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Seraphim
Set in New Orleans during the bleak years after Hurricane Katrina, SERAPHIM tracks a murder investigation by a defense attorney who is driven to exonerate his client at any cost.
Two young lawyers, Ben Alder and Boris Pasternak, arrive in the New Orleans public defender’s office determined to represent those most in peril: kids who are to be prosecuted as adults. When 16-year-old Robert Johnson is arrested and charged with murder, the two set about constructing his defense, with Ben taking the lead. But years of heavy cases spark a burning recklessness in Ben. He does what he believes—what he knows—must be done. And in his fervor to absolve Robert, Ben spins a web to bend the narrative in his favor, one in which everyone is expendable—even those his young client loves most.
A riveting story of loyalty and grief that cross-examines an unjust criminal legal system, SERAPHIM combines the grit and realism of Richard Price's Clockers with the empathy and psychological complexity of Michael Chabon’s The Yiddish Policemen's Union.
Two young lawyers, Ben Alder and Boris Pasternak, arrive in the New Orleans public defender’s office determined to represent those most in peril: kids who are to be prosecuted as adults. When 16-year-old Robert Johnson is arrested and charged with murder, the two set about constructing his defense, with Ben taking the lead. But years of heavy cases spark a burning recklessness in Ben. He does what he believes—what he knows—must be done. And in his fervor to absolve Robert, Ben spins a web to bend the narrative in his favor, one in which everyone is expendable—even those his young client loves most.
A riveting story of loyalty and grief that cross-examines an unjust criminal legal system, SERAPHIM combines the grit and realism of Richard Price's Clockers with the empathy and psychological complexity of Michael Chabon’s The Yiddish Policemen's Union.
272 pages, Paperback
First published July 23, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
August 9, 2024
There is a certain frisson about books written by people who have walked the walk and talked the talk, and that is exactly what you get with this engaging legal thriller from Joshua Perry. Perry has had a well established career in the legal profession, and his dealings with, and knowledge of this world permeate the book, focussing as it does on public defender Ben Alder, and his fellow lawyer Boris Pasternak (yep, you read that right), and the challenging cases they are drawn into…
Ben Alder is an interesting and complex character, having dabbled in attending a rabbinical seminary, but now firmly rooted, representing the less fortunate in the down-at-heel underbelly of New Orleans. The book is peppered with Alder’s residual guilt and confused feelings in his turning his back on his religious studies and to some extent, his identity as a Jewish man. The references to the tenets of Judaism are instrumental in our understanding of Alder as a man, and to what moral code he operates under. He strikes the reader throughout as a very self-contained individual, who struggles to form lasting attachments, and very much a man on his own, but hugely invested in others. The most noble feature of his character is the deep-seated desire to do the very best for his clients- the almost indefensible that he chooses to represent, with the only proviso being that his client must definitely be innocent of the crime they are accused of. This determination and tenacity to do ‘the right thing’ obviously puts him in dangerous situations, but his adherence to pursuing the truth, and gaining justice for his clients is highly admirable, with whatever means he uses to achieve this. I gained a great deal of understanding of the disparity of the U.S. legal system throughout the course of this book, and how public defenders are usually facing an uphill battle to secure a fair trial process for their clients. As Alder seeks justice for a young man and his father, both of whom are characterised sensitively and compassionately, it is increasingly obvious how this system works fairly for some, but unfairly and inadequately for the poor and vulnerable. Perry captures this in his writing very well indeed, and this is the crux of what he achieves within the narrative.
This novel also reads as a homage to New Orleans, post-Katrina, and the enduring legacy and causality of this horrific event in the life of this community. Perry provides astute observations on the city both before Katrina and after, and how not only the physicality and environment of the city has changed, but how it left such long term damage to many of its residents. As in all good fiction and genre fiction, New Orleans serves as almost another character in the book. There is a real warts ‘n ‘all feel to Perry’s depiction of this city, capturing perfectly its vitality and joie de vivre, tempered by the relentless poverty, and inherent violence that permeate its less well off and deprived citizens. I got a real sense of this place and its inhabitants, from those actively seeking to rise above their environment, and those who do not have the luxury of even a chance at improving their lives.
With Seraphim, I would hesitate to label the book as just a legal thriller, as personally speaking the strands of the story regarding the justice system, Alder’s religious background, and the importance of the city of New Orleans itself in the overall narrative, make this label somewhat reductive to what I think Perry is trying to achieve. It doesn’t have the cut and thrust of say a John Grisham novel, but instead provides a quiet, perceptive and concentrated look at a legal system that is unfairly loaded for some more than others, and how some individuals strive to swim against the tide to give their clients fair legal representation. This slows the pace of the book at times, but overall I was fascinated by much of what Perry worked into his narrative, and how the work of Alder and his real life counterparts is hugely essential and I imagine, unappreciated in the U.S. legal system. Recommended.
Ben Alder is an interesting and complex character, having dabbled in attending a rabbinical seminary, but now firmly rooted, representing the less fortunate in the down-at-heel underbelly of New Orleans. The book is peppered with Alder’s residual guilt and confused feelings in his turning his back on his religious studies and to some extent, his identity as a Jewish man. The references to the tenets of Judaism are instrumental in our understanding of Alder as a man, and to what moral code he operates under. He strikes the reader throughout as a very self-contained individual, who struggles to form lasting attachments, and very much a man on his own, but hugely invested in others. The most noble feature of his character is the deep-seated desire to do the very best for his clients- the almost indefensible that he chooses to represent, with the only proviso being that his client must definitely be innocent of the crime they are accused of. This determination and tenacity to do ‘the right thing’ obviously puts him in dangerous situations, but his adherence to pursuing the truth, and gaining justice for his clients is highly admirable, with whatever means he uses to achieve this. I gained a great deal of understanding of the disparity of the U.S. legal system throughout the course of this book, and how public defenders are usually facing an uphill battle to secure a fair trial process for their clients. As Alder seeks justice for a young man and his father, both of whom are characterised sensitively and compassionately, it is increasingly obvious how this system works fairly for some, but unfairly and inadequately for the poor and vulnerable. Perry captures this in his writing very well indeed, and this is the crux of what he achieves within the narrative.
This novel also reads as a homage to New Orleans, post-Katrina, and the enduring legacy and causality of this horrific event in the life of this community. Perry provides astute observations on the city both before Katrina and after, and how not only the physicality and environment of the city has changed, but how it left such long term damage to many of its residents. As in all good fiction and genre fiction, New Orleans serves as almost another character in the book. There is a real warts ‘n ‘all feel to Perry’s depiction of this city, capturing perfectly its vitality and joie de vivre, tempered by the relentless poverty, and inherent violence that permeate its less well off and deprived citizens. I got a real sense of this place and its inhabitants, from those actively seeking to rise above their environment, and those who do not have the luxury of even a chance at improving their lives.
With Seraphim, I would hesitate to label the book as just a legal thriller, as personally speaking the strands of the story regarding the justice system, Alder’s religious background, and the importance of the city of New Orleans itself in the overall narrative, make this label somewhat reductive to what I think Perry is trying to achieve. It doesn’t have the cut and thrust of say a John Grisham novel, but instead provides a quiet, perceptive and concentrated look at a legal system that is unfairly loaded for some more than others, and how some individuals strive to swim against the tide to give their clients fair legal representation. This slows the pace of the book at times, but overall I was fascinated by much of what Perry worked into his narrative, and how the work of Alder and his real life counterparts is hugely essential and I imagine, unappreciated in the U.S. legal system. Recommended.
August 31, 2024
In the author's debut novel, Perry digs into his own past as a New Orleans public defender overseeing youth cases. It's a gripping page-turner that illustrates the bleak world of post-Katrina NOLA from the viewpoint of Ben Alder, a white Jewish do-gooder attorney from New England whose indiscretions are not nearly as impure as they could be and who is harder on himself than his mostly young Black clients and their families, as he plays both public defender and private dick. Suited-up lawyers traipsing around dark alleys and low-income housing projects have good reason to feel self-conscious. (Maybe in the sequel, Ben will trade in his pink tie for a T-shirt and jeans, ditch the glasses and get a neck tattoo—might help him get more straightforward answers from his would-be witnesses.) Despite the one-sided nature of the narrative, Perry does a nice job of portraying the complex social dynamics behind those interactions between highly-educated middle class professionals (however well-intentioned) and NOLA's low-income folks navigating a city that has chosen to move on without them. The author doesn't ignore the elephant in the room—white saviorism—but he also doesn't let it stifle either the narrative or the gritty earnestness of the main character or his quick-witted and more emotional partner, Boris. As with every aspect of the world the author describes, it is as it is; all one can do is react and play their small part.
The book oscillates back and forth between edge-of-your-seat procedural and the narrator's/Ben's ethical rebukes of the justice system; good noir always balances the two, giving more words to the former but more weight to the latter. And while each page is dripping with quick snippets (and occasional diatribes) of hard truths and commentary on the bitter state of, well, everything, it melds seamlessly with the narrative to keep the reader hanging on every word.
The narrator's philosophizing observations endow real meaning to Perry's novel. This ain't no fluff noir. In fact, it should be required reading for public defenders, judges, prosecutors, law enforcement, social workers, teachers, municipal officials, or anyone else engaging youth from underserved, low income communities. While the situation in post-Katrina NOLA was (is?) particularly horrific, the underlying realities facing these Black communities and illustrated throughout Seraphim are no less visible in theme and current across most of urban America. For everyone else not working in or somehow adjacent to Seraphim's world, it's a well-written and engaging read that throws a spot light on a situation too often ignored by the white, suburbanites who truly haven't a clue as to how bad it is out there.
The book oscillates back and forth between edge-of-your-seat procedural and the narrator's/Ben's ethical rebukes of the justice system; good noir always balances the two, giving more words to the former but more weight to the latter. And while each page is dripping with quick snippets (and occasional diatribes) of hard truths and commentary on the bitter state of, well, everything, it melds seamlessly with the narrative to keep the reader hanging on every word.
The narrator's philosophizing observations endow real meaning to Perry's novel. This ain't no fluff noir. In fact, it should be required reading for public defenders, judges, prosecutors, law enforcement, social workers, teachers, municipal officials, or anyone else engaging youth from underserved, low income communities. While the situation in post-Katrina NOLA was (is?) particularly horrific, the underlying realities facing these Black communities and illustrated throughout Seraphim are no less visible in theme and current across most of urban America. For everyone else not working in or somehow adjacent to Seraphim's world, it's a well-written and engaging read that throws a spot light on a situation too often ignored by the white, suburbanites who truly haven't a clue as to how bad it is out there.
September 6, 2024
Have you ever tried to read and understand the law?
The language is deliberately dense, verbose, and difficult to comprehend. Legalese is even a challenge for well-educated adults. Now imagine you’re a poorly educated adolescent, a kid from a marginalized community, a teenager everyone thinks is guilty of something, if they think about you at all.
This is the world we step into with SERAPHIM. Ben and Boris are two Jewish lawyers, white guys from elsewhere, who arrive in New Orleans to work as public defenders, almost exclusively representing Black kids from impoverished neighborhoods.
Don’t expect a happily-ever-after fairy tale. This story is honest, which means it’s also bleak. Innocent kids take plea deals because that’s better than the alternative. Scared and abused kids lash out, and no one asks why. Along with Ben and Boris, we look for rays of light, little bits of hope to hold onto.
This is a beautifully told story that should make you question how we can ever achieve justice on an uneven playing field.
*Huge thank you to Melville House for the free copy!*
The language is deliberately dense, verbose, and difficult to comprehend. Legalese is even a challenge for well-educated adults. Now imagine you’re a poorly educated adolescent, a kid from a marginalized community, a teenager everyone thinks is guilty of something, if they think about you at all.
This is the world we step into with SERAPHIM. Ben and Boris are two Jewish lawyers, white guys from elsewhere, who arrive in New Orleans to work as public defenders, almost exclusively representing Black kids from impoverished neighborhoods.
Don’t expect a happily-ever-after fairy tale. This story is honest, which means it’s also bleak. Innocent kids take plea deals because that’s better than the alternative. Scared and abused kids lash out, and no one asks why. Along with Ben and Boris, we look for rays of light, little bits of hope to hold onto.
This is a beautifully told story that should make you question how we can ever achieve justice on an uneven playing field.
*Huge thank you to Melville House for the free copy!*
November 17, 2024
A dark and moving novel about the criminal justice system, both a crime novel and a meditation on the shortcomings of the law. The novel takes place in post-Katrina New Orleans and features two young public defenders, who came to the city out of a sense of idealism and ambition, but who became cynical and defeated. At times, the novel falls into stereotypes (ignorant, apathetic, vindictive judges and stupid, vengeful and racist police and prosecutors), but it is saved by an appreciation that not all criminal defendants are angels (not pun intended). The book also paints a depressing picture of New Orleans and its endemic poverty. The characters are fully drawn and the dialogue is realistic and crisp. As a lawyer, I appreciated the ethical dilemmas faced by the protagonist. I highly recommend this one.
September 3, 2024
First of all, I'm proud to call the author a former colleague and friend. He's probably the smartest person I've ever worked with and is truly committed to justice. But even without that, I thought Seraphim was a fantastic read that kept my attention and painted a truly grim portrait of the American criminal justice system. There's a parallel here lining up Josh's writing and the story he tells with the city of New Orleans, the setting for Seraphim. Both are artful and unique, pushed by religion, and oppressive in their own way. In New Orleans, the heat will make you run to the nearest AC. In Seraphim, the realization that the American judicial system and economy have created populations of second class citizens will make you run to the nearest ACLU.
