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Law, Liberty and the Constitution: A Brief History of the Common Law
Book
Throughout English history the rule of law and the preservation of liberty have been inseparable,...
The Trial: A History from Socrates to O.J. Simpson
Book
In an extraordinary history of the criminal trial, Sadakat Kadri shows with wit, legal insight and a...
The Assault on International Law
Book
International law presents a conceptual riddle. Why comply with it when there is no world government...
Thunderstruck
8.0
Rate It
Book
The interwoven stories of two men whose lives intersect during one of the greatest criminal chases...
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Life or Death in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Life or Death started out super exciting, then it died for about a half a chapter and I had a really hard time getting back into it. That’s not to say it was exciting, but the characters felt a little distant at first. I couldn’t figure out what was going on in Audie’s head, so I didn’t connect with him very well at first. Once I got past that rough part, and as the story grew I learned more and more what was going on, I was totally addicted.
The story follows Audie Palmer, an unlikely criminal who turns out to be much more than expected. He is fighting very hard for something that doesn’t make sense on the surface… it’s not until you dive deeper with him that you realize just how much more there is to the story. So much love, so much hate, so much deceit.
I loved the way the story came together at the end. As I said, there were some chapters I had trouble getting into at first, but when the story ended, I wanted to applaud.
The story follows Audie Palmer, an unlikely criminal who turns out to be much more than expected. He is fighting very hard for something that doesn’t make sense on the surface… it’s not until you dive deeper with him that you realize just how much more there is to the story. So much love, so much hate, so much deceit.
I loved the way the story came together at the end. As I said, there were some chapters I had trouble getting into at first, but when the story ended, I wanted to applaud.
ClareR (5955 KP) rated Vicious Rumer in Books
Apr 16, 2018
Rumer Cross believes she is cursed by the mother and violent criminal, who abandoned her. She has been through the foster care system, and suffered at the hands of people who would judge her for that. She escapes the system and becomes a shadow. That way, no one will get close. To get close to Rumer means certain death. She is cursed, after all.
Her day becomes unimaginable bad when a top/ the top London crime boss decides that she knows where something is that he wants.
This is a very dark, violent, action-packed book, and definitely not one for the faint-hearted! And I loved it. Rumer is a lonely young woman, afraid to get close to anyone, and fighting for her life. There are so many twists and turns that it made ME paranoid, never mind Rumer. I'm glad I got the chance to read this through The Pigeonhole, and I'll be keeping an eye out for any other books that the writer writes in the future.
Her day becomes unimaginable bad when a top/ the top London crime boss decides that she knows where something is that he wants.
This is a very dark, violent, action-packed book, and definitely not one for the faint-hearted! And I loved it. Rumer is a lonely young woman, afraid to get close to anyone, and fighting for her life. There are so many twists and turns that it made ME paranoid, never mind Rumer. I'm glad I got the chance to read this through The Pigeonhole, and I'll be keeping an eye out for any other books that the writer writes in the future.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2400 KP) rated Void Moon in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Six years ago, Cassie Black’s life went wrong when a casino hotel robbery went very wrong. She’s served time in prison and is now ten months into serving parole when she finds herself needing cash, so she takes on one last job, which takes her back to the casino where the job went wrong six years before. Is this job the windfall it appears to be or will it go wrong as well?
I’m being rather vague in my teaser because, like most Michael Connelly books, this is one you need to experience for yourself. I did find the beginning a little slow and technical, but when it took off, it grabbed me and I was along for the ride. This was despite the fact that I didn’t love any of the major characters. I can’t find myself rooting for a criminal, so it wasn’t until we met some characters even worse than Cassie that I found myself rooting for her.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/12/book-review-void-moon-by-michael.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
I’m being rather vague in my teaser because, like most Michael Connelly books, this is one you need to experience for yourself. I did find the beginning a little slow and technical, but when it took off, it grabbed me and I was along for the ride. This was despite the fact that I didn’t love any of the major characters. I can’t find myself rooting for a criminal, so it wasn’t until we met some characters even worse than Cassie that I found myself rooting for her.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/12/book-review-void-moon-by-michael.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2400 KP) rated G is for Gumshoe (Kinsey Millhone #7) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
At the beginning of May, PI Kinsey Millhone is hired by a woman named Irene to track down her mother. The two usually talk one a month, but it’s been several months since they last talked. Before Kinsey can head out to the Salton Sea area, she gets words that a dangerous criminal is vowing revenge on the people who put him away, and one of those people is Kinsey. She does take the threat seriously. Should she? Will it complicate her search for the missing woman?
I was hoping with two parallel plots that they would build off each other. That doesn’t happen quite as well as I would have liked. In fact, the book begins to drag in the middle, although it certainly picks up near the end. We get to know another supporting character pretty well here, which in turn lets us get to know Kinsey better, which I love.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/04/book-review-g-is-for-gumshoe-by-sue.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
I was hoping with two parallel plots that they would build off each other. That doesn’t happen quite as well as I would have liked. In fact, the book begins to drag in the middle, although it certainly picks up near the end. We get to know another supporting character pretty well here, which in turn lets us get to know Kinsey better, which I love.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/04/book-review-g-is-for-gumshoe-by-sue.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Eleanor (1463 KP) rated The Blacklist - Season 1 in TV
Jun 17, 2019
FBI action series with a twist
This American crime thriller series focuses on criminal mastermind Raymond Reddington (James Spader) who turns FBI informant; as long as he can work with a particular agent: Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone.)
Initially the series follows a very episodic nature with Reddington providing info on particular bad guy and the FBI team chasing them down, it’s good fun and nice to the more recent trend of series long arcs. However as the series progresses you get a more ongoing underlying story hinting at why he insists on working with relative FBI rookie Keen and it’s engaging enough to keep coming back for the full 22 episodes of this first season. Some of the CGI especially early on is laughable but I've never let that stop me having a good time.
James Spader at times is amazing and others a tad cringe worthy, while Boone is unremarkable I did like Parminder Naga as agent Malik a lot. Overall entertaining diversion, I will be carrying on with the next season.
Initially the series follows a very episodic nature with Reddington providing info on particular bad guy and the FBI team chasing them down, it’s good fun and nice to the more recent trend of series long arcs. However as the series progresses you get a more ongoing underlying story hinting at why he insists on working with relative FBI rookie Keen and it’s engaging enough to keep coming back for the full 22 episodes of this first season. Some of the CGI especially early on is laughable but I've never let that stop me having a good time.
James Spader at times is amazing and others a tad cringe worthy, while Boone is unremarkable I did like Parminder Naga as agent Malik a lot. Overall entertaining diversion, I will be carrying on with the next season.
David McK (3600 KP) rated Shadows of the Empire (Star Wars) in Books
Jan 28, 2019
An early Expanded Universe (EU) novel, <i>Shadows of the Empire</i> is really all but Star Wars episode 5.5 in all but name, taking place as it does between the events of <i>The Empire Strikes Back</i> and <i>Return of the Jedi</i>.
Starting with a familiar scene from <i>The Empire Strikes back</i> (at least, it was familiar until Lucas changed it!) but viewed from a different angle, the novel is also unusual in that Vader is actually one of the main protagonists, with he and Prince Xivor (the head of the criminal organization Black Sun) struggling for The Emperor's approval.
With Han Solo frozen in carbonite - indeed, the first attempts to rescue him form one of the main plot strands of the novel - this also introduces Dash Rendar: a character who, if I'm honest, is really all but Han Solo in name.
The novel also provides a little more background into some of the events mentioned in <i>Return of the Jedi</i>, in particular how come "Many Bothans dies to bring us this information ..."
Starting with a familiar scene from <i>The Empire Strikes back</i> (at least, it was familiar until Lucas changed it!) but viewed from a different angle, the novel is also unusual in that Vader is actually one of the main protagonists, with he and Prince Xivor (the head of the criminal organization Black Sun) struggling for The Emperor's approval.
With Han Solo frozen in carbonite - indeed, the first attempts to rescue him form one of the main plot strands of the novel - this also introduces Dash Rendar: a character who, if I'm honest, is really all but Han Solo in name.
The novel also provides a little more background into some of the events mentioned in <i>Return of the Jedi</i>, in particular how come "Many Bothans dies to bring us this information ..."