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David Brunelle Legal Thriller #3
By Reason of Insanity
WHEN IS A KILLER NOT A MURDERER?Sometimes the easiest cases are the hardest. The defendant absolutely, positively murdered her own mother. She is also absolutely, positively mentally ill. Homicide prosecutor David Brunelle is tasked with holding her responsible despite the best efforts of her defense team, which includes a psychologist who's convinced that she's innocent. As the case proceeds, the pressures mount and Brunelle begins to question his own sanity. Will Brunelle crack the case, or will the case crack him?STEPHEN PENNER IS AN AMAZON BESTSELLING AUTHOR WITH OVER HALF A MILLION COPIES SOLDBy Reason of Insanity is Book 3 of the top-rated legal thriller series featuring Seattle homicide D.A. David Brunelle and a recurring cast of cops, defense attorneys, and forensic experts. Each book can be read as a stand-alone novel, but also follows the personal and professional growth of Brunelle and his friends and foes.“David Brunelle may or may not win his case, but Stephen Penner has definitely created a winner here." --Amazon Reader ReviewIf you're looking for an authentic legal thriller with plenty of twists and turns, By Reason of Insanity is for you!
221 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 13, 2013
1172 people are currently reading
214 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Penner
62 books157 followersStephen Penner is an author, artist, and attorney from Seattle, Washington. He has written more than 30 novels and specializes in courtroom thrillers known for their unexpected twists and candid portrayal of the justice system. He draws on his extensive experience as a criminal trial attorney to infuse his writing with realism and insight.
Stephen is the author of several top-rated legal thriller series. The DAVID BRUNELLE LEGAL THRILLERS feature Seattle homicide D.A. David Brunelle and a recurring cast of cops, defense attorneys, and forensic experts. The TALON WINTER LEGAL THRILLERS showcase tough-as-nails Tacoma criminal defense attorney Talon Winter and her closest allies. And the RAIN CITY LEGAL THRILLERS deliver the adventures of attorney Daniel Raine and his unlikely partner Rebecca Sommers. Stephen is also the author of the MAGGIE DEVEREAUX PARANORMAL MYSTERIES, recounting the exploits of an American graduate student in the magical Highlands of Scotland, and several other stand-alone works.
In his spare time, Stephen enjoys painting, drawing, and spending time with his family. For more information, visit his website www.stephenpenner.com.
Stephen is the author of several top-rated legal thriller series. The DAVID BRUNELLE LEGAL THRILLERS feature Seattle homicide D.A. David Brunelle and a recurring cast of cops, defense attorneys, and forensic experts. The TALON WINTER LEGAL THRILLERS showcase tough-as-nails Tacoma criminal defense attorney Talon Winter and her closest allies. And the RAIN CITY LEGAL THRILLERS deliver the adventures of attorney Daniel Raine and his unlikely partner Rebecca Sommers. Stephen is also the author of the MAGGIE DEVEREAUX PARANORMAL MYSTERIES, recounting the exploits of an American graduate student in the magical Highlands of Scotland, and several other stand-alone works.
In his spare time, Stephen enjoys painting, drawing, and spending time with his family. For more information, visit his website www.stephenpenner.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
May 16, 2016
Keesha Sawyer brutally murders her mother by hacking her face into oblivion. She even calls 911 to report it. She's calm, she's collected, she's a paranoid schizophrenic. According to Keesha, her mother murdered her in her dreams and made her into a zombie. That wasn't so bad, according to Keesha, but when her mother started murdering young children and turning them into zombies, is when Keesha decided her mother must die.
Homicide Prosecutor, David Brunelle, has the unenviable job of proving that even though mentally ill, Keesha knew what she was doing, even planned it in advance. The defense attorney brings in a psychologist who's convinced she is innocent.
So how does one differentiate between not guilty by reason of insanity .... and guilty, even though the person charged has a mental illness. Does mental illness equate with insanity?
Because the author is also an attorney, the book does not lack realism. It takes the reader from when the suspect is charged, through dealings with the defense attorney, selecting a jury, and presenting the case.
There is a giant twist in the story, however, the ending waffled, and left a lot to be desired.
5 stars overall, with -2 for the ending.
Homicide Prosecutor, David Brunelle, has the unenviable job of proving that even though mentally ill, Keesha knew what she was doing, even planned it in advance. The defense attorney brings in a psychologist who's convinced she is innocent.
So how does one differentiate between not guilty by reason of insanity .... and guilty, even though the person charged has a mental illness. Does mental illness equate with insanity?
Because the author is also an attorney, the book does not lack realism. It takes the reader from when the suspect is charged, through dealings with the defense attorney, selecting a jury, and presenting the case.
There is a giant twist in the story, however, the ending waffled, and left a lot to be desired.
5 stars overall, with -2 for the ending.
September 2, 2014
Legal Procedural Marred by Tired Sexist Nonsense and Sloppy Editing
Although exposition of legal details and trial tactics are interesting, protagonist D.A. Dave Brunelle is a pretty flat character who spends too much time thinking with his little head.
Although exposition of legal details and trial tactics are interesting, protagonist D.A. Dave Brunelle is a pretty flat character who spends too much time thinking with his little head.
March 6, 2019
Speaking in absolutes is usually a mistake, particularly for trial lawyers. I'm confident, however, that this statement is correct: This is the absolutely worst, most juvenile, most undisciplined and unfocused novel I have ever read. The plot, with its heavily promoted "plot twist", is absurd. Even suspending disbelief for the sake of artistic license cannot justify the muddle of the book's last four chapters. The characters are limply drawn caricatures, particularly the protagonist Brunelle and his apparent antagonist, a pop psychologist who lacks only two horns and a pitchfork to be trivialized further. The courtroom scenes are bewilderingly lacking in common sense: we are to believe that a supposedly tough trial judge will let the psychologist (who, by the way, cannot be properly qualified to even offer opinions on legal standards, their history or their interpretation) ramble on for minutes on opinions which are directly opposed to prevailing law? The author does not classify this book under "Fantasy", but that is where the writing takes us. I was completely disappointed in this book and this author. Hopefully this represents a low-water mark for his efforts, since I admire his efffort to put a story together, but this is simply not worth the time or cost of reading it.
May 30, 2022
Third book in a row to commit the same. Stupid. Sin. Smh.
Click here for notes and highlights, in which I reveal when the sin was about to be committed.
There's PLENTY of good in this series so far (my kind of good, anyway). The cases are intriguing, informative, and thought-provoking. The main character is likable and quite funny, even despite his now girlfriend (groan) Kat taking a turn for the worst. She totally wasn't even that bad at first, but man, the woman grated on my nerves a lot this time around. But.... whatever. Dialogue is realistic, and one of my favorite features. Now that I've accepted that this particular series isn't being presented as overly sophisticated or deeply emotional, I can now have some fun in its quick-paced simplicity. While I wish I can still get more in-depth characters, I can deal with not having that if the stories still manage to keep my interest. I'm legit loving them and devouring them appropriately. I was so eager to give this book five stars if it managed to do just ONE little thing that the other books didn't. It was so dang CLOSE too!
But it failed. Because something formulaic is afoot. Sigh.
Formula. It's the cardinal sin. The likes of which is the only thing stopping me from giving perfect ratings. Author and lawyer Stephen Penner, who is of course quite good at implementing some damn interesting court cases, seems to (so far, at least) have a HUGE problem with closing them out with jury verdicts. Something crazy happens, squanders the flow, and the books end abruptly. This book in particular had the most RIDICULOUS cop-out of an ending of all three books. It was utter rubbish. Made no sense, and it came way the hell out of left field. I feel like what Penner is trying to do is give us these gasp-worthy surprises to really push the thrill angle, but in doing so he ends up just deflating me as a reader by not delivering closure to what he built. He gets me all "hot and bothered" (if you'll pardon the innuendo) for the ultimate "climax" to these carefully crafted cases, only to throw in a ridiculous doozy that ends up derailing the ENTIRE thing. This in turn continues to deprive me of what I've come to love from the legal thrillers I've read: the final verdict.
Don't believe me? Read the following brief summaries of these books' conclusions to their cases.
Spoilers to follow!
Book 1? Defendant is miraculously bailed out just after the trial week is up (prior to the expected closing arguments), and then is subsequently killed by the ME when he went after her daughter. Unknown who bailed him out, and how he even knew where the ME lived. No closing arguments. No closing out the case via a jury.
Book 2? Court adjourns early so the defendant (who is on house arrest) can visit his dying friend in the hospital. Friend dies, but then the defendant is able to just skedaddle on over to find Brunelle so he could kill him, only he gets killed by a crooked cop (who is then ALSO killed). No idea how he knew where Brunelle was. No closing out the case via a jury.
Book 3? Court goes on unexpected recess so that Brunelle can acquire the missing report from the witness psychologist that the Defense attorney conveniently forgot to provide. He gets jabbed in the neck and thrown in a room. At court, the doctor then takes the bailiff's gun and a hostage but gets killed. No motive. No explanation. Case goes to mistrial. No jury verdict.
Sighhhhh. So far, I have zero clue how good an attorney Brunelle is because I have yet to see ANY of his cases ever reach the end. Something fantastical always happens and botches the whole thing, and it's already getting old. I think what makes it worse is that the cases are so damn GOOD, it just makes not reaching proper closures to them that much more unsatisfying. I have a feeling this is gonna happen yet again in book four too, which is why I wanted to quickly get this review typed up before finishing. I'm 70% done with book four, so the moment of truth is forthcoming. I hate how much I enjoy these books, because I feel like I should have cut and run by now. But I can't. I'm too fixated. I have like 10 more to go. Surely ONE of them can have a full closed out case? Time will tell.
Click here for notes and highlights, in which I reveal when the sin was about to be committed.
There's PLENTY of good in this series so far (my kind of good, anyway). The cases are intriguing, informative, and thought-provoking. The main character is likable and quite funny, even despite his now girlfriend (groan) Kat taking a turn for the worst. She totally wasn't even that bad at first, but man, the woman grated on my nerves a lot this time around. But.... whatever. Dialogue is realistic, and one of my favorite features. Now that I've accepted that this particular series isn't being presented as overly sophisticated or deeply emotional, I can now have some fun in its quick-paced simplicity. While I wish I can still get more in-depth characters, I can deal with not having that if the stories still manage to keep my interest. I'm legit loving them and devouring them appropriately. I was so eager to give this book five stars if it managed to do just ONE little thing that the other books didn't. It was so dang CLOSE too!
But it failed. Because something formulaic is afoot. Sigh.
Formula. It's the cardinal sin. The likes of which is the only thing stopping me from giving perfect ratings. Author and lawyer Stephen Penner, who is of course quite good at implementing some damn interesting court cases, seems to (so far, at least) have a HUGE problem with closing them out with jury verdicts. Something crazy happens, squanders the flow, and the books end abruptly. This book in particular had the most RIDICULOUS cop-out of an ending of all three books. It was utter rubbish. Made no sense, and it came way the hell out of left field. I feel like what Penner is trying to do is give us these gasp-worthy surprises to really push the thrill angle, but in doing so he ends up just deflating me as a reader by not delivering closure to what he built. He gets me all "hot and bothered" (if you'll pardon the innuendo) for the ultimate "climax" to these carefully crafted cases, only to throw in a ridiculous doozy that ends up derailing the ENTIRE thing. This in turn continues to deprive me of what I've come to love from the legal thrillers I've read: the final verdict.
Don't believe me? Read the following brief summaries of these books' conclusions to their cases.
Spoilers to follow!
Book 1? Defendant is miraculously bailed out just after the trial week is up (prior to the expected closing arguments), and then is subsequently killed by the ME when he went after her daughter. Unknown who bailed him out, and how he even knew where the ME lived. No closing arguments. No closing out the case via a jury.
Book 2? Court adjourns early so the defendant (who is on house arrest) can visit his dying friend in the hospital. Friend dies, but then the defendant is able to just skedaddle on over to find Brunelle so he could kill him, only he gets killed by a crooked cop (who is then ALSO killed). No idea how he knew where Brunelle was. No closing out the case via a jury.
Book 3? Court goes on unexpected recess so that Brunelle can acquire the missing report from the witness psychologist that the Defense attorney conveniently forgot to provide. He gets jabbed in the neck and thrown in a room. At court, the doctor then takes the bailiff's gun and a hostage but gets killed. No motive. No explanation. Case goes to mistrial. No jury verdict.
Sighhhhh. So far, I have zero clue how good an attorney Brunelle is because I have yet to see ANY of his cases ever reach the end. Something fantastical always happens and botches the whole thing, and it's already getting old. I think what makes it worse is that the cases are so damn GOOD, it just makes not reaching proper closures to them that much more unsatisfying. I have a feeling this is gonna happen yet again in book four too, which is why I wanted to quickly get this review typed up before finishing. I'm 70% done with book four, so the moment of truth is forthcoming. I hate how much I enjoy these books, because I feel like I should have cut and run by now. But I can't. I'm too fixated. I have like 10 more to go. Surely ONE of them can have a full closed out case? Time will tell.
November 2, 2025
4 Stars
By Reason of Insanity is the third instalment in the David Brunelle Legal Thriller Series. And so the book binge began ... this series turned out to be a gripping and masterfully crafted collection of legal dramas set against the backdrop of Seattle’s criminal justice system. The series follows David Brunelle, a dedicated and sharp prosecutor, as he navigates the complexities of law, morality, and justice.
What makes this series stand out is the balance between intense courtroom drama with deeply human stories. David Brunelle is an intriguing character - intelligent, principled, and yet flawed in ways that make him even more relatable. Mr. Penner’s writing easily brings the legal world to life with authenticity, offering a fascinating glimpse into the challenges prosecutors face, from gathering evidence to battling wily defense attorneys.
Each book in the series presents a unique and thought-provoking case, often delving into some morally ambiguous territory. The plots are tightly woven, with twists that are both surprising and satisfying. Mr. Penner’s ability to build the tension and suspense is noteworthy, as is his knack for creating vivid, multidimensional characters – both the heroes and villains.
So, whether you’re a fan of legal thrillers, crime fiction, or simply enjoy a well-told story, then the David Brunelle series delivers on all fronts.
Happy Reading…
By Reason of Insanity is the third instalment in the David Brunelle Legal Thriller Series. And so the book binge began ... this series turned out to be a gripping and masterfully crafted collection of legal dramas set against the backdrop of Seattle’s criminal justice system. The series follows David Brunelle, a dedicated and sharp prosecutor, as he navigates the complexities of law, morality, and justice.
What makes this series stand out is the balance between intense courtroom drama with deeply human stories. David Brunelle is an intriguing character - intelligent, principled, and yet flawed in ways that make him even more relatable. Mr. Penner’s writing easily brings the legal world to life with authenticity, offering a fascinating glimpse into the challenges prosecutors face, from gathering evidence to battling wily defense attorneys.
Each book in the series presents a unique and thought-provoking case, often delving into some morally ambiguous territory. The plots are tightly woven, with twists that are both surprising and satisfying. Mr. Penner’s ability to build the tension and suspense is noteworthy, as is his knack for creating vivid, multidimensional characters – both the heroes and villains.
So, whether you’re a fan of legal thrillers, crime fiction, or simply enjoy a well-told story, then the David Brunelle series delivers on all fronts.
Happy Reading…
November 1, 2025
By Reason of Insanity, is the third book in the David Brunelle series by Stephen Penner. Having read the two previous two books in this series I have got the bug. This is another well plotted fast read.
A woman has brutally murdered her own mother, an open and shut case but there is a catch. Surely the woman is mentally ill, having savagely killed her mother and not be held accountable for her crime. Prosecutor David Brunelle has the additional problem in court of convincing a jury of not only her guilt but of responsibility.
Brunelle faces a formidable defence team, who insists the defendant is innocent. The jury witnesses clashing expert testimonies that make Brunelle question his own judgement.
Once again, I enjoyed the realistic court scene narrative, which made fascinating reading. The novel is thought provoking, raising questions regarding compassion and the mental health system itself. This is a morally complex legal drama that is a very satisfying read.
A woman has brutally murdered her own mother, an open and shut case but there is a catch. Surely the woman is mentally ill, having savagely killed her mother and not be held accountable for her crime. Prosecutor David Brunelle has the additional problem in court of convincing a jury of not only her guilt but of responsibility.
Brunelle faces a formidable defence team, who insists the defendant is innocent. The jury witnesses clashing expert testimonies that make Brunelle question his own judgement.
Once again, I enjoyed the realistic court scene narrative, which made fascinating reading. The novel is thought provoking, raising questions regarding compassion and the mental health system itself. This is a morally complex legal drama that is a very satisfying read.
September 12, 2018
Spoiler alert: This was a compelling courtroom case for A while, but it never really resolved in the courtroom. A twist comes unexpectedly out of left field, and, rather than ending, the book sort of stops. The main character is annoyingly horny, with almost every conversation loaded with sexual innuendo. Secretary, defense attorney, girlfriend? makes no difference, his lust is ever present, even in the courtroom. Overall, it is probably difficult to cast a character who is, human and fallible, yet worthy of admiration. In these early books, Brunelle is out of balance. The legal content and exchanges are top notch, on a par with Scott Turow, but the experiencce is cheapened by the adolescent sexuality.
September 6, 2020
This story like the last one shows a trial that is outside of the norm. In this one David is prosecuting a daughter who is responsible for the death of her mother. The defense tries a couple of mental excuses to prevent her from being put into mental hospital.
The 1st item that they were going to use was thrown out by the judge. The 2nd item was what was ultimately decided and was the basis for the decision that a jury would make. To support this a couple of psychologist were employed one for the defense and one for the prosecution.
David has to make a trip for information which places him in danger. To discover what the outcome and why David gets into danger, then you must read this book. You won't be disappointed. The ending covers it all.
The 1st item that they were going to use was thrown out by the judge. The 2nd item was what was ultimately decided and was the basis for the decision that a jury would make. To support this a couple of psychologist were employed one for the defense and one for the prosecution.
David has to make a trip for information which places him in danger. To discover what the outcome and why David gets into danger, then you must read this book. You won't be disappointed. The ending covers it all.
May 8, 2021
Are we all a little,or a lot crazy? Read it and find out.
#3 and I am still impressed and heading for #4. By Reason of Reason brings some changes in personality of our main character
And hero. First of things he now is quite different in that he looks and reacts to a lot of attractive women, then history unfolds with a lot of
Well investigated study of phases of insanity,criminal intent,and cases
Of "just nuts. " Author Penned is well taught in giving his readers a real
Need to finish his books,you kinda want to keep going to see what happens. Still love his books and I have 9 more books to go,I will keep you updated as we go on,but do start the series now ,I am interested what you think of the characters stories as they progress.
#3 and I am still impressed and heading for #4. By Reason of Reason brings some changes in personality of our main character
And hero. First of things he now is quite different in that he looks and reacts to a lot of attractive women, then history unfolds with a lot of
Well investigated study of phases of insanity,criminal intent,and cases
Of "just nuts. " Author Penned is well taught in giving his readers a real
Need to finish his books,you kinda want to keep going to see what happens. Still love his books and I have 9 more books to go,I will keep you updated as we go on,but do start the series now ,I am interested what you think of the characters stories as they progress.
November 24, 2023
free ebook
she killed her mom, confessed. she dreamed her mom was killing her every night and she was zombie and now her mom was killing kids in her dreams so she had to kill her mom
her sister is suing the state for letting her out in the first place, if she was still locked up their mom would be alive
the defenses shrink abducted the prosecution lawyer and gave him drugs, said he was insane
he held the defense lawyer in court with a gun. her assistant, who rescued the prosecutor was exchanged. she bit him and they killed him
they found the daughter guilty by reason of insanity and she got 25 yrs in mental hospital
the assistant added her number to his phone, but hes seeing the coroner, shes his girlfriend
she killed her mom, confessed. she dreamed her mom was killing her every night and she was zombie and now her mom was killing kids in her dreams so she had to kill her mom
her sister is suing the state for letting her out in the first place, if she was still locked up their mom would be alive
the defenses shrink abducted the prosecution lawyer and gave him drugs, said he was insane
he held the defense lawyer in court with a gun. her assistant, who rescued the prosecutor was exchanged. she bit him and they killed him
they found the daughter guilty by reason of insanity and she got 25 yrs in mental hospital
the assistant added her number to his phone, but hes seeing the coroner, shes his girlfriend
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 3, 2025
Thats it. I have had enough. I read the two first ones, and on my way on the third one. The stories are fine, nothing exceptionally good but I like courtroom dramas. But this author has serious issues. Every time his main characters sees a woman, he needs to fantasise about what he would do to her. She is always physically perfect and he pursues all of them at the same time. New female character, off we go with the sexual fantaisies and the pursue of (multiple) happiness. I thought it would end, but this third book is at it again. So I am done. Please see someone.
July 19, 2025
From the first two books, it is clear that Mr Penner has a problem ending his stories. However, the un-ending is worse here than almost any book I remember reading. And, that unfortunately, is not the worst thing with the book. From a case buildout that never had a promise of an interesting tale to the protagonists’ lack of any personality or likeable trait to meandering, purposeless court actions or even the unbelievable twist that failed to build into anything meaningful, the narration finds new ways to disappoint.
January 9, 2018
A younger woman was accused of a horrific murder of her mother. But was she capable of standing trial or was she mental incompetent . This was Brunelles new case he was fighting. Thru out the investigation he had to go to a mental institution to look at some video . He felt real uncomfortable there. the ending is exciting with lots of things popping up to surprise you. And of course the usually talk about judges , the laws and court case info to expand your knowledge.
Read
April 16, 2020Awful. Awful. Gross. Never read anything as sexist as this.
I would not recommend this series of books to anyone! Not anyone! No one! The prosecutors name is Brunelle and all inferences in every conversation he has are sexual. He talks to his co-counsel, or a defense attorney or a police officer and everyone he thinks about is oh “I’m looking at her tits” or “I want to butt fuck her” or “her ass looks great in that suit”. Disgusting. Gross. Awful. Don’t read!!!!
I would not recommend this series of books to anyone! Not anyone! No one! The prosecutors name is Brunelle and all inferences in every conversation he has are sexual. He talks to his co-counsel, or a defense attorney or a police officer and everyone he thinks about is oh “I’m looking at her tits” or “I want to butt fuck her” or “her ass looks great in that suit”. Disgusting. Gross. Awful. Don’t read!!!!
December 3, 2024
In a case of a paranoid schizophrenic who kills her mother, prosecutor David Brunelle faces some challenges. The defense attorney argues for diminished capacity, hoping that the defendant will not have to be institutionalized for the rest of her life. Meanwhile, an attorney for the family is preparing to sue the state because the defendant was not already institutionalized and had the opportunity to commit the murder.
February 4, 2023
Another mind boggling and exemplary tome!!
This fabulous book changed my whole perception of mental health and associated disorders as perceived by law. It taught me both the realistic and unrealistic aspects of the subjects of law and mental health.
Kudos to the author! Reading this book was a thoroughly enjoyable experience!!!
This fabulous book changed my whole perception of mental health and associated disorders as perceived by law. It taught me both the realistic and unrealistic aspects of the subjects of law and mental health.
Kudos to the author! Reading this book was a thoroughly enjoyable experience!!!
October 7, 2018
By Reason of Insanity
This was not as exciting as the other books in the seriethat I have
This book was not as good as the other books in the series that I already read. It did not have the thrills that the others did. It was just ok.
This was not as exciting as the other books in the seriethat I have
This book was not as good as the other books in the series that I already read. It did not have the thrills that the others did. It was just ok.
March 9, 2019
Excellent legal mystery
Except for times the legal explanations got a little long (but undoubtedly necessary for understanding legal concepts) the book was a good read. Highly recommend
Except for times the legal explanations got a little long (but undoubtedly necessary for understanding legal concepts) the book was a good read. Highly recommend
July 29, 2019
Lynnie
Hmmm, what do i say.
Enjoy the trail cases. A lot of detail in them. A lot of twist and turns.. Enjoy the characters.
Not sure how to take the. Womanizering. Every lady he is looking her up and down.
Not sure how to take that in Dave Brunelle. Jury out on this one. ??
Hmmm, what do i say.
Enjoy the trail cases. A lot of detail in them. A lot of twist and turns.. Enjoy the characters.
Not sure how to take the. Womanizering. Every lady he is looking her up and down.
Not sure how to take that in Dave Brunelle. Jury out on this one. ??
August 18, 2020
Lack of integrety
Your character has no integrity, so even though so like your story lines, I can't believe a good prosecutor could be so devoid of character. I will not continue this seried
Your character has no integrity, so even though so like your story lines, I can't believe a good prosecutor could be so devoid of character. I will not continue this seried
February 4, 2021
Kept me guessing
Enjoyed the details of character development and story line. Especially enjoyed the background details of psychiatric disorders versus legal applications of same. Curious if this is the current lag in today s legal defense/ prosecutorial arena.
Enjoyed the details of character development and story line. Especially enjoyed the background details of psychiatric disorders versus legal applications of same. Curious if this is the current lag in today s legal defense/ prosecutorial arena.
December 8, 2022
Unexpected Turn of a Trial by Murder
Fascinating way to tell the story of a mother’s murder. Developments began with the dealing of vast differences of opinion in the trial. It ended with a tragic death.
Fascinating way to tell the story of a mother’s murder. Developments began with the dealing of vast differences of opinion in the trial. It ended with a tragic death.
September 29, 2023
Disappointed
The more I read about David the less I like him. He doesn't just have a commitment problem he uses women. And for someone who is supposed to be so smart,it was disappointing that he didn't see the trap at the hospital. I did.
The more I read about David the less I like him. He doesn't just have a commitment problem he uses women. And for someone who is supposed to be so smart,it was disappointing that he didn't see the trap at the hospital. I did.
October 31, 2023
The blurb sounds interesting. In reality?...well, at first the story is promising but after a while all I read is a about David Brunelle drooling over a young lawyer, his complicated feeling with his lover and not much of the case. And when we got to the trial? bland. (big sigh)
February 11, 2024
Great premise in the story. A brutal crime is committed by a daughter to her mother. The daughter calls the police on herself after the crime. Good details from the crime, to the forensics, picking the jury, and trial.
February 23, 2025
Brunelle is challenged with this case. The story is intense and complicated by laws, lawyers, and definitions of mental health diagnosis. It keeps building to the end, which was a very interesting ending. I really liked it and I'm sure other readers will too.
March 7, 2025
Is Dave Brunelle A Prosecutor Or A Horny Thirteen Year Old Boy!
Three books in and Mr. Brunelle is still acting like an adolescent boy every time he sees a pretty girl. It’s getting tiring.
Three books in and Mr. Brunelle is still acting like an adolescent boy every time he sees a pretty girl. It’s getting tiring.
May 10, 2025
By Reason of Insanity
This story is a very interesting concept about a person's responsibility for their actions and when they're not. I found it a page turner and was wondering how it was going to finish and the ending was definitely not what I expected.
This story is a very interesting concept about a person's responsibility for their actions and when they're not. I found it a page turner and was wondering how it was going to finish and the ending was definitely not what I expected.
November 10, 2017
Wow
Read this book none stop. The ending was not expected, kept wondering where the author was taking me. Enjoyed the book, hope you do too.
Read this book none stop. The ending was not expected, kept wondering where the author was taking me. Enjoyed the book, hope you do too.
August 19, 2018
By Reason Of Insanity.
This book was very easy to read and understand.
Lots of courtroom excitement.
A great lesson in being Criminally charged .
This book was very easy to read and understand.
Lots of courtroom excitement.
A great lesson in being Criminally charged .
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews