The Burden of Proof

Hated it! It was so bad I had to put it down less than halfway through.

Scott Turow writes literature. Like John La Carre, the joy of reading his works lies in the journey through the book. Characters come alive; scenes are rich with description. Though not stream of consciousness novels, we are able to witness the thoughts of the actors, and discern their emotions as well as their understanding of life. In reading the "Burden of Proof " I often forgot that I was reading a mystery. To many readers that may be seen as a novelistic flaw, but to me it was a source of pleasure. Sandy Stern has to cope with losing his wife who has committed suicide. How does a middle aged man make his way through this tragedy? How does a reserved, formal lawyer re-enter the world as a single man? How does he manage to legally represent his adventuresome, risk taking brother-in-law? These are a few of the challenges he faces. Yes it is a mystery; a double one in fact. One sub-plot involves the federal investigation of his brother-in-law for some questionable futures trading. Some readers may find this less interesting than the typical legal thriller where the protagonist is faced with defending a suspected murderer (as in Turow's "Presumed Innocent"). The other sub-plot concerns a medical mystery surrounding the death of Stern's wife. This is not a book for lovers of heart pounding, action thrillers. It is a story where you savor the quality of the writing; where you enjoy the development of the characters, and where you take pleasure in the scenes and setting of the story. One complaint I've come across in reviews of various books is the comment that the author could have told the same story in less than half the actual pages. Turow could have written this novel in half the actual 570 pages, but then we would have missed the beauty of the story as he wanted to tell it. One reviewer of this book indicated that Turow was trying to show his knowledge of the dictionary. That puzzles me; I didn't have to look up a single word, and I'm sure you won't have to either. If you like both fine writing, and a good story Turow can't be beat.

This is the second Turow novel I've read and I'm hooked. He's an excellent story teller and really knows how to take a plot through unexpected twists and turns. This book is solid evidence of his skills and I recommend it heartily.I know how popular Grisham is and I've enjoyed some of his writing, but I'd rate Turow as easily the better writer. This book has plenty to help me reach that conclusion: family and business deceit, awkward romantic liasons, legal and personal grudges and jealousies, securities fraud, etc. Try it, I'll bet you'll like it.

Written as a loose sequel to "Presumed Innocent," this novels takes us into the world of legal drama in the very capable hands of a true master of this genre. Though not as gritty or compelling as it forebarer, this work does bring vivid, realistic and personable characters to life in a way only Turow can.The tables have now turned and Alejandro Stern, ace defense counsel now must face trial for an unspeakable crime. The evidence and tension mounts as his former client, and former prosecutor battles to clear his friend's name in the pool of fascinating characters and locales of Kindle County.This book is not "Presumed Innocent" for those who enjoyed that book. It is a great effort and very entertaining. A bit longer and more ponderous, it is still a tremendous story and flawlessly written. I say it is a must read. It is far better courtroom fiction than most Grisham novels. Deserving of Five Stars, a good read and a great novel.