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If you’ve ever read an Ellery Queen novel or watched the iconic television series, you know one of the best parts of the experience was being able to solve the case before Queen does. All the clues, evidence, key witness statements, alibis, motives, and opportunities are laid out for the reader or viewer to make an informed “guess” as to the culprit’s identity. Revord provides a similar experience as he relates every detail in his crime novel over the course of an exhaustive murder trial, essentially allowing readers to play the role of jurors and reach their own verdict.
The courtroom drama involves the case of a frequently abused woman accused of killing her husband during a heated argument at their home. Defense attorney David Chartier, who serves as the novel’s narrator, contends his client, Jean Davis, shot in self-defense through painstakingly detailed direct or cross-examination. Every question and answer is related in full, even the boring, mundane stuff. And if you’ve ever served on a jury, you know there’s a lot of it. As an attorney himself, Revord expertly recreates the courtroom experience to the point that it reads like a virtual transcript of the trial. Readers will feel as if they have spent every moment in the jury box.
While that’s an accurate depiction of what our criminal justice system is like, readers don’t really get to know the thoughts and feelings of the characters. Revord does sprinkle in an occasional snippet of his attorney’s thoughts and concerns about the case, but they are few and far between. The result is a somewhat dry and impersonal recounting of events. The jury is out on whether the verdict and twist ending are worth the time. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide.