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Deadly Dining
A triple homicide is caught on tape by a professional photographer, yet the person or persons responsible and the motive for this grisly crime are a mystery. This is the kind of high-profile murder case that attorney Paula Waters loves, but as she tries to unravel the twisted facts a critical witness is murdered and two others disappear. When the trial finally begins and she thinks she has everything figured out, Stan informs her that she has it all wrong! Paula isn’t happy with Stan’s revelations, particularly since he has been of little help to her during the trial. In the past he has been right there with her from the beginning to the end, but this time he has been busy helping their new associate Jodie Marshall with her defense of an ex-Army MP who thwarted a thief in a jewelry store heist, but managed to shoot the store owner in the process. Stan has his own troublesome bankruptcy case too. A Pakistani immigrant has been defrauded of his life savings of $250,000 by a thug preying on fellow countrymen seeking to immigrate to the U.S. Stan puts his client into a chapter 11 reorganization but the thug has little respect for U.S. laws or its judicial system, causing Stan’s plan to go awry. Stan’s unexplained absences from the office further exacerbate his shaky relations with Paula, particularly when she discovers he’s apparently having liaisons with a hooker!
- GenresMystery
340 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2014
4 people are currently reading
705 people want to read
About the author
William Manchee
41 books192 followersWilliam Manchee is an attorney by trade and practices consumer law in Texas with his son Jim. Originally from southern California, he now lives in Plano, Texas. He is the author of 25 novels including the Stan Turner Mysteries, Rich Coleman Novels, and the Tarizon Saga.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
February 13, 2015
This is a good murder mystery with lots of people who were suspects. As the book went along more suspects turned up. It kept my interest until the end. The story had several parallel stories, some love interests and the inevitable nosey law partner. I received this book from Goodreads for free.
January 2, 2019
I received a free copy of Deadly Dining from Voracious readers only.
I'm glad I did.
This was an easy to read crime/court case novel which kept me interested all the way through with its mixture of plots and unexpected twists and turns throughout.
A good read!
I'm glad I did.
This was an easy to read crime/court case novel which kept me interested all the way through with its mixture of plots and unexpected twists and turns throughout.
A good read!
August 25, 2017
This was an interesting but somewhat passionless book, partly because everything is set in the context of a law office where a murder case, a civil suit and a bankruptcy are being handled and partly because of the writing style. Even so, watching the cases spool out was interesting and the reader does learn something about the law. As I often do, I think the book could have done without the sex component of the lawyers' personal lives except in the one situation where it was actually relevant to the story.
March 29, 2015
I also received this book free from Goodreads.
My first impression was "what is the creepy material the cover is made of?" I had to cover it in saran wrap.
I have never read a William Manchee book before. I found the characters and the three cases they worked on interesting; but did no one edit this book before it was printed? There were errors every few pages. Starting with the very first page where Stan takes his cell phone from his pocket - in 1997 cell phones (actually still called mobile phones then) did not yet fit in a pocket.
The characters names are constantly incorrect, sometimes even in the same paragraph. Then there's all the incorrect punctuation. Someone has a real fixation on question marks.
And of major error are the skewered time lines of events. For example, on page 81 bottom of first paragraph, "Ram and his wife were alone talking to a police officer." Farther down the page, "After the officer left, Stan shook his head. 'Where's your wife?'
'I told her to go in the back room and lock the door.'
'Stan laughed. 'Well, you better go tell her the coast is clear.'"
Or how about page 151, where Paula receives the Motion To Consolidate but on page 172 she tells Bart she hadn't heard that the DA had filed a Motion To Consolidate?
And again on page 183 Stan says that Sandy's husband "Being an insurance agent I'm sure he had a boatload of insurance." However, Sandy's husband was John and he was in dry oil wells. Bill Rice was the insurance agent.
On page 169 Jodie is told that the aerobic classes are Thursdays at 3:30. On page 190 Jodie and Brandon invite Evelyn Sanders out to DINNER after class. Then Jodie goes back to the office and gets a phone call from Carl saying Evelyn was found dead in her backyard at 3:30 that day. How is that possible?
And my favorite, on page 243 why is the DA questioning the architect about the financial consequences to Wilkinson,et.al., due to the delay in the Highland Corners Project? Why would the architect have that information? Why didn't Paula object????????
One last one. Page 287 in Jodie's trail "The bailiff opened a side door and the twelve jurors...walked in. There were eight women and four men. Four were Black, three Latino, and seven Caucasian." (4+3+7 = 14)
Like I said earlier, putting aside all the editing errors which drove me nuts and really slowed down my reading, the characters were likable and their cases were an interesting mix.
My first impression was "what is the creepy material the cover is made of?" I had to cover it in saran wrap.
I have never read a William Manchee book before. I found the characters and the three cases they worked on interesting; but did no one edit this book before it was printed? There were errors every few pages. Starting with the very first page where Stan takes his cell phone from his pocket - in 1997 cell phones (actually still called mobile phones then) did not yet fit in a pocket.
The characters names are constantly incorrect, sometimes even in the same paragraph. Then there's all the incorrect punctuation. Someone has a real fixation on question marks.
And of major error are the skewered time lines of events. For example, on page 81 bottom of first paragraph, "Ram and his wife were alone talking to a police officer." Farther down the page, "After the officer left, Stan shook his head. 'Where's your wife?'
'I told her to go in the back room and lock the door.'
'Stan laughed. 'Well, you better go tell her the coast is clear.'"
Or how about page 151, where Paula receives the Motion To Consolidate but on page 172 she tells Bart she hadn't heard that the DA had filed a Motion To Consolidate?
And again on page 183 Stan says that Sandy's husband "Being an insurance agent I'm sure he had a boatload of insurance." However, Sandy's husband was John and he was in dry oil wells. Bill Rice was the insurance agent.
On page 169 Jodie is told that the aerobic classes are Thursdays at 3:30. On page 190 Jodie and Brandon invite Evelyn Sanders out to DINNER after class. Then Jodie goes back to the office and gets a phone call from Carl saying Evelyn was found dead in her backyard at 3:30 that day. How is that possible?
And my favorite, on page 243 why is the DA questioning the architect about the financial consequences to Wilkinson,et.al., due to the delay in the Highland Corners Project? Why would the architect have that information? Why didn't Paula object????????
One last one. Page 287 in Jodie's trail "The bailiff opened a side door and the twelve jurors...walked in. There were eight women and four men. Four were Black, three Latino, and seven Caucasian." (4+3+7 = 14)
Like I said earlier, putting aside all the editing errors which drove me nuts and really slowed down my reading, the characters were likable and their cases were an interesting mix.
August 28, 2014
I have read every Stan Turner book and have never been disappointed. This book has all the ingredients that make this series great. Intrigue, plot on plot, interesting characters and always a question of what is Stan Turner going to do next. In almost every book, there is something that is left to imagine how the plot will end. So, Mr. Manchee, can't wait until 2015. What will happen to Stan and his wife, his partners and other people that are associated with him. All I can say is, it seems the plot thickens.
February 8, 2015
This was a very good book. There were three separate cases, one murder and two civil cases. They were all quite interesting and it was a big surprise about the murder. I felt like I got to know Stan, Paula and Jodie. There was even a side story about Stan's personal life that was really a surprise. I would definitely recommend this series and want to read more of them. I like that it takes place in Dallas, where I live and I can recognize the street names and some of the locations.
February 2, 2019
If you are looking for a thrilling roller coaster murder mystery this is not the book for you. However, if you enjoy a slow-boiler courtroom drama with some undercover sleuthing, then you have come to the right book. Deadly Dining is the first book of William Manchee's that I have read and the eleventh in a series about a small legal practise with Stan, Laura and Jodie; three attorneys. While the book references a history of the characters and their practise, it can easily be read as a stand alone book. However, if you are like me, you will probably seek out the other ten books and eagerly await the next in the series.
The main storyline is the poisoning of four diners in an Italian restaurant, three fatally. This case takes some solving with many twists and turns and danger involved, especially for Jodie, the newest attorney who also works as an undercover sleuth. Two other cases are also on the firms books, neither of which are straightforward, along with unexplained and out-of-character disappearances of Stan from the office and the busy workload. I found having three storylines to be somewhat confusing early in the book, but was intrigued enough to read on and by the end I was eager to read the outcome of each.
The development of the three main characters is realistic and interesting. Josie has a new and fast-paced romance, Laura questions herself and her life choices and Stan has a sick wife and ... well I won't divulge this mystery (albeit obvious to me from the outset). I liked these characters and enjoyed this book. I would have rated it higher than a three if I hadn't expected a different book from the blurb (see my first sentence) and if it had been edited more carefully. On at least two occasions the wrong character's name is used - leading to confusion and frustration! Thanks to Voracious Readers Only for the opportunity to read and review this book.
The main storyline is the poisoning of four diners in an Italian restaurant, three fatally. This case takes some solving with many twists and turns and danger involved, especially for Jodie, the newest attorney who also works as an undercover sleuth. Two other cases are also on the firms books, neither of which are straightforward, along with unexplained and out-of-character disappearances of Stan from the office and the busy workload. I found having three storylines to be somewhat confusing early in the book, but was intrigued enough to read on and by the end I was eager to read the outcome of each.
The development of the three main characters is realistic and interesting. Josie has a new and fast-paced romance, Laura questions herself and her life choices and Stan has a sick wife and ... well I won't divulge this mystery (albeit obvious to me from the outset). I liked these characters and enjoyed this book. I would have rated it higher than a three if I hadn't expected a different book from the blurb (see my first sentence) and if it had been edited more carefully. On at least two occasions the wrong character's name is used - leading to confusion and frustration! Thanks to Voracious Readers Only for the opportunity to read and review this book.
April 12, 2019
I received a copy of this book from Voracious Readers Only.
The story overall was good and drew you in. I'd love to say it was well written but I can't, whoever edited this book needs to be retrained or fired. So many instances where the wrong character is mentioned. A few examples of this:
Page 234 in an opening statement by a lawyer.
“What we will show you during the course of this trial is that the State cannot meet their burden of proving our client intentionally murdered Bill and Donna Rice and John Richmond and attempted to
kill Donna Rice, beyond any reasonable doubt..."
You can't murder someone and attempt to kill them too. How was this not noticed that instead of putting Sandy Richmond's name the writer put in Donna Rice twice.
Page 287:
It's stated that the judge for Jodie's trial is Judge Cavanaugh, but then on page 290 The judge is now Martha Jasper with no explanation given as to why the judge changed or if the writer even knew he made this mistake.
This conversation exchange from page 327:
“Now we wait.”
Larson nodded. “What do you think?”
“I think it went pretty well. There weren’t any surprises. That’s a
plus.”
Carl came up and put his arm around Jodie. “Wow. You are
good. Remind me to hire you if I get sued.”
Jodie smiled and kissed Carl on the cheek. “You’re prejudiced.”
“No. He’s right,” Carl agreed. “You’re the best.”
Sorry but Carl just agreed with himself that he is right she's the best?
From the description this book sounded so interesting and it was, I just had a hard time getting passed all the errors to really enjoy this book. I hope in his other books he has a new editor because this was messed up. I will give William Manchee another chance with his other novels. This may just be a one off.
The story overall was good and drew you in. I'd love to say it was well written but I can't, whoever edited this book needs to be retrained or fired. So many instances where the wrong character is mentioned. A few examples of this:
Page 234 in an opening statement by a lawyer.
“What we will show you during the course of this trial is that the State cannot meet their burden of proving our client intentionally murdered Bill and Donna Rice and John Richmond and attempted to
kill Donna Rice, beyond any reasonable doubt..."
You can't murder someone and attempt to kill them too. How was this not noticed that instead of putting Sandy Richmond's name the writer put in Donna Rice twice.
Page 287:
It's stated that the judge for Jodie's trial is Judge Cavanaugh, but then on page 290 The judge is now Martha Jasper with no explanation given as to why the judge changed or if the writer even knew he made this mistake.
This conversation exchange from page 327:
“Now we wait.”
Larson nodded. “What do you think?”
“I think it went pretty well. There weren’t any surprises. That’s a
plus.”
Carl came up and put his arm around Jodie. “Wow. You are
good. Remind me to hire you if I get sued.”
Jodie smiled and kissed Carl on the cheek. “You’re prejudiced.”
“No. He’s right,” Carl agreed. “You’re the best.”
Sorry but Carl just agreed with himself that he is right she's the best?
From the description this book sounded so interesting and it was, I just had a hard time getting passed all the errors to really enjoy this book. I hope in his other books he has a new editor because this was messed up. I will give William Manchee another chance with his other novels. This may just be a one off.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2019
Firstly, thank you to the author for providing me with a free copy of the book via Voracious Readers Only in exchange for a fair review.
The book was infuriating to read, while the story itself was actually good, the editor should be fired.
The writing style was very dry and focused primarily on dialogue, which is not necessarily bad but a lot of dialogues were very robotic (such as specifying 'Parmesan cheese' every time someone mentioned the murders).
There are also many errors, such as wrong character name being used at least 4 times, question marks that should not be there and some very poorly constructed sentences.
The bits about the characters relationships were cringey, unrealistic and really unnecessary for the plot.
Still, the plot was interesting enough to keep me reading and the courtroom scenes were actually good - thats where the writing style worked well.
I will probably reach for another book by the author, the plot was interesting and majority of the bad point should have been flagged in editing.
The book was infuriating to read, while the story itself was actually good, the editor should be fired.
The writing style was very dry and focused primarily on dialogue, which is not necessarily bad but a lot of dialogues were very robotic (such as specifying 'Parmesan cheese' every time someone mentioned the murders).
There are also many errors, such as wrong character name being used at least 4 times, question marks that should not be there and some very poorly constructed sentences.
The bits about the characters relationships were cringey, unrealistic and really unnecessary for the plot.
Still, the plot was interesting enough to keep me reading and the courtroom scenes were actually good - thats where the writing style worked well.
I will probably reach for another book by the author, the plot was interesting and majority of the bad point should have been flagged in editing.
May 13, 2019
I was given a complimentry copy of Deadly Dining by William Manchee via Voracious Readers Only.
This book is apart of The Stan Turner Mysteries series (volume 11) which can be read by itself or as a part of the series.
Reading tbe blurb I was curious enough to start reading the book and im glad i did (although im pretty sure I'm going to have to get all the books in the series now to read 😉)
To say the book had twists and turns doesn't sufficiently cover it. It's thrilling, suspenseful and tortured all of my deductive skills - I had no clue as to how any of the cases would end.
Myself personally - I do like reading books that are a part of a series in order, because I get invested in the characters and want to see them evolve and grow and thats where I lean in the recommendation of this book. Start at the beginning, I'm sure you wont be disappointed.
Thank you Mr William Manchee for a very gifted, captivating read.
This book is apart of The Stan Turner Mysteries series (volume 11) which can be read by itself or as a part of the series.
Reading tbe blurb I was curious enough to start reading the book and im glad i did (although im pretty sure I'm going to have to get all the books in the series now to read 😉)
To say the book had twists and turns doesn't sufficiently cover it. It's thrilling, suspenseful and tortured all of my deductive skills - I had no clue as to how any of the cases would end.
Myself personally - I do like reading books that are a part of a series in order, because I get invested in the characters and want to see them evolve and grow and thats where I lean in the recommendation of this book. Start at the beginning, I'm sure you wont be disappointed.
Thank you Mr William Manchee for a very gifted, captivating read.
October 28, 2019
Deadly Dining by William Manchee
This book starts out with Stan bringing Rebekkah home after surgery and the pizza place they had eaten at hits breaking news on TV.
Alternating chapters from each of the two women and Stan himself have cases that each other have tips on how to investigate and I love the input from them all.
Many are in harms way in this book and others try to help and sometimes that puts them in danger also.
So much to this story as more is involved as the investigations continue. Love the travel, things they find, talking to others and even what to wear to a trial, fast paced, easy to keep track of suits being brought to others and why.
Other works by the author are listed at the end. Can't wait to read more from this author.
Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.
This book starts out with Stan bringing Rebekkah home after surgery and the pizza place they had eaten at hits breaking news on TV.
Alternating chapters from each of the two women and Stan himself have cases that each other have tips on how to investigate and I love the input from them all.
Many are in harms way in this book and others try to help and sometimes that puts them in danger also.
So much to this story as more is involved as the investigations continue. Love the travel, things they find, talking to others and even what to wear to a trial, fast paced, easy to keep track of suits being brought to others and why.
Other works by the author are listed at the end. Can't wait to read more from this author.
Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.
February 27, 2020
This book has 3 separate crimes/stories handled by 3 lawyers who work in the same law firm. The storyline is well-developed and the plot is interesting. The details about practicing law are very well described and there was a lot I learnt about law firms that I didn't know from reading John Grisham. It has a sort of Grisham feel. However, I felt that the book was written slightly like a movie script. Details are important and I like them but some of the details felt forced especially about emotions and facial expressions. I prefer when there are some subtleties in the descriptions. Overall, a great plot and I couldn't wait to finish it. But I would have liked some finesse and depth to the writing.
June 14, 2019
Deadly Dining is a compelling murder mystery with side plots that really pull you into the Stan Turner Mysteries world although this Book Is Volume 11 it can be read as a stand alone.
The story really kept me guessing about all 3 cases. The only thing I disliked was the mentioning of previous books within the book, But when I got the book there was no indication that it was part of a series It didn't spoil anything for me though.
Overall it was a great read and I would definitely recommend to any crime lover.
Special Thanks to William Manchee and Voracious Readers Only for the complimentary copy of the book.
The story really kept me guessing about all 3 cases. The only thing I disliked was the mentioning of previous books within the book, But when I got the book there was no indication that it was part of a series It didn't spoil anything for me though.
Overall it was a great read and I would definitely recommend to any crime lover.
Special Thanks to William Manchee and Voracious Readers Only for the complimentary copy of the book.
October 24, 2019
I received a free copy of this book from Voracious Readers Only via the author. As far as courtroom dramas go, this novel is decent. I appreciated how there were multiple cases and multiple attorneys being followed throughout the story. The characters were often witty and the ending was not altogether expected. My only complaint is the over-sexualization of the characters. This aspect was unnecessary, not particularly believable, and tangential to the main story. I also felt the main characters were not adequately developed, but I will admit that I have not read the previous novels in this series so this may not be a fair assessment of the series as a whole.
July 15, 2020
I enjoyed this book very much. I like how each chapter is separated by lawyer. You could almost read each case on its own. Almost, but not quite. The characters were well developed, and although I have not read any of the other books in the series I didn’t feel left out of the story. I love a good plot twist, and this didn’t disappoint. It was well written. I felt that the author knew his facts. I wasn’t left with the feeling that things couldn’t really happen this way. I would like to read the other books in the series. Thank you Voracious Readers Only for the chance to read this one.
April 15, 2022
I received a review copy from Voracious Readers Only and this is my honest opinion. This is an excellent courtroom drama totally ruined by poor execution. The author seems unable to remember a character/business name from one paragraph to the next and there are typos galore. There are great characters (when they aren't being called by the wrong name), natural-sounding dialogue, and plenty of surprises. I would really like to read other books by this author because he is a great storyteller, but my blood pressure can't stand the frustration from trying to figure out what he meant to say, not what he said. It'll be a hard no for me.
June 14, 2020
Courtroom drama
Stan, Paula and Jodie are lawyers who practice various types of law. This one included bankruptcy, civil action and a murder trial. They work together to give their clients the best they can and are pretty successful. My problem was the errors in the names in several places. The wrong name was used for a spouse or witness and it would break the reading rhythm of the plot while you struggled to figure it out. If you enjoy reading courtroom proceedings with a side of excitement, you will enjoy this book.
Stan, Paula and Jodie are lawyers who practice various types of law. This one included bankruptcy, civil action and a murder trial. They work together to give their clients the best they can and are pretty successful. My problem was the errors in the names in several places. The wrong name was used for a spouse or witness and it would break the reading rhythm of the plot while you struggled to figure it out. If you enjoy reading courtroom proceedings with a side of excitement, you will enjoy this book.
February 29, 2020
I received a free copy from Voracious Readers Only.
While the story line was engaging, I found the writing style too matter of fact and repetitive. If a reader "watches" a scene unfold, they do not need it repeated in dialogue to multiple other characters. The characters could have been fleshed out a bit more and I found myself getting annoyed at the way the book flowed. In saying that, the way the story unfolded was intriguing and I sat and read it almost in one sitting.
While the story line was engaging, I found the writing style too matter of fact and repetitive. If a reader "watches" a scene unfold, they do not need it repeated in dialogue to multiple other characters. The characters could have been fleshed out a bit more and I found myself getting annoyed at the way the book flowed. In saying that, the way the story unfolded was intriguing and I sat and read it almost in one sitting.
December 21, 2018
I received this book via Voracious Readers Only there are plenty twists and turns that keep you guessing. I found this book a page turner where you really get to know the characters. The author uses very descriptive writing which at times I found a little wordy for my liking but still a good worthwhile read.
July 3, 2019
I really enjoyed this book aside from the editorial mistakes which I think are the editors fault and not the authors. I felt he did a great job with the story line and characters. Also all the little twists and turns. It kept me guessing till the end. I got the book for free but can't wait to read more from William Manchee.
July 10, 2019
#DeadlyDining by #WilliamManchee
A good story marred by too many characters. Still I would recommend this book and will read more from the author.
@VoraciousReadersOnly #bookreview📖 #bibliomaniac📕📗📘📙 #bookworm 📗🐛 #bookstagram📚#kindle #iBooks
(I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only)
A good story marred by too many characters. Still I would recommend this book and will read more from the author.
@VoraciousReadersOnly #bookreview📖 #bibliomaniac📕📗📘📙 #bookworm 📗🐛 #bookstagram📚#kindle #iBooks
(I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only)
February 24, 2020
Deadly Dining is an interesting, complex mystery. Full of action, twists and interesting developments, the story moves along quite well. Really liked the courthouse scenes and legal information. The side story about Stan's personal life didn't add to the story in my opinion. Would read other books by this author.
May 15, 2020
I love mysteries. This one a leaning on the legal side of the mystery, including courtroom drama and bad guy distractions. I thought it played through very well and enjoyed it very much. I will read it again and check k out the others as well.
I received a free copy from Voracious Readers Only in return for an honest review.
I received a free copy from Voracious Readers Only in return for an honest review.
June 9, 2020
A solid legal procedural. Smart & witty with a few good twists if only a bit predictable. Everything was laid out so entirely well and I was truly into each case and how everything developed and then it was over. I felt that the author rushed it all to conclusion. But very interesting case material and court procedure!
November 19, 2018
Very good book from lawyer point of view. Main story plus side stories about other cases which mold really well within the book. Well written and kept me glued to the pages, didn't want to put the book down!
December 1, 2018
Well defined and eclectic group of characters. A who-done it with twists and turns right until the end!
Enjoyed the ride and am grateful to the author through Voracious Readers Only who gave me a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
Enjoyed the ride and am grateful to the author through Voracious Readers Only who gave me a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
January 27, 2019
I loved this book. I received a complimentary copy from the author via Voracious Readers Oniy and did not know what to expect. A really well written book. Now I have read this one I will be reading other books he has written.
July 23, 2019
Complimentary copy of this book was received through Voracious Readers.
I enjoyed this legal mystery story very much. It was well written and the storyline trotted along drawing me in. Reading the twist and turns in court cases was fascinating and interesting.
I enjoyed this legal mystery story very much. It was well written and the storyline trotted along drawing me in. Reading the twist and turns in court cases was fascinating and interesting.
November 4, 2019
I got this book through voracious readers only. Its an amazing read. I liked how the story and characters developed throughout the story. It also added to my knowledge about trial cases, it is written in a manner which is easy to understand.
I will definitely recommend this book!
I will definitely recommend this book!
December 19, 2019
This was an easy to read book about a lawyer's practice and their 3 cases. It was a nice read, but because of the writing style also easy to put away. Not a pageturner like a grisham for instance. But the stories were good and the twists were unforeseen. So I enjoyed it!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews