Hate Crime: A Novel of Suspense

by William Bernhardt

Book Overview

Bestselling author William Bernhardt is an unsurpassed master at blending psychological suspense with gripping, surprise-filled legal action. Now, Bernhardt and his crusading attorney Ben Kincaid return in a thrilling story of love, hate, and the power of a courtroom to separate deception from the truth.

In Tulsa, Ben Kincaid has built a national reputation as a stalwart defense attorney who will fight tirelessly for his clients. In Evanston,...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345451481
• ISBN13: 9780345451484
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Fawcett Books
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 0.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 4.3" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

Loved It!

Mr Bernhardt writes legal thrillers like no other. When it comes to Ben, Christina, Jones and Loving, he doesn't disappoint. This was a well written story, that really disturbed me when it came to the details of the beating. Too sad to even imagine. The court room theatrics are the best and the twist and turns were very surprising. An excellent, fast paced read. Very entertaining. As always, I anxiously wait for what's next.

Graphic! Gripping! Great!

"Let's consider the facts. The defendent is painfully unpopular and has been crucified in the press. I understand the evidence is hopelessly stacked against him...the case is impossible and unwinnable...you don't have any money. Will Ben take your case? I'd say it's a sure thing!" And so would most of best-selling, legal thriller author William Bernhardt's legion of fans: those of us who have faithfully followed Tulsa-based, defense attorney Ben Kinkaid's ardent championship of the down and desperate in and outside the courtroom ever since his debut appearance in "Primary Justice". Surprise! surprise! Ben wants no part of defending Johnny Christensen who's on-trial in Chicago for the sensational, gay-bashing, torture-murder of Tony Barovick...a trial which has come to screeching halt when Johnny's co-defendent and fraternity brother, Brett Mathers, and his defense attorney are gunned down in open court by a member of a militant, gay rights group. Now Johnny's desperate mother wants Ben to take over his case. Johnny has admitted to his participation in the bashing, but not the murder. If Ben can't get him off, Illinois has a death penalty. In the face of Ben's flat-out refusal to do so, aggravated by his equally firm refusal to explain why, his partner, spunky Christina McCall, decides to go it alone, gets their client's reluctant consent and steps up to the plate for her first major, criminal trial. While she and other series regulars (Jones and Paula, Loving and their newly-hired intern, Vicki Harmon) are desperately searching for alternative possibilities which just may be enough to get Johnny a lesser sentence, back in Tulsa, Detective Mike Morelli is still licking his wounds over his recent failure...yeah, he got the kid back BUT!...to apprehend a daring band of kidnappers and/or recover the ransom money despite full cooperation and support from Chicago FBI Special Agent Danielle Swift. An exceptionally horrific murder unexpectedly brings Agent Swift back to Tulsa where she again teams with Morelli and his feisty new partner, Detective Kate Baxter, to try and put faces and names to both killer and victim. Nothing is adding up until another, inexplicably brutal murder provides an obscure connecting link and, suddenly, things start falling into place. Inevitably, all roads lead back to Chicago and the Christensen trial. Secrets which have been hidden for years start emerging from the shadows. A breath-taking series of slam-bang, cliff-hanger events first put Ben and his entire crew in deadly peril and then lead Morelli inexorably to the master criminal and the shocking truth behind both the murders and what really happened to Tony Barovick. Plan to stay up late with this one! It's a winner!Nobody does grippingly complex plotting and hair-trigger suspense better than William Bernhardt. Yes! This stunning book absolutely stands alone, but it's even more absorbing reading for fans of the entire action-packed series. What we ha

A Painful Book to Read

This is one of the most painful books I've read in a long time. It was so violent but I felt I had to read every word because the horrendous beating was so integral to the story. I had to keep closing my eyes to try to get the images to go away but it didn't work. Unfortunately, most of the people who could learn from the book will never read it but it is important to keep writing about the hatred in our society. I live in the Chicago area and was quite interested in having the book set here after all we have been through with the death penalty. I think Ben is a fascinating character and, while slow, his social development is coming along. At this point, I think he is only ready to take care of the cats although this book truly, but painfully, peeled off several layers of his psyche. I am fascinated to see where he will go from here. I always feel that I am back with old acquaintances when I read one of these books. The characters have become so familiar that I find myself thinking back to how they appeared in previous books. I am always amazed at how he can insert such snappy dialog into a story as jarring as this one but then I realize that this keeps us further off balance. The exchange between Christina and Jones about Scrabble is priceless, as is Baxter's realization about Dr. Seuss. I feel that the characters and plots are first-rate as is the writing and the editing. The only criticism I have is that we have to wait another year for the next book!

An excellent entry in the best-selling series.

Johnny Christensen has built himself the reputation of being a sadistic bigot. On a night out with his friends Johnny and his friend Kevin decide to give a gay man a hard time. The harassment turns brutal as the boys pull the man into their van and take him to a deserted area to give him a beating. As Tony lies dying, begging for his life his two attackers get into their van and leave.Hours later, Tony's dead body is found at the boy's frat house and Johnny and Kevin are arrested for murder.The boys swear they are innocent, but the public seems to think otherwise as the first day of the trial erupts into violence with someone open firing in court...leaving Kevin and an attorney dead. Johnny's mother needs help for her son and the only person for the job is Ben Kincaid. Ben turns down the case, but his partner, Christina McCall, takes it. Due to unforseen circumstances Ben is forced to enter the trial, and even though the evidence is overwhelming his gut tells him there is more to the story, and when the discovery of another case, one that involves the kidnapping of children, proves to be connected he realizes Johnny may be telling the truth.`Hate Crime' is an excellent entry in the fantastic Ben Kincaid series. The shocking crime sets the stage for a twist filled plot, but it's the use of a controversial topic that keeps the pages turning in this thriller where the truth is more terrifying than the crime. William Bernhardt has crafted a complex mystery that is smart, tight and filled with suspense, readers will be hard pressed to not finish this in one sitting.A MUST read!Nick Gonnella

Excellent plotting

Some crimes are more repulsive than others are, as Major Mike Morelli of the Tulsa PD Homicide Division knows very well. He along with the FBI and a swat team are trying to rescue an eight-year-old boy who was kidnapped eight days ago. The police know where they are and plan to neutralize the kidnappers so they will not kill the boy. When they finally make a move, the child is unharmed but the kidnappers are missing.In Chicago, two homophobic college men beat a gay bartender within an inch of his life but they leave him alive when they walked away. His body was found in the perpetrator's fraternity house very much dead. When one of the defendants and his lawyer is killed in open court, the remaining defendant's mother asks lawyer Ben Kincaid to defend him. He declines for personal reasons but his partner agrees to take the case not realizing everyone connected to the case is in danger because it is linked back to the kidnapping in Tulsa.William Bernhardt is one of the best writers of legal thrillers in today's competitive sub-genre. His protagonist is a vulnerable champion of the underdog who believes everyone has the right to an attorney. The reason he refuses the case involving a relationship he had with the suspect's mother that ended badly and gives the reader a glimpse into his battered soul. When he becomes involved in the case, he does not let his personal feelings interfere with the job and readers will root for him to prevail even though they detest the person he represents.Harriet Klausner