Desperate Measures

Barbara Holloway #6

by Kate Wilhelm

Gus Marchand, a hard-working, god-fearing man, has been found dead on his kitchen floor. Without any real evidence, the locals cast their suspicions toward Alex Feldman, Marchand's hideously deformed neighbor. At the request of a fellow attorney, Barbara agrees to defend him. But another suspect is the high-school principal, Hilde Franz, who'd had a contretemps with Gus earlier that week. He had threatened to have her investigated and Hilde was seen near Marchand's property around the time of his death, giving police both a motive and an opportunity for murder. Hilde also happens to be an old friend of Barbara's father, Frank, so naturally he's going to defend her. Will Barbara have to square off against the man who taught her all she knows?

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Legal Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Courtroom Drama

448 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 1, 2001

About the author

Kate Wilhelm’s first short story, “The Pint-Sized Genie” was published in Fantastic Stories in 1956. Her first novel, MORE BITTER THAN DEATH, a mystery, was published in 1963. Over the span of her career, her writing has crossed over the genres of science fiction, speculative fiction, fantasy and magical realism, psychological suspense, mimetic, comic, and family sagas, a multimedia stage production, and radio plays. She returned to writing mysteries in 1990 with the acclaimed Charlie Meiklejohn and Constance Leidl Mysteries and the Barbara Holloway series of legal thrillers.

Wilhelm’s works have been adapted for television and movies in numerous countries; her novels and stories have been translated to more than a dozen languages. She has contributed to Quark, Orbit,  Magazine of Fantasy and ScienceFiction, Locus, Amazing Stories, Asimov’s Science Fiction, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine,  Fantastic, Omni, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Redbook, and Cosmopolitan.

Kate Wilhelm is the widow of acclaimed science fiction author and editor, Damon Knight (1922-2002), with whom she founded the Clarion Writers’ Workshop and the Milford Writers’ Conference, described in her 2005 non-fiction work, STORYTELLER. They lectured together at universities across three continents; Kate has continued to offer interviews, talks, and monthly workshops.

Kate Wilhelm has received two Hugo awards, three Nebulas, as well as Jupiter, Locus, Spotted Owl, Prix Apollo, Kristen Lohman awards, among others. She was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2003. In 2009, Kate was the recipient of one of the first Solstice Awards presented by the Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA) in recognition of her contributions to the field of science fiction. 

Kate’s highly popular Barbara Holloway mysteries, set in Eugene, Oregon, opened with Death Qualified in 1990. Mirror, Mirror, released in 2017, is the series’ 14th novel.

Reviews

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barbara Holloway is defending someone in a murder case while her father defends another suspect in the same case. So they must use care in talking and handling potential damming materials. Whilhelm writes an unusual mystery in this book. It kept me awake much too late last night. I like this series and the excellent court scenes Wilhelm writes. A great read.

[Cherie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great story and interesting look at criminal defense. As an added twist, Barbara and her father cannot be not partners because each has a client for potentially the same crime. Each of them knows how the other will operate and poor Baily is caught in the middle. A new/old love interest for Barbara?

[Vannessa Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alex Feldman, disfigured at birth, was born to beautiful parents. Alex was born with a beautiful body but a disfigured face. Alex’s parents’ wanted Alex’s psychiatrist to find a boarding school for boys like him. Dr. Graham Minick was about to retire and offered Alex a home with him. Alex accepted. Gus Marchand’s daughter, Rachael age thirteen, cuts school to be with boys in the woods behind Alex’s home. The school’s principal notified Rachael’s mother about Rachael cutting school and Rachael, to cover her tracks, accused Alex of stalking her. Gus believed her and riled up the community against Alex.

Gus is found lying dead on his kitchen floor. Leona, Gus’ wife, was at the high school helping to decorate for the upcoming graduation was told about her husband and she rushed home. In her haste, she drove into a tree and died as the result of the accident. Dr. Minick suspected that Alex was going to be accused of killing Gus Marchand and sought out Barbara Holloway’s help in Alex’s defense. Barbara and her father, Frank, both were working on the case representing different clients and that added to the confusion. That brought friction into their already delicate daughter/father relationship. The investigation and court room drama will hold you spellbound.

Desperate Measures demonstrated the hard hearts of people and how quickly they take sides without knowing the facts. Desperate Measures also showed the human nature intolerance for the deformed. Desperate Measures was a great read. Marguerite Gavin was a good pick to tell the story.

[Kelly Wagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a re-read for me; in trying to pare the 1200 books in the living room down to, say, 800, I find myself re-reading entire series. This has always been one of my favorites - the protagonist, her family, her office staff - all very real characters, and the mystery portions of the plot are always excellently done.

[Stephen Christian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed by Clear and Convincing Proof and looked forward to getting back into a Barbara Holloway story that involved courtroom drama. This one has that. The story is quite good, with Barbara defending a physically deformed client from a murder charge. As an attorney, I hold legal thrillers up to a higher standard, though, when it comes to the courtroom scenes, and there was one scene that just didn't ring true. The hearsay rule prevents a witness from testifying about what someone else said, but when a witness in the story is called to recount exactly what he was told by someone else, the objection is overruled. There is no way in real life that would happen.

[Hazel Bright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perception and its influence on instant judgment of character form the theme here. While the story build is great for the recurring characters, I did not buy the who that dunit. The abused wife finally kills the zealot husband, fair enough, but I do not see her spending her entire life protecting her kids from her husband just to kill herself and leave them orphans. I would have liked to buy it, it was a neat ending, but it was awfully contrived.

[Soo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Notes:

Currently on Audible Plus

3.5 Round Up to 4 Stars for Excellent Narration by Anna Fields

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

THIS SUMMARY/REVIEW WAS COPIED FROM OTHER SOURCES AND IS USED ONLY AS A REMINDER OF WHAT THE BOOK WAS ABOUT FOR MY PERSONAL INTEREST. ANY PERSONAL NOTATIONS ARE FOR MY RECOLLECTION ONLY
Personal Note: This is one of my favorites by Kate!

may not quite a 4, but much more than a 3

Alex Feldman, disfigured at birth, was born to beautiful parents. Alex was born with a beautiful body but a disfigured face. Alex’s parents’ wanted Alex’s psychiatrist to find a boarding school for boys like him. Dr. Graham Minick was about to retire and offered Alex a home with him. Alex accepted. Gus Marchand’s daughter, Rachael age thirteen, cuts school to be with boys in the woods behind Alex’s home. The school’s principal notified Rachael’s mother about Rachael cutting school and Rachael, to cover her tracks, accused Alex of stalking her. Gus believed her and riled up the community against Alex.

Gus is found lying dead on his kitchen floor. Leona, Gus’ wife, was at the high school helping to decorate for the upcoming graduation was told about her husband and she rushed home. In her haste, she drove into a tree and died as the result of the accident. Dr. Minick suspected that Alex was going to be accused of killing Gus Marchand and sought out Barbara Holloway’s help in Alex’s defense. Barbara and her father, Frank, both were working on the case representing different clients and that added to the confusion. That brought friction into their already delicate daughter/father relationship. The investigation and court room drama will hold you spellbound.

Desperate Measures demonstrated the hard hearts of people and how quickly they take sides without knowing the facts. Desperate Measures also showed the human nature intolerance for the deformed. Desperate Measures was a great read. Marguerite Gavin was a good pick to tell the story.
Gus is found lying dead on his kitchen floor. Leona, Gus’ wife, was at the high school helping to decorate for the upcoming graduation was told about her husband and she rushed home. In her haste, she drove into a tree and died as the result of the accident. Dr. Minick suspected that Alex was going to be accused of killing Gus Marchand and sought out Barbara Holloway’s help in Alex’s defense. Barbara and her father, Frank, both were working on the case representing different clients and that added to the confusion. That brought friction into their already delicate daughter/father relationship. The investigation and court room drama will hold you spellbound.

[Constance Maloney · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first part of this review is a repeat of what I used for the first book in this series - because all of it still applies, and possibly someone has begun reading it mid-series.

I love this series. I first read it years ago and am currently revisiting Barbara, Frank (and Things One and Two!) It is almost impossible to find the combination of traits that I enjoy in a legal story:
A good amount of legal strategizing and theory
A good amount of courtroom scenes ( typical the last 3rd of the book)
Suspense- without gratuitous gore and guts or an overdose of testosterone machismo (the Dismas Hardy gang has too much of this for my taste)
Principal characters are smart and analytical, and also have real human struggles.

It was when I had first read Kate Wilhelm's series that I realize this was what I wanted. For me, she has set the bar for all other legal stories.

I had a little problem with this book - because I am not aware of any condition that causes babies to be born with the amount and sort of deformities that Alex has. I found this part of the premise unbelievable. Sadly, it is not at all unbelievable that many people react to him as they do in the storyline and automatically assume him to be evil. Additionally, the happy ending with Shelly and Alex's relationship was also too far of a stretch for my practical mind. But still, The book was a great read, and I recommend it.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alex Feldman was born horribly disfigured. By 14, he had attempted suicide several times. A retiring psychiatrist takes pity on Alex and moves him to his Oregon retreat and takes him on as his sole client. Alex grows up into a talented satirical cartoonist who lives a seclusive life. When his neighbor who had demonized and vilified him is killed, the police pick Alex as their scapegoat. Barbara Holloway,his attorney, is afraid that a jury will condemn him judged entirely on their inability to empathize with Alex.
Barbara's father, Frank, ends up accepting a client who turns out to ne the second suspect in the case. Now, Barbara and Frank are on opposite sides.
As all the Holloway mysteries, this had lots of turns and twists. The clues to solving the case aren't there until near the end of the book.

[Leah Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining. I'd never read anything by this author and am not sure I'd go out of my way to read more of her books. But then, if one fell in my lap I wouldn't turn it down. I guess I'll give it a 3, but it is a smudge better than that, but not a 4.

[Nisha Aiyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

About a 100 pages too long. Too many characters, several pages were devoted to someone driving in a car following someone else in a van to someone's house for dinner and to someone else's for coffee.
Why introduce Cousin Herbert? There were half a dozen young guys who could have stayed with Frank for a few days if needed. Bailey, Alan, Will...but Cousin Herbert was dragged in , God knows why.

Arresting Alex just based on a half buried pencil somewhere in the vicinity of the crime...that was way far outfield of even a remote circumstantial case.
And pages and pages of establishing Daniel's timeline was torture. Reenacting those 4 minutes with that runner guy, timing the drive with Bailey and the long convoluted lecture on the nano second granularity of Daniel's timeline, and dragging in the Pythogarus theorem just to prove...what exactly??
Daniel couldn't have seen Alex since the trees were the hypotenuse??
It was also strange that Shelley, Barbara and all.the good uns at some point or the other referred to Alex as a freak, when he wasn't around. Just because they are his allies doesn't excuse that language.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Graham is retiring as a child psychologist. He doesn’t want to see any new patients but relents when a friend tells him the story of Alex, a troubled young man. Alexander was facially deformed at birth and he, as well as his parents have difficulty coping. Graham and Alexander form a bond and move into Graham’s rural retirement home in another state. All seems to go well until, Gus, a neighbor, views Alex as the devil personified and turns the community against him. Gus’s sudden death casts suspicion on Alex. Barbara is retained as his lawyer and coincidentally is pitted against her father who is also a lawyer. The story kept me guessing as to who the murderer was. When I first started reading the story, I thought it was about how the psychologist helped Alex but then the story became a murder mystery. It was interesting how Graham interacted with Alex and helped him cope with his deformity and become a well-adjusted young man who was able to contribute to society in his own way. It is a good story.

[NCHS Library]

Publisher's Description: Trial lawyer Barbara Holloway has a reputation for taking on the toughest cases and winning them. But this time it looks as though she's up against an unbeatable opponent--the lawyer who taught her everything she knows.

The trial involves the murder of Gus Marchand, a hard-working, God-fearing man who is found dead on his kitchen floor. The locals cast their suspicions toward Alex Feldman, Marchand's hideously deformed neighbor, without any real evidence linking him to the crime. At the request of a fellow attorney, Barbara agrees to defend him.

The other suspect is the high school principal, Hilde Franz, who'd had an argument with the dead man earlier that week. But Hilde also happens to be an old friend of Barbara's father, Frank, who has agreed to defend him in court. For the first time in her career, Barbara cannot turn to her father for advice. Quite the contrary: she has to stay one step ahead of him if she's to have any hope of saving her client. Because she knows only too well what kind of legal mind she's up against.

[Jim B · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you enjoy John Gresham, but wish there was more "heart" to the stories, Barbara Holloway mysteries will probably satisfy you. This is the only one I've read, but to some degree Barbara is pitted against her father Frank (also a lawyer).

I'm not that familiar with the law, but I wondered about the relationships in the book. Someone I regarded as a key suspect was allowed all kinds of access to inside information just because he was regarded as above suspicion. It seemed unprofessional on Barbara Holloway's part.

Certainly all the "trolls" in society remind me that people are not as good as I'd like them to be, but this was another one of those books with the religious people are all bad people.

[Ada Iaboni · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars is well deserved for this book.
I learned a lot from this book. The law can be strict and deliberate at times, but Barbara found ways to keep a man out of the limelight within the law. A man that was born with deformities that most humans have a hard time believing and horrified at seeing, is accused of murder, mostly because of what he looks like. Barbara keeps him away from the "general public" and proves him innocent.
A very interesting story-line that deserves high praise for this author.
Definitely worth reading.

[BeParticular · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series follows a predictable format, but it is done well with compelling characters and exciting storytelling. Wilhelm grabs me from the first page and keeps up the pace until the final paragraph. Barbara Holloway is a terrific character as are all the regulars in her circle. I particularly like how realistically the loving father/daughter relationship is portrayed. The sense of place is wonderful. Recommended.

[Carol Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my favorite Barbara Holloway book so far. Alex is a young man who was born with a severe birth defect that left him very disfigured. Many neighbors feared him and called him names. One of those neighbors, Gus, was found murdered and Alex was the prime suspect. Great read!! Can’t wait until next month when I can download book 7.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to this book far into the night - Kate Wilhelm just writes fascinating legal thrillers with you feeling like you are right there in the court room. This story was particularly compelling. People fear what they don’t understand or think of as different - certainly pertinent to our current times. Hate breeds more hate -

[Aeolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good series but I've struggled with it at times. This is the best one so far in my opinion, the best characters, the most compelling story, and the most satisfying resolution. Don't get me wrong, the other ones are all very good too, but there is somewhat depressive nature to Barbara and the tone of her life. This plot seemed much more hopeful, five stars all around!

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Do wish somebody - narrator, author, publisher - would spend some time on finding out the local pronunciation of place names. It's "Will-LAM-et" - not "Wil-la-MET" - and I'm not even from Oregon. Every time it was pronounced incorrectly just pulled me out of the story.

[Harriet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy these books--EXCEPT for the incredible emphasis on fatphobia. All the "bad" characters are "overweight," "sloppy," "messy," etc. All the "good" characters are "slender," "slim," etc. Way to reinforce ridiculous stigma and prejudice, Ms. Wilhelm. Surely you can do better than that.

[Wendy Hearder-moan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good! I enjoyed the courtroom drama and found the characters engaging. The Alex/Shelley sub-plot was a bit over the top perhaps. Easier to believe, sadly, was the point about people being judged on their appearance. I’ll be looking for more books in this series.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was good. It was sad. I felt so sorry for Rachel and her brother.

Otherwise, it was a good romp. Lots of drama; some flashy conflict between Bobby and Frank. Both main suspects are sympathetic.

Formulaic and enjoyable.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Stacielynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

enjoyed finally getting the back story on Alex. Fascinating plot!

[Mary Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novel in which Kate Wilhelm's female lawyer, Barbara Holloway, ,as usual, takes on a difficult case.

[Darius Murretti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not that brilliant but worth reading . I am undecided about wither to reread this book in 5 years . ( need to read more of the series)( actual rating 3.9)

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was great. It is hard to imagine the type of religious bigotry at the heart of this book existing in Oregon, but other than the location it felt very real.

[Bev Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put it down. Missed 2 nights of my favorite TV shows.
I’ll now look for more Wilhelm books if the library ever opens.👿