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Bleedout
Hugh Freyl is a blind lawyer, scion of Illinois' most influential family. He recounts this story from the grave. David Marion is Freyl's protege and a young convicted killer whose release from prison Freyl has orchestrated. He now stands accused of Hugh Freyl's murder. None from Freyl's powerful inner circle will stand up for David's innocence. The perfect scapegoat for their misdoings, he alone bears the burden of proof.
Revealing the inner-workings of an untouchable elite with all their tricks, entitlements and intricate financial schemes, Brady shows us a place that could be any small American city - a place where innocence can backfire and where fear is the only effective weapon against a corrupt government.
Revealing the inner-workings of an untouchable elite with all their tricks, entitlements and intricate financial schemes, Brady shows us a place that could be any small American city - a place where innocence can backfire and where fear is the only effective weapon against a corrupt government.
480 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2005
9 people are currently reading
153 people want to read
About the author
Joan Brady
13 books22 followersJoan Brady is an American-British writer. She is the first woman and American to win the Whitbread Book of the Year Award for her novel Theory of War.
She was married to writer Dexter Masters and has a son who is also an author: Alexander Masters.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
She was married to writer Dexter Masters and has a son who is also an author: Alexander Masters.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
September 5, 2023
2.5 not bad but not the best xxxxx
December 30, 2011
From the first page in Bleedout: A Novel, we are caught up in the lives of two men: Hugh Freyl, a blind lawyer from a prominent family; and David Marion, child of the foster care system and then the prison system.
The story is told in the first person narrative of Hugh Freyl, whom we immediately learn was killed brutally one night in his law library; and the third person narrative of David Marion.
At first, the task seems to be finding the killer. But some have already decided that David, despite being Hugh's protégé, is definitely the killer. But apparently he has an alibi. So Hugh's mother Becky, who really seems to look at David as someone beneath her, hires him to find out. For David has acquired some skills in prison: he knows how to get into almost anything locked, including safes.
What I enjoyed most about this story was the author's ability to show us the thoughts and inner motivations of the characters. And the further I got into the tale, the less sure I was about what I thought I knew in the beginning. There was a lot of detail about corporate inner workings, financial "bleedouts," as well as another kind of "bleedout" that could definitely characterize the killing of Hugh.
Just when I thought I had it all figured out, the author threw the reader another curve ball. In the end, I was definitely thrown.
I would have given this one five stars, but there were many intricacies and complexities that left me reeling and seemed redundant. But I would definitely recommend this book for those who enjoy psychological thrillers, which is how I would describe this one. Four stars.
The story is told in the first person narrative of Hugh Freyl, whom we immediately learn was killed brutally one night in his law library; and the third person narrative of David Marion.
At first, the task seems to be finding the killer. But some have already decided that David, despite being Hugh's protégé, is definitely the killer. But apparently he has an alibi. So Hugh's mother Becky, who really seems to look at David as someone beneath her, hires him to find out. For David has acquired some skills in prison: he knows how to get into almost anything locked, including safes.
What I enjoyed most about this story was the author's ability to show us the thoughts and inner motivations of the characters. And the further I got into the tale, the less sure I was about what I thought I knew in the beginning. There was a lot of detail about corporate inner workings, financial "bleedouts," as well as another kind of "bleedout" that could definitely characterize the killing of Hugh.
Just when I thought I had it all figured out, the author threw the reader another curve ball. In the end, I was definitely thrown.
I would have given this one five stars, but there were many intricacies and complexities that left me reeling and seemed redundant. But I would definitely recommend this book for those who enjoy psychological thrillers, which is how I would describe this one. Four stars.
July 23, 2011
This was good but not amazing. It took a couple of chapters to get used to the switch in voices and who was actually talking but after that it flowed along with little confusion. It's low on action and high on the legal side of things, though it isn't a court room drama. It's a whodunit where the clues are tied up in legal documents, offshore accounts and dodgy deals. I think what held my interest was the character of David Marion rather than the question of the killer, which is probably why I didn't guess the outcome. I wasn't actively thinking about it or looking at the clues but just plodding along with the story. The switching back and forth between the past and the present took something away from the tension and suspense that makes a good crime novel for me. It's redeeming feature is that I didn't guess the killer and it did come as something of a surprise, so on that level Brady achieved her goal. It's an okay read but not something I would want to go back to. It doesn't reach the mark of a good book where you would happily pick it up again because it made such an impact on you the first time.
December 16, 2023
Springfield, Illinois, is famous in U.S. history. Abraham Lincoln moved to the city in 1837 and set up in various legal practices, was elected to the state legislature and to Congress, and was finally, in 1860, elected U.S. President. Springfield is, or should be, synonymous with all that is best in the U.S. political and justice systems.
In this story, Hugh Freyl is another respected Springfield lawyer, specialising in corporate law in a major firm bearing the name of one of Lincoln’s partners. Twenty-five years ago he was struck blind; devastating though this was,he not only returned to his practice but became involved in the Illinois State Literacy in Prisons programme. One of the young offenders whom he encounters is fifteen-year-old David Marion who is serving a life sentence for the murder of his foster-father and foster-brother. David is functionally illiterate, an ‘urban savage’, product of a totally dysfunctional background and even further brutalised by his experiences in a notorious adult prison to which, as a juvenile, he ought not to have been sent. Freyl recognises David’s intelligence and not only undertakes his education but works, with eventual success, to have him freed. Then one night, in the library at his law firm, Hugh Freyl is battered to death.
David Marion, with his cold and hostile personality and his reputation for extreme violence, is the most obvious, indeed, the only suspect. He is arrested, held for four days and then, having established an unimpeachable alibi, released without charge. But even so . . . with his history. . . ? It is in his interests to find out who did murder Hugh Freyl and with the aid of Stephanie Willis, Hugh’s former personal assistant and mistress, he sets out to do so. The story of his quest forms one of the narrative strands of this book, while the other, told as if from beyond the grave by Hugh himself, is the story of Hugh’s relationship with David and of the events in David’s life that have made him what he is. It is a measure of Brady’s brilliance as a writer that she does not yield to the temptation to make David likeable, let alone loveable. He is the complete reverse: cold, rejecting, possibly psychotic, subject to blackouts so that even he cannot be sure that he did not after all murder Hugh Freyl. We feel an abstract pity for him, and anger and disgust at Brady’s portrayal of a criminal justice system that veers from the lackadaisical and slipshod to the downright abusive and corrupt, and of a prison system that is unbelievably brutal and degrading. And as the story continues and David and Stephanie begin to uncover a complex web of corporate greed and fraud and political corruption and criminality, David does become more human. But his enemies are closing in on him and those whom he loves.
This is Brady’s first crime novel. It is extremely powerful and blazes with deep-felt anger at the abuses she describes. Her choice of Springfield, with its association with Lincoln, as a location is obviously deliberate: the contrast between what the justice and political systems are and what they should be is clear. Although the story is set in the U.S.A., Brady now lives in England. She has written a compelling and well-structured book: an excellent read on anybody’s terms.
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Reviewer: Radmila May
For Lizzie Hayes (Mystery Women Group)
In this story, Hugh Freyl is another respected Springfield lawyer, specialising in corporate law in a major firm bearing the name of one of Lincoln’s partners. Twenty-five years ago he was struck blind; devastating though this was,he not only returned to his practice but became involved in the Illinois State Literacy in Prisons programme. One of the young offenders whom he encounters is fifteen-year-old David Marion who is serving a life sentence for the murder of his foster-father and foster-brother. David is functionally illiterate, an ‘urban savage’, product of a totally dysfunctional background and even further brutalised by his experiences in a notorious adult prison to which, as a juvenile, he ought not to have been sent. Freyl recognises David’s intelligence and not only undertakes his education but works, with eventual success, to have him freed. Then one night, in the library at his law firm, Hugh Freyl is battered to death.
David Marion, with his cold and hostile personality and his reputation for extreme violence, is the most obvious, indeed, the only suspect. He is arrested, held for four days and then, having established an unimpeachable alibi, released without charge. But even so . . . with his history. . . ? It is in his interests to find out who did murder Hugh Freyl and with the aid of Stephanie Willis, Hugh’s former personal assistant and mistress, he sets out to do so. The story of his quest forms one of the narrative strands of this book, while the other, told as if from beyond the grave by Hugh himself, is the story of Hugh’s relationship with David and of the events in David’s life that have made him what he is. It is a measure of Brady’s brilliance as a writer that she does not yield to the temptation to make David likeable, let alone loveable. He is the complete reverse: cold, rejecting, possibly psychotic, subject to blackouts so that even he cannot be sure that he did not after all murder Hugh Freyl. We feel an abstract pity for him, and anger and disgust at Brady’s portrayal of a criminal justice system that veers from the lackadaisical and slipshod to the downright abusive and corrupt, and of a prison system that is unbelievably brutal and degrading. And as the story continues and David and Stephanie begin to uncover a complex web of corporate greed and fraud and political corruption and criminality, David does become more human. But his enemies are closing in on him and those whom he loves.
This is Brady’s first crime novel. It is extremely powerful and blazes with deep-felt anger at the abuses she describes. Her choice of Springfield, with its association with Lincoln, as a location is obviously deliberate: the contrast between what the justice and political systems are and what they should be is clear. Although the story is set in the U.S.A., Brady now lives in England. She has written a compelling and well-structured book: an excellent read on anybody’s terms.
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Reviewer: Radmila May
For Lizzie Hayes (Mystery Women Group)
February 25, 2024
honestly, pretty boring, took too long to get good, and couldn't remember any of the side characters mentioned without going back to see who was being referenced. said 'plot twist' was tame. good for those who want to get into thriller and see how much gore they're comfortable with.
overall: mid.
overall: mid.
November 11, 2017
Great story. The ending definitely came as a shock.
Read
July 15, 2021Zbigniewa Sikory znaczy się xd
January 5, 2023
Crazy plot twist at the end and wonderful relationships.
July 21, 2024
Not worth the read. The story is hard to follow and it doesn’t really make sense towards the end. As an advanced reader there are many other books that are a much better read.
June 25, 2022
This has plenty of twists and turns to keep you interested as a ex-con tries to find out who killed a lawyer mentor and friend.
I didn't like many of the characters but I did like the resolution.
I didn't like many of the characters but I did like the resolution.
January 14, 2012
This is a very long, convoluted story. If not for the excessively interesting ending, it would have only garnered 2 stars. It was often dull and full of semantics that didn't offer very much to the storyline, only to obscure the real reasons for the death of Hugh.
I didn't find the telling of the story in two voices difficult to follow like some of the other reviewers did. In fact, I found it was done very well as Hugh had a very distinct voice and a way with words that David had never quite mastered.
The cover was very misleading, however. It depicts some sort of grisly thriller where you would sit on the edge of your seat. I found this neither thrillerish nor edge-of-your seatish. Unfortunately, I was rather let down throughout most of the tale.
I didn't find the telling of the story in two voices difficult to follow like some of the other reviewers did. In fact, I found it was done very well as Hugh had a very distinct voice and a way with words that David had never quite mastered.
The cover was very misleading, however. It depicts some sort of grisly thriller where you would sit on the edge of your seat. I found this neither thrillerish nor edge-of-your seatish. Unfortunately, I was rather let down throughout most of the tale.
February 17, 2015
This was an unexpected pleasure to read considering the subject of the book. It was a cometary on the state of the world sort to speak; Rich verses poor, old verses young, and black verses white. The protagonist is hard to root for, but at the same time hard not to. Going against the odds and his own demons, he fights for the truth at any cost out of respect for his mentor of sorts who is murdered. All is not what it seems as you read, not knowing who to trust. The ending may have to be read more than once to fully follow where the writer was going, as it jumps from action to finish. It almost seems like the story is noting activity at two different locations at the same time. But aside from that, stay with it and keep guessing. It is well worth the read.
May 18, 2010
Pretty good read. It was a bit slow for me at first but the story was engaging and managed to throw in a twist without feeling like it was forced. Solid crime-related trhiller.
December 13, 2023
I loved this book!
May 17, 2011
very intriguing story.. :) a page-turner i must say..
June 20, 2012
After reading this book, did not think I would get another....but I did.
November 9, 2013
I want an explanation of the feud she refers to in her acknowledgements. That's far more interesting to me than the plot.
June 19, 2015
I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I didn't know squat when it came to the ending.
Currently reading
September 8, 2008Cool sense of time and life and death in this thriller!
May 25, 2012
Good story but a very LONG read.
July 29, 2013
Excellent
Read
December 1, 2018This is a skilful book although I found the switch back and forth between the live and the dead characters a bit disconcerting at times. However, Joan has done a good job of keeping the suspense up. I like the way she explains the background to many facts and issues raised. I favour this method also for my first novel, Proud, out on Amazon in early 2019. Joan paints the two lead characters, David and Hugh very accurately. I gather from the foreword and acknowledgements the genesis of this story is based on Joan's own experience. In that case, she has done a masterful novelist's job of weaving it into a non-fiction tale.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews