Reviewing William Bernhardt's "Capitol Offense" is not an easy task. This mystery/court drama has so many utterly moronic features that a one-star rating would be overly generous. Yet, it is not completely devoid of interesting stuff. For instance, the opening sentence, "I died three days ago", i...
I have read all the Ben Kincaid books and liked this one the least. The spontaneous trial was a great idea but it dragged on forever. I was glad when the action switched to Shamus. The book could have been very exciting if the trial was more succinct and moved along. For example, after the bla...
The Fight over the First Gay Supreme Court Nominee. Ben Kincaid is a temp appointment US Senator who is enlisted to assist Thaddeus Roush's Supreme Court nomination through the Senate. Roush outs himself as gay during his nomination acceptance speech, thus vilifying him with the President who jus...
Eight months after her cop husband’s death, Susan Pulaski, a Las Vegas police detective,is spinning out of control–just as her detective colleagues start searching for a serial killer who methodically stalks his female victims and plunges them into an orgy of terror. When a violent incident earns...
I enjoyed this critical link in William Bernhardt's Ben Kincaid series. I had read the first ten in the series and the last three, but missed this one which explains why Ben evolves from an excellent if poorly compensated criminal defense attorney to a more political being. The pace of the stor...
This is WIlliam Bernhardt's second Ben Kincaid book and builds on the first very well. The story is captivating and rounds out the characters more than the first book. There are a couple of coincidences that stretch credulity, but not too far. I really enjoy the freshness of the writing and th...
I had trouble with this one. I couldn't see Ben Kincaid taking this job as corporate lawyer. Some minor editing problems, like four strikes on a batter in the softball game, were unwelcome distractions. The identification of sexism in the workplace as a significant problem was important to h...
GOOD BUT NOT TOP NOTCHThe story is about a powerful rich corporation accused of improper waste disposal, this fact causes the death of eleven children who live in a nearby neighborhood, there is also a subplot featuring a sadistic killer who makes the impossible to accomplish his goal. The author...
I feel as if I have read books by this author (featuring the same hero, Ben Kincaid) but nothing stands out about this Kincaid character except that he likes chocolate milk instead of alcohol.. that and his heart was broken once upon a time-- which is covered via a few flashbacks in this novel. H...
After just a few hours on the job, a new lawyer lands his first murder case It’s Ben Kincaid’s first day as an associate at corporate giant Raven, Tucker & Tubb, and he’s ready to start the long climb up the ladder to partnership. But he’s barely cleared the first rung when a body trips him up. ...
I LOVE this author!!William Bernhardt is now one of my favorite authors! I just read the first book in the Ben Kincaid series a couple of weeks ago and I LOVED it. I couldn't wait to read the second book in the series. Now, I've read the first FIVE books in the series! And I can't wait to rea...
The fourth entry in the Ben Kincaid series, and one that I struggled with. It's a quick, easy read, but the controversial topic of racism is not handled well, the plot wanders and, at times, doesn't make a lot of sense. Ben and his assistant, Christine are camping in the Ouachita Mountains when a...
The basic plot is standard for all death row stories -- innocent man is convicted because of police tunnel vision/evidence manipulation. Smart young lawyer, young honest cop or other naive fresh face uncovers the truth and saves the inmate (or in the stronger stories, uncovers the truth and the c...
William Bernhardt continues to impress me with how he increases the depth of his stories with each book. Naked Justice is tight, exciting, and delicately weaves a complex tapestry of violence, family, racism, power politics, teen angst, motherly protection, father/son issues and so much more. Ben...
Disillusioned with both the legal system and his private life, criminal attorney Ben Kincaid abandons his practice for a less stressful pastime: playing with a combo at Uncle Earl's Jazz Emporium. The musician's life is bliss--until a corpse crashes through the ceiling with a grisly smile carved ...
Tis the season, so I decided to take a break and read The Midnight Before Christmas. The e-book is 123 pages, and it is a quick read. I was somewhat disappointed at how predictable and easy and nice everything turned out to be in this book. The writer led us to believe one thing, and then grad...
Not as good as the others in the seriesWilliam Bernhardt has a whole collection of books he has written concerning small-time lawyer Ben Kincaid and his (mis)adventures and legal maneuverings. Most of the books feature Ben and his ragtag office staff going against well-funded corporate lawyers or...
Extraordinary! What an incredible "Collaborative Novel of Suspense" by 11 beloved and best-selling notable authors. I read the description of the novel and was totally intrigued. The book is as amazing as I anticipated and in fact it surpassed any and all expectations! I loved it!!William Bernhar...
Oklahoma defense attorney Ben Kincaid has found himself smack in the middle of more than a few controversies and deadly predicaments–and the unexpected leap from his modest Tulsa law offices to Washington, D.C.’s Senate chamber hasn’t taken the edge off Ben’s knack for stepping into the line of f...
As it turned out, he could go a good long way, especially if he used his fishing pole to keep himself balanced. "Look at me!" Gomez hollered. "I'm the New York Central train!" "You ain't no train," Louis Cheeley shouted back. Louis was two years younger than Gomez-only eleven-but even Gomez knew ...
What could have prompted that? he wondered. He smiled. Of course, even high-tech, double-bolt locks are of little value when the thieves have keys. He gave his name to the receptionist, who instructed him to go on upstairs. He entered the elevator and punched the second-floor button. He was surpr...
I just expected to find something a little snazzier when I stepped onto the sixteenth floor of one of the highest of high-rises in downtown Vegas and entered the front offices of Hucalak & Llewellyn, a top Vegas law firm. Instead, I found a lobby that looked as if Godzilla had used it for a p...
Ben was grateful to have time to gear up for the prosecution’s first witness. “Nice job on opening,” Christina whispered in his ear as he reviewed his notes. “I think you made your points very effectively.” “But do they like me?” Ben asked. “It’s early yet. At any rate, you played it straight wit...
Very generous of Swinburne, but what the hell was Ben supposed to do with this witness? She looked as if she couldn’t go on, at least not without a recess, something the judge couldn’t and wouldn’t grant. He didn’t doubt that she had been telling the truth. There was no chance that he was goi...
ANOTHER OFFICE, IN ANOTHER high-rise, on the opposite side of town. Shadows masking the grim faces of the participants. Mario pressed a hand wearily to his forehead. “Can someone please explain what is going on? How did this simple plan for the elimination of one penny-ante pissant turn into a ma...
But the medicine was doing its work; the liquid comfort coursed through his veins, numbed his body. After a while he was able to forget the pain—the physical pain, at any rate. The only reminder came every time he bent his elbow, as the sharp stabbing agony reminded him that he had sliced up his ...
In Capitol Murder, Bernhardt's hard-charging hero takes on his most shocking, headline-making case yet. Kincaid's legal success has earned him a dubious reward: a journey through the looking glass into the Beltway. Here, in the heart of the nation's capital, a powerful U.S...
The forensics testimony was no more interesting at trial than it had been at the preliminary hearing. The dactylogram expert confirmed that Christina’s prints were found on the gun and elsewhere throughout Lombardi’s apartment. Ben reminded the jury during cross that the paraffin test had been ab...