No Defense

Barbara Holloway #5

by Kate Wilhelm

A seven-month marriage that ends in a suspicious car crash leaves the husband, Vinny, dead and the widow, Lara, a murder suspect with seemingly no defense--until Barbara Holloway takes the case. Reprint.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Legal Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Legal

448 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Kate Wilhelm’s first short story, “The Pint-Sized Genie” was published in Fantastic Stories in 1956. Her first novel, MORE BITTER THAN DEATH, a mystery, was published in 1963. Over the span of her career, her writing has crossed over the genres of science fiction, speculative fiction, fantasy and magical realism, psychological suspense, mimetic, comic, and family sagas, a multimedia stage production, and radio plays. She returned to writing mysteries in 1990 with the acclaimed Charlie Meiklejohn and Constance Leidl Mysteries and the Barbara Holloway series of legal thrillers.

Wilhelm’s works have been adapted for television and movies in numerous countries; her novels and stories have been translated to more than a dozen languages. She has contributed to Quark, Orbit,  Magazine of Fantasy and ScienceFiction, Locus, Amazing Stories, Asimov’s Science Fiction, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine,  Fantastic, Omni, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Redbook, and Cosmopolitan.

Kate Wilhelm is the widow of acclaimed science fiction author and editor, Damon Knight (1922-2002), with whom she founded the Clarion Writers’ Workshop and the Milford Writers’ Conference, described in her 2005 non-fiction work, STORYTELLER. They lectured together at universities across three continents; Kate has continued to offer interviews, talks, and monthly workshops.

Kate Wilhelm has received two Hugo awards, three Nebulas, as well as Jupiter, Locus, Spotted Owl, Prix Apollo, Kristen Lohman awards, among others. She was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2003. In 2009, Kate was the recipient of one of the first Solstice Awards presented by the Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA) in recognition of her contributions to the field of science fiction. 

Kate’s highly popular Barbara Holloway mysteries, set in Eugene, Oregon, opened with Death Qualified in 1990. Mirror, Mirror, released in 2017, is the series’ 14th novel.

Reviews

[aPriL does feral sometimes · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I like about the author Kate Wilhelm’s writing is she makes the usual courtroom theatre present in most big criminal cases obvious. She points a strong light on backroom shenagans, exposing why the law isn't about justice or right and wrong from any lawyer's point of view. Whatever reason for a law to exist initially is no longer important in a courtroom. From Wilhelm's stories you see the courtroom as a closed universe of finite laws packaged like a set of playing cards and lawyers pick the ones most favorable to their client. Wilhelm's character lawyer Barbara Holloway uses her genius ability to shuffle and use courtroom law gaming to finding out the truths of people outside the courtroom which she uses to pick the right legal cards inside the game. It's an eye opener to experience the law from a lawyer's viewpoint. ‘No Defense’ is number five in the Barbara Holloway legal series. Start withDeath Qualified.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is just barely long enough to resolve the case that Barbara Holloway is solving. In fact I wasn't sure that it would be solved in this book. But I didn't notice that; I was wrapped up in the life of Lara Jessup, who is being indicted for killing her dying husband--reason, a big insurance policy on Vinny Jessup. Why else would a beautiful, younger woman marry an older man. Kate Wilhelm is a master at character development, and I became invested in Lara, and her teen-age son, Nathan, who knows some damming information concerning his Mother. The action takes place in eastern Oregon: desert, small-town, and ranch country. Barbara and her father work together to legally protect Lara, along with a local lawyer, Manny Truewater. Things get hot and angry during the deposition, and Barbara proves her skills in taking on a powerful family tied to a judge believed bound for the Supreme Court. I am really enjoying this series and Kate Wilhelm's writing.

[Una Tiers · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book caught my interest but then started to drag about page 50. There are beautiful phrases that are lost when the author tries too hard to make each sentence poetic. Overuse of a thesaurus in places.

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I forgive the narrator for not knowing how to pronounce the Willamet River.

If I am ever in trouble, I want Barbara and her father and Bailey on my defense team!

[Hazel Bright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four and a half stars. Interesting use of perpetuation of testimony as a method of exposing truths that the bad guy does not want revealed. The discussion of manipulation of the supreme court by monied interests was also fascinating and satisfying, and well-complemented the prejudice often found in rural locations.

[Carolyn]

very good

[Soo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Notes:

Currently on Audible Plus

[Vannessa Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barbara Holloway’s client was set up to go down for a murder she hadn’t committed. The more her team read the evidence the more the evidence incriminated their client. Barbara’s team had the evidence to prove the client’s innocence but as they read it, it pointed only to the client’s guilt. Then Barbara had an epiphany and all the evidence that sat in front of her suddenly made sense. Marguerite Gavin’s excellent storytelling will keep you spellbound.

[Marti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like the book I read before this, it takes place mainly in one place--Arizona in a strak hit area where a dead body could easily disappear. I am not sure why I continued reading this book--the characters aren't all that interesting, and I could have cared little about what happened to them. Some people had a lo more money than they needed, and all kinds of people to be their staff. Barbara Holloway, the lawyer, is apparently in a series--this being #5. Whoop de do!

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The relationship stuff is really a negative where this series of books is concerned.
In most books, characters rarely stop for sleep or food. In this series, these guys eat a minimum of three very detailed meals a day with countless cocktails, coffee, and tea interspersed. Yes, there are the obligatory women who just look at their food and push it away. Funny, it's never a man who takes one bite of food and just can't muster the energy or enthusiasm to eat another morsel.

[Susan Hinesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished it, but it left me unsatified in several areas. The story seemed to drag and there were a lot of details and descriptions about meals, food, and coffee. Also had a couple of irrelevant sub “plots” such as Frank’s publishing career. And unless I missed something, it ended with one unsolved murder.

[Kimberly Gillispie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed it.. although I did find it dragging just a bit here and there, the last few chapters really kept me wanting to read more!! And yes, I will read more by this author.

[Nolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lara Jessup is in serious trouble, and it’s the kind of trouble with which only a lawyer can assist. Hers was a May-December marriage. Her husband, Vinny, is some 20 years older and was in cancer remission at the time of his death. Ah, yes, and there’s the death. He went out one night to deliver some papers to a well-known judge in the community, and they found his body the next day. It looked like suicide initially, then they discovered the gunshot wound, and all eyes turned to Lara, hence her desperate need for a lawyer.

Barbara Holloway draws the case; her dad, Frank, is sure she’ll handle it as well as or better than he can.

I love books that make you feel utterly hopeless, and Wilhelm does a phenomenal job of that with this book. Even the fictional characters are sure their cause is entirely unwinnable.

Of course, you can read this to see how Wilhelm plots the book to its ending. I found it engaging, and I can only hope you have a similar experience.

[Sharon Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

For over half of the book the plot moved at a glacial pace. I almost put the book down due to boredom. But I persevered because Kate Wilhelm is a best-selling author and I had already invested so much time in it. Finally, it became more interesting once the plot reached the deposition stage. Barbara Holloway's clever questioning of witnesses helped to bring resolution to the story. I enjoyed the latter half of this book, but would only recommend it to anyone who has the patience to plod through drivel first.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, this was good. I really enjoyed the story, the mystery. all the details came together in a way that was very cool. The setting was gorgeously detailed and it was fun. Barbara and John make a clean break which is kind of a breath of fresh air after the messiness of their relationship in the last book. I wasn't feeling John. At all. There is a cast of nefarious characters, but some good ones too. And all are entertaining.

But really it's the puzzle that wins the day. I just had the best time watching all the pieces come together. Well done.

[Charlotte Goldstein · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one took me a really long time (I just forgot to enter it at first). It’s really good, there’s just too much of it. I think this legal drama genre is interesting, just dense. I got this book for free at Allie’s grandparents’ local library so it’s not like I found the best book of the genre. I’d be curious to try out another one. All in all, it was cool, fun and educational. Life changing? Not so much.

[Mary Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy Kate Wilhelm's books, especially her Barbara Halloway series. As usual this novel has a plot full of twists and turns with a surprise ending. I enjoy the relationship between Barbara and her father. In this novel Barbara solves a cold case and frees a woman accused of murdering her husband. It is a novel that provides good escape.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

No Defense
by Kate Wilhelm

(Barbara Holloway #5)
also audio edition of 10 cd's

good feminist characters
explores issues of her career vs his, single parents vs non parental significant others, divorced parents coparenting

[Carol Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m loving this series of Barbara Holloway novels. After this one, I have to wait for next month when my Hoopla gives me more books to check out. 😕. Small town library with four book limit per month on Hoopla.

[Kris Roedig · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF - and for good reason. This book lost me and my attention in no time flat. Annoying use of similes every other paragraph. Useless information thrown in just to pad the word count.

Tuna on Toast is about all I’ll remember about this book. And I still don’t get the context.

Anyway- skip it!!

[Deborah Walter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this - no graphic scenes (neither sex nor death)- interesting law / suspense (?) mystery book / will loan to my mom - pretty clean throughout but exciting parts too / good twists - glad I picked this up from a local library or giveaway pile.

[Stacielynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This segment of the Holloway legal saga was very intriguing. Interesting characters and a complex narrative. Kate Wilhelm respects her readers and it shows.

[JB · Rating 1 out of 5]

First paragraph annoyingly wordy. Fifth paragraph the tense changes in the middle. Made it to page 35 and gave up.

[Dana Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the second Barbara Holloway book I’ve listened to. They are wonderfully complex with interesting well thought out characters.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

ab

[Denise]

Kept my interest through to the end chapters and had no idea how it was going to end.
DD@Phila

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Number 5 done. Not my favorite, but on to number 6!

[Karla Eaton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is such a good series! I love Barbara and Frank and the kittens as well as the complex tales.
On to the next one …

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barbara Holloway is one smart cookie & these legal thrillers are just really good. Young widow is accused of killing her husband who was terminally ill.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good who done it story with a few twists.