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Plea bargains may grease the rails of justice, but for Jamie Brock, prosecuting criminals is not about cutting deals. In her three years as assistant DA, she’s never plea-bargained a case and vows she never will. But when a powerful defense attorney is indicted for murder and devises a way to bring the entire justice system to a screeching halt, Jamie finds herself at a crossroads. One by one, prisoners begin rejecting deals. Prosecutors are overwhelmed, and felons start walking free on technicalities. To break the logjam and convict her nemesis, Jamie must violate every principle that has guided her young career. But she has little choice. To convict the devil, sometimes you have to cut a deal with one of his demons. Tyndale House Publishers
There was no nurse in my father's room, no sign of anything that resembled life.
My name is Jamie Brock. Assistant DA for Milton County. Single and hardworking, with no time in my life for males other than my father, my black Lab, and the eighty-three defendants I am trying to put behind bars.
But at that moment, as I pulled a chair to the side of my father's bed and placed a hand on his forearm, I was also Jamie Brock, daddy's girl.
And at the age of twenty-eight, I would soon be an orphan.
My father had not spoken since his second stroke four days ago. The first stroke turned him into a man I did not recognize. The sharp mind and acid wit gave way to a tender and confused man who looked like my father but fumbled with complex ideas. Sometimes he didn't even recognize his family and friends. The second stroke left him comatose. He had been lying here in this same bed, hooked up to these same machines, attended by the same nurses and doctors, for the past four days. His primary physician, a competent Indian doctor named Kumar Guptara, told me that my dad would never recover. Never give me another reassuring hug. His eyes would never open and sparkle at the sight of his only daughter. He would never again tell me that he loved me.
Despite Guptara's pessimism, which was shared by every other doctor we consulted, I half expected my father to someday wake up, unhook the machines, change out of his hospital gown, and walk out of the room even as the nurses called after him to stop. My father was a fighter. It was a trait I had inherited.
My brother wanted to pull the plug. But my dad, like most lawyers, had taken care of his clients' affairs and not his own. Evan after his first stroke, he'd refused to consider his own mortality and sign a living will. Now the doctors were unwilling to cut the umbilical cord to the machines when there was a stalemate among the children. Especially when one of the children was a lawyer.
And so I rubbed his forearm and tried to ignore the fact that he was wasting away in front of me, losing weight even as nutrition was pumped into his body, the hairy arms becoming drier and more brittle every day.
"Hey, Dad, it's Jamie. They say you can't hear me, but who really knows—right?" The room was still, machines pulsating, my father's chest slowly rising and falling.
I lowered my voice. "Four more days, Dad. Can you hang in there for four more days?"
After eleven years of appeals, the experts said that this time the date would stick. Antoine Marshall, the man who broke into our home and killed my mother three months after my sixteenth birthday, was scheduled to get the needle. That same night, he'd shot my father and left him for dead. My dad had lost three pints of blood but lived to testify. How could I let him die now?
"We expect the lab results to be back on Rikki Tate tomorrow," I told my dad. I had been delivering reports on the Tate case every day. Rikki's death had occurred before my father's second stroke, and we both knew there was foul play. "Caleb Tate is already making excuses. Says that he knew Rikki was addicted to narcotics, but he couldn't stop her."
I leaned closer to my dad's ear. "You were right, Dad. He poisoned her. I can feel it in my bones."
Caleb Tate had represented Antoine Marshall at his trial. I would never forget the day he cross-examined my father, the only eyewitness to the crime. Dad was a great lawyer, but it's true what they say about the best lawyers making the worst witnesses. It was painful to watch Tate dissect my father's testimony piece by piece. If it hadn't been for Judge Snowden, the jury might have set Marshall free.
I took one of my father's hands in both of mine. "I'm going to nail Caleb Tate," I promised him. Antoine Marshall and Caleb Tate were responsible for putting my father in this bed. He had survived the shooting but never fully recovered emotionally. They were also the reason I had been working for three years in the district attorney's office and had never plea-bargained a case. Even now, as I looked at my father's pallid face and brushed his gray hair off his forehead, the bitterness ate at my soul like a cancer. My dream was to indict Caleb Tate within thirty days of his former client's execution.
My father would not be around to see his daughter avenge the memory of a woman we both loved. But I would do it to honor my father's memory. And I would swear to it on my mother's grave.
* * *
At home that night, I waited for the latest news report about Antoine Marshall's appeal with a mixture of apprehension and disgust. A friend from the DA's office had alerted me to the story on WDKX. "Shows how desperate he is," my friend had said.
The story had run at six and was scheduled to air again at eleven. An anchor teased the report just before a commercial break, and my palms began to sweat. I braced myself, knowing that Marshall's defense team would stop at nothing.
After the break, the station cut to an interview with Professor Mason James from Southeastern Law School, Antoine Marshall's lead appellate lawyer.
The interview took place in James's cramped law school office. The man looked more like a UFC fighter than a professor. He wore a tight black T-shirt that showed off a bodybuilder's physique—thick neck, trapezius muscles that stood out like cables, huge biceps, and tattoo sleeves covering both arms. He was completely bald with a dark complexion, square chin, and broad nose that had been on the wrong end of too many fists.
He was, I knew, Southeastern's poster-boy faculty member—loved by most students but detested by law-and-order alumni like me. A convicted felon who saved a guard's life during a prison riot and was then granted a pardon by Georgia's Pardons and Paroles Board. One of only three former felons licensed to practice law in Georgia, he now headed Southeastern's Innocence Project, a clinic that filed truckloads of appellate motions for convicted felons.
The camera zoomed to a head-and-shoulders shot of James with a dry-erase board visible in the background. 4 more days was written on it.
"Give me a break," I mumbled.
"You can't be serious," the reporter said. She was referencing James's latest appellate filing.
"Dead serious," James said. "No pun intended. There's a nationwide shortage of sodium thiopental right now—part of the three-drug cocktail used to kill prisoners in Georgia. My sources tell me that the state is getting the drug from some fly-by-night supplier operating out of the back of a driving school in England."
James gave the camera a hard look. "You wouldn't put your dog down with drugs like that," he said. "We're just asking for thirty days to investigate."
I scoffed at the TV. It would be funny if it weren't so heartbreakingly sad. Antoine Marshall had shot my mother in the head without thinking twice, desperate for money to buy meth. And now, twelve years after the shooting, eleven years after his conviction, he was complaining about the pedigree of the drugs they would use to gently end his life.
I couldn't wait for Friday to be over.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from THE LAST PLEA BARGAIN by RANDY SINGER Copyright © 2012 by Randy Singer. Excerpted by permission of TYNDALE HOUSE PUBLISHERS, INC.. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
The verdict is in, and this one is sure to be a best seller!
Just where do you stand when it comes to the death penalty? Are you for it or against it? In the latest novel by Randy Singer, The Last Plea Bargain, this is the synopsis the reader finds themselves immediately engaged in.
Assistant District Attorney, Jaime Brock is in the heart of a difficult case. Her mother was murdered and her father was shot but survived the vicious attack in the Brock family home by Antoine Marshall. He was convicted when Jaime's father positively identified him in a line up. Now after almost ten years, and numerous appeals, Antoine has only 4 days remaining before he faces lethal injection. For Jaime and her father, who now lies in a comatose state after undergoing two different strokes, this will finally resolve issues for all of them seeing justice served. Jaime has worked with her father, also an attorney, and has vowed to never accept a plea bargain, but believes that she will never pursue a case in which she can't win.
Now Caleb Tate, the high profile, wealthy attorney who defended Antoine, has now found himself charged in his own wife's murder. Caleb Tate arrived home to find his wife unresponsive and after administering CPR, finally called 911. They attempted to revive her but were unable to. Now the DA's office is investigating Caleb and the one person who wants on this case more than anyone is Jaime. She wants to bring this man to Justice after he defended Antoine and attempted to discredit her father on the stand.
Mace James is another attorney who is set out to prove that Antoine Marshall is innocent and will stop at nothing to make sure that what he believes is an innocent man, does not face death while the real killer goes free!
This novel is completely compelling in hooking the reader at the first page, as engaging as Randy Singer's writing style is. This one will have you, the reader, at a difficult crossroads. On one side you are engaged in the victims family's tragedy and wishing for resolution now that a guilty verdict has been passed for the last ten years. Then again, there is the case for Antoine Marshall who claims he is innocent even though he has been convicted of similar charges three other times. As a reader I see myself caught in the cross hairs of a difficult dilemma while initially beginning this book. Where do I stand? Do I support the victim in this case who has an eye witness in her own father, an attorney himself, or do I support the accused, the man who claims he is innocent?
I received this book compliments of Tyndale House Publishers for my honest review and found myself constantly jumping around in which side I would take in this compelling novel. Until I had all the facts in both cases, I simply refused to jump on either side as the book slowly reveals all the important clues. Being a huge lover of murder mystery's I tried to maintain a sense of impartiality until all the facts were in. This one will hold you to the final page as you try to solve both murders and once again Randy Singer gives a 5 out of 5 star performance in this crime fiction!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Powerful, riveting and so much more. This is the the first book I read
from Randy Singer and I know I will be reading more in the future. Legal
thrillers are not always my first choice but every once in a while I
enjoy them for a change. The Last Plea Bargain pulled me in and kept me
guessing. I have heard Randy Singer compared to John Grisham and while I
have not read John Grisham it is definently an honor to Randy Singer to
be compared to him. The nice part of the book is that it is published in
the CBA realm so it avoids the language and sex of mainstream novels and
its nice to read books with the Christian view point. Overall good job
Randy Singer on an excellent book!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 24, 2012
Just recently discovered Randy Singer and am now working my way through all his fiction works. What a joy to find well written, suspense-filled, can't-put-them-down stories with NO profanity or graphic sex, and all written with a Christian mindset. Singer tackles tough issues and serious questions, avoiding the "standard" Christian responses. His characters struggle with belief and trust in God, and their journey to faith is woven masterfully into the intriguing and always surprising plots. My only complaint: Didn't discover until I'd read three of his books that some of the characters overlap, and it would be better (for a compulsive person like me!) to read the stories in order. Haven't yet found a complete list that shows chronological order.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 2, 2012
Against all odds, Jamie Brock manages to avoid feeling overwhelmed by the 86 men in her life - Her father, her brother, her black lab Justice, and the 83 criminals who make up her case load as an assistant district attorney. But then life decides to get complicated. Her father's second stroke leaves Jamie and her brother debating about continuing life support. The murderer responsible for her mother's death is granted another stay of execution. Jamie's boss, the District Attorney, decides to run for Attorney General and Jamie is swept into volunteering for the campaign. And to top everything off, the lawyer who defended her mother's murderer is now accused of murdering his own wife, and Jamie wants to be part of the investigation and prosecution.
Interestingly enough, this book never quite got around to the "Let Go and Let God" speech. Instead, we watch Jamie spiral out of control - slowly at first, then with increasing speed - as everything in her life grows beyond what she can handle. The narration switches between first and third person, allowing us to watch from inside her skin while keeping our perspective, and handling sticky plot points with cleverness.
In the end, Jamie does find a measure of peace, but I felt that at that point her emotional state was dwarfed by my own in trying to go back and fill in the blanks of what had actually happened.
It's a Christian flavored legal thriller. Nothing is overly explicit, but there are the drugs, the abuse, the murder, the dirty dealings, the office romances, the spousal abuse, the prostitutes, and everything else one would expect. No language, and like I said, nothing overly graphic; but if this plot were filmed, we'd be left with a pretty dark R rated film.
Nonetheless, because of the author's light touch this was a very enjoyable, well written novel which kept me enthralled from cover to cover. Not a big fan of the genre, but of all the legal thrillers I've read so far this one was the most interesting and the best executed.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 7, 2013
A wonderful read for those fans looking for a legal fiction. As a huge Grisham fan, I was thrilled to find another talented author who could capture the excitement and attention that is usually reserved for familiar television series and its spin-offs. However, in a different twist, the main character is a strong female with grit, determination, and tenacity. Enjoy this hidden gem of a crime novel. I did.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 22, 2012
This is TV show good This book is good enough to be the basis of a tv
show. I was gripped from the beginning. The twists and turns were
worthy of the tv show "Law and Order". The characters were
well drawn and fleshed out. The varying threads of the plat were tied
together neatly and fluidly. I did not feel cheated or like the author
had to hurry up to finish things as I have felt with some other books.
I also did not feel I was being given a lecture on law. It was fast
paced, but drew you in. I would recommend this book to anyone.
bookwormforchrist.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I loved this book!!! "The Last Plea Bargain" is incredibly well written and honestly reads like a movie script and I'm sure its just a matter of time before someone picks this up for that reason (seriously, while reading I could picture all of the A-list actors and actresses who would be perfect for each role).
First off, I must say because I'm not into all of those cop and courtroom shows that are so popular these days, I did feel a little out of the loop and uneducated about all of the legal jargon and proceedings, but I'm sure the majority of America would be prepped for a book like this. :) However, Randy Singer did a great job of explaining a lot while not making it seem boring and educational (not that I'm against that). If you've read any of my other reviews, you know that I love to learn something new, even in fiction, and I certainly did here.
There are so many twists and turns in this book and the plot, that I think I had a slight case of whiplash towards the end, but I LOVE a book that surprises me and keeps me guessing! So often these kinds of books are predictable, but Mr. Singer did a great job of making you think you've figured a thing or two out, only to pull the rug out from under you when you realize it was all smoke and mirrors. :)
In addition to the thrilling storyline, there is some great character development as you see Jamie, the main character, work through many common human emotions and responses to tragedy and heartbreak. I felt myself struggling alongside her with how to respond to different scenarios and people, as it was all written in such a realistic and relateable way.
I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to lovers of contemporary fiction, especially those who enjoy a good mystery and Law & Order style plots. :)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 16, 2012
The Last Plea Bargain
Randy Singer does an awesome job of walking a lay person, or the average reader through the technicalities of the judicial system. I may not remember most of it, but enough that the novel came alive in his words.
Jamie Brock has a lot on her mind...her mother was killed 3 years ago and at the start of the novel her father is on life support since his latest stroke. Besides that, she is assistant District Attorney in the office of the man who is running for political office. This novel is primarily the story of her trying to avenge her Mother's death, while dealing with her job. Let's not forget her brother Chris, who is a preacher, and has unconditionally forgive the one convicted of their mother's murder, who has said he has had a conversion and is now following Christ. Bereavement and subsequently the grieving, hate, then forgiveness of both herself and others, reaching out to those you love, trust, these are all tightly intertwined with felons, betrayal, murders and more to make a deep impact on the reader. It explores the question of how different are we from any one else? Is there any room for changing our firm decisions on what we believe to be true?
Although the story started out slow and almost benign, it became the heart stopping, edge of the seat drama I expect from a suspense novel. Full of twists and turns that make it such a great read, the climax still caught me by surprise.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 29, 2012
This is the first book by Randy Singer I have read, and it is a pretty good book. It contains a lot of drama, a bit of suspense, a smattering of action, and a dash of romance.
Initially, I had a hard time keeping up with the many characters and how they relate to the storyline. The main character is Jamie Brock who tells the story in the first person. However, other parts of the story are told in the third person so the reader gets an inside view of the action. Even still, there are twists and surprises to the story that are unexpected and entertaining.
This book reminds me of the many crime dramas available on TV but far more interesting. I just might have to read more by Randy Singer now that I have had a small taste of his work.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 15, 2012
Jamie Brock is an assistant DA with some very specific beliefs. She is known for her unwillingness to plea bargain - ever. Part of her passion lies in the fact that her mother was murdered in their home when she was 16, and this truly sets the tone for the course of her life. During the time period of this story, she is under extreme stress for a number of reasons - the execution of her mother's killer is looming, her father has had a stroke and is on life support, things at work go a tiny bit haywire. Additionally, (in a sub- yet related storyline), a well known local lawyer is arrested for allegedly killing his wife - and while in jail creates a serious stir with the gangs in the system, where no one will take a plea of any kind (and those that do, they or their loved ones are killed.) This greatly affects her workload, and she is most definitely in need of a break.
It was nice to catch up with Jamie Brock again (a character originally introduced in "False Witness", where she was a law student) - this time as a full fledged lawyer. This book focuses a great deal on ethics and behind the scenes of the justice system, as well as the death penalty. I love reading Randy Singer because he obviously knows a lot about the law, so the rules, etc. ring very true - but he also knows people. And these characters were interesting to me.
This was a very well done mystery, lots of detail but not ever overwhelming, and I enjoyed trying to figure out "who done it"....(and I was half right!) :)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 14, 2012
Really liked the twists and turns getting to the end. I have read most of Randy Singers books and this one had me guessing. I just wasn't sure what the last plea bargain would be. Could hardly wait to find out. Very well written book.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Randy Singer in his book “The Last Plea Bargain” published by Tyndale House Publishers gives us a contemporary legal thriller.
From the Back Cover: “You learn early that you don’t get to prove your case with Boy Scouts and nuns. Yes, convicted felons will say anything to get out of jail, but they also know a lot.”
Plea bargains may grease the rails of justice, but for Jamie Brock, prosecuting criminals is not about cutting deals. In her three years as assistant DA, she’s never plea-bargained a case and vows she never will.
But when an infamous defense attorney is indicted for murder and devises a way to bring the entire justice system to a screeching halt, Jamie finds herself at a crossroads. One by one, prisoners begin rejecting deals. Prosecutors are overwhelmed, and felons start walking free on technicalities.
To break the logjam and convict her nemesis, Jamie must reevaluate every principle that has guided her young career. But she has little choice. To convict the devil, sometimes you have to cut a deal with one of his demons.
Growing up a courtroom drama for me was watching, or reading, "Perry Mason". Simple, straight-forward, a murder occurs, the wrong person is accused and Perry defends justice prevails. In "The Last Plea Bargain" Randy Singer goes well beyond what I grew up with. This book is entertaining and will have you flipping pages as fast as you can read but, be prepared, it is also thought-provoking as it explores the concept of the death penalty as well as plea bargaining. This is a multi-faceted story with interconnected subplots that will keep you guessing until the end. I do not recommend starting this book late at night because it will cost you sleep as you will not want to put it down. Randy Singer is an excellent writer and knows how to twist your nerve endings as he tightens the suspense. I recommend this book highly!
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 11, 2012
Plea bargains may grease the rails of justice, but for Jamie Brock, prosecuting criminals is not about cutting deals. In her three years as an assistant DA, she has never plea-bargained a case and is convinced she never will. However, when her nemesis Caleb Tate, a powerful defense attorney, is indicted for murder, he comes up with a plan to bring down the entire justice system. Suddenly all the prisoners begin rejecting the deals. If they try to plea, then they are mysteriously killed. Prosecutors become helplessly overwhelmed, and criminals start to be let free on mere technicalities. To break the logjam and convict Caleb, Jamie may have to violate every principle that has guided her career. However, it seems she has little choice. To convict the devil, sometimes you have to a cut a deal with one of his demons.
Randy Singer delivers an absolutely powerful legal thriller in The Last Plea Bargain. The plot line flows quickly and is well thought out. There were several times throughout the novel where I thought I had figured out the perpetrator and those employed by him, but I was constantly stunned by yet another twist. I never figured out the method and the person behind the madness until the very last chapter. The central characters, particularly Jamie Brock and Mace James, were very realistic. Despite being Christian characters, they all had character flaws and sins they had to work through and repent from. The tone of The Last Plea Bargain was also well done. There were instances of melancholy, happiness, forgiveness, etc.
The Last Plea Bargain was a well crafted novel which brought up many important issues to consider about the legal system. The book made me truly consider the role of plea bargains in the legal system and whether they were truly brought justice to the victims and protected the rest of the community when the felons were being released through those plea bargains. The novel also brought up whether it is moral to have a death penalty, especially when the person has repented and may not have been guilty of the crime in the first place.
I truly enjoyed The Last Plea Bargain, and Randy Singer is one of my all time favorite authors. I highly recommend this novel to those who wish to be challenged in the morals of the legal system and who enjoy great legal mysteries.
I received this galley for free from Net Galley and Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for an honest review
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 7, 2012
This was a very complex book, full of legal twists and turns with a great number of things going on, what's described above is about 1/4 of the plot, from the personal side of her mother's killer's execution date coming up, her father has a second stroke is on life support, and the only decision to make is when to pull the plug. So it's a hectic, stressful, painful, and emotional time for Jamie, and the betrayals and backstabbing, and the deals cut, well, it was highly interesting read!
Adding to the story is the emotional conflict that Jamie has, first from a professional angle, and then near the very end, someone else, a dog lover, someone that I personally liked throughout the story, even though his introduction, and what he was doing, wasn't exactly on the up and up.
Then all the conflict with the whole "prisoners not making deals, and anyone who does is punished either their own deaths, or the deaths of dear ones" and all that, well, that had a punch that just was hard to navigate, especially since it was engineered to do what it did, and if you pay attention, you'll see who it benefits, and maybe figure out a bad guy or 2.
The ending, with the shocking betrayal, well, that was sad, it was almost like another loss, and it was truly, but it was a loss that was needed. Which left the characters a bit rocking, but it was the final blow in a great book, and it just made it even better! Loved it!
This was an awesome book, great characters, great plot, and yeah, just the best! Hope you guys check it out!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 6, 2012
Summary: In Jamie Brock's three years as an attorney, she has never plea-bargained a case and is determined never to compromise her standards. However, when a well-known defense attorney is charged with killing his wife, he advises his fellow prisoners to refuse plea bargains and therefore backing up the court system until prisoners begin to walk as the justice system becomes overwhelmed with cases. Desperate to bring a conviction to the man who defended her mother's killer, Jamie just might have to make a deal with the devil.
My thoughts: Many advise writers to write what they know, and it's evident that Randy Singer knows about law and the justice system because the several story lines are woven together tightly, creating an exciting ride to the surprising finish.
In addition to telling a fast-paced court-room thriller, The Last Plea Bargain brings up the moral and political issue of the death penalty as Jamie's mother's killer makes a last ditch effort to delay his execution. The death penalty is a controversial topic, and Singer handles is gracefully, allowing the reader to come to his or her own conclusion.
Fans of suspense will enjoy this legal thriller that not only entertains but also gives the reader some food for thought.
I was given this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts are my own.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 5, 2012
I’ve never read Randy Singer’s book before my review. I love legal fiction and suspense novels. I thought that I had read all that were available! So I jumped at the chance to experience a new author. After reading “The Last Plea Bargain“, I was hooked. I had to have more. So I began at Randy Singer’s website and began hunting down each of his previous novels. You can visit Randy Singer by clicking on any of his names listed throughout this post. You can also click on “The Last Plea Bargain” and you will be taken to purchase your very own copy, that is if you can’t wait for the end of the giveaway.
The main character in “The Last Plea Bargain” is Jaime Brock, she was previously introduced in the book “False Witness” also by Randy Singer.
From the back of the book – “Plea Bargains may grease the rails of justice, but for Jaime Brock, prosecuting criminals is not about cutting deals. In her four years as assistant DA, she’s never plea-bargained a case and vows she never will. But when a powerful defense attorney is indicted for murder and devises a way to bring the entire justice system to a screeching halt, Jaime finds herself at a crossroads. One by one, prisoners begin rejecting deals. Prosecutors are overwhelmed, and felons start walking free on technicalities. To break the logjam and convict her nemesis, Jaime must violate every principle that has guided her young career. But she has little choice. To convict the devil, sometimes you have to cut a deal with one of his demons.”
Randy Singer is a critically acclaimed, award-winning author and veteran trial attorney. He was recently a finalist with John Grisham and Michael Connelly for the inaugural Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction sponsored by the University of Alabama School of Law and the ABA Journal.
I picked up “Last Plea Bargain” on a Friday night after the kids had retired to bed for the evening. Now, I’ve read other authors and legal thrillers, John Grisham, Scott Turow, as examples, so when I started reading this new author and his book I couldn’t believe my eyes! From the very first page Randy Singer draws you into the story of Jaime Brock and her career as assistant DA. You couldn’t wait to turn the page to find out what was happening next. I sat on the end of my seat as the anticipation began to build, would she have to compromise her beliefs or would she be able to remain firm in her convictions? You’ll have to read the book to find the answer to that question. I was very surprised at the twist ending and that is the only spoiler I am going to give you. You’ll just have to read it for yourself, but I can tell that you won’t be disappointed. Another thing I wanted to share with you is this book is published by Tyndale House which is a Christian Publishing Company.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 9, 2012
The Last Plea Bargain by Randy Singer follows up with Jamie Brock, who was a young law student in False Witness. Now Jamie is a prosecutor for the district attorney's office. She became a lawyer to avenge her mother's murder at the hands of a drug addict twelve years ago when she was just sixteen, and she intends to see the murderer die for his crime, and his appeals are running out, despite the best attempts of his attorney, Mace James. When Caleb Tate, the attorney who originally represented the murderer and nearly destroyed Jamie's father on the witness stand, is charged with the murder of his wife, Rikki, Jamie is determined to make Tate pay for both Rikki's death and for what he did to her father. But Tate isn't about to go down without a fight, and he brings the entire justice system to a halt when he gets every suspect waiting for trial to refuse a plea bargain. This bogs down the system to the point where non-violent offenders are simply released back into society. Meanwhile, Mace is trying to race the clock to find evidence for a new trial or to set his client free before the August 7 execution date, but what he finds just may change Jamie's belief in the death penalty as well as what she knows about the night her mother died. Singer has written another fast-paced and suspenseful legal drama with twists and turns that kept me on toes. Jamie is a likable character, and the reader quickly sympathizes with her pain. Singer's writing just gets better with each novel; the dialogue is believable and the action is tight. I can't wait to see what he will come up with next.
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Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.HollyMag321
Posted April 3, 2012
My Summary: What would happen if defendants refused to take a plea bargain and demanded a jury trial? In this fascinating and thought provoking story that is exactly what happened. Once again Randy Singer delivers an entertaining story with several messages. Initially, I thought his main goal was to wrestle with the subject of the death penalty, but that was only one dimension of this story and as a typical Randy Singer book he will get you thinking.
Mr. Singer weaves a couple of different subplots that are engaging and support the main storyline. The beginning of the story seemed to drag for me as it laid the foundation of the story, but it soon picked up and kept me engaged and guessing. As the story progressed I found myself staying up later and later trying to finish it.
Digging a little deeper: Antoine Marshall had been convicted and sentenced to death for the death of Jamie Brock’s mother. While in prison he maintained his innocence and claimed to find Christ, he and his new lawyer, Mace James, are looking to get his death penalty sentence reversed or at the least get him a new trial. The author hits head on the debate on the death penalty and the flaws of the legal system. He doesn’t shy away from the issue of forgiveness versus the need for restitution. Even the main character’s brother, Chris, who is a pastor, wants to see justice served on behalf of his mother but also recognizes a changed man by God.
I enjoyed the viewpoint in which the author told the story. Much of the story is told Jamie Brock’s point of view while at other times it is told from the point of view of other characters or the omnipresence. He often retold the scene from two points of view reminding us that we all look at situations differently.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys legal suspense story that will challenge your thinking. I’ve heard Randy Singer compared to John Grisham, I’ve never read John Grisham so I can’t tell you, I can tell you Randy Singer writes strong stories that will entertain and educate. He also pulls some surprises at the end that I didn’t see coming.
The Giveaway: Randy’s publisher has been gracious enough to offer a copy of this excellent book. Actually the winner will receive a certificate that they can redeem at their local bookstore. To enter leave a comment with the state you live in and the name of the other book that featured Jamie Brock. Winner will be picked on April 15th at 9:00PM PDT.
Disclaimer: I would like to thank the publisher, Tyndale for the opportunity to review this book, my only obligation was to provide my honest opinion.
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Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.hmckenty
Posted April 1, 2012
This is the first book I have read by Randy Singer. And I just loved it! It was addicting right from the start. And I read through it in 3 short days. There was enough suspense and mystery to keep me wondering all the way to the end. And then, just when I think it's all done, BAM!! There's a twist to the plot right in the end!!!
That said, I do think the author spent a bit too much time over the fact that Jamie was still upset over her mother's murder years before and the story of the convicted murderer, Antoine Marshall. But it conveniently tied in to the current case Jamie was handling against Caleb Tate since Caleb defended Antoine in the case that convicted him of the murder.
If you're a fan of legal suspense/thrillers like John Grisham's or Michael Connelly's books, you would definitely want to check out The Last Plea Bargain by Randy Singer. I have thoroughly enjoyed this book so much that I have purchased other titles from him and hope to be able to start reading them soon.
FTC Disclaimer: I received this book for free from Tyndale House Publishers for this review. That in no way sways my opinion of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are honest and mine alone.
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Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.The Last Plea Bargain By Randy Singer In one word - WOW! Randy has created an exciting, thought provoking, “I can't put it down, I have to know what happens next” book! Jamie Brock is back and she is facing the challenge of a lifetime. To convict a man who murdered his wife, is she willing to destroy the reputation of her father? Caleb Tate represented the man who murdered Jamie's mother twelve years ago. Though Antoine Marshall had passed two lie detector tests, the eyewitness testimony of Jamie's father was enough to convict him. Mace James works on overturning Marshall's conviction and death sentence. Mace is convinced Antoine is innocent of the charges and will do anything to save him. As Jamie and Detective Tyler “LA” Finnegan search for evidence that Caleb Tate murdered his wife Rikki, Tate takes his case to the media. Tate blames Rikki and takes lie detector tests to prove his innocence and he claims Jamie is out for vengeance because of his defense of Antoine Marshall. When Rafael Rivera comes forward with evidence that could implicate Tate, Jamie doesn't feel that she can offer him a deal so DA William Masterson takes Rivera's case. But when Tate is held in prison until he can post three million dollars bond, he determines to undermine the legal system in Milton County Georgia. Giving free advice to the inmates, Tate convinces them to unionize and to refuse all plea bargains. When two prisoners agree to make deals they are murdered within a day. As the prisons quickly fill up, some criminals are quickly released to the streets. Can Jamie and LA find the evidence they need to convict Tate or will he walk free. As Tate's trial date moves closer he comes to Jamie with evidence that her father greased the wheels of justice. With the evidence in her hand can Jamie destroy the reputation of her father and possibly let her mother's murderer free or will she sit on the evidence to get justice? As Antoine's execution date draws near, Mace convinces Antoine into taking a BEOS test. Will the results change anything or has justice's course been set in stone. As the two cases come together, Jamie is haunted by guilt regarding her mother's death. Can Jamie find peace with her choices or will the quest for justice destroy her in The Last Plea Bargain. Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this ARC for the sole purpose of this review.
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Overview
Plea bargains may grease the rails of justice, but for Jamie Brock, prosecuting criminals is not about cutting deals. In her three years as assistant DA, she’s never plea-bargained a case and vows she never will. But when a powerful defense attorney is indicted for murder and devises a way to bring the entire justice system to a screeching halt, Jamie finds herself at a crossroads. One by one, prisoners begin rejecting deals. Prosecutors are overwhelmed, and felons start walking free on technicalities. To break ...