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Paul Benjamin #2
Death Sentence: A Novel
Self-appointed vigilante Paul Benjamin conducts a desperate one-man crusade of vengeful retribution, inspiring others to imitate his methods
209 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1975
26 people are currently reading
337 people want to read
About the author
Brian Garfield
106 books78 followersBrian Francis Wynne Garfield was a novelist and screenwriter. He wrote his first published book at the age of eighteen, and gained prominence with 1975 his book Hopscotch, which won the Edgar Award for Best Novel. He is best known for his 1972 novel Death Wish, which was adapted for the 1974 film of the same title, followed by four sequels, and a remake starring Bruce Willis.
His follow-up 1975 sequel to Death Wish, Death Sentence, was very loosely adapted into a film of the same name which was released to theaters in late 2007, though an entirely different storyline, but with the novel's same look on vigilantism. Garfield is also the author of The Thousand-Mile War: World War II in Alaska and the Aleutians, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for History. Garfield's latest book, published in 2007, is Meinertzhagen, the biography of controversial British intelligence officer Richard Meinertzhagen.
Brian Garfield was the author of more than 70 books that sold more than 20 million copies worldwide, and 19 of his works were made into films or TV shows. He also served as president of the Western Writers of America and the Mystery Writers of America.
Pseudonyms:
• Bennett Garland
• John Ives
• Drew Mallory
• Frank O'Brian
• Brian Wynne
• Frank Wynne
His follow-up 1975 sequel to Death Wish, Death Sentence, was very loosely adapted into a film of the same name which was released to theaters in late 2007, though an entirely different storyline, but with the novel's same look on vigilantism. Garfield is also the author of The Thousand-Mile War: World War II in Alaska and the Aleutians, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for History. Garfield's latest book, published in 2007, is Meinertzhagen, the biography of controversial British intelligence officer Richard Meinertzhagen.
Brian Garfield was the author of more than 70 books that sold more than 20 million copies worldwide, and 19 of his works were made into films or TV shows. He also served as president of the Western Writers of America and the Mystery Writers of America.
Pseudonyms:
• Bennett Garland
• John Ives
• Drew Mallory
• Frank O'Brian
• Brian Wynne
• Frank Wynne
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
November 18, 2015
This was a bumpy ride for me! The first half got me increasingly uncomfortable as Benjamin kept knocking off evil-doers for doing very little evil (but he knows from the look in their eyes that they are capable of much more than stealing the electronics he catches them with or that a purse-snatcher would kill if cornered). More often than not his victims are teenagers also. And he does get some recognition from public opinion, the press and even in the circles he himself moves.
But then something happened and the second part grabbed my interest as attempts to analyze him from different directions were made and the routine action (directly following the first book) got replaced by something else. Also, all is tightened up and you get aware of that some sort of resolution will have to come sooner rather than later. The ultimate ending is a bit of a B-movie twist, but that does not bother so much.
The bottom line is that with some editing these two books could probably have made one really great.
Both are worth reading though.
But then something happened and the second part grabbed my interest as attempts to analyze him from different directions were made and the routine action (directly following the first book) got replaced by something else. Also, all is tightened up and you get aware of that some sort of resolution will have to come sooner rather than later. The ultimate ending is a bit of a B-movie twist, but that does not bother so much.
The bottom line is that with some editing these two books could probably have made one really great.
Both are worth reading though.
January 30, 2008
First off, this has absolutely nothing to do with last year's film Death Sentence with Kevin Bacon. Sure, the titles are the same, and the movie was supposedly "based on the novel by Brian Garfield," but trust me, they have nothing to do with each other. Not a single plot point from the novel found its way into the film. Not even the characters' names are the same.
Brian Garfield wrote this after the film version of his novel Death Wish was released, and while it's not a novelization of Death Wish 2 or anything, at times it sort of feels that way. By which I mean, there is almost no reason for this book to exist, except that the novel Death Wish was adapted into a popular film, and Garfield clearly felt the need to capitalize on it. (Just to be clear, though, this book was published in 1975, years before any of the original film's sequels were released.)
Death Wish the film ended with the main character moving to Chicago. The book did not. However, Garfield chose to pick up where the film left off by moving Paul Benjamin to Chicago. Right off the bat this is sort of strange, since a major theme in the first novel was Benjamin's love of New York, despite what it had become in the '70s, and his refusal to quit the city of his birth. Also, Death Sentence could really take place in any large city. Except for street names, a few buildings, and constant mentions of "the Loop," there is nothing particularly "Chicago" about this tale, at least that I could discern. Also, one thing that I thought worked really well in Death Wish were all the minute, quotidian details of Benjamin's professional life as an accountant, especially since they contrasted so strongly with his nighttime hobby of killing junkies, thieves, and muggers with a .32 revolver. As juxtapositions go, it's nothing spectacular, but it worked, I thought. In Death Sentence, however, this aspect has been largely jettisoned.* For the most part, this book is concerned with Benjamin's activities as a vigilante, his growing romantic relationship with a female attorney who works for the D.A.'s office, and the possible existence of another vigilante on the streets of Chicago; someone who was inspired by Benjamin's "crusade."
Death Sentence also features an aged professor of law named Harry Chisum, through whom Garfield frequently commits the unpardonable sin of authorial intrusion. Chisum has a lot to say about law and order, but most of his ideas are pretty half-baked and simplistic.
In fact, the whole novel is pretty half-baked. It's OK to raise questions about crime that may have no answers, but doing so in the form of a pulp novel that has flat, uninteresting characters and plodding action is really just a big waste of time. After reading Death Wish and Death Sentence I really had no idea what Garfield was trying to say about crime, revenge, and vigilantism, and frankly, didn't really care.
*One detail that the original film changed that I thought worked really well was Benjamin's/Kersey's profession; from C.P.A. to architect. The idea of someone who's intrinsically connected to the character of a city--especially one who designs the large public housing projects that often breed crime--taking his revenge on the populace of a city for their criminal acts is potentially really interesting. There are points in Death Sentence where it seems as if Garfield is hinting at this, particularly when he describes the architecture of the ghettoes in which Benjamin stalks his prey, but it never really comes to anything, since Benjamin is an accountant, as he was in the first novel.
Brian Garfield wrote this after the film version of his novel Death Wish was released, and while it's not a novelization of Death Wish 2 or anything, at times it sort of feels that way. By which I mean, there is almost no reason for this book to exist, except that the novel Death Wish was adapted into a popular film, and Garfield clearly felt the need to capitalize on it. (Just to be clear, though, this book was published in 1975, years before any of the original film's sequels were released.)
Death Wish the film ended with the main character moving to Chicago. The book did not. However, Garfield chose to pick up where the film left off by moving Paul Benjamin to Chicago. Right off the bat this is sort of strange, since a major theme in the first novel was Benjamin's love of New York, despite what it had become in the '70s, and his refusal to quit the city of his birth. Also, Death Sentence could really take place in any large city. Except for street names, a few buildings, and constant mentions of "the Loop," there is nothing particularly "Chicago" about this tale, at least that I could discern. Also, one thing that I thought worked really well in Death Wish were all the minute, quotidian details of Benjamin's professional life as an accountant, especially since they contrasted so strongly with his nighttime hobby of killing junkies, thieves, and muggers with a .32 revolver. As juxtapositions go, it's nothing spectacular, but it worked, I thought. In Death Sentence, however, this aspect has been largely jettisoned.* For the most part, this book is concerned with Benjamin's activities as a vigilante, his growing romantic relationship with a female attorney who works for the D.A.'s office, and the possible existence of another vigilante on the streets of Chicago; someone who was inspired by Benjamin's "crusade."
Death Sentence also features an aged professor of law named Harry Chisum, through whom Garfield frequently commits the unpardonable sin of authorial intrusion. Chisum has a lot to say about law and order, but most of his ideas are pretty half-baked and simplistic.
In fact, the whole novel is pretty half-baked. It's OK to raise questions about crime that may have no answers, but doing so in the form of a pulp novel that has flat, uninteresting characters and plodding action is really just a big waste of time. After reading Death Wish and Death Sentence I really had no idea what Garfield was trying to say about crime, revenge, and vigilantism, and frankly, didn't really care.
*One detail that the original film changed that I thought worked really well was Benjamin's/Kersey's profession; from C.P.A. to architect. The idea of someone who's intrinsically connected to the character of a city--especially one who designs the large public housing projects that often breed crime--taking his revenge on the populace of a city for their criminal acts is potentially really interesting. There are points in Death Sentence where it seems as if Garfield is hinting at this, particularly when he describes the architecture of the ghettoes in which Benjamin stalks his prey, but it never really comes to anything, since Benjamin is an accountant, as he was in the first novel.
October 2, 2020
Compared to the first book I thought this one was much better. A tighter story line and faster paced action.
Taking place right after the events of the first novel, Paul's world is turned upside down when his daughter this time is killed.
Both the first and second make this a good 2 novel set to read back to back.
Taking place right after the events of the first novel, Paul's world is turned upside down when his daughter this time is killed.
Both the first and second make this a good 2 novel set to read back to back.
December 8, 2017
I liked this book more than I did DEATH WISH. The writing is better although the story is still told in a dispassionate fashion which robs it of being truly amazing. Well worth reading though.
January 26, 2023
Sequel to "Death Wish" different from the movie with Kevin Bacon. It picks up where the movie with Charles Bronson left off. The ending surprised me as Paul Benjamin tries to deter a copycat vigilante at the end and ends up having to kill him. This results in the police believing the copycat was the vigilante as he had been using the same caliber of handgun.
December 30, 2020
The sequel to Death Wish has been viewed by some other reviewers as a cash grab after the success of the film. But the narrative is a lot more nuanced and worthwhile than the actual sequel to the film.
Paul Benjamin has now well and truly slipped into a double life as a vigilante, doling out the titular 'death sentence' for every minor infraction. He has gone past 'revenge' for the deaths of his wife and daughter and is now more of a crusader, one eager to find justification for what's frankly a form of serial killing.
Other characters - notably the inspector tasked with investigating the vigilante murders - offer up a contrast between people who succumb to their worst impulses and those who are able to master them. And that's not counting the copycat vigilantes and a rising bodycount, as John Q Public slugs it out with hardened criminals and loses.
There is a slightly uncomfortable essay on legal reform, where one suspects Brian Garfield is haranguing the audience of the book with an almost fourth wall breaking monologue from one of the characters.
But that apart, this is an extremely good book, a worthwhile sequel to an original that I liked a bit more.
Paul Benjamin has now well and truly slipped into a double life as a vigilante, doling out the titular 'death sentence' for every minor infraction. He has gone past 'revenge' for the deaths of his wife and daughter and is now more of a crusader, one eager to find justification for what's frankly a form of serial killing.
Other characters - notably the inspector tasked with investigating the vigilante murders - offer up a contrast between people who succumb to their worst impulses and those who are able to master them. And that's not counting the copycat vigilantes and a rising bodycount, as John Q Public slugs it out with hardened criminals and loses.
There is a slightly uncomfortable essay on legal reform, where one suspects Brian Garfield is haranguing the audience of the book with an almost fourth wall breaking monologue from one of the characters.
But that apart, this is an extremely good book, a worthwhile sequel to an original that I liked a bit more.
November 3, 2021
Starts with some cheap vigilante thrills, wades into a few very shallow discussions about ethics, then fizzes out completely. There was an awkward love interest somewhere in there.
The original novel (Death Wish) was great, it captured a strange late 70's fear of crime and big cities, and it slowly built up to some satisfying action. This one just felt cheap. The plot was moved along (and ended) by impossible coincidences. I'd say this whole book was lazily done - the author living up to his orange namesake.
The original novel (Death Wish) was great, it captured a strange late 70's fear of crime and big cities, and it slowly built up to some satisfying action. This one just felt cheap. The plot was moved along (and ended) by impossible coincidences. I'd say this whole book was lazily done - the author living up to his orange namesake.
February 22, 2018
Death Sentence is more of a sequel to the movie version of Death Wish than the book on which it was based. The movie added to Garfield's Book, which had a very ambiguous ending, which the movie addresses.
Without giving away the ending, it seems Garfield was giving the character of Paul Benjamin an out of the vigilante business and given that Garfield never wrote another sequel, that was the end of it. But, of course, the movies continued.
Without giving away the ending, it seems Garfield was giving the character of Paul Benjamin an out of the vigilante business and given that Garfield never wrote another sequel, that was the end of it. But, of course, the movies continued.
January 5, 2013
The sequel to the novel "Death Wish" and not the movie. This has more action than its predecessor, and is much more of a page-turner. This should've been the movie, not the Kevin Bacon version.
April 17, 2025
"He was thinking: I’m an ordinary middle-aged product of a middle-class life. Just like everybody else—born innocent and taught cowardice at an early age. We live our lives in fear. Only this thing has happened in me and I can’t accept that any more. They killed my daughter and my wife. And I’m here buying a gun because I will not be afraid of them any more. I’m a madman, or I’m the only sane man. And who’s to decide that?"
Death Sentence is the sequel to Death Wish. Brian Garfield wrote Death Wish after someone vandalized his car and Garfield expressed that he wanted revenge and thought "What if someone actually did that?" The book inspired a movie with Charles Bronson that made people sympathetic to the protagonist and wishing there was actually a man in high crime areas waiting to shoot any criminal that dared attack them. This made Garfield uneasy, and he wrote the sequel to condemn the movie and people supporting its message. If you watch reviews for the Death Wish movies on Youtube, you will see people still believe we need a Paul Kersey.
Death Sentence begins with Paul Benjamin (not Kersey) in Chicago. It is mentioned that he killed seventeen criminals, and the New York City Police Department was still looking for him. His daughter was dead, so Paul decides to continue his war against crime. He doesn't know Chicago, so he befriends journalists to get the best information. He starts killing again and the Chicago police start to realize that they have a vigilante.
In my opinion, Garfield does well showing the dark side of vigilantism. He shows in the first book Death Wish that Paul Benjamin is unstable, and we see, well, we should see that this protagonist is not right in the head. Do you really want someone like that walking the streets shooting people? He is paranoid and he shows desires to shoot someone who might mug him, or the person looks a certain way.
Overall, a book that is better than its predecessor. It condemns vigilante justice and that Paul Benjamin should not be glorified and someone no one should aspire to be.
Death Sentence is the sequel to Death Wish. Brian Garfield wrote Death Wish after someone vandalized his car and Garfield expressed that he wanted revenge and thought "What if someone actually did that?" The book inspired a movie with Charles Bronson that made people sympathetic to the protagonist and wishing there was actually a man in high crime areas waiting to shoot any criminal that dared attack them. This made Garfield uneasy, and he wrote the sequel to condemn the movie and people supporting its message. If you watch reviews for the Death Wish movies on Youtube, you will see people still believe we need a Paul Kersey.
Death Sentence begins with Paul Benjamin (not Kersey) in Chicago. It is mentioned that he killed seventeen criminals, and the New York City Police Department was still looking for him. His daughter was dead, so Paul decides to continue his war against crime. He doesn't know Chicago, so he befriends journalists to get the best information. He starts killing again and the Chicago police start to realize that they have a vigilante.
In my opinion, Garfield does well showing the dark side of vigilantism. He shows in the first book Death Wish that Paul Benjamin is unstable, and we see, well, we should see that this protagonist is not right in the head. Do you really want someone like that walking the streets shooting people? He is paranoid and he shows desires to shoot someone who might mug him, or the person looks a certain way.
Overall, a book that is better than its predecessor. It condemns vigilante justice and that Paul Benjamin should not be glorified and someone no one should aspire to be.
April 13, 2024
I read Garfield's "Death Wish" about a month ago and liked it a lot. Since I had this sequel on my shelf, I decided to read it while the original was fresh in my mind.
Paul Benjamin, a mild-mannered accountant whose wife and daughter were killed by criminals who were never brought to justice, became a vigilante in the first book. He prowled the streets of New York City in high-crime areas where he knew he would be mugged, then blew his attackers away. When the heat became too intense, he moved to Chicago to continue his one-man war against crime. "Death Sentence" is his Chicago story.
This book has two problems. First, there is a "been here, done this" feeling to the story. It's the same premise as the first book. In scene after scene we see him walking the streets with a gun in his pocket, just hoping a thug will try to attack him. It worked in the first book, but the second time around the idea just doesn't have the same magic, even though the writing is excellent.
The second problem is that the book is too long. It's only 271 pages, but with scene after scene being essentially the same (prowling at night and shooting bad guys) it just felt tiresome to me. Yes, there is some relationship stuff and some decent suspense in the last 25 pages, but it just takes too long to get there. I found myself saying to the author, "Okay, I've got it already. He prowls and he kills. I just want to know how it ends." And I will say, the ending is pretty good. I had made up my mind to give this book two stars, but the clever ending pulled another star out of me.
Brian Garfield was a fine writer. And with "Death Wish" being a huge hit that spawned an entire movie franchise, I can imagine his publisher pressuring him for another book. That's what this felt like: a book the author had to write instead of wanted to write.
Paul Benjamin, a mild-mannered accountant whose wife and daughter were killed by criminals who were never brought to justice, became a vigilante in the first book. He prowled the streets of New York City in high-crime areas where he knew he would be mugged, then blew his attackers away. When the heat became too intense, he moved to Chicago to continue his one-man war against crime. "Death Sentence" is his Chicago story.
This book has two problems. First, there is a "been here, done this" feeling to the story. It's the same premise as the first book. In scene after scene we see him walking the streets with a gun in his pocket, just hoping a thug will try to attack him. It worked in the first book, but the second time around the idea just doesn't have the same magic, even though the writing is excellent.
The second problem is that the book is too long. It's only 271 pages, but with scene after scene being essentially the same (prowling at night and shooting bad guys) it just felt tiresome to me. Yes, there is some relationship stuff and some decent suspense in the last 25 pages, but it just takes too long to get there. I found myself saying to the author, "Okay, I've got it already. He prowls and he kills. I just want to know how it ends." And I will say, the ending is pretty good. I had made up my mind to give this book two stars, but the clever ending pulled another star out of me.
Brian Garfield was a fine writer. And with "Death Wish" being a huge hit that spawned an entire movie franchise, I can imagine his publisher pressuring him for another book. That's what this felt like: a book the author had to write instead of wanted to write.
December 17, 2019
This wasn't bad. It's short and Garfield has a nice way with characters It's better to read Death Wish first because it is a follow up, one of the things I like about older series novels is they assume you read the first one and save 50/100 pages of going over the history. This mentions his past but briefly and in context with his current situation.
I can't get Charles Bronson out of my brain voice when I read either book. Even though both the books and the first movie are years older than me.
It's not like any of the subsequent films, which remained in NYC, then LA. This is more a continuation in Chicago, rather than New York
The cover claims to be adapted to the Kevin Bacon movie, but it's not the same story. Nor is it the recent Bruce Willis version. In the Bacon movie, the son is killed in a random gang initiation, Kevin goes for the gang, who come back for his wife and kid.
They're good books if you don't get snobbish about it. They're not grand literature in same way the films are not listed in the annals of The Academy. That doesn't mean they're not entertaining. The Micheal Winner films (1/3) are not bad if you like that kind of thing. The Kevin Bacon one is pretty decent. The rest are not lol
I can't get Charles Bronson out of my brain voice when I read either book. Even though both the books and the first movie are years older than me.
It's not like any of the subsequent films, which remained in NYC, then LA. This is more a continuation in Chicago, rather than New York
The cover claims to be adapted to the Kevin Bacon movie, but it's not the same story. Nor is it the recent Bruce Willis version. In the Bacon movie, the son is killed in a random gang initiation, Kevin goes for the gang, who come back for his wife and kid.
They're good books if you don't get snobbish about it. They're not grand literature in same way the films are not listed in the annals of The Academy. That doesn't mean they're not entertaining. The Micheal Winner films (1/3) are not bad if you like that kind of thing. The Kevin Bacon one is pretty decent. The rest are not lol
February 15, 2021
Brian Garfield saw the movie of his book, Death Wish, and decided that he had to make it even more clear that he is anti-vigilantism. Obviously people didn't get it if they made that movie out of his book.
So out goes all subtlety for the sequel. Death Sentence is still a good read and it's good to catch up with Paul Benjamin after he moves to Chicago, another city that is rife with crime. This time there's at least one copycat out there and Paul finds something he never thought he would find again: love.
Bad shit starts happening. Worse than what happened in the first book. And more personally dangerous. Paul might even get caught.
Garfield was right. No one got the right idea from his first book mostly because of the movie. I just wish that he hadn't decided that everyone was so stupid that they needed it spoon fed to them.
So out goes all subtlety for the sequel. Death Sentence is still a good read and it's good to catch up with Paul Benjamin after he moves to Chicago, another city that is rife with crime. This time there's at least one copycat out there and Paul finds something he never thought he would find again: love.
Bad shit starts happening. Worse than what happened in the first book. And more personally dangerous. Paul might even get caught.
Garfield was right. No one got the right idea from his first book mostly because of the movie. I just wish that he hadn't decided that everyone was so stupid that they needed it spoon fed to them.
January 30, 2024
Paul Benjamin’s family has been destroyed by drug addicts, so he buys a gun and goes looking for revenge. But what happens when revenge and murder become addictive? Apparently Garfield wrote this as penance after his most-successful novel, Death Wish, had become a successful (but grisly) movie the year before. There’s some amazing action and some thought-provoking moments, but the book gets bogged down in morality and proselytizing on more than a few occasions. Ending is rushed but dramatic and lends itself to a sequel…although sadly there isn’t one. Brian Holsopple does a great job narrating for Audible.
July 28, 2022
This was surprisingly very good!
There are two parts to the tale. The first is a glorification of senseless violence. Paul is now murdering teenagers proving that his crimes are as easy to commit as the those that drove him to this point.
The second half replaces the violence with an examination of what vigilantism means and its consequences. This is the segment that makes the story more than just a western set in urban centres and leaves a lasting impression.
Enjoy!
There are two parts to the tale. The first is a glorification of senseless violence. Paul is now murdering teenagers proving that his crimes are as easy to commit as the those that drove him to this point.
The second half replaces the violence with an examination of what vigilantism means and its consequences. This is the segment that makes the story more than just a western set in urban centres and leaves a lasting impression.
Enjoy!
May 5, 2021
I like Brian Garfield (Hopscotch is one of my favorite books ever), but this one felt a little too right-wing nutjob-y for me. Worse, it fell flat as a story. Finally, it's basically self-plagiarism, since the plot is identical to Garfield's own Death Wish.
August 4, 2023
A mediocre overly-repetetive pulp novel with a couple of almost-great moments and a terrible last paragraph ending. An unneeded sequel that, like most sequels, exists solely to milk the popularity of its predecessor.
July 20, 2025
Very Good; Continuing character: Paul Benjamin; the vigilante has moved to Chicago and quickly takes up stalking and killing those preying on others, but when mistakes begin and he falls for a woman things begin to change for him
October 28, 2018
I, vigilante
What a great read! This is the sequel that should've been filmed instead of Death Wish 2. To sum it up: Nothing ever ends.
What a great read! This is the sequel that should've been filmed instead of Death Wish 2. To sum it up: Nothing ever ends.
December 17, 2018
Outstanding follow up to the iconic "Death Wish" with a very powerful, unforgettable ending!
January 12, 2019
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March 2, 2019
Oh God what's wrong with this all stories... always going the same way and ending and starting and middleling... how far are we going?
March 15, 2019
Sequel to Death Wish. Thematically no different, but the setting moves to Chicago.
May 24, 2019
I liked it Death Wish II
May 29, 2019
3.5 stars.
September 8, 2021
3.5 stars for this one. Well written gritty 70's crime novel.
October 20, 2021
Redundant sequel to a decent novel. One of the few times you could categorically say that the film (the original, anyway) is better than the books.
October 18, 2024
3.50 of 5.00 stars
November 24, 2024
This ended up as a pretty good sequel that saw our protagonist get attached to someone and then decide to live. The ending was well done, beginning was a bit rough.
April 27, 2025
Action filled!
One of the classic thriller novels! I couldn't put it down. Death Sentence will have you on the edge of your seat from the beginning.
One of the classic thriller novels! I couldn't put it down. Death Sentence will have you on the edge of your seat from the beginning.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews