Blind Spot

There's a serial killer loose in Denver, Colorado and the district attorney hasn't a clue. The reader of Blind Spot, a first novel by Stephanie Kane, has many clues as to who dunnit, but they are there to misdirect and confabulate the reader. Enter center stage, a new heroine of the genre of lawyer novels. Enter Jackie Flowers who depends on drawing diagrams in place of notes as a learned tool to compensate for her dyslexia - a disability to some and an advantage to Jackie in her fight to save a client from the net of a politically ambitious district attorney. The ingredients of a good mystery begin and end with plot, character, and style. Blind Spot shows that Ms. Kane is adept at all three. The mystery genre requires a plot that misdirects the reader at every turn. We all want to know who the killer is before the last chapter. Is it Aaron Best, the accused killer of a wealthy middle-aged wife of a local developer and Ms. Flowers' client? Is it his brother who failed to inherit the family construction business? Or is it any one of a number of other candidates? I dare say that only the most perspicacious of readers will know the answer before the last chapter. That's a plot. Jackie Flowers is surrounded by a truly delicious cast of characters. There is her spark plug Spider driving investigator cum confidante, Pilar Perez, the crusty old judge, the political DA, the forensic psychologist who only testifies for the prosecution, and of course, the serial killer loose in Denver. It is a pleasure to read a courtroom drama that has verisimilitude and that moves the plot along to its ultimate exciting conclusion. And, in the opinion of this trial lawyer, it's not a just good read, it's a must read.

I'm rereading "Blind Spot,'' as it was so gripping on the first read that I tore through it at the speed of light. As a novelist, Stephanie Kane doesn't appear to HAVE any blind spots; her vision is better than 20/20. Jackie Flowers has to be one of the most compelling characters in modern literature. Her unusual thinking processes greatly enhanced my understanding of my dyslexic boyfriend. My only complaint is that there's no sequel available yet. Can y'all nudge Ms. Kane to get on with it already? I want more of Ms. Flowers, Lily and Pilar. The fact that Denver now has a topnotch local novelist willing to inject regional references into her prose makes this book all the more enticing for Colorado readers. And her insightful approach to the flaws of attorneys, our judicial system, trends such as profiling, etc., provide a fascinating insider's look at what has seemed foreign territory for many of us. Kudos to Kane, and please, give us more.

If you're a lawyer and tired of reading books by and about lawyers that make you say, "WHAT? That couldn't happen that way!"consider this book. Blind Spot is realistic, even a bit gritty (criminal defense ain't beanbag), and has as its protagonist a welcome change from the seemingly ubiquitous politically correct female lawyer. Meet Jackie Flowers, tough, smart, and kind to small children--all the things a trial lawyer should be. She cares about her clients and about winning her cases (just like you do). Kane's account is excellent at opening the mind of a trial lawyer and making the reader understand why certain decisions get made. The courtroom scenes are first rate; the questions are phrased like real questions, the rulings (and judicial commentary) have the ring of truth. Kane gets it right.

Stephanie Kane has written an exciting mystery novel with nice surprises and plenty of smart dialogue. I fell into the pages of Blind Spot and didn't come out again until I had finished. The novel is ostensibly about a serial killer that cuts of the heads of his victims. The heroine Julie Flowers is a lawyer with an affliction. Her affliction makes her a superior courtroom advocate; but also makes her painfully vulnerable (hence the novel's title). The character development of Julie Flowers, her client, accused killer Alan Best, the neighbor's little adopted child, Lily, and Julie's investigator Pilar Perez is excellent. The author has created characters that we can really care about and that we can visualize. Among Ms. Kane's greatest gifts is her love and respect for the English language. Her writing is clear and powerful. She knows how to turn a phrase and uses terrific metaphors.I believe that the greatest gift one can give to friends is a good book. After I finished reading Blind Spot I promptly went out and bought several copies to give to friends. Ms. Kane has given readers the gift of a novel worth reading and sharing.

In Denver, the police arrest Aaron Best for the decapitation rape-murder of his lover Rae Malone. Aaron, the CEO of Best Energy calls the only criminal lawyer he knows, former client Jackie Flowers, whose home was rewired by the firm of the accused last year. Jackie accepts the case.The evidence against Aaron includes his affair with Rae, testimony by her best friend that it is over, a violent incident with his wife last year, and his semen on her bed. Upon meeting Aaron's estranged wife, Jackie believes her client is innocent. Jackie also learns that Aaron's alibi is family friendly, depending on outrageous environmental stupidity on the parts of Aaron and his older brother that will most likely destroy the environmental friendly company they own. After obtaining bail for Aaron, similar murders occur leaving Jackie to wonder if she represents a clever psychopathic serial killer?BLIND SPOT is a well-written legal thriller that will thrill sub-genre fans with the notion a new exciting author has come on the scene with a fresh voice. When Stephanie Kane stays with the prime plot of Aaron's guilt or innocence, the story line is excellent. When the author brings in a major twist involving serial killing and subsequent profiling, though that sidebar is intriguing, it slows down the momentum of the main tale. Still, Ms. Kane shows she is quite a talent and readers will want more works starring Jackie, a noteworthy character even with this being her first appearance.Harriet Klausner