Rules of Evidence

by Jay Brandon

Raymond Boudro, San Antonio's best black criminal lawyer, has publicly branded white police detective Mike Stennett a racist. But now Boudro has accepted Stennett as a client, with one warning: The truth or I ruin you. Stennett is accused of beating a black drifter to death; an eyewitness claims to have seen the whole thing. With his own hard-won reputation at stake, and a client even other cops distrust, Boudro is driven by a gut feeling for justice. Even Stennett, he believes, would not stubbornly insist he is innocent against such odds unless something in this perplexing case were not what it seemed to be.

Combing through the evidence, working his network of childhood buddies, informers, and dealers on San Antonio's east side, Boudro unearths a witness who can probably determine the outcome of the trial. But he still has nagging doubts about his client's character and his plea. As the curtain rises on the courtroom drama, the stage is set for a double and deadly duel--not simply Prosecution v. Defense, but a community's volatile emotions v. the raw and shattering truth.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery

Mass Market Paperback

First published March 10, 1992

Reviews

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first time I have gotten around to reading a book by Jay Brandon. I was under the impression that his popularity was due to the fact that he was a fellow San Antonian,
I came away impressed by the technicality and drama of the story; I usually can guess the outcome of a mystery, but not this one. The catch-22 of vigilante justice - is it ever morally right, even if done by a cop? I will be reading more of Brandon's work in the future. Bravo!

[Jennifer]

Very well-written. The characters and dialog are believable and you understand why they do what they do. Also keeps you wondering until the end. Will read more by Jay Brandon.

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! I really enjoyed reading this - a very unusual twist at a crime trial book. Highly recommended.

[Elizabeth du Fresne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like Elizabeth George who starts most of her reviews with the caveat "ignore the stars". This is a perfectly fine story of a criminal trial of a white cop, Mike Stennett, who is a controversial figure in his department (Narcotics - San Antonio Police Department)for.the.murder of a black ex-druggie, George Fraizer who was beaten to death.The twist for this book is that the cop chooses Raymond Boudro, an African American, well-thought of criminal defense lawyer of note to represent him. But Boudro finds himself wanting to know the truth of the matter rather than just going through the standard every citizen deserves a defense stance more usual in the criminal trial setting. As a trial lawyer for forty+ years, I'm a sucker for courtroom drama, and this one holds your interest through a series of twists and turns.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cleverly written and unusual book. The story had layers and twists. And I especially enjoyed the exploration of what made each of the main characters tick, and of their personal struggles. These were real people dealing with many contradictions and their contradictory feelings.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because Jay Brandon was coming on author visit to the library Tuesday night and it was a Tuesday evening I was working! It was a little fun that this was set in San Antonio, but it was mostly about racism in the city--and set on the east side and in court rooms, and since I live in the beautiful bedroom community of Boerne 30 miles to the northeast of the city, I might as well live a thousand miles away!

[Nancy Zorn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It was not a mindless read. In fact, my mind wandered a couple times and I found myself somewhat lost....Who's that guy? A different twist on the typical courtroom 'who done it' story. It kept me guessing until the end.

[Thom Dunn]

1992, {hippo stamp, 1995}.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good novel! This was sort of a cross between To Kill a Mockingbird and a John Grisham novel. A good summer read!

[Toesnorth's mom]

excellent

[Jackie Simons]

Read 8/95

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. writing flowed well.

[Mary Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was entertained by the court-room drama, but the actions of the lawyers just did not ring true.