The Prosecution Rests: New Stories about Courtrooms, Criminals, and the Law

by Linda Fairstein

Book Overview

From the Salem witch trials to Depression-era Chicago, from the exclusive country-clubs of the wealthy to the depths of today's toughest ghettos, this riveting collection traces the triumphs, defeats, and temptations of two opposing sides: those sworn to defend the accused, and those tasked with prosecuting them. They are the stories of lawyers under pressure, of criminals facing the needle, and of the heartbroken families--of both the victim and...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 031601267X
• ISBN13: 9780316012676
• Release Date: April 2009
• Publisher: Back Bay Books
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.7" x 5.4" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Crime and entertainment?

A collection of short stories about crime and law. Several of the stories take place in court rooms and especially one shows an excellent display of how a well prepared procedure can outsmart justice. Actually the questioning is so technically perfect that a murderer goes free. However, the outstanding attorney is paid by the husband of the victim with the sole purpose that he may revenge the murder himself. And he is not as kind as the state prison would have been. Crime is presented in many ways and guilt is a matter of view. Why would a person admit to a crime she never committed and how do you frame another person when you want to get rid of your husband? Entertaining, funny and scary

A Law and Order episode--literary style!

Just as a thriller movie is to a lengthy book, so were these story snippets akin to the crime shows we see on TV. Ideal for shorter attention spans! I was surprised at how enthusiastic I felt about this book. I don't tend to read mystery stories, although after this book, I have no idea why. This was my first foray into the world of crime dramas written in the short story format. What a success. Not only were the crimes and their subsequent court scenes intriguing, but the short stories themselves were well-developed and did not feel as fragmented or stilted as I had expected. I particularly enjoyed "By Hook or By Crook"--it twisted, then twisted, then twisted again, and shocked me every single time. To throw a story upside-down more than three times within the span of 20 pages and still managing to bring the reader along was impressive. "Hard Blows" also had me on the edge of my seat the whole time and left me wondering where the story would go after the author concluded it. "Designer Justice" and "A Clerk's Life" were also intriguing glimpses into psycho minds. Great compilation, satisfying read. Perfect for vacation or for a short, single-story reading session before bed--if you can put it down to fall asleep!

Book Review: The Prosecution Rests

The Stories This book is comprised of 22 short stories, all with a "legal twist" on things. The stories have to do with court cases, murders, mysteries, or legal actions. The Review This is my first "legal/mystery" book. I had NO idea what to expect when I started it. I LIKED IT! What was so good about it? First off, I really liked the fact that it was a book comprised of short stories. For an over 400 page book, what was fun about this book is that I'd get through a chapter and I was done with a story... ready to start another with the next chapter. All the stories were really so much different from one another and yet there was that "legal system" tie that strung them together. The stories that I enjoyed the most were "Designer Justice," "By Hook or By Crook," "Mom is my Co-Counsel," "Quality of Mercy," and "Going Under." For the most part, I liked all of the stories, however there were a couple that didn't really engage me as much as the others. Linda Farstein did a great job editting the book and including her own story within it. On Sher's "Out of Ten Scale:" I enjoyed this book. I never, IN A MILLION YEARS, thought that this type of book was my "cup of tea." But, apparently, it is! That's the neat thing about reading review copies of books, you may just find that you surprise yourself and expand your horizons! For the genre Fiction:Short Stories/Legal/Mystery, I am going to rate this book an 8.5 OUT OF 10.

Great Stories

I really loved this book. It was so interesting and covered a wide range of crimes/mysteries. They were all short stories, which made this a book that you could put down and pick up again without forgetting where you left off... which made it a great book to take on vacation.