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The Undertaker's Widow by Phillip Margolin
In this legal thriller, a young judge in Portland, Oregon, struggles to save his marriage and his career after he becomes personally involved in the murder case he's adjudicating. The judge, Richard Quinn, is a deeply principled man who has proven himself an honorable and fair-minded public servant. When an extremely wealthy undertaker is murdered in his mansion in the West Hills of town, Quinn is chosen to preside over the case. The dead man's widow, Ellen Crease, is a driven state congressional representative who is running for a seat in the United States Senate. She's a shapely, pistol-packing Republican and a former cop. She's also a suspect, as is the dead man's underachieving son. Crease's political enemies also appear to be involved in the intrigue, but it's difficult to tell. After someone connected to the case tries to blackmail the judge for an extramarital misstep, Quinn decides to take matters into his own hands. He does some investigating, shares his discoveries with people who seem to be trustworthy (but aren't), and puts himself in harm's way.
It's interesting to follow Quinn as he grapples with the ethical issues of the case. When the blackmailers want him to tip the scales of justice one way, he considers tipping them the other direction. There is also something inherently diverting about observing a basically good man who is helplessly mired in a whole heap of trouble. Throughout the book, Quinn keeps stumbling into mortal danger and confiding in all the wrong people, digging himself deeper and deeper in trouble. --Jill Marquis
Mass Market Paperback
First published April 13, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews
January 13, 2019
I would give this book 3.5 stars if I could. Basic story and plot is good, but many of the characters actions are clumsily presented. The judges behavior on the island did not fit his character as presented elsewhere. I have become numb to all the plot twists authors feel they have to present at the end of their books. They often just negate everything that came before and because you know they're coming, they're easy to predict. Recommended to Margolin fans.
January 24, 2020
Judge Richard Quinn is a young judge in Portland, Oregon, newly promoted to hearing homicide cases, and prides himself on honesty, high morals, and the rule of law. His very first case to hear turns out to be a sensational case involving state Senator Ellen Crease, running for the US Senate. When a burglar breaks into her house, shoots her husband to death in front of her, she grabs her own gun from under the bed and kills the intruder. However, there are those that are convinced she set this up as a way to rid herself of her husband, demonstrate the power of gun ownership, and rise in the polls. For young Judge Quinn, however, it means so much more. Powerful forces want Senator Crease’s trial outcome controlled and they manage to ensnare Judge Quinn in a complex web of blackmail, murder, and a nest of lies.
I was in the mood for a good legal thriller and frankly, have been disappointed in the last couple of John Grisham novels I've read. I’ve heard a lot of good things about Phillip Margolin, himself a retired criminal defense attorney in the state of Oregon. Based on this novel, I made a good choice. It is definitely a page-turner and I fell victim to the “just-one-more-chapter” syndrome when I should have gone to bed. The characters were well drawn and the plot sufficiently intriguing to drive the story home. It’s not a perfect novel by any means with some aspects being somewhat predictable. I saw some of the twists coming a mile away, including the big reveal at the end but it was still fun to see the other characters react to them. Other plot points were a complete surprise, leaving me chagrined that I didn’t see them coming. The courtroom scenes were interesting without being overdone and I appreciated how the opposing attorneys battled it out.
Overall, I am pleased with this one and hope to read more of this author’s work in the future.
I was in the mood for a good legal thriller and frankly, have been disappointed in the last couple of John Grisham novels I've read. I’ve heard a lot of good things about Phillip Margolin, himself a retired criminal defense attorney in the state of Oregon. Based on this novel, I made a good choice. It is definitely a page-turner and I fell victim to the “just-one-more-chapter” syndrome when I should have gone to bed. The characters were well drawn and the plot sufficiently intriguing to drive the story home. It’s not a perfect novel by any means with some aspects being somewhat predictable. I saw some of the twists coming a mile away, including the big reveal at the end but it was still fun to see the other characters react to them. Other plot points were a complete surprise, leaving me chagrined that I didn’t see them coming. The courtroom scenes were interesting without being overdone and I appreciated how the opposing attorneys battled it out.
Overall, I am pleased with this one and hope to read more of this author’s work in the future.
October 10, 2018
Not His Best
This isn't one of Phillip Margolin's best books. It's pretty predictable. Not many of the characters were nice people. I'm not a big fan of a character reading something and acting on it but not letting the reader know what it's about.
This isn't one of Phillip Margolin's best books. It's pretty predictable. Not many of the characters were nice people. I'm not a big fan of a character reading something and acting on it but not letting the reader know what it's about.
October 10, 2014
I'm not usually a murder mystery reader, so don't have a lot of knowledge to compare this novel to others in this genre. It does a nice job of keeping you guessing to the very end, which of three different options would finally pan out as the real killer.
This book may be called The Undertaker's Widow, but it is really more about what happens to the judge Richard Quinn, than it does to Ellen Crease, the probable victim.
This book may be called The Undertaker's Widow, but it is really more about what happens to the judge Richard Quinn, than it does to Ellen Crease, the probable victim.
April 8, 2018
Judge Quinn is a very ethical judge and takes his job seriously. When making a ruling he doesn't do what everyone expects, he follows the law. Now he is being blackmailed and his life depends on his ruling. Who can he trust?
This is my second Margolin book and he does not disappoint. I wanted to spend every spare minute reading to see what would happen. There are some twists that keep things interesting.
This is my second Margolin book and he does not disappoint. I wanted to spend every spare minute reading to see what would happen. There are some twists that keep things interesting.
June 29, 2018
I have been a fan of Phillip Margolin's books for a number of years. Somehow, I missed this one. It was a good one with many twists and turns.
March 14, 2020
Truly a GREAT Portland, Oregon Author. Another GREAT Read... Sometimes thru the book it somewhat got confusing because of going back in time to present...
July 6, 2017
This is the first time I've read any of Phillip Margolin's work. I don't know how I missed out before now. I love legal thrillers and this one didn't disappoint. The story centers around Judge Richard Quinn. As honest as the day is long, he'd put his life on the line quite willingly before doing anything underhanded, let alone illegal. However, all that changes when state senator Ellen Crease is brought before him, charged with murdering husband, Lamar Hoyt. Hoyt was a wealthy man who owned a string of funeral parlors. He had a reputation for marrying younger women then discarding them when they got older in order to move on to a younger beauty. Senator Crease was just the current wife and quite possibly on the way out. When an intruder breaks into her home and murders Hoyt, Crease, in turn, kills the intruder. However, the police believe they have evidence to the contrary and they indict her.
The trouble starts for Judge Quinn when he and his wife, Laura, an attorney, are scheduled to go on vacation on St. Jerome's. At the last minute, Laura is called to Miami on business so the Judge goes alone. On the plane ride to his destination he meets a young woman, Andrea Chapman, and the two of them strike up a conversation. She ends up inviting Quinn to visit her while on the island where she will show him how to snorkel and they can see the reef together. Quinn knows he probably shouldn't take her up on the offer but he's still angry at Laura for putting work before him and since things aren't too great with their marriage anyway and Andrea's attention is a boost to his self esteem . . . She's also very attractive and she's not exactly hiding her interest in him.
To make a long story short, they go snorkeling together but a diver attacks Andrea while they're swimming, fights off Quinn, and kills her before his eyes. He's barely able to make it back to shore. Horrified at this sudden turn of events, he looks for her body but when he can't find it, he gathers his things and stumbles back to his hotel, only to find his wife there. Her contact in Miami never showed up so she flew to St. Jerome's to be with Quinn. When he comes clean and tells her about Andrea and her murder, Laura is furious. Even though he tells her all they did was kiss, Laura books the next flight home. She then orders Quinn to move out.
Its then the blackmail really begins and all because someone wants to see Crease behind bars. She's right in the middle of her campaign for the United States Senate so its possible her opponent, Benjamin Gage, is behind the efforts to blackmail the judge. However, with Lamar Hoyt dead, if his widow was to be incarcerated, then Hoyt, Jr. would stand to inherit the bulk of the man's estate.
The detectives on the case have their work cut out for them. This was an extremely good book with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. The characters were well defined, the kind you wouldn't mind seeing appear in another story. I have to admit there were times I got aggravated with the Judge but other than that one serious lapse in judgement, he was quite likeable. And let's face it, he thought he could get away with what he did being so far from home and no one being the wiser. He never dreamed he would find everything he loved an cared about being jeopardized by one poor decision.
Was glad I picked this one up. I will definitely be checking out the author's other work.
The trouble starts for Judge Quinn when he and his wife, Laura, an attorney, are scheduled to go on vacation on St. Jerome's. At the last minute, Laura is called to Miami on business so the Judge goes alone. On the plane ride to his destination he meets a young woman, Andrea Chapman, and the two of them strike up a conversation. She ends up inviting Quinn to visit her while on the island where she will show him how to snorkel and they can see the reef together. Quinn knows he probably shouldn't take her up on the offer but he's still angry at Laura for putting work before him and since things aren't too great with their marriage anyway and Andrea's attention is a boost to his self esteem . . . She's also very attractive and she's not exactly hiding her interest in him.
To make a long story short, they go snorkeling together but a diver attacks Andrea while they're swimming, fights off Quinn, and kills her before his eyes. He's barely able to make it back to shore. Horrified at this sudden turn of events, he looks for her body but when he can't find it, he gathers his things and stumbles back to his hotel, only to find his wife there. Her contact in Miami never showed up so she flew to St. Jerome's to be with Quinn. When he comes clean and tells her about Andrea and her murder, Laura is furious. Even though he tells her all they did was kiss, Laura books the next flight home. She then orders Quinn to move out.
Its then the blackmail really begins and all because someone wants to see Crease behind bars. She's right in the middle of her campaign for the United States Senate so its possible her opponent, Benjamin Gage, is behind the efforts to blackmail the judge. However, with Lamar Hoyt dead, if his widow was to be incarcerated, then Hoyt, Jr. would stand to inherit the bulk of the man's estate.
The detectives on the case have their work cut out for them. This was an extremely good book with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. The characters were well defined, the kind you wouldn't mind seeing appear in another story. I have to admit there were times I got aggravated with the Judge but other than that one serious lapse in judgement, he was quite likeable. And let's face it, he thought he could get away with what he did being so far from home and no one being the wiser. He never dreamed he would find everything he loved an cared about being jeopardized by one poor decision.
Was glad I picked this one up. I will definitely be checking out the author's other work.
March 23, 2015
A decent enough mystery surrounding the double murder of a well to do undertaker and the man who killed him by the undertaker's wife. Judge Richard Quinn has the case land in his courtroom, and immediately he feels pressure from outside forces as the widow, in trouble for the second death which doesn't appear to be as clean cut a case of self defense as it should, is also running for State Senate. There are those who would love to see her go down for the crime, while others want to get her off the hook. Quinn then falls for the oldest trick in the book: being seduced by a beautiful woman only to have pictures of his affair revealed to him, and later the world, if the case goes a certain way. Needless to say, there are twists and turns aplenty, but there are so many red herrings that it is impossible to not correctly guess who the real mastermind is very early on. Mr. Margolin, the author, should write screenplays for TV, and that isn't an insult, but the plot just seems so unbelievable at times that it would probably do well as a Dallas-style TV drama.
February 7, 2015
In Phillip Margolin's The Undertaker's Widow, he wrote us another gripping tale of dirty politics in the courtroom. For Richard Quinn, an ethical judge who would risk his own life to seek justice. But when it was Ellen Crease, a former police officer and now a state senator, who now stood accused on conspiracy to commit murder against her husband, a wealthy funeral parlor tycoon. Richard Quinn now believed she set things up, when he began to investigate and zeroes in on her deadly secret, it lead him to a dangerous maze of murder and deceit.
July 13, 2017
Great read...
I enjoyed this book very much. It had numerous characters in it that made you wonder which one of them was the killer. The story was well written and kept you intrigued until the end. I was surprised at the ending as I did not see that coming.
Dianna,
Prescott, AZ
I enjoyed this book very much. It had numerous characters in it that made you wonder which one of them was the killer. The story was well written and kept you intrigued until the end. I was surprised at the ending as I did not see that coming.
Dianna,
Prescott, AZ
December 1, 2018
Twisted ending
This story was a little disappointing and predictable in the beginning with the whole lonely husband stuff. I get it was setting up a plot but it made Quinn seem pathetic and weak and it wasn’t necessary because the rest of this story was really good with The Who done it part.
This story was a little disappointing and predictable in the beginning with the whole lonely husband stuff. I get it was setting up a plot but it made Quinn seem pathetic and weak and it wasn’t necessary because the rest of this story was really good with The Who done it part.
March 29, 2010
Good story in the mode of John Grishim. Takes place in Portland, OR and includes homocides, double crosses and who-dunnit with a lot of twists and turns. Light reading and not very deep but still interesting.
July 16, 2017
The Undertakers Widow
I gave this read a five star because it was an excellent thrilling novel....never a dull or boring moment, and the ending was not
to the reader's wildest imagination. Love this author!!!
,Rolando
I gave this read a five star because it was an excellent thrilling novel....never a dull or boring moment, and the ending was not
to the reader's wildest imagination. Love this author!!!
,Rolando
July 17, 2017
Margolin doesn't disappoint
After several light beach reads, I was ready for some twists and turns and was not disappointed. It kept me guessing until the end and even then there was a final surprise.
After several light beach reads, I was ready for some twists and turns and was not disappointed. It kept me guessing until the end and even then there was a final surprise.
November 15, 2018
An excellent conspiracy theory novel.
I enjoy books that have an engaging plot that is not fully resolved until the book concludes. The complex weaving of characters and motives was masterful.
I enjoy books that have an engaging plot that is not fully resolved until the book concludes. The complex weaving of characters and motives was masterful.
December 31, 2018
A real who done it!!
I enjoyed this book and am a fan of the author. The characters were interesting. The last chapter completely surprised me . If you are. a mystery lover you will certainly have fun reading this book*
I enjoyed this book and am a fan of the author. The characters were interesting. The last chapter completely surprised me . If you are. a mystery lover you will certainly have fun reading this book*
December 31, 2017
Really liked this book. Just when you think characters have reached the corner, a twist comes barreling in.
May 5, 2018
Very good book, had an interesting twist at the end.
September 13, 2018
A very good book, hard to put down, very twisted plot, kept me guessing all the way, liked the characters, liked the writing. I will definitely read more by this author.
September 25, 2018
Good read
The plot got a little confusing for me . I love not being able to figure out who did it but I did get lost a few times .
The plot got a little confusing for me . I love not being able to figure out who did it but I did get lost a few times .
October 12, 2018
A classic who-done-it with an unexpected turn at the end. An overall enjoyable and unpredictable read (even if the writing itself is overly concise and stiff at times); a solid 3.5 stars.
December 7, 2019
I discovered this book in my parents bookshelf and asked to borrow it. I've read another of the author's books but this was a favorite during the time period.
January 1, 2023
I loved this book!! Set here in Oregon and you won't believe it all till the final page. Judge Quinn is young,an idealist and honest to a fault so he gets the most sensational homicide case in Oregon history. What he does will amaze but who did it????
February 20, 2021
My favorite book by Margolin so far. I found it next to impossible to put down.
October 1, 2025
An honest Judge makes one mistake that endangers his career, his marriage, and his life. This is one of those books where the reader keeps telling the character: "No, don't do that," and "Look out!" and "Be careful who(m) you trust." You don't just read this book, you experience it.
July 30, 2019
UNDERTAKER'S WIDOW By Phillip Margolin
MY REVIEW FOUR STARS****
I just finished reading UNDERTAKER'S WIDOW last week, Margolin's 6th novel that was published in 1998, over twenty years ago. However, it was hardly the first time I had read a book by this incredibly talented author of legal thrillers. I can remember how quick I was to snatch any of his audio books off the library shelf to entertain me when my work required extensive driving on seemingly endless stretches of lonely highways.
I ran across this Kindle Selection when I was browsing on Amazon recently, and was reminded how much I enjoyed Margolin's novels in the past. True to form, this selection did not disappoint. It is compelling enough as a murder mystery, and it is a fast-paced thriller that kept me turning the pages. The protagonist is Richard Quinn, an honest, ethical, and scrupulous judge who has committed himself to the justice system for all of the right reasons. He is driven by disciplined stellar principles, and guided by a moral compass that is held in the hand of a righteous man. Early in the narrative, we learn that Quinn not only "talks the talk" but can, and does, "walk the walk" when he metes out a sentence that is surprising to the court and holds a fellow judge to a higher standard and sentences him to prison time instead of the anticipated by all probation.
Soon, it is Quinn himself who finds himself facing a conundrum due to a chink in his armor, a temporary lapse in judgment. Judge Quinn will stand at the moral crossroads, and have to live by the way he tips the scales of justice.
This crime thriller keeps the reader enthralled, while the plot twists unfold, and our idealistic hero makes one ill-fated decision after another. The puppet master behind the scenes was unexpected, and the brilliant sociopath pulling the strings does a masterful job at manipulating the judge and the court system. The author manages to create a taut narrative and credible plot that includes an epilogue that even ties up some loose ends for readers.
In the end I thought of the framed quotation from Abraham Lincoln on Quinn's wall "I'll do the very best I know how----the very best I can; and I mean to keep doing so until the end. If the end brings me out all right, what is said about me won't amount to anything. If the end brings me out wrong, ten angels swearing I was right would make no difference."
MY REVIEW FOUR STARS****
I just finished reading UNDERTAKER'S WIDOW last week, Margolin's 6th novel that was published in 1998, over twenty years ago. However, it was hardly the first time I had read a book by this incredibly talented author of legal thrillers. I can remember how quick I was to snatch any of his audio books off the library shelf to entertain me when my work required extensive driving on seemingly endless stretches of lonely highways.
I ran across this Kindle Selection when I was browsing on Amazon recently, and was reminded how much I enjoyed Margolin's novels in the past. True to form, this selection did not disappoint. It is compelling enough as a murder mystery, and it is a fast-paced thriller that kept me turning the pages. The protagonist is Richard Quinn, an honest, ethical, and scrupulous judge who has committed himself to the justice system for all of the right reasons. He is driven by disciplined stellar principles, and guided by a moral compass that is held in the hand of a righteous man. Early in the narrative, we learn that Quinn not only "talks the talk" but can, and does, "walk the walk" when he metes out a sentence that is surprising to the court and holds a fellow judge to a higher standard and sentences him to prison time instead of the anticipated by all probation.
Soon, it is Quinn himself who finds himself facing a conundrum due to a chink in his armor, a temporary lapse in judgment. Judge Quinn will stand at the moral crossroads, and have to live by the way he tips the scales of justice.
This crime thriller keeps the reader enthralled, while the plot twists unfold, and our idealistic hero makes one ill-fated decision after another. The puppet master behind the scenes was unexpected, and the brilliant sociopath pulling the strings does a masterful job at manipulating the judge and the court system. The author manages to create a taut narrative and credible plot that includes an epilogue that even ties up some loose ends for readers.
In the end I thought of the framed quotation from Abraham Lincoln on Quinn's wall "I'll do the very best I know how----the very best I can; and I mean to keep doing so until the end. If the end brings me out all right, what is said about me won't amount to anything. If the end brings me out wrong, ten angels swearing I was right would make no difference."
January 29, 2010
Well I don't know why this book was on my "Read" bookcase...because I just finished it and I KNOW that I haven't read this before.
Anyway, it was an enjoyable thriller as thrillers go. Judge Richard Quinn is a very solid, upstanding, and honest judge who is faced with some incredibly hard choices as he is given a high profile murder case. He makes for a good lead character and one that you do root for as he tries to balance upholding the law with some unexpected personal upheavals.
It's important to note that as I was reading this book, I did see shades of John Grisham, with multiple characters who may or may not be involved with the murder. In fact with so many characters involved and circulating, the story does get a bit . . . soft? A little stretched? Is that right? But even so, I found myself suspecting different people at different times and changing my mind. THAT for me tells me that the writer CAN write a real mystery in such a way as to confuse the reader - but NOT completely lose the reader. I hope that makes sense.
It's fairly fast-paced and filled with a few cliches, but still enjoyable. I doubt I'd read it again, but I would recommend it to fill up some of your time. And? I think I'd like to read another book with Judge Richard Quinn as the central character - that could be fun!
Anyway, it was an enjoyable thriller as thrillers go. Judge Richard Quinn is a very solid, upstanding, and honest judge who is faced with some incredibly hard choices as he is given a high profile murder case. He makes for a good lead character and one that you do root for as he tries to balance upholding the law with some unexpected personal upheavals.
It's important to note that as I was reading this book, I did see shades of John Grisham, with multiple characters who may or may not be involved with the murder. In fact with so many characters involved and circulating, the story does get a bit . . . soft? A little stretched? Is that right? But even so, I found myself suspecting different people at different times and changing my mind. THAT for me tells me that the writer CAN write a real mystery in such a way as to confuse the reader - but NOT completely lose the reader. I hope that makes sense.
It's fairly fast-paced and filled with a few cliches, but still enjoyable. I doubt I'd read it again, but I would recommend it to fill up some of your time. And? I think I'd like to read another book with Judge Richard Quinn as the central character - that could be fun!
March 19, 2008
As mass-market mysteries go, this was better than most as it didn't rely heavily on incredible coincidences or stretches of the imagination, nor was it too predictable - but it wasn't full of surprises, either. What was best about it was the moral dilemna posed for the main character but neither this nor the hunt for the killer took me too deep. Disposable reading at its best.
December 28, 2017
Show and tell is a good story method. This author is all tell and no show. Trivial descriptions, mannequin characters with dialog that could be placed in comic strip balloons. The plot intricacies are wasted on me. This is not storytelling that appeals to me. I was not led to care about anything in this story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews