Forcing Amaryllis

by Louise Ure

- FORCING AMARYLLIS provides a new slant on courtroom mysteries. Louise Ure pulls back the curtain on jury the combination of psychology and marketing that has fascinated the nation in major courtroom battles since the O.J. Simpson trial.- The atmosphere of the Southwest is almost a character in this richly drawn novel, from the descriptions of the heat to the food and the landscape.- FORCING AMARYLLIS marks the debut of a sensational new talent. As a fourth generation Tucsonian, Louise Ure has a deep appreciation of the magic, the mystery, and the legends of the desert southwest, which endows this novel with potent and captivating details.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 20, 2005

About the author

Louise Ure spent a quarter of a century in advertising and marketing in the United States, Singapore and Australia before finding her true love: writing crime fiction. Her debut mystery, Forcing Amaryllis, won the Shamus Award for Best First Novel, and Booklists starred review said, "Ures debut so compellingly evokes the hot, dry Southwest, readers may want to have an ice-cold glass of water nearby while reading it." Ure currently lives in San Francisco with her husband and whichever senior golden retriever rescue dog has most recently captured her heart.

Reviews

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not a bad read but the best I can say about it was that it was average.
The premise was good, a woman trying to find the man that raped and mutilated her sister seven years ago. This sister is nothing more that a vegetable now and has been in a comatose state for years.
Where the story falls down was the leap of faith the read is expected to take when, by mere chance, she comes in contact with a man who is awaiting trial on a murder and rape charge. A spark of intuition convinces her that this is the man responsible for all the pain and misery visited on her and her sister. With the help of some friends she now sets about proving her suspicions.
It’s all just a bit too unbelievable.
And what she does at the end goes beyond stupid.

Whilst I was invested enough to read the whole book I was glad when I reached the final page, at last.

It was alright but it’s not a book I will want to revisit.

3 stars.

[Chris Witkowski · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decent mystery that kept me guessing through about 90% of the book. Then it all fell apart when the main character did the most stupid thing, putting herself in great danger. Not to worry, though, she manages to get out alive against all odds.

Enjoyed the descriptions of the southwest and felt the author did a good job of presenting us with a protagonist I cared about. Will check out her other books and hope she can sustain the plot throughout the whole book.

[Thapan Dubayehudi · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gripping tale! And a twist too!

[Maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I may be a bit biased but I think this was a wonderful first novel.


Calla Gentry is a trail consultant in Tucson Arizona that only consults on civil cases; due to a traumatic incident in her past. Seven years earlier she was a very strong and determined woman; working in the advertising industry. This all changed after her sister (Amaryllis) was brutally raped at knife point. After which, her sister's failed suicide attempt puts her in a coma. With this Calla loses her confidence and sense of security.

When Calla's boss forces her to take on a rape/murder trial she can't help but see the similarities between the trial and her sisters case. Together with two friends and a PI, Calla attempts to link other rape cases with that of her sisters.

The descriptions of the rapes, although not graphic, can be difficult to read. The jury selection process in the book, and the trial itself I thought were very fascinating. But I found the change Calla's character the most fascinating, as she forces herself to move out of the safety that she's surrounded herself with and make changes for the better.

This is an absolutely brilliant read and I highly recommend it.

[T.L. Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forcing Amaryllis by Louise Ure steps outside the formulaic mystery with a touching and engaging story about a sister's determination to find justice for her sister, Amaryllis, a rape and attempted murder victim. Calla Gentry is assigned to work as a jury consultant as part of the defense team of an accused rapist and murderer. Calla see eerie similarities to her sister's case, but then must reconcile the differences in Amaryllis's account of her account and the facts of the current case. Amaryllis's comatose state as a result of a suicide attempt make her unavailable to help with the case. Calla's discoveries take her on a path that uncovers a string of victims that haunt her. Calla's search jeopardizes her job, her relationships, her sense of self, and her life. Ure creates a character in Calla who is searching to regain her strength and sense of self. Her struggle will leave the reader wanting to know her better and who will stay with the reader well beyond the final page of the book.

[Mary Havlovic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Calla Gentry works on a legal team of accused rapist and murderer Ray Cates. After hearing evidence she is convinced that he might have been responsible for her sister's rape. She begins to work on compiling evidence to try and help his legal team prove his innocence but in reality, she is hoping to connect him to her sister's rape. The book kept me wanting to read more until I just read it all the way through. Good read and recommend it if you like a thriller.

[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ure's debut novel, set in Arizona, won the 2006 Shamus Award for Best First Novel. While I enjoyed the book, and it was well written, it lacked many of the elements which make a good suspense/thriller. However, the descriptions of the Southwest were vivid and beautiful. I'll probably look to read the author's other books in the future.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is good legal thriller about final justice for Amaryllis. Her sister, Calla, is determined to find the serial rapist and murder. The author did a great job building the characters and the plot of the book was exciting. It is a mystery so of course I was trying to guess who the bad guy was. It is kind of obvious but the story was still good.

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Her suster's rape 7 years ago is brought to forefront when Calla is hired to work on research for the defense of a man accused of a crime very similar to that of her sister. Is it him? or is he innocent and another rapist/killer out there? Suspenseful and interesting

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed her second book so decided to read the first. It was very good, too. If you like mysteries, I recommend it! I like the characters and this book is more believable than her second.

[Dara S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good mystery about a sister who seeks justice for her sister who lies in a coma.

[Dusty The2ofHarts-com · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kept my interest, but it wasn't a "wow" book.

[Toesnorth's mom]

fairly good

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

A woman seeks justice for her comatose sister who was raped.

[Marie (UK) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tense pacy tale