Murder One

Ben Kincaid #10

by William Bernhardt

It doesn't seem possible that petite, blonde Keri Dalcanton could have stabbed police sergeant Joe McNaughton 20 times, dragged his body to a public square in downtown Tulsa, chained the corpse naked to a fountain, and hog-tied him, breaking several of his bones before she cut off his penis, stuffed it in his mouth, and wrote "Faithless" across his chest in his own blood. But McNaughton's friends on the force are convinced that the stripper was responsible. When Ben Kincaid takes Keri's case, they do everything they can to ensure that the hero cop killer's lawyer pays for her defense with his own blood, too.

Ben is convinced that Keri was framed. Beyond that, he's a little bit in love with her. The "blue squeeze" put on him by the Tulsa PD does nothing to convince him that he's wrong, not even when he's arrested and charged with complicity in McNaughton's death. Kincaid, Bernhardt's series hero (Dark Justice, Silent Justice), is a decent, hard-working lawyer who has offended too many Tulsa movers and shakers to put his still-struggling law firm into the black. When the girlfriend of one of his staffers is attacked as she's zeroing in on evidence that could free Keri, Ben plunges ahead with his defense, regardless of the danger it puts him in. Bernhardt's trademark pacing and courtroom expertise deliver this legal thriller to a riveting conclusion, with a surprise ending that most readers won't see coming. --Jane Adams

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Legal Thriller, Legal, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Thriller

414 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 3, 2001

About the author

William Bernhardt is the author of over sixty books, including the bestselling Daniel Pike and Ben Kincaid legal thrillers, the historical novels Challengers of the Dust and Nemesis, three books of poetry, and the ten Red Sneaker books on fiction writing.

In addition, Bernhardt founded the Red Sneaker Writers Center to mentor aspiring writers. The Center hosts an annual writers conference (WriterCon), small-group seminars, a monthly newsletter, and a bi-weekly podcast. More than three dozen of Bernhardt’s students have subsequently published with major houses. He is also the owner of Balkan Press, which publishes poetry and fiction as well as the literary journal Conclave.

Bernhardt has received the Southern Writers Guild’s Gold Medal Award, the Royden B. Davis Distinguished Author Award (University of Pennsylvania) and the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award (Oklahoma State), which is given "in recognition of an outstanding body of work that has profoundly influenced the way in which we understand ourselves and American society at large." He has been nominated for the Oklahoma Book Award eighteen times in three different categories, and has won the award twice. Library Journal called him “the master of the courtroom drama.” The Vancouver Sun called him “the American equivalent of P.G. Wodehouse and John Mortimer.”

In addition to his novels and poetry, he has written plays, a musical (book and score), humor, children stories, biography, and puzzles. He has edited two anthologies (Legal Briefs and Natural Suspect) as fundraisers for The Nature Conservancy and the Children’s Legal Defense Fund. OSU named him “Oklahoma’s Renaissance Man.”

In his spare time, he has enjoyed surfing, digging for dinosaurs, trekking through the Himalayas, paragliding, scuba diving, caving, zip-lining over the canopy of the Costa Rican rain forest, and jumping out of an airplane at 10,000 feet. In 2013, he became a Jeopardy! champion winning over $20,000.

When Bernhardt delivered the keynote address at the San Francisco Writers Conference, chairman Michael Larsen noted that in addition to penning novels, Bernhardt can “write a sonnet, play a sonata, plant a garden, try a lawsuit, teach a class, cook a gourmet meal, beat you at Scrabble, and work the New York Times crossword in under five minutes.”

Reviews

[William Nist · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twisting backward somersault in a pike position...3.8 degree of difficulty.

This tightly told story of a revenge murder involving a bad cop, a disaffected wife, and a teenage whore and actress, is a story that you will not understand until the final chapters. Ben Kincaid is brilliantly duped by the client he has fallen in love with. Nothing is what it seems to be. You will be surprised and edified.

Ben's assistant and legal clerk is finally a full fledged lawyer. This is her first trail. She is brilliant.
All the ongoing characters are present, although the cop is out of town for this story. Story is set in Tulsa.

[Clare · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed all the Ben Kincaid series - they're exciting and fun. Over time they got more and more graphically violent, though, and I didn't think that was a touch the books, including this one, needed. Bernhardt's defense attorney main character is so gentle and mild that the shocking brutality of many of the crimes seems like it would be too much for him to handle effectively - we're talking about a guy who took about eight books before he got up the nerve to kiss his assistant.

[Bob Davenport · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read, full of suspense. The descriptions of the violence were rather graphic.

[Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I keep reading this series because of Christina McCall. Her strawberry blond newly minted lawyer flamboyance just makes me smile and hope she’s ok from book to book. Lawyer Ben Kincaid thinks with body parts that aren’t his head so he’s too stupid to understand how valuable Christina would be if she were in his domestic as well as his work life. At one point in this book, I hovered dangerously and long over the delete key because of Kincaid’s innate stupidity. But because her welfare matters despite her status as a fictional character, I finished the book.

The plot is outstanding. I suspect some of the legal antics leave a real lawyer cringing because of the inaccuracies and/or the stretched scenarios, but they’re fun to read.

Nineteen-year-old Keri Dalcanton was stripping for a living at a Tulsa gentlemen’s club When the veteran cop found her. He convinced her he loved her, and she didn’t know about his wife. The sex was the kind of stuff that was against the law in the cop’s house, and he was more than eager to get what he needed from Keri. Ah, but the wife shows up one day, and Keri’s life changes. Soon, they’ve arrested her for the murder of the cop, and she retains big-hearted sometimes small-brained Kincaid to represent her. He gets her off on a technicality, and the local cops decide to employ a technique known as “the blue squeeze” on Kincaid and his office. It isn’t long before the cops charge Kincaid with the murder of one of their own, and he must prove he didn’t do it.

I’d recommend reading this series consecutively. You get to see a youthful almost-ridiculous Christina in the early books with her faux French accents and bizarre clothes, and it’s fun to watch her grow up and change but never completely lose that flamboyance that could make you smile in the earlier books. The mystery element is semi-twisty. I figured it out, but I didn’t figure it out in detail, and those details are worth the time you’ll take to read this.

[EvaLynn Merrill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the twists in the plot. This was #10 in the Ben Kincaid series. I thought I had it figured out twice. First, because if the double jeopardy I figured Keri did it. I actually second guessed myself, then with the brother. In the end I wasn’t entirely surprised but still didn’t expect it. I thought it was written good.
I’m reading a second book BLIND JUSTICE, the number two in the series, and am seeing a lot of the same plots and issues. I don’t care for that so I’m hoping I am wrong. I’m comparing it and hoping its not like Hallmark Mystery movies where every story is exactly the same.
If I read a third book and it’s still the same that will be it for me. I won’t read anymore.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my opinion this series is masterfully written and it gets better with each addition. I don’t think I’m giving away any secrets when I say Christina is finally a lawyer and she’s really doing well coming into it on her own. I’m glad she stayed with Ben and the firm. I’m really looking forward to see in what comes next in this series. Of course the author is taking his time with the relationship between Christina and Ben… But you know what they say always leave them wanting more which seems to be the case. Regarding this book I really had trouble putting it down. It was very engaging with a lot of different questions that were all obviously answered in the end and everything came together although not really in the way that you would think. But that’s what’s so great about the series.

[Gary E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great installment

What is there to say after the 10th book in a series? The only think I can think of in this case is to say that this book was one of the faster paced books in the series. Other than that it was completely typical of the series.

I usually describe these as equal part detective stories and court room dramas. In the case of this book the balance was about 50/50. I find these to be good well written books which are very enjoyable and this is no exception.

[Reader_Shark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ben Kincaid's legal assistant, Christina, becomes a lawyer in this one. He defends a stripper of murdering her boyfriend cop, who is married. He gets her off, then the cops find the murder weapon in Ben's office so he gets thrown in jail. Christina get him out. They put the stripper on trial again and she is acquitted. He then finds out in the end that it she did commit the crime together with his wife.

[Dan Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A police detective is found savagely slain , mutilated and hung from a public fountain. His mistress is accused. Ben Kincaid takes up her defense and gets the charges thrown out, must to the dismay of the murdered man’s fellow policemen. When a technical mistake is discovered, she is once again charged with the crime and again, Kincaid comes to her aid. Even though she is acquitted, what happens next that makes this more interesting

[Diane C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Complicated Case

I really enjoyed this particular book so much because of the courtroom drama. Ben Kincaid had another very challenging case to defend and the book ended with a number of big surprises. The series just keeps getting better!

[Carol Szalay Bongiorno · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was outrageous. Surprise murder lesbians, incest, father sexually abusing his daughter? This book was really hard to read and gave me second hand embarrassment reading how some of the characters spoke.

It was my first book by this author and most likely my last.

[Kathy kennedy · Rating 2 out of 5]

convoluted plot. way too long. This is the only one of the series that was really a disappointment.

[David Riester · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tulsa, Oklahoma--Ben Kincaid #10

[Barbara Bengston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good murder mystery with surprise ending.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good courtroom scenes. Predictable ending.

[Brett Withers]

Very good. Great twists

[Disha Khandelwal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly did not expect the number of twists that came in the book!
Truly a great read

[Donald Peschken · Rating 5 out of 5]

William Bernhardt has written another great courtroom drama novel. A lot of twists and turns make this one hard to put down.

[Dale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the others in the series

William Bernhardt has a whole collection of books he has written concerning small-time lawyer Ben Kincaid and his (mis)adventures and legal maneuverings. Most of the books feature Ben and his ragtag office staff going against well-funded corporate lawyers or the District Attorney's office and somehow coming up with a win.

Murder One is no different, except that it is not as good a book as the others he has written. In fact, I would not have reviewed this book for this forum at all except for the review quote on the cover that says, "...You never see the end coming." In today's over-hyped marketplace I've seen a lot of quotes like this, but this time it was true. I did not see it coming and that (and the accurate quote) deserves recognition.

This book, however, only rates a "3 stars" from me - it did not stay true to the strong character development that was present in the other books and I thought Ben Kincaid strayed from the character that has been built throughout the rest of the books.

I do, however, recommend any of his very early books - they are fun and well-written.

http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/

[DaRell · Rating 4 out of 5]

wow...this was actually my first legal thriller ive read and if all Mr. Bernhardt's are like this then count me into reading them all as much as i can (afford)! Christina was an absolute hound she took over the scene graduating fresh out of law school nearly knocking Ben off his throne: keyword nearly. Ben was also an impressive one too. a profoundly intelligent type of fellow meticulous in his doings and confident in his work (so was Christina). as it came down to th last 20 or so pages thats when things became climatically intense. i double took on the situation, right then as it was happening it was definitely a twist to a story you would never forget. i absolutely loved the graphic details he put in this book. from Kirk getting beat up by three little hoodlums (getting in a few licks hisself) to the rough sex scene with him and the hooker Chantelle. a classic. i would recommend this to anybody who is a fan of legal thrillers cause i know i am. im also going to give John Grisham a try.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the courtroom scenes in this book, but ultimately found the "who-dunnit" part of the story not very satisfying. I won't give away who the murderer is (I hate when people do that in their reviews) but I have to say except for this part of the story, I really enjoyed this book. There were several plot twists, and this kept the reader guessing about the outcome of the trial. For me, the best part about this book was the focus on the trial outcome, for as all readers of courtroom murder dramas know - just because a person is found guilty/not guilty of the crime, it doesn't necessarily mean that justice was done. A good story will ultimately tie up the ends after the verdict, and this story does just that - but I have to say that while I didn't like the answer of who the murderer was, I did enjoy the story as a whole and I will continue on with this author. The characters are good ones and the atmosphere created by them works well.

[Rick Ludwig · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a fan of William Bernhardt's Ben Kinkaid series, having read all the "Justice" and "Capital" titles. This is the first of his middle period books that I've read and I have to say it is the best of all those I've read. Seeing Christina in the courtroom is wonderful. Having to try the same case twice is wonderful. But the twists and turns and surprises in this book are so skillfully crafted that it is truly a writing tour de force. Bernhardt is at the top of his game in this one. When I finished reading it, I did something I never do. I said "All right!" out loud. My wife looked at me like I was crazy, but it was worth it. A great read.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lawyer Ben Kincaid defends an exotic dancer accused of killing her policeman lover. He is able to get the case dismissed when it is revealed that the policeman never presented the search warrant requested but used a presigned warrant. The police get a warrant to search his office where the murder weapon is found and thus get an appeals court to reopen the murder trial without double jeopardy. Meanwhile the police arrest Ben and put the squeeze on him at the same time his client puts on her moves.

[Sharon Bayliss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another legal thriller that's very hard to put down!

I couldn't put this book down! It has so many twists and turns! Just when you think you've got it figured out, it turns again.

Thanks, William Bernhardt for another intelligent, legal page Turner.. I love the eccentric characters and the true-to-life sounding dialogues. And the legal scenes are also very true to life,too.

I've read all the Ben Kincaid books, starting with #1 and just finished #10. Can't wait to start #11!

[LuAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

First time I've read this author - good, will pick up others. I was half right on how the crime actually went down, and was a bit surprised by the twist at the end, although not entirely. Quick, easy mystery.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

William Bernhardt rivals and sometimes surpases John Grisham in the genre of legal thrillers. This is a prime example of a well-crafted story with Ben Kincaid serving as the young lawyer charged with defending an unlikely suspect with all the evidence stacked against her.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ending was so contrived ... and I HATE when the main character is arrested or some such nonsense. Still a pretty fun and easy read.

[Carol Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

More summer reading, however this book featuring Ben Kinkaid was better written with a strong story. I liked it, I really liked it.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. It had all the elements of surprise and an ending that I didn't see coming. Interesting and fast-paced, it keeps you guessing until the last possible second.

[Joe O'Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very Good; Continuing character: Ben Kincaid and team; legal team defends woman accused of killing cop/lover, and it appears cops are trying to frame her.