June 29, 2025
This is one to rank high not because of the plotting (though it works), but just because of the general feeling of simmering and righteous anger at a justice system that does no service to anybody within it. The author's years of being a public defender in New Orleans, the setting of this (time is post-Katrina), lend a profound knowledge to the novel. The use of Talmudic lore does not exactly work, but it does speak to what is the ultimate theme here: finding some sense of morality in a world that does not reward it.
August 11, 2024
Seraphim - red-winged angels which, with Cherubim, are among the first hierarchy of angels next to the throne of God. According to the Book of Isaiah in the Old Testament, they had six wings, one pair for flying, another covering the face and the third pair covering the feet.
Ben Alder is a Jewish lawyer from Massachusetts, but currently working, with his partner Boris, in post Katrina New Orleans. The pair work for the Public Defender's Office, meaning they pick up what we in the UK call Legal Aid work. It is badly paid and they deal with people who are at the very bottom end of society. The novel deals with Ben's attempts to save a father and son from a lifetime in jail. The father, Robert McTell is accused of burglary by going equipped with tools to steal copper pipe from a school abandoned after the destruction of Storm Katrina. His son, Robert Johnson is in much more serious trouble. He has admitted shooting dead a much loved community figure, Lillie Scott, who has been a leading light in the attempts to rehabilitate and rebuild the city after the devastation of the storm. Another savage murder, where four youngsters, were gunned down while they were listening to music in a stationary car, works its way into the story
Reviewers of crime fiction like to put books in genre pigeon holes. If nothing else, it gives potential readers a heads-up about the content and style of a novel. After all, there are thousands of new CriFi books published every year and, for many readers, leisure time is a valuable commodity. I have to say that Seraphim refuses to be categorised. The closest I can get is to call it literary crime fiction. Despite the blurbs, it certainly isn't a legal thriller. There are no tense courtroom exchanges between defenders and prosecutors. The world Ben Alder inhabits is a dystopia of broken lives, broken homes and broken promises, fogged in a miasma of disillusionment, cynicism and expediency.
One commodity that is notable for its absence in the criminal justice world of New Orleans is truth. Everyone, from the judge down, through legal counsel to the men shackled in cells - lies. Habitually and constantly. The prisoners don't deal in truth, because experience tells them it will bring only pain. The lawyers' version of truth is to put a story together that a jury might possibly believe, and this tale can be many miles away from what actually happened.
The timeline of the novel needs you to pay attention. Some sections are the here and now, while others are pre-Katrina. Other events take place far away from New Orleans in places like Memphis, where the homeless are temporarily re-homed. Neither Ben nor readers of this powerful novel ever do find out who shot Lillie Scott. There was certainly another boy, Willard, present on that fateful evening, but in spite of Ben's elaborate narrative - designed to be told in court - that Willard was smaller and much more clever, and Robert was clinging to him as his only friend, the 'truth' never emerges. This, of course, is entirely in keeping with the premise of the novel, which is basically that there is no such thing as truth. Ben, shyly homosexual, even invents two mythical sons so that he can throw them into conversations to boost rapport with his clients.
The narrative is shot through with grim poetry, sonnets of death, rejection and betrayal. Despite not being a devoted Jew, Ben's upbringing and education make the symbolism of the Hebrew bible very important to him, hence the title of the book. Seraphim is a provocative and potent work of literary fiction, where violence, revenge and cynicism are shared out equally between the battered streets of New Orleans and its courts of justice. Published by Melville House, it is available now.
Ben Alder is a Jewish lawyer from Massachusetts, but currently working, with his partner Boris, in post Katrina New Orleans. The pair work for the Public Defender's Office, meaning they pick up what we in the UK call Legal Aid work. It is badly paid and they deal with people who are at the very bottom end of society. The novel deals with Ben's attempts to save a father and son from a lifetime in jail. The father, Robert McTell is accused of burglary by going equipped with tools to steal copper pipe from a school abandoned after the destruction of Storm Katrina. His son, Robert Johnson is in much more serious trouble. He has admitted shooting dead a much loved community figure, Lillie Scott, who has been a leading light in the attempts to rehabilitate and rebuild the city after the devastation of the storm. Another savage murder, where four youngsters, were gunned down while they were listening to music in a stationary car, works its way into the story
Reviewers of crime fiction like to put books in genre pigeon holes. If nothing else, it gives potential readers a heads-up about the content and style of a novel. After all, there are thousands of new CriFi books published every year and, for many readers, leisure time is a valuable commodity. I have to say that Seraphim refuses to be categorised. The closest I can get is to call it literary crime fiction. Despite the blurbs, it certainly isn't a legal thriller. There are no tense courtroom exchanges between defenders and prosecutors. The world Ben Alder inhabits is a dystopia of broken lives, broken homes and broken promises, fogged in a miasma of disillusionment, cynicism and expediency.
