Deadlock

by James Scott Bell

This suspense novel asks what if a liberal Supreme Court Justice, and the all-important swing vote, has a religious conversion that changes her whole life -- and the way she views the law?

Genres: Christian Fiction, Fiction, Mystery, Christian, Legal Thriller, Legal, Suspense

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Jim is a former trial lawyer who now writes and speaks full time. He is the bestselling author of Try Dying, No Legal Grounds, Presumed Guilty, Glimpses of Paradise, Breach of Promise and several other thrillers. He is a winner of the Christy Award for Excellence in Inspirational Fiction, and was a fiction columnist for Writers Digest magazine. He has written two books in the Writers' Digest series, Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure and Revision & Self-Editing.

Jim has taught writing at Pepperdine University and numerous writers conferences. He attended the University of California, Santa Barbara where he studied writing with Raymond Carver.

Series:
* Shannon Saga (with Tracie Peterson)
* The Trials of Kit Shannon
* Ty Buchanan

Reviews

[Andrea Montack]

Page Turner..

I made a challenge to read 60 books in 2016. I read from a wide range of topics and authors.. This is the best book I have read in 2016. Although it is based on Christian and moral principles,the author fully captured the other facets of the society that oppose those base principles. The book is well written and is hard to put down. Excellent job by the author..
One interesting note is how the supreme court is really affected by personal beliefs and not 100% law..for this reason different presidents are careful when they make recommendations for replacements. The leaning and balance of the supreme court judges can have a lasting effect on the laws,morals and direction the country takes.

[Linda]

Very thought provoking. I enjoyed that it made me think and is extremely relevant to present day.

[Roth]

The subplot in Dead Lock addresses the issue of informed consent-- the physical, spiritual and psychological consequences of the giant octopus that is abortion--in abortion law, and for that alone, I give it five stars because very little, if anything, is said on this very important topic. The mainstream media refuses to acknowledge the multiple physical and emotional complications of the procedure that can be life-changing insofar as the woman may experience damage to the cervix, scarring of the uterine lining, perforation of the uterus, damage to other organs, inability to conceive in the future, higher rates of miscarriage and premature birth in subsequent pregnancies, and in studies across the United States and in other countries, it has been found that women who have had abortions have increased their risk of getting breast and/or cervical cancer by over 50 percent! That's only the physical repercussions!

Overall, Dead Lock is very well written suspenseful, thought-provoking and compelling story.

[Jill Bratcher]

Bell excels in taking the reader inside the legal system, in this case the Supreme Court, that mystical bulwark of Constitutional law. As a middle-aged single woman I related well to Millie; I also totally "get" her strained mother-daughter relationship. I'm not completely convinced that politicians - and liberal media necessarily behave in the totally depraved manner portrayed...Oh, who am I trying to kid. Yes, I am thoroughly convinced.

Very good book!

[Kerstin]

I am finished with this book...a rare DNF.
I don’t enjoy giving 2 stars and always try to explain why. So here it is:
It moves slowly and I found it impossible to connect with the main character. But mostly it was because the plot was the same as the Robert Whitlow book that bored me to tears. Here is the formula:
A. Powerful Woman with no romantic relationship B. Powerful Woman returns to her hometown either because she or someone close to her has a crisis C. Introduction of a an unlikely love interest D. PW’s have no fathers and their mothers/grandmothers die while PW is visiting home town. E. PW has a strained relationship with God F. Parallel storylines will intercept G. Did I mention predictable???
Lastly, if you are writing from a mainly female perspective perhaps the audio version would benefit from a female voice. The End.

[Shelly]

I am writing this on 6/24/22, the morning that Roe vs. Wade was overturned in the Supreme Court. It's big news. Unique timing to be writing this book review. As a conservative Christian, I really enjoyed this book and was angry at the same time. I am always disturbed to hear about the corruption at our highest level of government... and while this is a work of fiction, I know that this type of corruption does occur. It makes me sad. I am also saddened to consider the rammifications from a personal choice to change ones thinking or position. We should have the right to do that, without the outcome described in this book, but again I know the book describes a realistic situation. I really enjoyed the story and highly recommend it.

[K.L. Ditmars]

I enjoyed this story but found it a bit clunky. There was a subplot that was loosely tied in at the end, that really didn't need to be there, and could have been cut and tightened the whole story up. I enjoyed the main characters, as they were well developed and realistic in dealing with plot developments. I was satisfied with how the protagonist's story was concluded, but some of the antagonistic characters kind of ended up in circumstances that were a bit contrived I felt.
This is the first book I've read by this author, and I will read more by him.
In the end, I enjoyed the book and found it a good page-turner for the most part.

[Mary A. Mitchell]

A different James Scott Bell

I've been a huge fan of James Scott Bell since his works were recommended to me by a woman lying next to me in a pre-op holding area. His novels' subject matter is never predictable, never stale. But Deadlock amazed & surprised me by how personal its underlying message felt. Some of his fans will probably be taken aback by the plot & his handling of it. The message took courage & tremendous skill to write. I challenge new readers as well as big fans to appreciate it as a possible view into the soul of one of the most gifted authors of our chaotic times. Let it challenge you to take a look at the bedrock of your own beliefs!

[Pamela Plumley]

Excellent, as Always!

What more would I expect from a James Scott Bell book than excellence? No less, of course!
I expect drama, mystery, depth, realistic characters (that don’t throw out curse words everywhere), and so much more! OH, and don’t forget intrigue.
This author’s writing books actually led me to his mystery books a few years ago. I wanted to study his actual technique. I’m glad I did! Wow!
Thank you for all you’ve given us readers, Mr Bell!

[Ava]

This was a very well written book with a fun story to go along with it. I loved reading the deep, critical thinking sections along with some hints of humor. The only thing that I saw were a few small grammar and/or sentence errors that were a little disappointing to see just a couple of times in the book. However, I would not let that stop you from giving it a try! Truly a great read!

[Sharon]

Great book on the Supreme Court and abortion rights. Millie Hollander is a great Justice, level headed and willing to dig into the law before making a decision. But politics always enters the picture even though it shouldn't. The results are worth the read.

[Karen]

I loved it because of the legal aspect of it. Corruption in Washington has lots of twists and turns to the story. I enjoyed the Christian aspect of it as Millicent goes on her journey to find faith in God. The Pastor was an interesting character and the ending of the book with him was great.

[Peter C]

Super Read !

Well written and an interesting topic . Awesome character development and I do agree with Mark Twain.

Really could parallel what’s happening in our country today with the weaponization of politicians and politics.

Enjoy !

[Sue]

A powerful story with surprise endings. A well written and put together plot. Interesting briefs and litigation.

[Mary Ann]

July 2020

[Shani Landry]

Very interesting look at how life can change when Christ becomes the center!

[Denise]

Good book on the workings of the Supreme Court. I liked how the near death experience changed things.

[Linda Manuel]

Excellent. Wow. Really opens up the corruptions in government and politics. Read this post Roe/Wade, the vitriol is still out there. Unbelievable. Gripping.

[Debbie Lindsey]

Favorite Author

Very well done!! James Scott Bell has become one of my most favorite authors . Plan to read all his books.

[Iva Shanahan]

Very good book. It keep me so interested and such a good story of what evil did to those who wronged others.

[Judy Wieser]

Another Good One

I enjoy James Scott Bell as an author. His books are diverse, but that’s what keeps them interesting. Glad I made this part of my summer reading!

[Libby]

I love books that make me think and learn new things and this one definitely did. It helped me think about the Supreme Court and how it should not be ruled by politics though it's decisions do cause political effects. It also led me to think about political corruption and it's affects on the law and government. It also reminded me that there is more than meets the eye behind the political and moral battles that go on in Washington DC and the fact that those who want to uphold the Founding Father's intent of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights find themselves swimming upstream against a strong current of pressure from every side. The Author writes like one well versed in the law, in fact I expected to find that he ,like John Grisham, had been a lawyer but he is not. The reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is I've been reading some amazing writers lately and his writing didn't quite measure up to that quality . I listened the Audio version and the narrator was quite good.His Name was Buck Schirner.

[Susan]

I love John Grisham novels, and this is the closest to his works that I have found in Christian fiction. Very compelling story - a liberal justice of the US Supreme Court has a near death experience leading her to become a Christian. Imagine the repurcussions!
A must read if you like legal thrillers.

[Bonnie]

An atheist newly-appointed Supreme Court Chief Justice becomes a Christian. How this affects her views of law and the Constitution, and how her new opinions affect those on the bench and in government are part of how it all falls out. Add a bit of intrigue, a bit of romance, and a subplot involving an abortion case, and there you have it. Good enough, not great.

[C. Clark]

James Scott Bell's style is smooth, and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Some places it moved a tad slow, or it would be a five-star story for me. I did not expect this book to be Christian in flavor, but I think it added to the quality of the story telling immensely. I think the ending might have been a little bit predictable.

[Zacksmom Okon]

WOW - Kudos to Mr. Bell for this beautifully written tapestry, interwoven and tied together (in the last few pages) as a satisfying gift to his readers. Highly recommended reading. Just when you expect a novel to drag out a little, he strategically places bits of enlightenment.

[Paula]

Excellent book about the Supreme Court. Very well written and it examines what might happen if a Justice changes her belief system. Some of the justices try to have her removed. Several story lines that are brought together in the end
Delete

[Nancy Johnson]

I have enjoyed all of Bell's books so far.

[Heather]

Definitely one of my FAVORITE novels. Great plot!

[Krystal]

Good book...he writes in a vein similar to John Grisham, but not quite as suspensful.