Brother

By James Fredericks

What does it mean to call another man brother? And how often are we faced with circumstances that truly test the nature or our relationships? At the crossroads between legal thriller and a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0980245567
• ISBN13: 9780980245561
• Release Date: October 2008
• Publisher: Bascom Hill Pub Group Ltd
• Length: 410 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 1.3" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

Great Suspense Novel

Just finished this book - I was looking for something a little different when Brother caught my attention. A murder mystery with a compelling story about twin brothers at it's heart, the plot twists kept me engaged to the very end. I'm recommending the book to my friends.

Great read!

"Brother" is a great read! It is very well written, capturing your interest and desire to read more in the first few pages. The author's writing is descriptive, but not overdone, creating an intriguing cast of characters and a plot with lots of suspense.

An Amazing Debut

Chase Riordan is a former assistant district attorney turned defense attorney who is making a big name for himself - defending murder suspects. When the conclusion of Chase's third murder defense ends with the third defendant being found not guilty, Chase begins to wonder about commonalities between all of these cases. And a fourth suspect shows up on his doorstep asking for his help, but before she can be brought to trial, the charges are dropped and Chase becomes the murder suspect. As if this wasn't enough for one lifetime, Chase also has a twin brother, Jared, who was in the Army and is now in an Army mental health facility. Each Sunday when Chase goes to visit a practically comatose Jared, he feels that things are not right in this place, and those feelings are reinforced when an old superior of Jared's pays Chase a clandestine visit. The final element of this book is the circle of friends: Chase and his four closest friends Lionel, Ev, Peter and Randy. They've been friends for the better part of two decades. And Chase's ordeal puts their friendship to the ultimate test. I have not read a legal thriller this good in years. This is James Fredericks' debut and it is in the vein of early John Grisham. Absolutely OUTSTANDING. This book has lawyers, reporters, the FBI, the Army, and of course political elements. What more could you want from a legal thriller? And while it may seem like a lot for one book, I can tell you that Fredericks did a magnificent job of crafting it altogether so that if any one element was missing, there would be a significant hole in the plot. The book is a long one, and under most circumstances, I would have said maybe Jared's events should have been one book and Chase's another, but the way Fredericks uses the two subplots together is ingenious. And those two subplots together with the circle of friends highlights all the multitude of meanings that the title holds for this book. It is really masterfully written. Fredericks subtly develops the characters in this book so that by the last page you know each of them as though you, yourself, were in the "circle." True to the title, the book is primarily a group of male characters. However, the one main female character, Reagan, is a credit to Fredericks. Reagan is a strong character, but not a superwoman. She's intelligent. She's supportive, but not subordinate. And while Fredericks does initially describe her as being very beautiful, he doesn't focus on this quality at all. I also enjoyed his supporting character, Kasey. Another female character who doesn't fall into a stereotype. These two female roles are a credit to Fredericks' ability to craft unique, rich characters. Fredericks most amazing character work is definitely with Chase and Jared, though. Twins can be a recipe for cliche disaster. However, Fredericks uses the twin element in the most effective way possible. He doesn't abuse it or overuse it. It's in the background and it creates a link for two brothers

Keeps the Pages Turning

This is a great debut by James Fredericks, it is not just another boring book from an extremely successful person trying to tell you how to live your life by creating a fictional charachter modeled after himself. This book keeps you turning the pages until the last word. You feel like you know the people in the book as well as your friends in real life. This book inspires you to look at the relationships in your life and truly evaluate them. I give this book an A+! I hope to see more from James Fredericks in the Future

One of the best psychological thrillers I have read in a long time!

The book is so fresh and goes beyond the boring courtroom dramas that a lot of thrillers are doing lately. I love the twists and I love reading about Jared. There seems to be a new interesting detail about each character around each corner. Definitely recommend it.