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In her third and most riveting novel, international bestselling author Jilliane Hoffman sweeps readers on a wild ride of murder and mayhem, confirming herself yet again as a major thriller-writing talent at the peak of her powers.
The prosecutor--Julia Vacanti. Young, ambitious, and facing a case that could launch her career. The defendant--David Marquette. A successful Miami surgeon and devoted family man. The victims-- Marquette's own wife and three small children. The plea--Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity. The perfect father and model husband, David Marquette seemingly just snapped one night. Or did he? His experienced defense team claims paranoid delusions caused by schizophrenia drove him to slaughter his entire family.
But the state suspects Marquette's insanity defense is being fabricated to disguise murders that were cold-blooded and calculated. If convicted, Marquette faces the death penalty. If found insane, he could walk free. To bring a killer to justice, Julia will have to journey into the mind of madness herself, embarking on a terrifying journey back into her own past--something she has struggled with for fifteen years. And this will lead her to confront a future so chilling, she's not sure she will ever be able to face it.
The prosecutor--Julia Vacanti. Young, ambitious, and facing a case that could launch her career. The defendant--David Marquette. A successful Miami surgeon and devoted family man. The victims-- Marquette's own wife and three small children. The plea--Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity. The perfect father and model husband, David Marquette seemingly just snapped one night. Or did he? His experienced defense team claims paranoid delusions caused by schizophrenia drove him to slaughter his entire family.
But the state suspects Marquette's insanity defense is being fabricated to disguise murders that were cold-blooded and calculated. If convicted, Marquette faces the death penalty. If found insane, he could walk free. To bring a killer to justice, Julia will have to journey into the mind of madness herself, embarking on a terrifying journey back into her own past--something she has struggled with for fifteen years. And this will lead her to confront a future so chilling, she's not sure she will ever be able to face it.
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First published January 1, 2007
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About the author
Jilliane Hoffman
16 books631 followersJilliane P. Hoffman began her professional career as an Assistant State Attorney prosecuting felonies in Florida from 1992 to 1996 with special assignments to the Domestic Violence and the Legal Extradition Units. Originally from Long Island, she currently lives in South Florida with her husband and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 356 reviews
July 24, 2011
This was a really boring book. It had a great premise but nothing of interest happened with it. Every time I thought it would pick up it didn't. I felt robbed with the ending as there really wasn't one. To read through the slow boring book you would at least hope for some conclusion. How she ended it was a joke. And her heroine, annoying, naive and stupid comes to mind.
December 16, 2011
There is a trend in genre fiction of the flawed hero, a protagonist with a drinking problem, two dead children, three ex-wives, four drug convictions, five ex-girlfriends, etc., the idea being, I guess, that the personal struggles of the detective/main character add something to the book besides bulk.
Personally, I often find these flaws distracting and unnecessary, adding nothing to the plot, but I suffer along because the vividness of the setting or intricacy of the story are appealing. But I always question the relevance of the backstory and often long for the elegance of Simenon, Leon, Christie, etc.
Julia Vacanti is a young ADA in Miami who is assigned the case of David Marquette, a physician who went nuts (term used advisedly) one night and stabbed his family to death. The case then revolves around Vacanti’s own troubled past (she should never, ever, in a million years, been permitted to work this case given what happen with her brother and family) and her concern with the possible inheritability of schizophrenia.
Vacanti’s romance with a lead detective was a bit forced, but the trial scenes were good.
Personally, I often find these flaws distracting and unnecessary, adding nothing to the plot, but I suffer along because the vividness of the setting or intricacy of the story are appealing. But I always question the relevance of the backstory and often long for the elegance of Simenon, Leon, Christie, etc.
Julia Vacanti is a young ADA in Miami who is assigned the case of David Marquette, a physician who went nuts (term used advisedly) one night and stabbed his family to death. The case then revolves around Vacanti’s own troubled past (she should never, ever, in a million years, been permitted to work this case given what happen with her brother and family) and her concern with the possible inheritability of schizophrenia.
Vacanti’s romance with a lead detective was a bit forced, but the trial scenes were good.
January 17, 2022
Ein wirklich sehr spannender Thriller, aber mir blieben einfach zu viele Fragen offen
March 8, 2019
For whatever reason, and I can't put my finger on why exactly, this story didn't do it for me. While the trial of a prominent surgeon who allegedly murders his wife and three small children certainly had some interesting aspects, the author really missed the boat on a twist that could have saved the entire book. I can see why Julia was conflicted with her role as second chair Prosecutor, especially after finally seeing her brother and the author makes you wonder if she isn't a little "off" herself.
March 11, 2010
Don't start this book if you have to sleep, work or do anything. It's so hard to put it down!
April 11, 2025
*picks jaw up from the floor,* Wow, this story was so so good!! There's a decent number of people who didn't like it, but I thought it was phenomenal!! It really hit home for me as I have different mental illnesses, too. PTSD, OCD, Major Depression, and D.I.D. I've come so far in my life, but it took years upon years of hard work n diligence. I do not have any form of psychosis like in this book, but despite that, I felt I could relate to the MC's brother, Andy. And for anyone with mental health problems who have had punitive actions against them with things they said or did that was directly correlated to their diagnosis. I experienced a lot of that while growing up. Or even just being severely misunderstood by loved ones who didn't really know about mental health. This story focused on certain disorders, and it was tastefully done. I hate when books or movies excessively dramatize mental health disorders just to try and get higher reviews. There are still SO many stigmas attached it and so when stories like this one do it with correct justice, I will gladly give it a high rating! This book made me feel like I was in the courtroom as the proceedings took place. This whole story just captivated me so much! I highly recommend this book to anyone who can appreciate thrillers! Well done, Jilliane Hoffman!
June 6, 2008
This is a crime novel with a message. It isn't just a fabulous page turner, it also exposes the reality of schizophrenia in a way that many popular crime novels skip over. For that reason, this is a cut above your average mainstream crime thriller.
December 18, 2015
Plea of Insanity by Jilliane Hoffman is a 2014 Thomas & Mercer publication.
This book was originally published back in 2008, and although that isn’t all that long ago, this book had a dated feel to it, for some reason.
I have enjoyed several of the thought provoking legal thrillers Ms. Hoffman has written, but this one falls way short of her usual standards.
When a man kills his entire family, he pleads insanity, which stirs up some truly horrific memories for second chair attorney, Julia Vacanti.
Nearly everyone believes the defendant is faking mental illness, but because of her own personal demons, Julia begins to wonder if maybe, just maybe, the killer is telling the truth, which of course provides her with a moral dilemma.
While this set up could have been very suspenseful, full of courtroom banter, and shed light on mental illness at the same time, it becomes a disorganized mess, instead.
The case is a mixture of notorious cases like Jeffrey MacDonald and Scott Peterson, with a Primal Fear element tossed it for good measure. But, the actual case takes a backseat to Julia’s personal issues. Julia is tense, cries all the time, makes lots of professional blunders, and allows her personal feelings to intrude on her career, which of course could have dire consequences.
I have to say, I tried to like her, tried to relate, tried to understand her obsession, but ultimately I failed. I ended up being underwhelmed with the whole story, the characters, and the author’s long winded diatribes about mental illness, that cropped up at every turn. The courtroom drama lacked suspense, the dialogue was boring, and the little twist at the end was very anti-climatic.
This author is a capable writer, so maybe this is just a one off, which happens to nearly every author if they write often enough, so I’ll just put this one off to the side and forget it ever happened. I’m sure any future releases will measure up the level of quality I have come to expect from this author.
This book was originally published back in 2008, and although that isn’t all that long ago, this book had a dated feel to it, for some reason.
I have enjoyed several of the thought provoking legal thrillers Ms. Hoffman has written, but this one falls way short of her usual standards.
When a man kills his entire family, he pleads insanity, which stirs up some truly horrific memories for second chair attorney, Julia Vacanti.
Nearly everyone believes the defendant is faking mental illness, but because of her own personal demons, Julia begins to wonder if maybe, just maybe, the killer is telling the truth, which of course provides her with a moral dilemma.
While this set up could have been very suspenseful, full of courtroom banter, and shed light on mental illness at the same time, it becomes a disorganized mess, instead.
The case is a mixture of notorious cases like Jeffrey MacDonald and Scott Peterson, with a Primal Fear element tossed it for good measure. But, the actual case takes a backseat to Julia’s personal issues. Julia is tense, cries all the time, makes lots of professional blunders, and allows her personal feelings to intrude on her career, which of course could have dire consequences.
I have to say, I tried to like her, tried to relate, tried to understand her obsession, but ultimately I failed. I ended up being underwhelmed with the whole story, the characters, and the author’s long winded diatribes about mental illness, that cropped up at every turn. The courtroom drama lacked suspense, the dialogue was boring, and the little twist at the end was very anti-climatic.
This author is a capable writer, so maybe this is just a one off, which happens to nearly every author if they write often enough, so I’ll just put this one off to the side and forget it ever happened. I’m sure any future releases will measure up the level of quality I have come to expect from this author.
January 16, 2017
Darf man einen offenbar schizophreniekranken Arzt, der des 4-fachen Mordes an seiner eigenen Familie angeklagt ist, zum Tode verurteilen?
Der Frage muss sich Anwältin Julia in "Vater Unser" stellen, und das ist nicht das Einzige, dem sie sich im Laufe der Geschichte stellen muss, denn sowohl der Anklagte als auch sie selbst haben Geheimnisse, die ihrer beider Leben bald so richtig durcheinander wirbeln werden. Und als wäre das nicht schon genug Chaos in Julias Leben, das im Grunde nur zwischen Arbeit, Gerichtsprozessen und der kleinen Fickaffäre mit dem Oberstaatsanwält besteht, drängelt sich dann auch noch der ermittelnde Detective in dem Mordfall langsam, aber stetig in ihre Gedanken.
Und mehr sage ich jetzt nicht, denn das Buch ist viel zu dick, um den ganzen Inhalt in kurzen Worten wiederzugeben. Vor allem, da mit jedem weiteren Kapitel neue Ent- und weitere Verwicklungen auftauchen, die Julias ohnehin schon kompliziertes Leben noch verworrener machen.
Ein sehr gutes Buch, das sich mit einer Krankheit befasst, die immer noch viel zu sehr in Schubladen gesteckt wird, weil man sie nur schwer versteht und noch weniger verständlich erklären kann. Wie soll man auch Mitgefühl mit jemandem empfinden, der seine eigene Frau und seine drei Kinder abschlachtet, weil sie angeblich vom Teufel besessen sind? Anderererseits, wie kann man diesen Mann mit gutem Gewissen in die Todeszelle schicken, wo doch ziemlich offensichtlich zu sein scheint, dass er nicht alle Latten am Zaun hat, um es mal so salopp zu bezeichnen.
Doch ist David Marquette wirklich unschuldig bzw. unzurechnungsfähig? Oder simuliert er das Ganze nur, um der Todesstrafe zu entgehen?
Ich gestehe, ich weiß es selbst jetzt nicht. Man kann den Leuten nicht in den Kopf gucken und das Buch ist so geschrieben, dass diese Frage nicht wirklich abschließend geklärt wird. Wie so oft bei Fällen von Schizophrenie.
Auf jeden Fall vergebe ich volle Punktzahl und eine dicke Leseempfehlung für das Buch.
Der Frage muss sich Anwältin Julia in "Vater Unser" stellen, und das ist nicht das Einzige, dem sie sich im Laufe der Geschichte stellen muss, denn sowohl der Anklagte als auch sie selbst haben Geheimnisse, die ihrer beider Leben bald so richtig durcheinander wirbeln werden. Und als wäre das nicht schon genug Chaos in Julias Leben, das im Grunde nur zwischen Arbeit, Gerichtsprozessen und der kleinen Fickaffäre mit dem Oberstaatsanwält besteht, drängelt sich dann auch noch der ermittelnde Detective in dem Mordfall langsam, aber stetig in ihre Gedanken.
Und mehr sage ich jetzt nicht, denn das Buch ist viel zu dick, um den ganzen Inhalt in kurzen Worten wiederzugeben. Vor allem, da mit jedem weiteren Kapitel neue Ent- und weitere Verwicklungen auftauchen, die Julias ohnehin schon kompliziertes Leben noch verworrener machen.
Ein sehr gutes Buch, das sich mit einer Krankheit befasst, die immer noch viel zu sehr in Schubladen gesteckt wird, weil man sie nur schwer versteht und noch weniger verständlich erklären kann. Wie soll man auch Mitgefühl mit jemandem empfinden, der seine eigene Frau und seine drei Kinder abschlachtet, weil sie angeblich vom Teufel besessen sind? Anderererseits, wie kann man diesen Mann mit gutem Gewissen in die Todeszelle schicken, wo doch ziemlich offensichtlich zu sein scheint, dass er nicht alle Latten am Zaun hat, um es mal so salopp zu bezeichnen.
Doch ist David Marquette wirklich unschuldig bzw. unzurechnungsfähig? Oder simuliert er das Ganze nur, um der Todesstrafe zu entgehen?
Ich gestehe, ich weiß es selbst jetzt nicht. Man kann den Leuten nicht in den Kopf gucken und das Buch ist so geschrieben, dass diese Frage nicht wirklich abschließend geklärt wird. Wie so oft bei Fällen von Schizophrenie.
Auf jeden Fall vergebe ich volle Punktzahl und eine dicke Leseempfehlung für das Buch.
January 11, 2012
Hmmm. How to describe this one? The lead cast of characters:
Assistant District Attorney: Was a victim of violence as a child, has a schizophrenic brother that was connected to the violence. Is sleeping with...
District Attorney: Who assigns her to a high-profile case, though she's never done one before.
Defendent: A man accused of murder. He is either a schizophrenic or a psychopath with very rich parents.
Detective: Investigating the murder, is interested in the ADA.
The whole book is a giant mindgame about who is believable, and who will win. I wasn't happy with the ending, as I feel that the ADA was left more wounded than she was at the beginning. My preference would have been to have her go through hell as a cathartic experience and have her come out stronger at the end.
Would be interested to see if others felt the same way.
Assistant District Attorney: Was a victim of violence as a child, has a schizophrenic brother that was connected to the violence. Is sleeping with...
District Attorney: Who assigns her to a high-profile case, though she's never done one before.
Defendent: A man accused of murder. He is either a schizophrenic or a psychopath with very rich parents.
Detective: Investigating the murder, is interested in the ADA.
The whole book is a giant mindgame about who is believable, and who will win. I wasn't happy with the ending, as I feel that the ADA was left more wounded than she was at the beginning. My preference would have been to have her go through hell as a cathartic experience and have her come out stronger at the end.
Would be interested to see if others felt the same way.
June 5, 2018
In this book from 2009, Assistant State Attorney Julia Vacanti is chosen as 2nd chair in a highly public murder trial. A medical doctor viciously murdered his wife and 3 young children and deliberately wounded himself to throw off suspicion. That didn't work for one second. Defended by a high priced attorney, the doctor pleads insanity. Unknown to her boss and co-workers, Julia has a past that will come back to haunt her.
If you are looking to read a book about schizophrenia, this one would be good. Mental illness is front and center in this story. Julia had her moments but overall, I didn't feel she was a strong character. I liked parts of the book but the ending paled for me. Suggestions were there concerning the twin brother, someone else doing the killing, or the doctor faking it, but none of these theories went anywhere. I wanted the twist to come. But I liked the writing style and would definitely read another book by this author.
If you are looking to read a book about schizophrenia, this one would be good. Mental illness is front and center in this story. Julia had her moments but overall, I didn't feel she was a strong character. I liked parts of the book but the ending paled for me. Suggestions were there concerning the twin brother, someone else doing the killing, or the doctor faking it, but none of these theories went anywhere. I wanted the twist to come. But I liked the writing style and would definitely read another book by this author.
July 11, 2019
A late night read that succeeded in one thing only: putting me to sleep. This book did not work for me; from the start we find out that the young female prosecutor has not earned second chair in a high-profile murder case, rather she has "slept" her way to that position. One would think (even in 2008) that a female author would not create such a "heroine" or if she did that she would allow that heroine to display a level of knowledge that justifies her assignment at some point in the narrative. But this never happens; in fact, one finds it difficult to comprehend how this character managed to complete law school -- unless of course, she slept her way to her degree as well. Definitely not the strong female heroine one would hope for and not even an interestingly flawed heroine -- just another stereotype of the bimbo woman who gets by mainly on her looks.
March 17, 2022
Am Anfang fand ich zog es sich echt etwas hin, auch wenn einige Stellen einem eine Gänsehaut verpassten. Aber ab ungefähr der Mitte es Buches wurde es wirklich sehr spannend. Es fiel schwer das Buch weg zu leben.
Bis zur letzten Seite .. Sogar jetzt beim Schreiben stelle ich mir die Frage: wurde die richtige Entscheidung getroffen ???
Schizophrenie ist eine wirklich sehr interessante aber gleichzeitig grausame psychische Erkrankung.
Und dadurch, dass sie so schwer zu diagnostizieren ist macht es um so schwere richtig urteilen zu können.
War es richtig so .. war es falsch ?? War er krank oder doch ein kaltblütiges Monster ??
Fragen über fragen, die keiner so wirklich beantworten kann. Was das Buch so gut macht - meiner Meinung nach - man kann nicht aufhören sich mit dem Buch zu beschäftigten/ darüber nach zu denken.
„Der gleiche Körper, aber zwei vollkommen unterschiedliche Menschen. Die gleiche Handlung, aber zwei vollkommen unterschiedliche Geschichten“
Bis zur letzten Seite .. Sogar jetzt beim Schreiben stelle ich mir die Frage: wurde die richtige Entscheidung getroffen ???
Schizophrenie ist eine wirklich sehr interessante aber gleichzeitig grausame psychische Erkrankung.
Und dadurch, dass sie so schwer zu diagnostizieren ist macht es um so schwere richtig urteilen zu können.
War es richtig so .. war es falsch ?? War er krank oder doch ein kaltblütiges Monster ??
Fragen über fragen, die keiner so wirklich beantworten kann. Was das Buch so gut macht - meiner Meinung nach - man kann nicht aufhören sich mit dem Buch zu beschäftigten/ darüber nach zu denken.
„Der gleiche Körper, aber zwei vollkommen unterschiedliche Menschen. Die gleiche Handlung, aber zwei vollkommen unterschiedliche Geschichten“
April 22, 2020
I became a well educated reader after finishing this story. There were two plots: one about Julie's brother who murdered her family years ago and the other where she was co-council in order to prosecute a man accused of murdering his entire family, including the children. Julia is tormented and obsessed with both matters. It definitely was a book that pulled you in and kept you there. Was the doctor insane or wasn't he? I did not like the ending of that trial and what ultimately happened to Julia. It left me feeling depressed. It must have been well written though, because it got to me.
November 8, 2024
Started off a little slow, then 3 twists later I couldn't believe I had finished it. Wonderfully thought provoking and insightful to mental illness and schizophrenia. Was like reading a law and order two episode arch story.
September 27, 2017
Relativ langweilig und langatmig und teilweise nicht nachvollziehbar für mich. Es fing extrem gut an, lies dann aber stark nach.
October 28, 2025
3,5 Sterne
September 10, 2016
For an example as to why people not licensed in mental health should not write books with mental health as the main topic, please read this train wreck of a book.
First of all, the "Schizophrenic" defendant was being administered an antipsychotic (Thorazine) that is conservatively prescribed as there are newer drugs with less side effects. It's a first generation antipsychotic, and is used cautiously as it can cause permanent side effects such as tardive dyskinesia, which the defendant was already experiencing (tongue rolling).
However, for the defendant to be on such a high dose of meds, he wouldn't be competent to stand trial. Oddly, even his own lawyer didn't notice that the defendant was a vegetable. And yet... He still managed to yell out that he killed his family to save them (at the ideal moment, nonetheless). This wouldn't have been possible considering how drugged he was.
Also odd was the fact that no one considered the fact that the defendant drove three hours to kill his family, giving him enough time to get back to his seminar. That shows intent and premeditation, Schizophrenic or not. He knew what he was going to do was wrong, which is why he planned it so that he'd have an alibi. That throws the insanity plea out the window, and I don't understand why it wasn't a major factor for the prosecution.
Finally, it's a myth that Schizophrenics are highly dangerous. In fact, it's PSYCHOSIS that's the cause of 5% of crime, and you don't have to be Schizophrenic to be psychotic. 10% of Schizophrenics commit suicide, and more Schizophrenics are the victims of violent crimes than the perpetrators. Think about that, because Schizophrenics are portrayed in this book as possessing some sort of "killer" gene.
First of all, the "Schizophrenic" defendant was being administered an antipsychotic (Thorazine) that is conservatively prescribed as there are newer drugs with less side effects. It's a first generation antipsychotic, and is used cautiously as it can cause permanent side effects such as tardive dyskinesia, which the defendant was already experiencing (tongue rolling).
However, for the defendant to be on such a high dose of meds, he wouldn't be competent to stand trial. Oddly, even his own lawyer didn't notice that the defendant was a vegetable. And yet... He still managed to yell out that he killed his family to save them (at the ideal moment, nonetheless). This wouldn't have been possible considering how drugged he was.
Also odd was the fact that no one considered the fact that the defendant drove three hours to kill his family, giving him enough time to get back to his seminar. That shows intent and premeditation, Schizophrenic or not. He knew what he was going to do was wrong, which is why he planned it so that he'd have an alibi. That throws the insanity plea out the window, and I don't understand why it wasn't a major factor for the prosecution.
Finally, it's a myth that Schizophrenics are highly dangerous. In fact, it's PSYCHOSIS that's the cause of 5% of crime, and you don't have to be Schizophrenic to be psychotic. 10% of Schizophrenics commit suicide, and more Schizophrenics are the victims of violent crimes than the perpetrators. Think about that, because Schizophrenics are portrayed in this book as possessing some sort of "killer" gene.
February 15, 2014
After reading Jilliane Hoffman all I can say is John Grisham who? Damn this woman can write a wicked good legal thriller! Fast paced, on your toes action and always making you guess what the heck is gonna happen next.
Dr. David Marquette is a successful surgeon living the life in Miami. Married with three kids, he has a picture perfect life. That is, until he decides to slaughter his wife and children. Cue in Julia Valenciano, your ordinary "fight the trenches" lawyer. She is pleasantly surprised when she gets recruited for the prosecution as second chair, as this could be the launch her career needs. The defence is claiming Dr. Marquette is innocent by pleading insanity arguing that he is schizophrenic. From here, the action spins and swirls from gruesome crime scenes to flashbacks to Julia´s childhood; where a terrible secret has been waiting to resurface. Will David Marquette be sentenced to death if found guilty or confined to a mental facility if found innocent? The ending will make your skin crawl, I guarantee it.
Dr. David Marquette is a successful surgeon living the life in Miami. Married with three kids, he has a picture perfect life. That is, until he decides to slaughter his wife and children. Cue in Julia Valenciano, your ordinary "fight the trenches" lawyer. She is pleasantly surprised when she gets recruited for the prosecution as second chair, as this could be the launch her career needs. The defence is claiming Dr. Marquette is innocent by pleading insanity arguing that he is schizophrenic. From here, the action spins and swirls from gruesome crime scenes to flashbacks to Julia´s childhood; where a terrible secret has been waiting to resurface. Will David Marquette be sentenced to death if found guilty or confined to a mental facility if found innocent? The ending will make your skin crawl, I guarantee it.
March 30, 2017
Thrilling and unputdownable. A fast paced, fab read.
June 1, 2018
Very suspenseful but the ending was HORRIBLE. Creepy and awful.
November 14, 2024
4,5⭐
Nicht ganz das was ich erwartet habe aber trotzdem ein sehr gutes Buch, bei dem ich mich manchmal richtig unwohl gefühlt habe und einige male schlucken musste. Teilweise war die Geschichte richtig traurig und mir selbst kamen bald die Tränen und trotzdem gab es auch immer wieder stellen die mich zum Schmunzeln gebracht haben. Alles in allem wieder ein gutes Jillian Hoffmann Buch. Hoffentlich schreibt die Gute noch weiter, denn bis auf Samariter habe ich leider alles schon gelesen.
Nicht ganz das was ich erwartet habe aber trotzdem ein sehr gutes Buch, bei dem ich mich manchmal richtig unwohl gefühlt habe und einige male schlucken musste. Teilweise war die Geschichte richtig traurig und mir selbst kamen bald die Tränen und trotzdem gab es auch immer wieder stellen die mich zum Schmunzeln gebracht haben. Alles in allem wieder ein gutes Jillian Hoffmann Buch. Hoffentlich schreibt die Gute noch weiter, denn bis auf Samariter habe ich leider alles schon gelesen.
May 21, 2023
Solider und spannender Gerichtsthriller, der mich gut unterhalten hat. Gerichtsthriller sind sonst nicht so meines, aber hier wurde das Thema Zurechnungsfähigkeit und psychische Erkrankung mit eingewoben, so dass es mich dann doch gepackt hat. Das Ende hat mich nicht direkt überrascht, war aber schlüssig.
July 18, 2025
Kwam een beetje traag op gang en ik vond de personen net niet diepgaand genoeg, maar werd toch wel weer geïntrigeerd door het verhaal en ook het stukje wat je zelf kunt invullen hoe het gegaan is... (cryptisch hé)
February 27, 2023
I did enjoy this book
June 1, 2023
Ein extrem spannender Gerichtsthriller.
Bei dem Ende hätte ich eine Art Fortsetzung erwartet, die es leider nicht gibt
Bei dem Ende hätte ich eine Art Fortsetzung erwartet, die es leider nicht gibt
May 10, 2015
Vielleicht bin ich einfach kein Fan von juristischen Krimis und Thrillern (wobei mir "Die Firma" von Grisham sehr gut gefallen hat). Mir hat dieses Buch auf jeden Fall nicht wirklich zugesagt.
Ich muss sagen, dass mir hier der Fokus zu sehr auf Julia und ihr Leiden gelegt war. Ich habe kein Problem damit, wenn Charaktere in solchen Büchern irgendwie ein Problem haben, Alkohol, Rauchen, beziehungsunfähig. Selbst ein schrecklicher Tod in der Familie, alles gut und schön. Aber hier war mir das alles zu sehr konstruiert. Julia hat ihre Familie auf schreckliche Weise verloren und das ist auch noch ähnlich abgelaufen, wie es jetzt bei der Familie Marquette der Fall war. Und natürlich wird sie von dem Staatsanwalt gefragt, ob sie als zweite Anwältin beim Prozess dabei sein möchte und natürlich kommen dann alle Erinnerungen wieder hervor und Julia bekommt das nicht wirklich auf die Reihe.
Außerdem waren ein paar Dinge dabei, wo ich mir gewünscht hätte, dass sie nicht nur am Rande erwähnt werden, sondern noch weitergeführt werden. In einem kurzen Kapitel wird nämlich erzählt, wie jemand eine Familie beschattet und eigentlich nur darauf wartet, sie umzubringen. Danach wird diese Sache aber überhaupt nicht mehr darauf eingegangen. Und eine weitere Sache in der Art wird noch eingebaut. Aber auch hier: Es passiert nichts weiter. Man hat fast als Leser das Gefühl, dass die Autorin noch irgendetwas einbauen musste, damit das ganze Buch eben nicht nur eine Wiedergabe des Prozesses gegen Marquette und eine Darstellung von Julias Privatleben ist.
Zusammengefasst: Eine gute Idee, die man durchaus besser hätte ausschöpfen können. (Ich hatte zwischendurch eine Vermutung zur Handlung, was allerdings dann nicht eingetreten ist. Wenn ich mir es jetzt so überlege, wäre es toll gewesen, wenn sie so eingetreten wäre ...) Mir war auch hier der Fokus zu sehr auf Julias privaten Problemen und gerade das Ende hat mir überhaupt nicht gefallen. Damit ich aber nicht spoiler, schreibe ich dazu mal besser nichts weiter ...
Leider kann ich dem Buch nicht mehr als 2 von 5 Sternen geben und möchte es auch niemandem empfehlen ...
Ich muss sagen, dass mir hier der Fokus zu sehr auf Julia und ihr Leiden gelegt war. Ich habe kein Problem damit, wenn Charaktere in solchen Büchern irgendwie ein Problem haben, Alkohol, Rauchen, beziehungsunfähig. Selbst ein schrecklicher Tod in der Familie, alles gut und schön. Aber hier war mir das alles zu sehr konstruiert. Julia hat ihre Familie auf schreckliche Weise verloren und das ist auch noch ähnlich abgelaufen, wie es jetzt bei der Familie Marquette der Fall war. Und natürlich wird sie von dem Staatsanwalt gefragt, ob sie als zweite Anwältin beim Prozess dabei sein möchte und natürlich kommen dann alle Erinnerungen wieder hervor und Julia bekommt das nicht wirklich auf die Reihe.
Außerdem waren ein paar Dinge dabei, wo ich mir gewünscht hätte, dass sie nicht nur am Rande erwähnt werden, sondern noch weitergeführt werden. In einem kurzen Kapitel wird nämlich erzählt, wie jemand eine Familie beschattet und eigentlich nur darauf wartet, sie umzubringen. Danach wird diese Sache aber überhaupt nicht mehr darauf eingegangen. Und eine weitere Sache in der Art wird noch eingebaut. Aber auch hier: Es passiert nichts weiter. Man hat fast als Leser das Gefühl, dass die Autorin noch irgendetwas einbauen musste, damit das ganze Buch eben nicht nur eine Wiedergabe des Prozesses gegen Marquette und eine Darstellung von Julias Privatleben ist.
Zusammengefasst: Eine gute Idee, die man durchaus besser hätte ausschöpfen können. (Ich hatte zwischendurch eine Vermutung zur Handlung, was allerdings dann nicht eingetreten ist. Wenn ich mir es jetzt so überlege, wäre es toll gewesen, wenn sie so eingetreten wäre ...) Mir war auch hier der Fokus zu sehr auf Julias privaten Problemen und gerade das Ende hat mir überhaupt nicht gefallen. Damit ich aber nicht spoiler, schreibe ich dazu mal besser nichts weiter ...
Leider kann ich dem Buch nicht mehr als 2 von 5 Sternen geben und möchte es auch niemandem empfehlen ...
June 21, 2016
I have mixed feelings about this book. For most of it, it was a great read, but the plot collapsed during the latter stages. What particularly annoyed me was the non-resolution of several key points. I'm reluctant to say which ones, as I don't want to give plot spoilers, but a couple of important issues never got explained. The novel examines schizophrenia, so I'm guessing the author wanted to leave the reader also unsure what was real and and what wasn't. As a literary device, though, that doesn't work in my opinion. Especially as Hoffman also stresses that for schizophrenics, they're convinced their world is real, with no doubts. The resolution of Marquette's trial also seemed unlikely. A shame, seeing as for 80% of the book, this was an entertaining read.
December 26, 2007
Obviously my personal opinion, but this was a great disappointment to me after Hoffman's excellent first two books. The last one, Last Witness, ended in such a way that it left the series very open for a third in the series.
For some reason Hoffman has ignored that and gone off on a completely different track of almost amateur psychologist and the study of mental illness.
Maybe it would be OK for people who have not read her first two as they would not have the high expectations created by those excellent stories, but for me it was a let down.
For some reason Hoffman has ignored that and gone off on a completely different track of almost amateur psychologist and the study of mental illness.
Maybe it would be OK for people who have not read her first two as they would not have the high expectations created by those excellent stories, but for me it was a let down.
December 14, 2012
Not as good as some of her other books. It was a good read and provided some insights into the condition of schizophrenia and how mental illness is handled under the law and the difficulties of accurately diagnosing it.
The main character (Julia Vacanti) comes across as a bit weak, not for the obvious reasons of being stressed by the circumstances of the case but in her attitudes to men. She's 28 for chrissakes and sleeping with her boss and then being all thingy about it. The story covered a difficult case and that part was really done well.
The main character (Julia Vacanti) comes across as a bit weak, not for the obvious reasons of being stressed by the circumstances of the case but in her attitudes to men. She's 28 for chrissakes and sleeping with her boss and then being all thingy about it. The story covered a difficult case and that part was really done well.
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