An apparently simple assault case spirals into a complex web of violence and deception in this bold debut thriller.
Deputy District Attorney Samantha Kincaid walks into her office in Portland's Drug and Vice Division one morning to find the sergeant of the police bureau's vice unit waiting for her. A 13-year-old girl has been brutally attacked and left for dead on the city's outskirts. Given the lack of evidence, most lawyers would settle for an assault charge; Samantha, unnerved by the viciousness of the crime, decides to go for attempted murder. But as she prepares for the trial, she uncovers a dangerous trail leading to an earlier high-profile death penalty case, a prostitution ring of underage girls, and a possible serial killer.
In Samantha Kincaid, Alafair Burke has created a complex, appealing character. Seamlessly moving between courtroom and criminal investigation, Judgment Calls reveals not only an insider's knowledge of the justice system but a fresh new voice in the world of crime writing.
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"Meet Samantha Kincaid - you will be glad you did! She's a smart tough DA in beautiful Portland Oregon, and when a case leads her down a hard trail, she follows. Burke lives up to her name (her father is James Lee Burke, author of the Dave Robicheaux series, among other books) and crafts a good tale." — Cindy (4 out of 5 stars)
"Meet Samantha Kincaid - you will be glad you did! She's a smart tough DA in beautiful Portland Oregon, and when a case leads her down a hard trail, she follows. Burke lives up to her name (her father is James Lee Burke, author of the Dave Robicheaux series, among other books) and crafts a good tale."
" Judgement Calls, is well written by an author that knows what she is writing about. "
" Very Good; Continuing character: Samantha Kincaid (first in series); prosecutor works case on rape and attempted murder of 13 year-old prostitute, but is caught off guard when anonymous letters admit to this and other crimes. "
" Neither the best or worst book I've ever read, somewhere inbetween "
" Maybe I view the author in comparison with her father, James Lee Burke. It would be hard to be as good an author as he is. In particular, when he uses coarse language in his writing, I can tolerate it better because it is not gratuitious and seems right for that specific character. I think Alafair Burke uses coarse language indiscriminately, which I don't care for. "
" the daughter of my favorite author in the world.....good book, someday maybe she will join him as my favorite! "
" Not a bad book. I like the final twist it gave, but it still seems like it was missing something. Still I will look for Alafair's other books in the future. "
" I read the current novel by this author and decided I wanted to read some of her previous books. I like this kind of legal thriller and enjoyed the first in her series about Samatha Kincaid. I'll definitely look for more. "
" Just found the author and am quite enjoying her books. "
" Crime fiction centered around heroine Samantha Kincaid. You needed a glossary for the police/court acronyms filling every page. Looking up DDA, MCT, DVD, SCF, PPB, etc. constantly was a pain in the ASS. "
" Good first book . However, all the legal terms were a bit distracting (they were too much for insiders, or people in the legal professions).I hope that this will be corrected in the following books . I will read other books from this author. "
" The first 1/3 of the book was great. I really was enjoying it. Then it got bogged down in the courtroom. I skimmed some in order to finish the book. Very complicated plot that got bogged down in the details. "
" Tried a little to hard without enough humor. "
" Must be in the DNA. Excellent stuff written by an expert in the law. "
" i wasn't totally drawn into this book. the protagonist was interesting and the case was interesting, but it just didn't absorb me. maybe there was neither enough humor nor angst. "
" Reads like a first novel -- clunky in places, plot-wise -- but she's clearly inherited her dad's talent (she's James Lee Burke's daughter) and I'm going to keep reading her, based on this one. "
" A good mystery with a slightly unbelievable twist at the end. I've read other Samantha Kincaid books and I like the character. "
" Not nearly as good as I hoped "
" Excellent first book. I have just discovered this author but really like her character Samantha Kincaid. Already started her second book. I can only suspect that each work is going to be better. "
" wanted to like it but didn't. will give this author another try though. "
" Good Book! I started this because I loved her father's books. I also liked that it was set in Portland, being from Oregon. "
" I picked this book up at Aunt Tenkie's and it was good enough to complete, but was not all that engaging. It was a "
Alafair Burke is a New York Times bestselling author of several novels, including The Ex, which was nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Novel. She also coauthors the bestselling Under Suspicion series with Mary Higgins Clark. A former prosecutor, she is now a professor of criminal law.
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