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The Burning Man
Peter Hale is a young attorney with a lot to prove. Crossing his father, one of Portland's most powerful lawyers, was a costly mistake. Now, cut loose from his job and from his inheritance, Peter's landed in the public defender's office of a small Oregon town --- and in the middle of a high-profile case that could make or break his career. His mentally retarded client, accused of the savage murder of a college coed, faces the death penalty. And Peter faces a choice --- between the pursuit of headlines and the pursuit of truth, between the compulsion to save himself and the courage to save his client --- in a devastating trial by fire.
370 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 150 reviews
November 13, 2017
9/10
Ένας "αδικοχαμένος"(αναφέρομαι στο ότι σταμάτησαν εκδίδουν βιβλία του, λόγω έλλειψης ενδιαφέροντος) συγγραφέας δικαστικών. Το 3ο βιβλίο του που διαβάζω και μέχρι στιγμής είναι όλα από πολύ καλά εως άριστα! Σύντομα θα πιάσω και το επόμενο του ελπίζω.
Αν αντί για περίπτερα, κυκλοφορούσε σε βιβλιοπωλεία, μάλλον θα τον εκτιμούσαν περισσότεροι. Υπάρχει και αυτός ο σνομπισμός βλέπετε στα βιβλία τσέπης.
Ένας "αδικοχαμένος"(αναφέρομαι στο ότι σταμάτησαν εκδίδουν βιβλία του, λόγω έλλειψης ενδιαφέροντος) συγγραφέας δικαστικών. Το 3ο βιβλίο του που διαβάζω και μέχρι στιγμής είναι όλα από πολύ καλά εως άριστα! Σύντομα θα πιάσω και το επόμενο του ελπίζω.
Αν αντί για περίπτερα, κυκλοφορούσε σε βιβλιοπωλεία, μάλλον θα τον εκτιμούσαν περισσότεροι. Υπάρχει και αυτός ο σνομπισμός βλέπετε στα βιβλία τσέπης.
October 19, 2020
This book starts very slowly with a poor setup for the rest of the story, but by the end this is a good courtroom whodunit that is well worth reading. This is an early Margolin story and you can see Margolin's basic strengths growing as the book progresses. Recommended, especially to Margolin fans.
May 31, 2015
This is the 6th Margolin novel I've read, and I rated all of the others with 4 stars. Which is why this book was such a disappointment. It was predictable and amateurish, with an uninspired plot and characters that I just couldn't warm up to. The dialog was trite and often stilted, not the way people generally talk. And bad boy Peter Hale just wasn't believable. Margolin didn't do a good enough job describing him as the self-absorbed, lazy screw-up that the book asserts he is. There were just too many cliches - the alcoholic country bumpkin attorney, the win-at-all-costs attorney in the DA's office, the long-suffering wife. Luckily, there were a couple of unexpected plot diversions at the end, otherwise my rating would have been one star. I know Margolin can do better, making the book all the more frustrating to read. I'm going to give him another chance, as his previous books had been so much better. But this is one you'll want to skip.
December 8, 2011
A nice story of a poor spoiled rich kid forced to grow up. And he does so wonderfully.
Read
January 8, 2012Excellent book, well written and kept my interest until the end. Plot was good and kept me guessing
January 3, 2021
I haven't read much by Phillip Margolin but The Burning Man is a book you can skip, in my opinion. The synopsis makes it out to be a great mystery with some courtroom drama tossed in. It does have a great mystery and there IS courtroom drama but the exposition of the story, the characters and the dialog are lame - again, in my opinion.
Peter Hale is a young attorney who has had everything handed to him in life and when he messes up a case so badly that a woman's life is destroyed, his high-powered attorney father gives him the gate from the family law practice. Peter is really just a spoiled child. He pouts about his lost income, his lost fancy lifestyle and gives almost no thought to the woman's life he mishandled in the courtroom. Peter is shuffled off to Oregon where his father landed him a job with an old friend. The friend's law practice is less than exciting until a murder takes place in the park.
Peter is thrown into situations he has no business being in and the changes we see in him are out of balance with real life. Yes, it's a novel, but, come on. The transformation in Peter is farfetched and mostly unbelievable. The female characters are wimpy and fussy or so over-the-top GRRR (I can't say the phrase that would best describe these sorts of women when I'm in polite company - you'll have to use your imagination) that I threw the book across the room. And, the dialog - insipid coupled with the woozy romance - blech. I even took into account when the book was written - still made me irritated. Why did I finish the book? I really wanted to find out who is the killer. That's the only reason. I was let down there, too.
Note of caution: There are a couple of peer reviews that give away a major reveal. Should you decide to read The Burning Man, don't read any other reviews until after you finish.
Peter Hale is a young attorney who has had everything handed to him in life and when he messes up a case so badly that a woman's life is destroyed, his high-powered attorney father gives him the gate from the family law practice. Peter is really just a spoiled child. He pouts about his lost income, his lost fancy lifestyle and gives almost no thought to the woman's life he mishandled in the courtroom. Peter is shuffled off to Oregon where his father landed him a job with an old friend. The friend's law practice is less than exciting until a murder takes place in the park.
Peter is thrown into situations he has no business being in and the changes we see in him are out of balance with real life. Yes, it's a novel, but, come on. The transformation in Peter is farfetched and mostly unbelievable. The female characters are wimpy and fussy or so over-the-top GRRR (I can't say the phrase that would best describe these sorts of women when I'm in polite company - you'll have to use your imagination) that I threw the book across the room. And, the dialog - insipid coupled with the woozy romance - blech. I even took into account when the book was written - still made me irritated. Why did I finish the book? I really wanted to find out who is the killer. That's the only reason. I was let down there, too.
Note of caution: There are a couple of peer reviews that give away a major reveal. Should you decide to read The Burning Man, don't read any other reviews until after you finish.
April 25, 2023
Okay so right off the bat I thought the dialogue was a little corny and the vocabulary was really screaming 90s...mostly bc the book uses the r word a lot. And not because it's meant to help with character development or anything, it's just because that's the word doctors and the general public used at the time. So that kinda made me cringe with every use. Anyway. I thought it was kinda simple most of the way, but it turned out there were more layers to the book than I thought. I gained a bigger appreciation for the story in the last 25%. While it still ended with a verdict of guilty for corny dialogue, I was overall a fan. I really enjoyed the main character's development and growth.
Also weird that I just happened to read this book after the last book I read (The Dying Hour). Cause this book is ALSO about a murder case in the pacific northwest l o l
Oh yeah and there were no Oxford commas :/
Also weird that I just happened to read this book after the last book I read (The Dying Hour). Cause this book is ALSO about a murder case in the pacific northwest l o l
Oh yeah and there were no Oxford commas :/
February 20, 2018
Great book about a young lawyer who has never lived up to his potential and who loses his job at the law firm founded and headed by his father when he does not ask for a mistrial, as his father instructed, after suffering a heart attack. The young man, Peter, envisioning a great victory for the client, makes a mistake and fails to prove a critical element in the case, which is dismissed, leaving the injured woman with nothing. His father is furious and fires him, then tells him that he will be written out of his (the father’s) will. He finds Peter a job as an associate at a small firm in a small town (with an old friend of the father’s), and Peter, having little choice, agrees.
Peter is not impressed with his new location or his new job, and takes a case beyond his skills...or is it? Will he learn the lesson his father hopes and become a much better lawyer?
Peter is not impressed with his new location or his new job, and takes a case beyond his skills...or is it? Will he learn the lesson his father hopes and become a much better lawyer?
October 27, 2019
Great Portland, Oregon Author. I thought the father in this story was very cruel to his son but in all realty his son had no concept of taking responsibility for his actions. So glad his father did what he did because his son finally grew up and made wise decisions... Great read!!!
June 14, 2019
Disappointed in this book. I’ve enjoyed most of this author’s books but this one just wasn’t that good. Most of the characters were unlikable including the main character Peter Hale. Unbelievable how the prosecutor and cops were so eager to convict an innocent man who no real evidence against him. I wanted to quit reading it so many times but slogged through it. Very cliquey. Author could and should have done better. Can only give it 3 stars and probably should be 2.
March 21, 2019
Maybe it's just that I wasn't in the mood for lawyer stories, but I found this book a littler slow getting going. The bright side is where you will hate the character at the beginning of the book, but he will grow on you as he learns what is important in life.
October 19, 2014
This book was fantastic. It started out exciting and never lost pace. Spoiled adult who learned respect is earned, not a given.
December 15, 2019
An entertaining quick read. Well-built storyline and interesting characters.
December 1, 2020
Does what a crime mystery should, and does it well. Margolin backs up an interesting premise with very engaging, smooth writing. For one thing, his smart but reckless protagonist, the attorney Peter, is as close as they come to being an anti-hero.
For those who grow weary of superhero protagonists in this genre, Peter's a refreshing change. Pretty much an everyman, he much too easily falls into the trap of thinking that he has it made, first with his father's firm, then in the backwaters of Whitaker. It's equally clear that he lacks confidence, and fears being exposed as incompetent.
Still, Peter has intrinsic skills to tap into; gaining Gary's trust, for example, is no easy thing, as that hapless guy is used to being played by smarter folks. At first it seems that Gary is just about the only decent person in Whittaker. In fact, even the murder victim turns out to be a desperate, edgy sort. Betrayal and deception is a major theme in this novel.
Margolin is adept at portraying a complete range of characters: bureaucratic snobs, official smug officials and businessmen, respectable types slipping down the food chain, and seedy creepy low-lifes. Which brings up Mammon.
This guy you don't even want to think about, for fear that he might scuttle off the page like some gigantic vermin. I certainly thought Peter would get greased by him; the revelation that he's undercover for the DEA is a huge relief. I wasn't expecting that; in fact, for most of the novel I was sure he was the murderer. That brings us to Mancini, a shape-shifter if there ever was one.
He seems two-faced from the outset. Strangely, the completely washed-up Geary is the only one Peter can trust with Gary's case. The scenes with Peter's dad, as the corruption starts to peep out in Whitaker, are compelling, tense, and full of passion. There's no lack of mayhem, clues, mystery, and general skullduggery in The Burning Man.
Since we've got Peter's point of view, we get his (flawed, almost naive) perception of the female characters. He starts off completely besotted by Becky, based solely on her looks. He takes Rhonda for granted, until he needs her; Donna, though vulnerable, accepts him unconditionally. Maybe because of all his faults, Peter's someone worth rooting for.
Some think the plot predictable; it is, for the most part. That is, we can figure that Peter is going to redeem himself, and have a sea-change of sorts. But I was surprised that Mammon wasn't what he seemed to be. And there's good-old-boy Booth. Since we don't know until the very end that the two previous victims were also coke users, there's no pattern that ties all three of them to Booth.
But, then, there's that old shack--with enough incriminating stuff to send Booth down for eternity. So, it's also a bit surprising that it wasn't Mancini, dastardly though he is. This is also a mystery of how and why the murderer did it, not just who it is. So, we begin thinking who couldn't have done it, as opposed to who did.
I'd give this five stars, but for two notable issues: Donna marrying Steve isn't improbable, mostly because the novel doesn't dig too deep into their backgrounds, but, more importantly, why doesn't she go to the cops the first time she's abused by him? Also, a recurring motif is the author's use of the expression (referring to Gary) as "retarded," "mentally retarded" etc. Some may think that both these issues, spousal abuse, and inappropriate terminology for those with disabilities, has to do with the book's publication date, over 20 years ago.
I don't think so. The '90s weren't the '50, '60s, or '70s; we'd junked the 'R' word by 1997, at least in polite conversation--although, it's resurfaced as a not-so-mild insult. As in 'that's retarded!' that is, not necessarily categorizing a person, but labeling an unfavorable thing or situation. And spousal abuse has been taken very seriously for longer than 23 years.
Nonetheless, this is a very good read, entertaining, and filled with plenty of interesting (and believable) characters.
For those who grow weary of superhero protagonists in this genre, Peter's a refreshing change. Pretty much an everyman, he much too easily falls into the trap of thinking that he has it made, first with his father's firm, then in the backwaters of Whitaker. It's equally clear that he lacks confidence, and fears being exposed as incompetent.
Still, Peter has intrinsic skills to tap into; gaining Gary's trust, for example, is no easy thing, as that hapless guy is used to being played by smarter folks. At first it seems that Gary is just about the only decent person in Whittaker. In fact, even the murder victim turns out to be a desperate, edgy sort. Betrayal and deception is a major theme in this novel.
Margolin is adept at portraying a complete range of characters: bureaucratic snobs, official smug officials and businessmen, respectable types slipping down the food chain, and seedy creepy low-lifes. Which brings up Mammon.
This guy you don't even want to think about, for fear that he might scuttle off the page like some gigantic vermin. I certainly thought Peter would get greased by him; the revelation that he's undercover for the DEA is a huge relief. I wasn't expecting that; in fact, for most of the novel I was sure he was the murderer. That brings us to Mancini, a shape-shifter if there ever was one.
He seems two-faced from the outset. Strangely, the completely washed-up Geary is the only one Peter can trust with Gary's case. The scenes with Peter's dad, as the corruption starts to peep out in Whitaker, are compelling, tense, and full of passion. There's no lack of mayhem, clues, mystery, and general skullduggery in The Burning Man.
Since we've got Peter's point of view, we get his (flawed, almost naive) perception of the female characters. He starts off completely besotted by Becky, based solely on her looks. He takes Rhonda for granted, until he needs her; Donna, though vulnerable, accepts him unconditionally. Maybe because of all his faults, Peter's someone worth rooting for.
Some think the plot predictable; it is, for the most part. That is, we can figure that Peter is going to redeem himself, and have a sea-change of sorts. But I was surprised that Mammon wasn't what he seemed to be. And there's good-old-boy Booth. Since we don't know until the very end that the two previous victims were also coke users, there's no pattern that ties all three of them to Booth.
But, then, there's that old shack--with enough incriminating stuff to send Booth down for eternity. So, it's also a bit surprising that it wasn't Mancini, dastardly though he is. This is also a mystery of how and why the murderer did it, not just who it is. So, we begin thinking who couldn't have done it, as opposed to who did.
I'd give this five stars, but for two notable issues: Donna marrying Steve isn't improbable, mostly because the novel doesn't dig too deep into their backgrounds, but, more importantly, why doesn't she go to the cops the first time she's abused by him? Also, a recurring motif is the author's use of the expression (referring to Gary) as "retarded," "mentally retarded" etc. Some may think that both these issues, spousal abuse, and inappropriate terminology for those with disabilities, has to do with the book's publication date, over 20 years ago.
I don't think so. The '90s weren't the '50, '60s, or '70s; we'd junked the 'R' word by 1997, at least in polite conversation--although, it's resurfaced as a not-so-mild insult. As in 'that's retarded!' that is, not necessarily categorizing a person, but labeling an unfavorable thing or situation. And spousal abuse has been taken very seriously for longer than 23 years.
Nonetheless, this is a very good read, entertaining, and filled with plenty of interesting (and believable) characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2021
Mladý “frajerský” právnik Peter so zvláštnymi prioritami (zhodou okolností som tesne pred čítaním tejto knihy videl Rain Mana, čiže som si ho predstavoval ako Toma Cruisa) sa kvôli svojej namyslenosti dostane do vážnych problémov, kvôli ktorým ho otec vydedí a pošle pracovať do odľahlého mestečka, kde je niekoľko právnikov, no temer žiadne prípady.
