunate thing for me is this is the 11th book in the Stan Turner series of mysteries so I don’t know anything about the main character for the series or any of the other characters, which might be either a good or bad thing.
Reading this book, I had visions of Perry Mason and his private detective Paul Drake coming to my mind. But unlike those stories I watched on television as a child, and now thanks to NetFlix I’m watching again, I found having two addition unrelated storylines to have been somewhat of a distraction to the main storyline revolving around three diners who died from poisoning at a well-known local restaurant in Dallas, Emilio’s; and a poor unsuspecting waiter who gets arrested for this crime. [The name of this restaurant, by coincidence is the name of an Italian restaurant my OH and I love to dine at.]
Of two distractions, the first involves his helping a new lawyer, Jodie Marshall with civil defense of a former Military Police officer who prevents a jewelry store from being robbed, but somehow winds up shooting the store’s owner instead.
The second distraction deals with Stan helping a immigrant from Pakistan who’s been conned out of his life’s savings by a thug, a thug who doesn’t give a damn about anything, especially anything regarding our legal systems and laws.
Neither of these two distractions have anything to do with the main premise of this book, other than infuriate Paula with Stan’s lack of attention to her and her needs.
Just as I mentioned in the above, the plot twists, the murder and the disappearances of witness are all reminiscent of the Perry Mason episodes I mentioned above. This also includes the surprise ending; which is why I found this book somewhat endearing.
As far as the book itself is concerned, I personally found having chapters heading with character’s names and which basically revolve around them to be somewhat of a distraction. But, then, I’ve read/reviewed about three other books in which their authors have used the same pattern for their chapters; so there must be a reason for it.
The writing lends itself to its readers for an enticing experience to keep turning the pages to the book’s conclusion.
Given the above, I’m happy to “Deadly Dining” 4 STARS
This is the 11th in the series and I must say that I was impressed by the quality of the book. Although my first reading of this author. I enjoyed the novel immensely. When we read legal fiction, most of the time we are learning about a major case. However, Manchee takes readers into his legal office, where he works with two additional lawyers as well as their administrative assistant. And with three lawyers, you get three cases! Wow!
The setting is wonderful as most of the time we are in the office, as cases are discussed, planned for, and individuals are interviewed. Stan has Paula as a partner, and a new associate, who proves herself as she takes on her first live trial... I loved each of the characters and how they worked to help each other even though one individual was responsible...But, really, when they decided on an intervention for Stan...LOL...I knew exactly what they were going to find... Not so, with the legal cases...
The major case is related to four individuals in Emilio's Italian Restaurant becoming sick and then three of them dying...It was determined that rat poison had been placed in the Parmesan cheese which each of the individuals had accepted to be added by the waiter... Of course, the waiter was accused! Although Stan had worked for Emilio before, he turned the case over to Paula who was the only lawyer with criminal defense experience. Emilio had agreed to pay the legal fees for Ricardo, not believing his long-time employee was guilty.
A compelling case was being built up for a local mobster and this men. They were known and already under investigation by the FBI so everybody hoped that the murders would be the final action they needed to finally put them in jail!
And then there was the Pakistani couple who had gathered up $250,000 to buy into a store in America...Then the part owner stopped working but still demanded half of the income...Stan suggested several legal options to him, including bankruptcy...but while he was getting things back in order, the owner started to harass him...and burned down the store!
In the meantime, the really incongruous case began, when Jodie Marshall's first trial case was to defend a young ex-MP who had stopped a robbery at a jewelry store and during the struggle, the gun accidentally went off and hit the store owner in his leg... He was suing "the hero" for damages, medical expenses and stress...
One of the things I hadn't thought about in small legal offices, was that the lawyers themselves might have to do the investigations and actually get into dangerous situations... And in all three cases, no matter which one, there was the involved criminal(s) who didn't care about the people they were hurting...only that they wanted what they wanted and aimed to get it! The level of legal expertise for each of these cases was high and the writing of the story was well-done since readers are watching, yet seeing the results of each case during the trials.
I do wish I had the time to go back and start right at the beginning of this legal series. It is different enough, by the setting being in a law office, that, after reading this one, I can just imagine the kind of cases that Stan and his group would potentially handle. Though serious cases, the read was fun, moving from one issue to another, making sure I was remembering which case I was now working on... Fun, yes, but in not one case did I successfully project what the ending would ultimately be. That's my kind of book! If you are a legal fiction fan...you need to check out this series! Highly recommended...
GABixlerReviews
Paperback provided by Authors Den
Reviewed by Laura H. (Reader)
Reviewed on June 18, 2018
Brilliant!, Captivating!, Devious!, Masterful!, Superb!
This book keeps you guessing until the last few pages as any superb mystery should.
Manchee's storytelling had this reader dropping everything, and it was worth it, to reach the end. This writer's grasp of telling not one but several stories and keeping readers enthralled the entire journey, is truly a remarkable gift.
I felt the stories were similar to Monk, Perry Mason, or Matlock with the many twists and turns that appealed to me and kept me reading.
These characters show us a first-hand glimpse into the multitude of struggles that occur during a legal case, personally and professionally. Following the characters through their cases has the reader confident they are coming up with the correct conclusion with how the story will transpire, but 'no' I, at least, was all wrong.
Stan Turner reveals to his associates what really happened and why - and all the puzzle pieces fit together perfectly into a devious crime.
"Deadly Dining" is the first book I have read by William Manchee but it certainly won't be the last. I learned I have many Stan Turner mysteries to read.
And while there were a few errors in the book there were not so many that distracted from the plot and the overall splendid content of the book but should be mentioned for future editions.
Needless to say, I enjoyed this publication immensely and looking forward to reading more of Manchee's work.
This book demonstrates the lengths humans will go and the evil unleashed in some when money is involved.
"Deadly Dining" by William Manchee is a very interesting read. The story lines have emotions, twists and turns. Some plots were serious, some plots were funny, in the end, and other plots were hard to sort out, which always makes a mystery book better. It keeps you guessing! In the end, each plot was wrapped up and story lines solved. Very enjoyable except...there were a lot of errors or mistakes or typo's, uncertain. An author and/or editor should have caught the mistakes.
The 1st error was the last name of a main character named Ricardo Ricci, or so it was in the beginning, page 18 or chapter 3, but by the last name of Ricardo began appearing as Rizzi by page 59 through page 63 and further, until it switched back again around page 73. Very confusing! But, the mistakes continued...there was some Vacor Rat Poison that had been banned by the gov'nt found in character Ricardo's garage around page 47, however, shortly after page 135 it is stated; "The prosecution will also introduce a box of Vacor Rat Poison that they found in Emilio's garage..." (another character in the book) and, on page 130 it states that "the jury will still find Emilio innocent," however Emilio was not charged with any crime.
Throughout the book, there were two couples; Mr.Bill & Mrs.Donna Rice and Mr.John & Mrs.Sandy Richmond until chapter 28, page 135, when Sandy was referenced as Sandy Rice.
There are additional paragraphs where the conversational flow is not smooth because it is obvious that an incorrect situational layout is not being presented based on the facts of the story line.
Having said all that, if you can read past these area's of incorrect information, it really is a well-written book. I fault the author to a decree, but the editor should have caught these mistakes...
Courtroom drama, interlaced with complex characters, well-defines William Manchee’s return of his favorite lawyer, Stan Turner, in Deadly Dining, Stan Turner Mystery Volume 11.
Populated with an impressive cast of remarkable characters, Manchee relies heavily on Turner and his law partner, Paula, as well as the law firm’s associate, Jodie. It is not a book easily devoured in one sitting if one wishes to savor the frequent twists and turns and/or unfolding story drama and depth that is revealed in piece-by-piece suspense.
The underlying tale is driven by four customers sickened or murdered by poison in a Dallas Italian restaurant operated by Emilio Bellucci, who had previously obtained estate planning counseling from Turner. When a waiter, Ricardo Ricci, is charged, Turner’s firm picks up a new client. The whodunit begins.
Plenty of depraved or flawed secondary characters provide a strong platform for the three well-drawn central characters to exhibit their brain power and heroics. There is a feast of struggles and conflicts. Intertwined are portions of overt and subversive sexuality, suspected betrayal, and a strong dose of well-meaning confusion.
What else could you ask for except to find the earlier Stan Turner volumes yet unread?
Fast Track is a Mystery/Suspense novel about a young, strong-minded woman's quest to find purpose in life as she unravels the mystery of her parents' deaths 25 years earlier when she was an infant. The setting is Southern Wisconsin; the backdrop is j
“We’re going to use nine megaton warheads in space and we’re not sure they’re large enough to be effective. Why would you even consider using kiloton-range surface-to-air warheads as back-up?” The answer was succinct. “Because they’re all we have.”
This is the 11th in the series and I must say that I was impressed by the quality of the book. Although my first reading of this author. I enjoyed the novel immensely. When we read legal fiction, most of the time we are learning about a major case. However, Manchee takes readers into his legal office, where he works with two additional lawyers as well as their administrative assistant. And with three lawyers, you get three cases! Wow!
The setting is wonderful as most of the time we are in the office, as cases are discussed, planned for, and individuals are interviewed. Stan has Paula as a partner, and a new associate, who proves herself as she takes on her first live trial... I loved each of the characters and how they worked to help each other even though one individual was responsible...But, really, when they decided on an intervention for Stan...LOL...I knew exactly what they were going to find... Not so, with the legal cases...
The major case is related to four individuals in Emilio's Italian Restaurant becoming sick and then three of them dying...It was determined that rat poison had been placed in the Parmesan cheese which each of the individuals had accepted to be added by the waiter... Of course, the waiter was accused! Although Stan had worked for Emilio before, he turned the case over to Paula who was the only lawyer with criminal defense experience. Emilio had agreed to pay the legal fees for Ricardo, not believing his long-time employee was guilty.
A compelling case was being built up for a local mobster and this men. They were known and already under investigation by the FBI so everybody hoped that the murders would be the final action they needed to finally put them in jail!
And then there was the Pakistani couple who had gathered up $250,000 to buy into a store in America...Then the part owner stopped working but still demanded half of the income...Stan suggested several legal options to him, including bankruptcy...but while he was getting things back in order, the owner started to harass him...and burned down the store!
In the meantime, the really incongruous case began, when Jodie Marshall's first trial case was to defend a young ex-MP who had stopped a robbery at a jewelry store and during the struggle, the gun accidentally went off and hit the store owner in his leg... He was suing "the hero" for damages, medical expenses and stress...
One of the things I hadn't thought about in small legal offices, was that the lawyers themselves might have to do the investigations and actually get into dangerous situations... And in all three cases, no matter which one, there was the involved criminal(s) who didn't care about the people they were hurting...only that they wanted what they wanted and aimed to get it! The level of legal expertise for each of these cases was high and the writing of the story was well-done since readers are watching, yet seeing the results of each case during the trials.
I do wish I had the time to go back and start right at the beginning of this legal series. It is different enough, by the setting being in a law office, that, after reading this one, I can just imagine the kind of cases that Stan and his group would potentially handle. Though serious cases, the read was fun, moving from one issue to another, making sure I was remembering which case I was now working on... Fun, yes, but in not one case did I successfully project what the ending would ultimately be. That's my kind of book! If you are a legal fiction fan...you need to check out this series! Highly recommended...
GABixlerReviews
Paperback provided by Authors Den
This book keeps you guessing until the last few pages as any superb mystery should.
Manchee's storytelling had this reader dropping everything, and it was worth it, to reach the end. This writer's grasp of telling not one but several stories and keeping readers enthralled the entire journey, is truly a remarkable gift.
I felt the stories were similar to Monk, Perry Mason, or Matlock with the many twists and turns that appealed to me and kept me reading.
These characters show us a first-hand glimpse into the multitude of struggles that occur during a legal case, personally and professionally. Following the characters through their cases has the reader confident they are coming up with the correct conclusion with how the story will transpire, but 'no' I, at least, was all wrong.
Stan Turner reveals to his associates what really happened and why - and all the puzzle pieces fit together perfectly into a devious crime.
"Deadly Dining" is the first book I have read by William Manchee but it certainly won't be the last. I learned I have many Stan Turner mysteries to read.
And while there were a few errors in the book there were not so many that distracted from the plot and the overall splendid content of the book but should be mentioned for future editions.
Needless to say, I enjoyed this publication immensely and looking forward to reading more of Manchee's work.
This book demonstrates the lengths humans will go and the evil unleashed in some when money is involved.
The 1st error was the last name of a main character named Ricardo Ricci, or so it was in the beginning, page 18 or chapter 3, but by the last name of Ricardo began appearing as Rizzi by page 59 through page 63 and further, until it switched back again around page 73. Very confusing! But, the mistakes continued...there was some Vacor Rat Poison that had been banned by the gov'nt found in character Ricardo's garage around page 47, however, shortly after page 135 it is stated; "The prosecution will also introduce a box of Vacor Rat Poison that they found in Emilio's garage..." (another character in the book) and, on page 130 it states that "the jury will still find Emilio innocent," however Emilio was not charged with any crime.
Throughout the book, there were two couples; Mr.Bill & Mrs.Donna Rice and Mr.John & Mrs.Sandy Richmond until chapter 28, page 135, when Sandy was referenced as Sandy Rice.
There are additional paragraphs where the conversational flow is not smooth because it is obvious that an incorrect situational layout is not being presented based on the facts of the story line.
Having said all that, if you can read past these area's of incorrect information, it really is a well-written book. I fault the author to a decree, but the editor should have caught these mistakes...
Populated with an impressive cast of remarkable characters, Manchee relies heavily on Turner and his law partner, Paula, as well as the law firm’s associate, Jodie. It is not a book easily devoured in one sitting if one wishes to savor the frequent twists and turns and/or unfolding story drama and depth that is revealed in piece-by-piece suspense.
The underlying tale is driven by four customers sickened or murdered by poison in a Dallas Italian restaurant operated by Emilio Bellucci, who had previously obtained estate planning counseling from Turner. When a waiter, Ricardo Ricci, is charged, Turner’s firm picks up a new client. The whodunit begins.
Plenty of depraved or flawed secondary characters provide a strong platform for the three well-drawn central characters to exhibit their brain power and heroics. There is a feast of struggles and conflicts. Intertwined are portions of overt and subversive sexuality, suspected betrayal, and a strong dose of well-meaning confusion.
What else could you ask for except to find the earlier Stan Turner volumes yet unread?