One commodity that is notable for its absence in the criminal justice world of New Orleans is truth. Everyone, from the judge down, through legal counsel to the men shackled in cells - lies. Habitually and constantly. The prisoners don't deal in truth, because experience tells them it will bring only pain. The lawyers' version of truth is to put a story together that a jury might possibly believe, and this tale can be many miles away from what actually happened.
The timeline of the novel needs you to pay attention. Some sections are the here and now, while others are pre-Katrina. Other events take place far away from New Orleans in places like Memphis, where the homeless are temporarily re-homed. Neither Ben nor readers of this powerful novel ever do find out who shot Lillie Scott. There was certainly another boy, Willard, present on that fateful evening, but in spite of Ben's elaborate narrative - designed to be told in court - that Willard was smaller and much more clever, and Robert was clinging to him as his only friend, the 'truth' never emerges. This, of course, is entirely in keeping with the premise of the novel, which is basically that there is no such thing as truth. Ben, shyly homosexual, even invents two mythical sons so that he can throw them into conversations to boost rapport with his clients.
The narrative is shot through with grim poetry, sonnets of death, rejection and betrayal. Despite not being a devoted Jew, Ben's upbringing and education make the symbolism of the Hebrew bible very important to him, hence the title of the book. Seraphim is a provocative and potent work of literary fiction, where violence, revenge and cynicism are shared out equally between the battered streets of New Orleans and its courts of justice. Published by Melville House, it is available now.
October 3, 2024
The story follows the fate of Robert Johnson has his case passes through the system, told in short chapters which are given titles to summarise the process, so we go from ‘Apprehension’ and ‘Perp Walk’ all the way through to ‘Release’ and a ‘Closing Argument.’ Complexity is added by the introduction of Robert’s previously absent biological father, also Robert, who is a criminal but wants to finally do right by his son. This is good because his stepfather beats him, but what compromising steps will Robert snr do to save his son from a life inside.
The setting is New Orleans in the post Hurricane Katrina period and its is captured such that parts are almost tangible. The French quarter, the commercial district and the tourist areas have recovered, but much of the outlying areas are still damaged and near derelict. The homeless and junkies crash in abandoned properties, with some eking out an existence by stripping them for scrap metal and materials, thereby degrading the area further. Recovery will only come through the actions of ordinary people, but they seem powerless to help themselves.
Of the two main characters Ben is the central one and a quite a complex one at that. He’s allowed himself to be wracked with doubt and feels destined never to settle down. Interestingly this is the second novel I have read this year to feature the mythical Wandering Jew. Interestingly he suffered crisis of faith earlier in his life and now seeks a kind of redemption through his actions. Just how many people will he need to save himself.
Justice is supposed to be blind, and Ben is not above breaking to rules whilst attempting to even up the odds and thereby crossing a line. If the prosecution plays dirty and underhand why shouldn’t the defence? This is the world of the plea bargain, and the reader is left in no doubt of the industrial scale of such actions, where a judge will deal with dozens of cases in a day. Here it is a stinging polemic of a broken system, one that may never be improved.
Religion is a thread that runs throughout, Ben was a rabbinical seminary student before switching to the law, but Jewish customs and practices are still observed. Then there is the title, a Seraph being a high ranking six-winged angel, who cover their eyes when doing God’s work so as not to gaze on him. Are Ben and Boris metaphorical Seraphs blindly doing god’s bidding? There is certainly no wealth to be had doing the work they do, so what motivates them to do it, their frustrations are palpable.
The prose is nice and tight, but it is the dialogue where it excels. Lifelike dialogue is difficult to write and here our author can draw on his wealth of professional experience, it has the feeling of been there and done that about it. It has that authentic feel to it such that it would be easy to imagine it being based upon a real case. This is a tough, bleak story where no punches are pulled, told with style and a touch of panache.
The setting is New Orleans in the post Hurricane Katrina period and its is captured such that parts are almost tangible. The French quarter, the commercial district and the tourist areas have recovered, but much of the outlying areas are still damaged and near derelict. The homeless and junkies crash in abandoned properties, with some eking out an existence by stripping them for scrap metal and materials, thereby degrading the area further. Recovery will only come through the actions of ordinary people, but they seem powerless to help themselves.
Of the two main characters Ben is the central one and a quite a complex one at that. He’s allowed himself to be wracked with doubt and feels destined never to settle down. Interestingly this is the second novel I have read this year to feature the mythical Wandering Jew. Interestingly he suffered crisis of faith earlier in his life and now seeks a kind of redemption through his actions. Just how many people will he need to save himself.
Justice is supposed to be blind, and Ben is not above breaking to rules whilst attempting to even up the odds and thereby crossing a line. If the prosecution plays dirty and underhand why shouldn’t the defence? This is the world of the plea bargain, and the reader is left in no doubt of the industrial scale of such actions, where a judge will deal with dozens of cases in a day. Here it is a stinging polemic of a broken system, one that may never be improved.
Religion is a thread that runs throughout, Ben was a rabbinical seminary student before switching to the law, but Jewish customs and practices are still observed. Then there is the title, a Seraph being a high ranking six-winged angel, who cover their eyes when doing God’s work so as not to gaze on him. Are Ben and Boris metaphorical Seraphs blindly doing god’s bidding? There is certainly no wealth to be had doing the work they do, so what motivates them to do it, their frustrations are palpable.
The prose is nice and tight, but it is the dialogue where it excels. Lifelike dialogue is difficult to write and here our author can draw on his wealth of professional experience, it has the feeling of been there and done that about it. It has that authentic feel to it such that it would be easy to imagine it being based upon a real case. This is a tough, bleak story where no punches are pulled, told with style and a touch of panache.
July 23, 2025
An intense, immersive, heartfelt and lived book about the legal system and being a public defender; about childhood poverty and violence in post-Katrina New Orleans. From this book, I gained a new understanding of the cycle of violence and of lives of poverty, I learned things about being a lawyer and the legal system, both procedural and philosophical, the excruciating compromises of working within a brutal and unfair system, of seeking elusive justice within unceasing and expansive injustice. The book opens with a quote:
But how can that be?
Isn’t it true—-
Wherever there’s judgement, there can be no justice.
And if there’s no justice, there can be no judgement.
—Talmud, Sanhedrin, 6B
He probes the limits and deceptiveness--unjustness--of making stories as an argument for the court :
Did they know Ben’s plan was to strip their son’s life clean, to mine it for details to prove that he was not himself a person who could think and act? Did they know Ben would do everything to make Robert disappear from his own story, just so Ben could spin a theory that he himself could understand, where he could make himself understood?
P111
His personal discusiveness deepens the philosophical legal questions:
He thought: we are always in the boat with our fathers, at the moment when the good clear water rises up to meet them; they are always there with us, on top of the bridge. We are born needing from them, and never give up needing. . . they were disloyal, just like we are; they betrayed and abandoned and lied, just like we do; and fell short, again and again. How can we not understand that, in our time? Nobody ever promised us that we would be forever under their guardianship. They didn’t certainly. He thought: We can claim only what we’re freely given. And the corollary to that: It’s because nothing is holding us here, because we could abandon it and leave, that our loyalty means something. We’re all carpetbaggers. A nation of carpetbaggers. It’s because we’re always wandering, because we were born wandering, that it means something when we make a home; and because we’re always looking for a home that it hurts so much when it’s time to leave.
P254
But how can that be?
Isn’t it true—-
Wherever there’s judgement, there can be no justice.
And if there’s no justice, there can be no judgement.
—Talmud, Sanhedrin, 6B
He probes the limits and deceptiveness--unjustness--of making stories as an argument for the court :
Did they know Ben’s plan was to strip their son’s life clean, to mine it for details to prove that he was not himself a person who could think and act? Did they know Ben would do everything to make Robert disappear from his own story, just so Ben could spin a theory that he himself could understand, where he could make himself understood?
P111
His personal discusiveness deepens the philosophical legal questions:
He thought: we are always in the boat with our fathers, at the moment when the good clear water rises up to meet them; they are always there with us, on top of the bridge. We are born needing from them, and never give up needing. . . they were disloyal, just like we are; they betrayed and abandoned and lied, just like we do; and fell short, again and again. How can we not understand that, in our time? Nobody ever promised us that we would be forever under their guardianship. They didn’t certainly. He thought: We can claim only what we’re freely given. And the corollary to that: It’s because nothing is holding us here, because we could abandon it and leave, that our loyalty means something. We’re all carpetbaggers. A nation of carpetbaggers. It’s because we’re always wandering, because we were born wandering, that it means something when we make a home; and because we’re always looking for a home that it hurts so much when it’s time to leave.
P254
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2024
Ben Alder, the main character of Joshua Perry’s “Seraphim” (Melville House), qualifies as one of the most depressed and depressing characters I’ve ever read about. But that makes sense in the context: The 2008 post-Katrina world of New Orleans in which the novel takes place is portrayed as a racist, violent and chaotic place. Ben, a former rabbinical seminary student and now lawyer, moved to New Orleans to work as a public defender. As a northerner with little experience in the South, he and his partner, Boris, struggle with a New Orleans justice system that treats Black children as if they were animals. They have chosen to help these children – mostly young Black tweens and teens – in almost any way possible. Unfortunately, the justice system wants to handle these cases quickly and efficiently, which mostly means putting people behind bars.
See the rest of my review at https://www.thereportergroup.org/book...
See the rest of my review at https://www.thereportergroup.org/book...
October 3, 2024
Connecticut 's Solicitor General Joshua Perry has turned his time as a public defender in post Karina' New Orleans into a harrowing literary literary novel. Perry 's New Orleans is a rotted ruined city in which its poor Black citizens suffer under brutal corrupt police, a failed school system, and the book's court system that Louisiana writer Rien Fertel
describes as "a malevolent conveyor belt, offloading arrested individuals directly into prison" in his review of the novel. Perry's legal protagonists are novice Ben Alder and seasoned Boris Pasternak, white Jewish guys who struggle with humor, resignation, and commitment on behalf of their hapless and often guilty clients. At the center of the novel is fatherhood and 16 year old Robert Johnson, who is charged with the robbery murder of a beloved retauranteer. Perry writes well, investing readers in
the fates of his protagonists' Black, mostly juvenile clients, with a touch of Jewish mysticism from Ben's time in a rabbinical seminary Seraphim is a good read, but the paperback's small print was hell on my eyes.
describes as "a malevolent conveyor belt, offloading arrested individuals directly into prison" in his review of the novel. Perry's legal protagonists are novice Ben Alder and seasoned Boris Pasternak, white Jewish guys who struggle with humor, resignation, and commitment on behalf of their hapless and often guilty clients. At the center of the novel is fatherhood and 16 year old Robert Johnson, who is charged with the robbery murder of a beloved retauranteer. Perry writes well, investing readers in
the fates of his protagonists' Black, mostly juvenile clients, with a touch of Jewish mysticism from Ben's time in a rabbinical seminary Seraphim is a good read, but the paperback's small print was hell on my eyes.
January 3, 2025
There's something raw about the book - not in the writing but in the emotional undertones. Joshua Perry was a public defender in New Orleans for a decade and undoubtedly, his experience must have fed the book to a significant degree. It's not a typical mainstream legal thriller - not like a John Grisham or Phillip Margolin. Thriller is not even the right word; it's a noir-ish story of a crime, the accused and their defenders who attempt the Sisyphean task of getting a fair shot at justice despite the decks being stacked against them from the word go.
The novel feels personal, almost meditative and while the comparative commentary about how the justice system works and the teachings (interpretations?) of the Talmud can seem a bit overwrought at times, it is effective and compelling.
The novel feels personal, almost meditative and while the comparative commentary about how the justice system works and the teachings (interpretations?) of the Talmud can seem a bit overwrought at times, it is effective and compelling.
Read
August 18, 2024Astonishing. A blistering indictment of our criminal "justice" system -and of our society - but so many layers; philosophy, religion and textual explication; the investigation of a murder mystery. Most significantly, every single character is a complex, fully drawn whole navigating a heartbreaking world, trying, against hope, to tilt it ever so slightly toward righteousness.
This is not a long book but cannot be read quickly. The story is narrative, written largely through dialogue authentic to the backgrounds and occupations of our two young heroes; but much of it is profoundly philosophical with passages best read and reread with careful attention.
This is not a long book but cannot be read quickly. The story is narrative, written largely through dialogue authentic to the backgrounds and occupations of our two young heroes; but much of it is profoundly philosophical with passages best read and reread with careful attention.
January 31, 2025
Rating: 3.5
Joshua Perry, a former New Orleans public defender and current Solicitor General of Connecticut, offers this tale of two public defenders in post-Katrina New Orleans who specialize in defending young teenagers early into messing with the law. In this case, the client is Robert, a 15-year-old accused of murdering a local celebrity who is beloved in the community for her contributions to the city in the wake of the hurricane. Perry's representation of the justice system is not flattering. He also has a lot to say about human nature generally. Though the story has its slow spots it is worth reading.
Joshua Perry, a former New Orleans public defender and current Solicitor General of Connecticut, offers this tale of two public defenders in post-Katrina New Orleans who specialize in defending young teenagers early into messing with the law. In this case, the client is Robert, a 15-year-old accused of murdering a local celebrity who is beloved in the community for her contributions to the city in the wake of the hurricane. Perry's representation of the justice system is not flattering. He also has a lot to say about human nature generally. Though the story has its slow spots it is worth reading.
October 5, 2025
This book was definitely not what I expected as it was very bleak and not really a mystery/thriller. It is mostly a depressing treatise on the criminal justice system in New Orleans, from the public defenders who are trying to make a different to the criminals themselves who never really have a chance.
I often found the book confusing with regard to who was speaking, some of the plot points, and especially the religious components.
I appreciate what the author was trying to do based on his background, but the book was ultimately just ok for me.
I often found the book confusing with regard to who was speaking, some of the plot points, and especially the religious components.
I appreciate what the author was trying to do based on his background, but the book was ultimately just ok for me.
October 7, 2024
Despite being kind of hard to follow, this book was a page turner. The author’s experience really comes through, it’s a brutally close look into the legal system and post-Katrina New Orleans. Glad I read this after spring break and not before my party girl week in NOLA.
I think in the end I just prefer when books I read have clear plot based resolutions! I am happy to read two hundred pages of wandering rumination but then I like when it leads somewhere.
I think in the end I just prefer when books I read have clear plot based resolutions! I am happy to read two hundred pages of wandering rumination but then I like when it leads somewhere.
October 16, 2024
I found a write-up about this book on NOLA.com so I thought I would give it a try. Very interesting look into the lives of public defenders. Ben seemed to me to be way more conscientious than is my understanding of what public defenders do normally. He sounded to me more like a high powered lawyer traveling to the crime scene, visiting other cities pursuing justice for his clients.
It was set in post Katrina New Orleans.
It was set in post Katrina New Orleans.
August 25, 2024
The story was very interesting. I enjoyed the writing. The author writes about the justice department through the eyes of a public defender. There is one main story which holds the book together. Mr. Perry writes about other cases the main character was involved in and the actions he took defending his clients. Once one realizes what the format is, the writing makes sense.
February 3, 2025
This is a hard review to write because I didn't finish the book because it was too well written. It is so sad and I was in a sad place and I simply couldn't read any more. I urge you to try it, but not when you aren't in the headspace for a bald story of poverty and hopelessness in post-Katrina New Orleans.
March 22, 2025
I’d say this is a strong 3.5/5 stars.
The narrative is a little all over the place, sometimes hard to keep track of, but I think that lends itself well to the realism of this world and this type of work.
Seraphim is an honest and sometimes uncomfortable dive into the world of youth crime, racism in the prison system, and the extremes everyone goes to for their own selfish reasons.
Very good.
The narrative is a little all over the place, sometimes hard to keep track of, but I think that lends itself well to the realism of this world and this type of work.
Seraphim is an honest and sometimes uncomfortable dive into the world of youth crime, racism in the prison system, and the extremes everyone goes to for their own selfish reasons.
Very good.
July 11, 2025
This book has a narrow audience I think. I was interested in the relationship between the public defender and his clients. I was interested in the dilemma young poor black kids live in New Orleans. But much of this book I could not follow… or understand. It seemed to me the writer had more to say than a novel can tolerate.
July 13, 2024
A genuinely compelling look at the criminal justice system in the US, set around New Orleans in the aftermath if Katrina.
The characters are realistic and honestly engaging and the story itself beautifully addictive. Some terrific writing seals the deal.
Very much recommended.
The characters are realistic and honestly engaging and the story itself beautifully addictive. Some terrific writing seals the deal.
Very much recommended.
October 5, 2024
Contemplative and dramatically honest, this debut book offer smart writing, compelling characters, deep insight into the legal system and a depressing view of urban youth. Quite meditative, too, on the law - civil, moral and biblical. I’ll be eager to read future works by this author.
December 8, 2024
A lot of good stuff in this book, about Public Defenders and the failed criminal justice system and New Orleans. Writing was good. But meandering, side stories, more a portrait of all these topics, minimal actual plot.
December 16, 2024
Insider account of the justice system in New Orleans from a public defenders viewpoint. Two partners, both Jewish and from the east coast come to Nola to defend 16 and under. Heartbreaking, bleak, raw.
December 24, 2024
3.5 stars! Set in post Katrina New Orleans and written by a former New Orleans public defender. Two attorneys from Massachusetts, Ben and Boris share an office near the courthouse. When a sixteen year old boy confesses to the murder of a local female celebrity, Ben takes his case.
Recommended!
Recommended!
March 15, 2025
2 Jewish juvenile public defenders in NOLA after "the storm." They try to improve the lives of so many kids who have nothing. Enjoyed the compassion of these 2, but parts were hard to follow ...the legal bargaining. Found the ending totally confusing.
January 11, 2026
An alright book, but the author also has a book titled "America's End? My journey from NeverTrump to ForeverTrump" so 1 star for supporting terrorism and pedophilia. Which is quite ironic given the content matter of this book, the author should surely know better.
August 5, 2024
I found it challenging to get into this book but did finish it and glad I did. Covers a subject about which I had no knowledge, the justice system in post-Katrina New Orleans. Eye-opening.
October 6, 2024
Well written, a real feel for New Orleans after Katrina. However, I did not feel involved with either the story or most of the characters.
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