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Plea of Insanity Audiobook
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(3.03) - 797 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Julia Valenciano is a young, ambitious Miami prosecutor. Assigned to a hectic trial division with an ornery judge, just getting through the day can be a challenge. When Julia is asked to second chair a case that could very well make or break her career, she doesn't hesitate to jump on board. The defendant: a successful Miami surgeon. The victims: his own wife and small children. The plea: Not Guilty By Reason of Insanity.
The perfect father. The perfect husband. Dr. David Marquette seemingly just snapped one night. Or did he? His defense team claims paranoid delusions caused by schizophrenia drove him to slaughter his entire family.
But the state suspects that Marquette's insanity defense is being fabricated to disguise murders that were cold-blooded and calculated. And the evidence appears to be mounting that Marquette may be responsible for other unsolved murders around the state as well—murders that bear the frightening signature of a serial killer.
It's Julia's first murder trial and her first insanity defense, and the stakes are incredibly high. If convicted, Marquette faces the ultimate penalty—death. If found insane, he could walk free. To bring a killer to justice, Julia will have to journey into the mind of madness herself. For her, the trial of Dr. David Marquette will mean more than just disarming a legal defense; it will take her on a personal journey back into her own past—a past she has struggled for fifteen years to forget. And it will bring her face to face with a future that is so frightening, she's not sure she ever wants to see it.
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"This is the first 'legal thriller' that I've read. It was absolutely impossible for me to put down, but it also made me scared of the dark! Now I remember why I don't watch Law & Order or CSI. I like that Hoffman gives her readers credit and doesn't feel the need to spell everything out. It was absolutely fabulously written and I really empathized with a lot of the characters. Perhaps I'll try more legal thrillers, even at the risk of losing sleep."
— Krissy (4 out of 5 stars)
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[A] gripping legal thriller.
— Publishers Weekly -
“Hoffman’s writing is graceful..[Plea of Insanity] is an enjoyable read.”
— RT Book Reviews -
“This gripping legal thriller from Hoffman…results in some major courtoom drama. Hoffman’s intriguing plot snakes around both cases as Julia questions her own mental health and a future only a nail-biting sequel might fully answer.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Courtroom dramatics are less the point here than in many legal thrillers. It’s Julia’s torment as she comes to terms with her family’s tragic history and Hoffman’s dissection of the legal and moral arguments surrounding the insanity plea that push things along—and the questions raised will linger long after the story ends.”
— Booklist
Plea of Insanity Listener Reviews
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" Chilling..pae turning...keeps you there until the end!! "
— Sbalanay, 2/14/2014 -
" I love this author; tight plots; interesting and flawed characters. "
— Lynn, 2/8/2014 -
" Suspenseful and well plotted, I really enjoyed this one as much as her two earlier works. I thought that the insight into a schizophrenic's mind was very interesting. Looking forward to her next effort. "
— Vivian, 2/4/2014 -
" Mystery that keeps you on your toes with small bits of added information. "
— Joan, 1/30/2014 -
" Great book. Starts out a bit slow..but its good. Sad but good. "
— Erin, 1/18/2014 -
" a good plot with lots of twists and turns, gripping to the end. "
— Mrstaffsdad, 1/18/2014 -
" Not nearly as scary, but good. She obviously did a ton or research. Definitely liked Retribution the best of all her books, but I was still a fan. This must be her "softer" side. "
— Stacey, 1/9/2014 -
" Hoffman's set up was nice, but the narrative thread fizzled out and never went anywhere. I guess the plot twist is "there's no plot twist". "
— Toney, 1/8/2014 -
" I can't think of a single thing--or character--I liked. Worst of all, I found it pathetically predictable. "
— Judy, 1/6/2014 -
" Enjoyed this book quite a bit. Hoffman isn't afraid to avoid the expected outcome. Will look forward to reading more of her work. "
— Martha, 1/4/2014 -
" Another good book by Jilliane Hoffman. I am still thinking about the ending!! It was a thriller and really makes you stop to think about people and mental problems. A very good read. "
— Kathy, 12/24/2013 -
" While I enjoyed Plea of Insanity, I was also disappointed in it. I read Hoffman's Retribution which was excellent. Plea of Insanity did not live up to my expectations. "
— Maryellen, 12/15/2013 -
" A well-executed legal thriller with a memorable protagonist. "
— Douglas, 12/8/2013 -
" Few books will get five stars from me, but Hoffman's books deserve it. These books drew me right in and terrified me. I think the author is Australian and the books are hard to find, but if you enjoy suspense, crime, and revenge, you will love this author. "
— Jennifer, 12/4/2013 -
" A must-read for legal thrillers lovers. "
— big, 9/29/2013 -
" Set in Miami like her other books but new characters. Entertaining read. "
— Melanie, 9/16/2013 -
" The writer draws the "mystery card" as she cant come up with a coherent story. "
— Susann, 8/27/2013 -
" good read for a cold night. Wont keep you up all night but I am going to read or other two to see if she was a little better. I am enjoying all this light reading. "
— Meregoddess, 5/16/2013 -
" Ditto to Lydia's comments (two below mine) liked the book, disappointed in the author's ending of it and the main character's complete change of personality. First time reading a Jilliane Hoffman book, I'll definitely try again. "
— Pam, 5/7/2013 -
" Ms. Hoffman is back on track with this book. It matches her first in intensity but still with a woman prosecutor who has her own troubles. "
— Naomi, 2/11/2013 -
" Another great book by Jillian Hoffman... I waited forever for this to get to the states! "
— Angela, 11/17/2012 -
" Overall, this was a good legal thriller. However, I gave it only three stars because I felt that, even with a length of almost 600 pages in HC, it left several key subplots without resolution, which disappointed me. "
— April, 4/17/2012 -
" I really loved this booked. Full of suspense and easy to read. "
— Michelle, 12/27/2011 -
" My husband and I listened to this library download audiobook on a recent trip to Sugarloaf. We both enjoyed it. "
— Karen, 3/15/2011 -
" Fantastic read. Explores our understanding of insanity. The ending is superb. "
— Goh, 1/3/2011 -
" I could not put this book down! As soon as I was done with this book, I looked up all her other books.<br/>Jilliane Hoffman is another great writer to add to my list.<br/><br/> "
— Nicolle, 12/28/2010 -
" This book held me spellbound. In spite of that, it had some glaring problems. The character development was incomplete, and the heroine was basically unlikeable and annoying. There were some major plot holes. Still, it was interesting and had a few surprises for the reader. "
— Linda, 12/21/2010 -
" Ganz okay, aber nichts besonderes und stellenweise auch recht langweilig. "
— Zerah, 12/12/2010 -
" Loved this book ... right up in my alley - criminal justice (courts/lawyers/police) and mental health. "
— Brenda, 12/1/2010 -
" Interesting book. Learned much more about schizophrenia then I knew before. "
— Sheila, 9/14/2010 -
" Good summer read. A well-written woman-lawyer thriller with complex psychological issues that kept me interested. "
— Carol, 8/16/2010 -
" I just couldn't get into this book, no matter how many times I tried I could never get more than half way through & it's the only book I have ever been like that with. It was just boring, nothing exciting happened at all, slow paced, just not good at all. Completely given up on this now "
— Jennifer, 8/1/2010 -
" Quick read...young lawyer, trying to figure out what the hell she's doing AND there's a shoutout to Cherry Hill--entertaining and good for the beach! "
— Caitlin, 7/6/2010 -
" Classic Jilliane Hoffman legal thriller. Not as riveting as Retribution but I still managed to read it in about a day and a half. "
— Andrea, 6/29/2010 -
" A well-executed legal thriller with a memorable protagonist. "
— Dscorleone, 6/4/2010 -
" Like all other Hoffman books keeps you on your toes all the way through! "
— Leeann, 3/27/2010
About Jilliane Hoffman
Jilliane Hoffman, the author of several suspense novels, began her professional career as an assistant state attorney prosecuting felonies in Florida from 1992 to 1996, with special assignments to the domestic violence unit and the legal extradition unit. Through 2001, she was the regional legal advisor for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, advising more than one hundred special agents on criminal and civil matters in complex investigations involving narcotics, homicide, and organized crime.
About Karen White
Karen White has been narrating audiobooks of all genres since 1999. Honored to be included in AudioFile’s Best Voices, she’s also a four-time Audie Finalist and has earned multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards and Library Journal starred reviews.