Až doteraz to znie ako zhrnutie deja animovaného filmu Klaus, ale počkajte chvíľu!
Keď sa ale nájde rozsekaná mŕtvola mladej ženy (no nevravel som, že máte chvíľu počkať?) a podozrenie padne na švagra miestneho právnika, Peter ho začne zastupovať a púšta sa do boja o život svojho klienta.
Od Margolina som zatiaľ prečítal iba dve knihy a zatiaľ sa mi pozdáva viac ako Grisham. Má omnoho komplikovanejšie zápletky a osobne som mal aj pocit väčšieho upútania dejom. Záverečný twist ma neohúril, iba prekvapil, no aj tak musím kvôli dokonale primerane dávkovaným informáciám v priebehu deja a výborne budovanému napätiu dať tejto knihe plný počet hviezd.
Morálne ponaučenie z deja: Nespoliehajte sa na to, že sa vo vašom okolí budú konať olympijské hry, a už vôbec o to neopierajte svoje finančné investície!
Až doteraz to znie ako zhrnutie deja animovaného filmu Klaus, ale počkajte chvíľu!
Keď sa ale nájde rozsekaná mŕtvola mladej ženy (no nevravel som, že máte chvíľu počkať?) a podozrenie padne na švagra miestneho právnika, Peter ho začne zastupovať a púšta sa do boja o život svojho klienta.
Od Margolina som zatiaľ prečítal iba dve knihy a zatiaľ sa mi pozdáva viac ako Grisham. Má omnoho komplikovanejšie zápletky a osobne som mal aj pocit väčšieho upútania dejom. Záverečný twist ma neohúril, iba prekvapil, no aj tak musím kvôli dokonale primerane dávkovaným informáciám v priebehu deja a výborne budovanému napätiu dať tejto knihe plný počet hviezd.
Morálne ponaučenie z deja: Nespoliehajte sa na to, že sa vo vašom okolí budú konať olympijské hry, a už vôbec o to neopierajte svoje finančné investície!
February 7, 2019
Excellent book!! Has so many twists and turns it has me guessing the whole time! I guessed right a time or two and I’d change my mind later on! It has you on the edge of your seat the entire time! I also love the fact that not only is Phillip Margolin an excellent author but whoever does his editing is also excellent! I caught less than a handful of errors in this novel - there may me more that I didn’t catch cuz I’m obviously not perfect either ;) but it’s such a pet peeve of mine to catch errors every few pages. Even though the novel may be good otherwise it really detracts from my reading enjoyment and concentration when all I can do is see all these errors as I’m reading. A few here and there is excusable, but if you have an editor especially with a big time publisher, there’s really no excuse for having errors in every chapter let alone every few pages as some authors allow in their published works. But I don’t have that problem with Phillip Margolin in the 5 books I’ve read so far of his. He’s a wonderful novelist!!
Read 2/4_2100-7_1115 /19
Read 2/4_2100-7_1115 /19
February 28, 2020
Peter Hale, a young, irresponsible lawyer working in his father's respectful firm, is full of himself and thinks that his father doesn't give him enough opportunities to prove himself as a lawyer. While his father is in hospital after a heart attack, Peter decides to ignore his father's request to ask for a mistrial and conclude the case trial himself. He manages to mess up with the case, destroying a handicapped woman's life.
After being fired and disowned by his own father, he finds himself working in the only place they would accept him, an office in a small town of Whitaker. Acting irresponsibly, one more time, and thinking only of his ego, he accepts to represent a client in a murder case, even though he lacked the experience. However as the trial progresses and Peter comes to respect and admire his client, he begins to understand what it takes to become a good lawyer.
With a great plot, a lot of suspense and surprises, this book was a page turner and was fluent to read. I enjoyed it thoroughly and definitely recommend it to others.
After being fired and disowned by his own father, he finds himself working in the only place they would accept him, an office in a small town of Whitaker. Acting irresponsibly, one more time, and thinking only of his ego, he accepts to represent a client in a murder case, even though he lacked the experience. However as the trial progresses and Peter comes to respect and admire his client, he begins to understand what it takes to become a good lawyer.
With a great plot, a lot of suspense and surprises, this book was a page turner and was fluent to read. I enjoyed it thoroughly and definitely recommend it to others.
October 21, 2025
finished 20th october 2025 good read three stars i liked it no less no more kindle library loaner have read sixteen from margolin phillip have enjoyed them all. obvious politics involved. most if not all involved lawyers, courtroom drama, often murder. curious, the number of reviews...146 was it for this one? for a story from...1996 was it? chalk it up to what? advertising? wrong church pew? wrong church? wrong politics? birds of a feather and all. something.
this is an entertaining story one of the characters is...slow? what's the proper politically correct word to use? and this story like the last one plays a bit on the interrogative technique that is akin to hypnosis...that and the hell-bent for leather and conviction damn the how one gets there technique of the overly zealous prosecutor. it's all about winning and losing. maybe that's why frontier justice is so popular and sells stories. have another margolin story open and underway plus another two lined up after that one.
this is an entertaining story one of the characters is...slow? what's the proper politically correct word to use? and this story like the last one plays a bit on the interrogative technique that is akin to hypnosis...that and the hell-bent for leather and conviction damn the how one gets there technique of the overly zealous prosecutor. it's all about winning and losing. maybe that's why frontier justice is so popular and sells stories. have another margolin story open and underway plus another two lined up after that one.
Want to read
April 15, 2021From Follett: Peter Hale is a young attorney struggling to make his mark in his father's law firm, but he loses everything when he mishandles a case his job, his father and his future. Unemployed and disinherited, Peter takes the only job he's offered as a public defender in a small town. If he can make good there, he can reclaim his rightful place as his father's successor. But he gets in way over his head again and it is not until he recognises that his greed and his ego may end up killing his client that he begins to understand what it really takes to be a good lawyer - and to become a man. THE UNDERTAKER'S WIDOW A riveting tale of blackmail, betrayal and murder in which a judge who is so ethical that he is willing ro risk his own life to ensure that right prevails in his courtroom. But he soon discovers the path to justice is not always clear, especially when his own flesh is weak enough to be caught in an erotic undertone which is rapidly turning deadly .
March 13, 2020
First and foremost the setting is the PNW, God made some beautiful country most of it is in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.
Peter Hale, a junior attorney in his father's firm, makes a huge mistake in court and gets terminated. Peter ends up in a little backwater town in Eastern Oregon working at a firm of a friend of his father, a man who didn't like Peter even before his arrival.
Peter hated the sleepy town, the law practice, and the cases they handled. He meets a school friend he didn't know lived there, who had his own law practice. Peter not happy with his current position goes into practice with his friend. The new firm lands a murder case where they are defending the accused. Part way into the case, his friend and senior partner drops the case in Peter's lap. Peter with no criminal defense experience is woefully in over his head.
Peter Hale, a junior attorney in his father's firm, makes a huge mistake in court and gets terminated. Peter ends up in a little backwater town in Eastern Oregon working at a firm of a friend of his father, a man who didn't like Peter even before his arrival.
Peter hated the sleepy town, the law practice, and the cases they handled. He meets a school friend he didn't know lived there, who had his own law practice. Peter not happy with his current position goes into practice with his friend. The new firm lands a murder case where they are defending the accused. Part way into the case, his friend and senior partner drops the case in Peter's lap. Peter with no criminal defense experience is woefully in over his head.
Read
December 21, 2021It's hard to follow up a Gearino with just about anything, but Margolin is so different and The Burning Man turned out to be a good choice. Peter Hale is a young lawyer who has gotten everything in his charmed life the easy way. But, he's just accepted everything and made no effort to learn from his advantaged gifts. In real life - after school and in his father's prestigious law firm, he quickly shoots himself in the foot. And, not for the first time. His father finally cuts him lose and he's forced to learn how to swim on his own. Banished to a small town with no Welcome Wagon, he learns, but not easily as he claws his way through an impossible death penalty case. The story is good and the telling of it makes this an excellent read.
November 1, 2019
This was a good legal story about a cover-up to a crime by falsely accusing a person who was vulnerable to suggestion. I thought it was interesting and made me realize that sometimes people are treated little better than chattel especially when their lives can serve to elevate someone else's position. I thought about how lawyers that are dirty can really affect an innocent person's life. Thankfully, there are lawyers who care about their clients and work tirelessly to see they get justice. This was an interesting story w/a bit of everything-suspense, mystery, and romance. A worthy read.
August 1, 2024
I found very little to like about Peter Hale at the beginning of the story, and even less as the story continued. He didn’t seem to care about anything but proving others wrong about him and getting rich. Even when he agreed to defend Gary Harmon, a young retarded man accused of murder, he was only interested in the possible recognition he might receive trying a high profile case. Gradually he comes to realize the tremendous responsibility he had toward Gary. Even though the story was predictable, I enjoyed the way clues were provided and new information was gathered. Margolin tells a good tale, complete with misdirection and several plot twists that keeps the pages turning.
December 1, 2018
A medium grade legal story. We know the main character is self-centered and egotistical, but mainly because other characters said so, not because we were shown selfish or egotistical behavior. He made a series of poor choices, but suddenly redeemed himself at the end. I expected better from Margolin.
July 31, 2019
An interesting Who Dun It. I've always enjoyed this author's books. This one is about drugs, death, overly ambitious officials and a disgraced attorney defending a mentally handicapped black man in a homicide trial. There are interesting twists and turns with a bit of a love interest. I'll admit, I was a bit surprised how the author solved the case. Sorry folks, no spoilers here.
August 21, 2021
The beginning of the book, I was sure this was going to be a 2 star rating. I had no sympathy for the main character, I thought the dialog was stilted and I just could not get interested in the story. But as I moved along the story got more interesting, the main character started to grow up and I was engaged in trying to determine who-done-it.
December 26, 2021
I burned through it quickly
One of the better crime novels I’ve read in a long time. Good character development, interesting plot and certainly keeps one guessing on “who done it”. I had my finger pointed in the wrong direction several times. Had to keep flipping, never a dull moment
One of the better crime novels I’ve read in a long time. Good character development, interesting plot and certainly keeps one guessing on “who done it”. I had my finger pointed in the wrong direction several times. Had to keep flipping, never a dull moment
April 9, 2022
A real page turner!
The Burning Man shows how corrupt the judicial system can be when the rules of evidence are not met. The result of such behavior can put the innocent in prison and allow the guilty to kill again. This book is a real page turner that I highly recommend to people who enjoy legal thrillers.
The Burning Man shows how corrupt the judicial system can be when the rules of evidence are not met. The result of such behavior can put the innocent in prison and allow the guilty to kill again. This book is a real page turner that I highly recommend to people who enjoy legal thrillers.
June 21, 2018
A must read! Couldn't put down, stayed up all night reading it because I had to know how it ended. This author is excellent, he keeps you on the edge throughout the whole book and makes you wanting more. Looking forward to reading more from him.
August 6, 2018
Totally engrossing
Once I started it I could not put this book down. Phillip Margolin wove a taut and exciting legal drama, full of very interesting and believable characters. He had false leads and kept you in doubt until the very unexpected end.
Once I started it I could not put this book down. Phillip Margolin wove a taut and exciting legal drama, full of very interesting and believable characters. He had false leads and kept you in doubt until the very unexpected end.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 150 reviews