What do you think?
Rate this book
Jaywalker #1
The Tenth Case
He’s always trusted his clients…until the last one.
Criminal defense attorney Harrison J. Walker, better known as Jaywalker, has just been suspended for using “creative” tactics and receiving “gratitude” in the courtroom stairwell from a client charged with prostitution. Convincing the judge that his other clients are counting on him, Jaywalker is allowed to complete ten cases. But it’s the last case that truly tests his abilities—and his acquittal record.
Samara Moss—young, petite and sexy as hell—stabbed her husband in the heart. Or so everyone believes. Having married the elderly billionaire when she was an eighteen-year-old former prostitute, Samara appears to be the clichéd gold digger. But Jaywalker knows all too well that appearances can be deceiving. Who else could have killed the billionaire? Has Samara been framed? Or is Jaywalker just driven by his need to win his clients’ cases—and this particular client’s undying gratitude?
Criminal defense attorney Harrison J. Walker, better known as Jaywalker, has just been suspended for using “creative” tactics and receiving “gratitude” in the courtroom stairwell from a client charged with prostitution. Convincing the judge that his other clients are counting on him, Jaywalker is allowed to complete ten cases. But it’s the last case that truly tests his abilities—and his acquittal record.
Samara Moss—young, petite and sexy as hell—stabbed her husband in the heart. Or so everyone believes. Having married the elderly billionaire when she was an eighteen-year-old former prostitute, Samara appears to be the clichéd gold digger. But Jaywalker knows all too well that appearances can be deceiving. Who else could have killed the billionaire? Has Samara been framed? Or is Jaywalker just driven by his need to win his clients’ cases—and this particular client’s undying gratitude?
393 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 2008
33 people are currently reading
435 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Teller
7 books29 followersJoseph Teller is a pen name of Joseph Teller Klempner, and he is also published as
Joseph T. Klempner
Joseph Teller was born and raised in New York City. He graduated in 1961 from the College of Wooster in Ohio and from the University of Michigan Law School in 1964. He returned to New York City, where he was admitted to the bar in 1965, but spent three years as an agent with the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (the precursor of the Drug Enforcement Administration), doing undercover work. For the next 35 years, he worked as a criminal defense attorney, representing murderers, drug dealers, thieves and at least one serial killer. When New York State restored the death penalty in the nineties, Teller was one of a select group of lawyers given special training to represent capital defendants, which he did on several occasions, including winning an acquittal for a man accused of committing a double murder.
Not too long ago, Teller decided to "run from the law," and began writing fiction. He lives and writes in rural upstate New York with his wife, Sandy, an antiques dealer.
Joseph Teller was born and raised in New York City. He graduated in 1961 from the College of Wooster in Ohio and from the University of Michigan Law School in 1964. He returned to New York City, where he was admitted to the bar in 1965, but spent three years as an agent with the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (the precursor of the Drug Enforcement Administration), doing undercover work. For the next 35 years, he worked as a criminal defense attorney, representing murderers, drug dealers, thieves and at least one serial killer. When New York State restored the death penalty in the nineties, Teller was one of a select group of lawyers given special training to represent capital defendants, which he did on several occasions, including winning an acquittal for a man accused of committing a double murder.
Not too long ago, Teller decided to "run from the law," and began writing fiction. He lives and writes in rural upstate New York with his wife, Sandy, an antiques dealer.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
August 30, 2024
“The way ghetto blacks think little of calling each other N….HARD R????”
Who edited and approved this?
Who edited and approved this?
April 24, 2011
Unlike Bronx Justice
which was more or less autobiographical, this novel has more humor and less of a sense of doom. It has some funny lines, related to the way things work, like cop-speak. The cop writes in his report: " 'did knowlingly and voluntarily grant them consent to affect entry of the premises.' Jaywalker would go to his grave in awe over how cops abused the English language. It was as though, in order to receive their guns and shields, they were first required to surrender their ablity to spell correctly, to follow the most basic rules of grammar and to write anything even remotely resembling a simple sentence."
Surprisingly this book turned out to be a real page-clicker (when read on a Kindle one can't really talk about turning a page.) The client, a young woman with a problematic past, has been accused of stabbing her elderly husband to death after taking out a $25 million term-life policy on him. Now this is where I got cranky. Samara is eighteen when they get married and they remain married for about 8 years. Fine, no problem. But when they met he was described as an old man of 61 who could have been her grandfather. Now I'm 63 and do creak in the morning (and often in the afternoon,) and yes I could be be, and am, the grandparent of an 18-year-old. But 61 is NOT that over-the-hill.
One quote that I must include. I would assume it reflects the mindset of the author: Long ago, he'd heard that Abraham Lincoln had once boasted that he would never represent a guilty client. Lincoln might have been a great man, but in Jaywalker's book that one remark if accurately quoted, branded him an absolute worthless criminal defense lawyer. Who was he to decide that help should be extended only to the virtuous and withheld from the sinners? To Jaywalker, it smacked of tax relief for only the wealthy. Luckily and in spite of his gross misunderstanding of the defender's role, he had somehow managed to find other work, thought perhaps tellingly, as a Republican.
Excellent book. I'm getting to be quite a Teller fan.
which was more or less autobiographical, this novel has more humor and less of a sense of doom. It has some funny lines, related to the way things work, like cop-speak. The cop writes in his report: " 'did knowlingly and voluntarily grant them consent to affect entry of the premises.' Jaywalker would go to his grave in awe over how cops abused the English language. It was as though, in order to receive their guns and shields, they were first required to surrender their ablity to spell correctly, to follow the most basic rules of grammar and to write anything even remotely resembling a simple sentence."Surprisingly this book turned out to be a real page-clicker (when read on a Kindle one can't really talk about turning a page.) The client, a young woman with a problematic past, has been accused of stabbing her elderly husband to death after taking out a $25 million term-life policy on him. Now this is where I got cranky. Samara is eighteen when they get married and they remain married for about 8 years. Fine, no problem. But when they met he was described as an old man of 61 who could have been her grandfather. Now I'm 63 and do creak in the morning (and often in the afternoon,) and yes I could be be, and am, the grandparent of an 18-year-old. But 61 is NOT that over-the-hill.
One quote that I must include. I would assume it reflects the mindset of the author: Long ago, he'd heard that Abraham Lincoln had once boasted that he would never represent a guilty client. Lincoln might have been a great man, but in Jaywalker's book that one remark if accurately quoted, branded him an absolute worthless criminal defense lawyer. Who was he to decide that help should be extended only to the virtuous and withheld from the sinners? To Jaywalker, it smacked of tax relief for only the wealthy. Luckily and in spite of his gross misunderstanding of the defender's role, he had somehow managed to find other work, thought perhaps tellingly, as a Republican.
Excellent book. I'm getting to be quite a Teller fan.
March 19, 2017
Βιβλίο Σαββατοκύριακου, κοινώς λίγη εύπεπτη διασκέδαση με τον τρόπο που μόνο ένα βιβλίο μπορεί να παρέχει.
Δεν είναι αστυνομικό. Κατ' εξοχήν δικαστικό. Ο συγγραφέας είναι δικηγόρος και το αποδεικνύει από την αρχή ως το τέλος εισάγοντας μας στη διαδικασία μιας δίκης σε ένα Αμερικανικό δικαστήριο, από τα απλά, στα σύνθετα ακόμη και σε ό,τι αφορά τη συνοχή των σχέσεών ανάμεσα στους εκπροσώπους του Δικαίου.
Μετρια διαπλασμένοι χαρακτήρες. Καλή η χημεία Μπερκ - Τζέϊγουοκερ, αμφίβολη μεταξύ Τζέϊγουοκερ - Σαμάρα.
Πολύ αργό, με κύκλους και κοιλιές, επαναλαμβανόμενο που δρα ως τέχνασμα στον αναγνώστη για να θεωρήσει την υπόθεση καμμένο χαρτί.
Η πλοκή ακόμη και η ανατροπή χιλιοπαιγμένες.
Ωστόσο για βιβλίο ΣΚ συμπαθητικό.
Το δε χιούμορ του συγγραφέα προσθέτει αρκετούς πόντους.
2 - 2.5 αστερια
Δεν είναι αστυνομικό. Κατ' εξοχήν δικαστικό. Ο συγγραφέας είναι δικηγόρος και το αποδεικνύει από την αρχή ως το τέλος εισάγοντας μας στη διαδικασία μιας δίκης σε ένα Αμερικανικό δικαστήριο, από τα απλά, στα σύνθετα ακόμη και σε ό,τι αφορά τη συνοχή των σχέσεών ανάμεσα στους εκπροσώπους του Δικαίου.
Μετρια διαπλασμένοι χαρακτήρες. Καλή η χημεία Μπερκ - Τζέϊγουοκερ, αμφίβολη μεταξύ Τζέϊγουοκερ - Σαμάρα.
Πολύ αργό, με κύκλους και κοιλιές, επαναλαμβανόμενο που δρα ως τέχνασμα στον αναγνώστη για να θεωρήσει την υπόθεση καμμένο χαρτί.
Η πλοκή ακόμη και η ανατροπή χιλιοπαιγμένες.
Ωστόσο για βιβλίο ΣΚ συμπαθητικό.
Το δε χιούμορ του συγγραφέα προσθέτει αρκετούς πόντους.
2 - 2.5 αστερια
October 16, 2009
Wow! I absolutely love this book and can't wait to read more from this author. I guess this is a series about the same lawyer. I really enjoyed the character and his inability to follow the rules. I related to him!!!! The storytelling is great, and the plot's twists and turns are so much fun. This is one of my favorite new (at least to me) authors!
July 9, 2009
This book is very entertaining, witty, fast paced, often down-right funny, and also seriously grim in places. I recommend this read to anyone who likes a mix of comedy and drama in easy doses.
Diane Davis White
Author, Moon of the Falling Leaves
Diane Davis White
Author, Moon of the Falling Leaves
December 6, 2025
I can't believe that ending
It had me fooled the whole time and I was in love during all the history
It had me fooled the whole time and I was in love during all the history
September 16, 2020
Maverick. Alcoholic. Rule-breaker. Well that made Jaywalker sound as if he was going to be just the sort of lead character I love.....& I wasn't disappointed.
As the book opens, Jaywalker's livelihood as a lawyer is at stake: unorthodox methods & stunt pulling have left him facing disbarment. First though, he's allowed to follow through on ten existing cases. The tenth one is a corker: a gold digger accused of killing her elderly billionaire husband & the evidence would indicate that this is one case that Jaywalker won't...or perhaps that should be can't possibly...win, even with his creative tactics.
The first chapter gave me the gist of the humorous & very readable writing style that was to come - I was hooked! The story moves at a good pace & I particularly enjoyed the courtroom scenes which despite the build up of dramatic tension still had me raising a smile at times.
So was Samara guilty or innocent? C'mon, I can't tell you that!! What I will say is that I changed my mind numerous times & either way I couldn't see how things would conclude whatever the verdict was. It certainly kept me guessing to the end...the very end.
As the book opens, Jaywalker's livelihood as a lawyer is at stake: unorthodox methods & stunt pulling have left him facing disbarment. First though, he's allowed to follow through on ten existing cases. The tenth one is a corker: a gold digger accused of killing her elderly billionaire husband & the evidence would indicate that this is one case that Jaywalker won't...or perhaps that should be can't possibly...win, even with his creative tactics.
The first chapter gave me the gist of the humorous & very readable writing style that was to come - I was hooked! The story moves at a good pace & I particularly enjoyed the courtroom scenes which despite the build up of dramatic tension still had me raising a smile at times.
So was Samara guilty or innocent? C'mon, I can't tell you that!! What I will say is that I changed my mind numerous times & either way I couldn't see how things would conclude whatever the verdict was. It certainly kept me guessing to the end...the very end.
March 12, 2022
Not Guilty??
Written by Joseph Teller, and published by MIRA Books in 2008, this novel is a story about a seasoned criminal defense lawyer named Harrison J. Walker who practices law in New York City. He calls himself “Jaywalker,” and the name has stuck. Everybody now calls him Jaywalker.
Jaywalker has a very high acquittal rate. He achieved it using unorthodox methods and courtroom stunts that did not fail to irritate other members of the bar. The result is a disciplinary hearing before a three-judge panel who must decide his punishment. Disbarment is a possibility, but the final decision is for a three-year suspension of his law license. He requests to complete and “dispose of” his open cases, and the judges decide to allow him five. He counter-offers for seventeen, and the judges compromise at ten. Jaywalker will be able to dispose of only the ten most important of his open cases. The first nine are easy, but the tenth is a murder case.
Samara Tannenbaum has been accused of murdering her extremely wealthy husband. Jaywalker had defended her in a DUI case several years earlier and got her off, so she asks for him to represent her in the murder case. Jaywalker accepts her case, and then spends the remaining year and a half trying to prove her innocence. The prosecutor in the case is Thomas Francis Burke, a very sharp, but honorable attorney. Unfortunately for Jaywalker and his client, the evidence against her is overwhelming.
Samara Tannenbaum was born dirt-poor in Indiana and lived there until she was fourteen. She is classic "trailer trash," even by her own admission. Her mother was a prostitute and the men she brought home regularly abused Samara. Until, that is, she ran away and hitchhiked her way to Nevada.
In Las Vegas, Samara was too young to get a legitimate job, so she survived on the street and lived the way her mother did. When she turned eighteen, she was able to get a job as a cocktail waitress, and there she met her husband to be, Barrington Tannenbaum, "Barry" for short. The two of them developed a strong, loving relationship, and eventually married. He bought her a condo in Manhattan, and she lived there as well as at his mansion in Scarsdale. His friends, and the tabloids, referred to her as a "gold digger." The relationship grew rocky when Barry prioritized his business interests above their love life, and the two began to argue vehemently and frequently. One night, Barry invited her over to his apartment in New York for Chinese takeout, and he precipitated another argument. Samara left and took a taxicab home to her condo, where she was rudely awakened the following afternoon by the police.
Barrington Tannenbaum's body has been found in the kitchen of his apartment, where he had been stabbed in the heart with a steak knife. Samara initially lies to the police, telling them that she hadn't seen her husband in about a week, and then that they had not argued. She is promptly arrested and taken to jail. A search warrant finds a bloody towel, a bloody blouse, and a bloody steak knife hidden behind the toilet tank in her condo, and Samara acknowledges that all the items belong to her. Yet, she insists that she did not kill her husband. Jaywalker takes the case but runs into one dead end after another while trying to prepare a case that will prove her innocence.
Despite all of his years of experience, and in spite of his all-out efforts, it looks like Samara is going to be convicted of murder. The case proceeds quite slowly, but for those readers interested in the Law, the detailed descriptions of the way the criminal justice system works is enlightening. The author does an excellent job of building suspense throughout the story—both as to whether Jaywalker can win the case, and as to whether the attorney and his client will fall into bed together. All possible alternatives in the case are explored, but to no avail. The prognosis is bleak. The jury is in final deliberations when it dawns on Jaywalker that they have overlooked something. That something will come as a complete surprise to most readers. It certainly did to me.
Is Jaywalker destined to break his streak of winning cases? This one seems impossible. The story is very well-written, and the suspense is constant. Did Samara really do it? Can Jaywalker ensure that the jury will find her "not guilty"? The ending will certainly surprise you. It is ingenious. There are two major plot twists at the end of the story, but at least one of them entails a major inconsistency. I will leave it to you to see if you can spot it. The plot and the dialogue are believable, and the legal aspects of the story are covered in great detail. The editing is good. The story is entertaining, although there is a little bit too much repetition for my taste. In the meantime, I recommend this novel to lovers of legal fiction. This was a great read for me.
If you like legal stories with a lot of courtroom scenes, this is the book for you. I enjoyed it and I recommend it.
Jaywalker has a very high acquittal rate. He achieved it using unorthodox methods and courtroom stunts that did not fail to irritate other members of the bar. The result is a disciplinary hearing before a three-judge panel who must decide his punishment. Disbarment is a possibility, but the final decision is for a three-year suspension of his law license. He requests to complete and “dispose of” his open cases, and the judges decide to allow him five. He counter-offers for seventeen, and the judges compromise at ten. Jaywalker will be able to dispose of only the ten most important of his open cases. The first nine are easy, but the tenth is a murder case.
Samara Tannenbaum has been accused of murdering her extremely wealthy husband. Jaywalker had defended her in a DUI case several years earlier and got her off, so she asks for him to represent her in the murder case. Jaywalker accepts her case, and then spends the remaining year and a half trying to prove her innocence. The prosecutor in the case is Thomas Francis Burke, a very sharp, but honorable attorney. Unfortunately for Jaywalker and his client, the evidence against her is overwhelming.
Samara Tannenbaum was born dirt-poor in Indiana and lived there until she was fourteen. She is classic "trailer trash," even by her own admission. Her mother was a prostitute and the men she brought home regularly abused Samara. Until, that is, she ran away and hitchhiked her way to Nevada.
In Las Vegas, Samara was too young to get a legitimate job, so she survived on the street and lived the way her mother did. When she turned eighteen, she was able to get a job as a cocktail waitress, and there she met her husband to be, Barrington Tannenbaum, "Barry" for short. The two of them developed a strong, loving relationship, and eventually married. He bought her a condo in Manhattan, and she lived there as well as at his mansion in Scarsdale. His friends, and the tabloids, referred to her as a "gold digger." The relationship grew rocky when Barry prioritized his business interests above their love life, and the two began to argue vehemently and frequently. One night, Barry invited her over to his apartment in New York for Chinese takeout, and he precipitated another argument. Samara left and took a taxicab home to her condo, where she was rudely awakened the following afternoon by the police.
Barrington Tannenbaum's body has been found in the kitchen of his apartment, where he had been stabbed in the heart with a steak knife. Samara initially lies to the police, telling them that she hadn't seen her husband in about a week, and then that they had not argued. She is promptly arrested and taken to jail. A search warrant finds a bloody towel, a bloody blouse, and a bloody steak knife hidden behind the toilet tank in her condo, and Samara acknowledges that all the items belong to her. Yet, she insists that she did not kill her husband. Jaywalker takes the case but runs into one dead end after another while trying to prepare a case that will prove her innocence.
Despite all of his years of experience, and in spite of his all-out efforts, it looks like Samara is going to be convicted of murder. The case proceeds quite slowly, but for those readers interested in the Law, the detailed descriptions of the way the criminal justice system works is enlightening. The author does an excellent job of building suspense throughout the story—both as to whether Jaywalker can win the case, and as to whether the attorney and his client will fall into bed together. All possible alternatives in the case are explored, but to no avail. The prognosis is bleak. The jury is in final deliberations when it dawns on Jaywalker that they have overlooked something. That something will come as a complete surprise to most readers. It certainly did to me.
Is Jaywalker destined to break his streak of winning cases? This one seems impossible. The story is very well-written, and the suspense is constant. Did Samara really do it? Can Jaywalker ensure that the jury will find her "not guilty"? The ending will certainly surprise you. It is ingenious. There are two major plot twists at the end of the story, but at least one of them entails a major inconsistency. I will leave it to you to see if you can spot it. The plot and the dialogue are believable, and the legal aspects of the story are covered in great detail. The editing is good. The story is entertaining, although there is a little bit too much repetition for my taste. In the meantime, I recommend this novel to lovers of legal fiction. This was a great read for me.
If you like legal stories with a lot of courtroom scenes, this is the book for you. I enjoyed it and I recommend it.
September 25, 2008
When I was asked to review this book, it sounded interesting. Truly it did. The premise is that a renegade lawyer, threatened with disbarment, tries his last case: a young, beautiful wife accused of murdering her elderly, billionaire husband.
The main character, Jaywalker, has potential. The accused, Samara, isn't someone you like, let alone care about. You don't even want her to get acquitted. The book is gritty and realistic, with some twists, turns and of course, the anticipated deceptions. You wonder how Jaywalker will even be able to pull off an acquittal. However, there are sordid parts to the story, and lots of profanity. I don't like profanity. I especially don't like the well-known and overused "F" word. It's never appropriate and it never improves a story. I can't get past it, and I'm disappointed that it's so prevalent here.
I haven't even finished the novel: I ended up just skimming it.
The main character, Jaywalker, has potential. The accused, Samara, isn't someone you like, let alone care about. You don't even want her to get acquitted. The book is gritty and realistic, with some twists, turns and of course, the anticipated deceptions. You wonder how Jaywalker will even be able to pull off an acquittal. However, there are sordid parts to the story, and lots of profanity. I don't like profanity. I especially don't like the well-known and overused "F" word. It's never appropriate and it never improves a story. I can't get past it, and I'm disappointed that it's so prevalent here.
I haven't even finished the novel: I ended up just skimming it.
January 30, 2019
"Truth could be a slippery thing, far more elusive and hard to get your hands around than a simple black-or-white, up-or-down concept like guilty or not guilty." The tenth case - Josepth Teller.
A very well-constructed story with an open ending. Though it is full of legal terms, they are all explained in detail so that anyone can understand the situation. I like the way the author described everything happening at the courtroom and the way lawyers/prosecutors make the juries think the way they want, they are so persuasive! The open ending is also a plus point, it haunts the reader with the thought on Sam's innocence.
A very interesting story, exactly what I expected from a legal crime fiction. I enjoyed much reading it. Already bought the 2nd in the series.
A very well-constructed story with an open ending. Though it is full of legal terms, they are all explained in detail so that anyone can understand the situation. I like the way the author described everything happening at the courtroom and the way lawyers/prosecutors make the juries think the way they want, they are so persuasive! The open ending is also a plus point, it haunts the reader with the thought on Sam's innocence.
A very interesting story, exactly what I expected from a legal crime fiction. I enjoyed much reading it. Already bought the 2nd in the series.
November 19, 2020
This was a very annoying book. It wasn't that good all the way through: slow, uneven, not too logical. But the ending absolutely ruined the book. The final chapter simply negates the rest of the book. The ending is so illogical as to think that Teller simply believes his readers are idiots. I feel like he owes me about eight hours of my life. Bad book, bad book, bad book!
January 20, 2017
El abogado criminalista Harrison J. Walker, de 49 años, viudo y con una hija ya graduada -llamado en los bajos fondos donde habita la mayoría de sus defendidos Jaywalker- es suspendido del ejercicio de la abogacía durante 3 años por su mala conducta. Solicita se le permita solucionar diez casos que tiene pendientes, lo cual le es aprobado. Trabajando a marchas forzadas logra la solución de nueve de ellos… pero el décimo es un claro caso perdido.
Una diminuta y hermosa mujer de 26 años, llamada Samara Moss apuñaló a su anciano-millonario-marido de 70 años. No solo su fortuna estaba cercana a los 20 mil millones de dólares, sino que la esposa-viuda acababa de adquirir una póliza de vida de varios millones más.
En la mansión de Samara se encontró una blusa manchada de sangre, el probable cuchillo con que le atravesó el corazón, la noche anterior habían tenido un fuerte altercado y cuando la policía la interroga, comienza a mentir como un político. Jaywalker queda prendado de la chica apenas verla, así que hará todo lo posible por aliviar su condena, ya que está convencido de su culpabilidad.
Una historia, corta, sencilla y con un final impresionante. Este libro te deja en suspenso hasta la ultima pagina. Bastante entretenido.
Una diminuta y hermosa mujer de 26 años, llamada Samara Moss apuñaló a su anciano-millonario-marido de 70 años. No solo su fortuna estaba cercana a los 20 mil millones de dólares, sino que la esposa-viuda acababa de adquirir una póliza de vida de varios millones más.
En la mansión de Samara se encontró una blusa manchada de sangre, el probable cuchillo con que le atravesó el corazón, la noche anterior habían tenido un fuerte altercado y cuando la policía la interroga, comienza a mentir como un político. Jaywalker queda prendado de la chica apenas verla, así que hará todo lo posible por aliviar su condena, ya que está convencido de su culpabilidad.
Una historia, corta, sencilla y con un final impresionante. Este libro te deja en suspenso hasta la ultima pagina. Bastante entretenido.
Read
January 19, 2009Great 'courtroom case' book!
June 4, 2015
I didn´t like the end, but the book is good in general.
March 8, 2020
Μέτριο δικαστικό βιβλίο που κυλάει γρήγορα και εύκολα σε γενικές γραμμές.
Στα καλά της ιστορίας είναι ότι μαθαίνουμε με ιδιαίτερη λεπτομέρεια τη διαδικασία πραγματοποίησης μιας δίκης (τουλάχιστον στην Αμερική) καθώς και τον τρόπο λειτουργίας ενός ποινικού δικηγόρου υπεράσπισης σε μια πολύ δύσκολη υπόθεση ανθρωποκτονίας. Από το βάθος της λεπτομέρειας φαίνεται ότι ο συγγραφέας έχει υπάρξει στη ζωή του δικηγόρος και γνωρίζει σε βάθος το δικαστικό σύστημα της χώρας του.
Επίσης οι βασικοί χαρακτήρες είναι σχετικά καλογραμμένοι και έχουν χημεία μεταξύ τους (ειδικά ο κατήγορος με το συνήγορο υπεράσπισης).
Πέρα από αυτά, η ίδια η ιστορία δε λέει και πολλά, είναι σχεδόν εξολοκλήρου προβλέψιμη (ακόμα και η υπόνοια ανατροπής στο τέλος δεν με έριξε απ' τα σύννεφα) και σε αρκετά σημεία επαναλαμβάνονται κάποιες πληροφορίες ξανά και ξανά χωρίς κάποιον εμφανή λόγο (πέραν του να μας πείσουν ότι η υπόθεση είναι χαμένο χαρτί).
Στα καλά της ιστορίας είναι ότι μαθαίνουμε με ιδιαίτερη λεπτομέρεια τη διαδικασία πραγματοποίησης μιας δίκης (τουλάχιστον στην Αμερική) καθώς και τον τρόπο λειτουργίας ενός ποινικού δικηγόρου υπεράσπισης σε μια πολύ δύσκολη υπόθεση ανθρωποκτονίας. Από το βάθος της λεπτομέρειας φαίνεται ότι ο συγγραφέας έχει υπάρξει στη ζωή του δικηγόρος και γνωρίζει σε βάθος το δικαστικό σύστημα της χώρας του.
Επίσης οι βασικοί χαρακτήρες είναι σχετικά καλογραμμένοι και έχουν χημεία μεταξύ τους (ειδικά ο κατήγορος με το συνήγορο υπεράσπισης).
Πέρα από αυτά, η ίδια η ιστορία δε λέει και πολλά, είναι σχεδόν εξολοκλήρου προβλέψιμη (ακόμα και η υπόνοια ανατροπής στο τέλος δεν με έριξε απ' τα σύννεφα) και σε αρκετά σημεία επαναλαμβάνονται κάποιες πληροφορίες ξανά και ξανά χωρίς κάποιον εμφανή λόγο (πέραν του να μας πείσουν ότι η υπόθεση είναι χαμένο χαρτί).
October 19, 2019
It was a captivating read from the start. I liked the conversations between characters. It got right into things without wasting time on pointless info or people. But I give it 4/5 because the ending wasn’t as “OH WOW NEVER THOUGH OF THAT”!! I wasn’t shocked last few pages I didn’t even want to read once the truth was revealed. It was such a great book to give such a simple ending. But still worth the read I enjoyed it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 28, 2020
This was a really great courtroom drama book. I was hooked and had a hard time putting this one down. The characters were good and it moved fast with good suspense. I haven’t read any Joseph Teller books but will read more!
May 14, 2023
This title was my second book of the Jwalker series, won't be my last. Always 'twisty', an exciting revelation throws the obvious verdict into disarray - not that the jury will find out any details - followed by yet another that resolves the mystery.
July 24, 2017
Really slow pacing. A lot of legal procedural details. Completely annoying epilogue.
July 27, 2019
The characters are believable. The storyline tries to be a bit like "Presumed Innocent"
March 1, 2021
Of all the novels I've ever read,this is still the most captivating one!!!
A must read for all who love courtroom and legal reads.So real
A must read for all who love courtroom and legal reads.So real
September 2, 2024
Shit book not worth it
July 5, 2012
Not a boring read, but not great either...,
I will offer openly that I'm not a big fan of legal thrillers or court-room dramas, but this book still caught my eye because of the uncommon protagonist.
I kind of had the feeling, about halfway through this book, that the ending was going to be a bit cliche if not predictable. I give Teller points for the unpredictable part, but it was cliche. The twist at the end was good, but the very end (the last page or two) was straight from many a movie script.
Teller's style of writing is a bit, as others have noted, weak. He tends to explain a lot of things that really could have been better played out for the reader to see. Jaywalker, we are TOLD repeatedly, is a maverick lawyer who will do anything to help his clients; he is admirable in his excuses for bending, if not breaking, the law. But, the result of the writing is still a perfect example of writing about someone and not letting the someone live out what the author wants the reader to believe about the character.
Jaywalker is certainly a man that will do anything to win a case for his client, but where this could have made him a hero, the writing style makes him seem more of a nuisance. His disregard for the law, as we are reminded over and over, is what saves his clients but the fact that we don't witness this is what leaves the book a little flat. Jaywalker is a likeable enough character, but he could have been better developed, more understood as a guy that did what he did for his client's best interests. Instead, he comes off a bit too much like a guy that doesn't care; and for that I fault the author in his writing style. Teller could have written Jaywalker in a way that presented a lawyer who knew what had to be done and did it for his clients. Instead, he presented too much information about the man, his wife having passed away, his alienated daughter, in a seeming attempt to create a sympathetic, if not near-pathetic, character.
Teller certainly holds his own in description of court procedure and he does this without boring the reader. Where he fails is in his details about the trial. The majority of the book is about the trial and Teller tells too much, not allowing the reader to determine things as they read. Teller just gives away too much about his characters, thus creating people that are likeable, but not really understood. In other words, instead of telling me that Samara was believed to be a gold-digger, he could have let it play out in conversation; instead of telling me that the prosecutor, Burke, was a good guy, we found that out in reading the story (I don't need the author to tell me he's a fair lawyer if we were just told that the prosecutor didn't have to present all his information to Jaywalker, pre-trial, but did anyway, I understood that already).
Still, I didn't mind reading this book. It was an interesting diversion and I didn't feel like I was trudging through an assignment that I had to finish.
As an aside, being a (as my friends and family have put it) grammar-nazi, I give credit to Mr. Teller for his exceptional ability to put together a sentence that does not run on but also isn't only 5 words long. His ability to construct complex sentences was not lost on me and this is probably why I found the read a little more enjoyable than some others who felt about the same as I did about the story as a whole, but offered less stars.
Teller certainly has promise and his future offerings, should he continue to hone his skills and learn from criticism, could be very good.
I will offer openly that I'm not a big fan of legal thrillers or court-room dramas, but this book still caught my eye because of the uncommon protagonist.
I kind of had the feeling, about halfway through this book, that the ending was going to be a bit cliche if not predictable. I give Teller points for the unpredictable part, but it was cliche. The twist at the end was good, but the very end (the last page or two) was straight from many a movie script.
Teller's style of writing is a bit, as others have noted, weak. He tends to explain a lot of things that really could have been better played out for the reader to see. Jaywalker, we are TOLD repeatedly, is a maverick lawyer who will do anything to help his clients; he is admirable in his excuses for bending, if not breaking, the law. But, the result of the writing is still a perfect example of writing about someone and not letting the someone live out what the author wants the reader to believe about the character.
Jaywalker is certainly a man that will do anything to win a case for his client, but where this could have made him a hero, the writing style makes him seem more of a nuisance. His disregard for the law, as we are reminded over and over, is what saves his clients but the fact that we don't witness this is what leaves the book a little flat. Jaywalker is a likeable enough character, but he could have been better developed, more understood as a guy that did what he did for his client's best interests. Instead, he comes off a bit too much like a guy that doesn't care; and for that I fault the author in his writing style. Teller could have written Jaywalker in a way that presented a lawyer who knew what had to be done and did it for his clients. Instead, he presented too much information about the man, his wife having passed away, his alienated daughter, in a seeming attempt to create a sympathetic, if not near-pathetic, character.
Teller certainly holds his own in description of court procedure and he does this without boring the reader. Where he fails is in his details about the trial. The majority of the book is about the trial and Teller tells too much, not allowing the reader to determine things as they read. Teller just gives away too much about his characters, thus creating people that are likeable, but not really understood. In other words, instead of telling me that Samara was believed to be a gold-digger, he could have let it play out in conversation; instead of telling me that the prosecutor, Burke, was a good guy, we found that out in reading the story (I don't need the author to tell me he's a fair lawyer if we were just told that the prosecutor didn't have to present all his information to Jaywalker, pre-trial, but did anyway, I understood that already).
Still, I didn't mind reading this book. It was an interesting diversion and I didn't feel like I was trudging through an assignment that I had to finish.
As an aside, being a (as my friends and family have put it) grammar-nazi, I give credit to Mr. Teller for his exceptional ability to put together a sentence that does not run on but also isn't only 5 words long. His ability to construct complex sentences was not lost on me and this is probably why I found the read a little more enjoyable than some others who felt about the same as I did about the story as a whole, but offered less stars.
Teller certainly has promise and his future offerings, should he continue to hone his skills and learn from criticism, could be very good.
March 7, 2017
Between "really liked it" and "amazing"! Loved the ending . . . look forward to reading more from this author.
January 2, 2009
If you are a fan of the legal system, especially court cases, then The Tenth Case, by Joseph Teller will be a must-read for you!
“It had long been Jaywalker’s belief that if you were to pull any ten criminal cases out of a hat, one of those ten could be won by the very worst of defense lawyers...At the opposite end of the spectrum would be the tenth case, one that even the best of defense lawyers couldn’t possibly win...” p. 105
Jaywalker was a great criminal defense lawyer—one of the best. But when he hit his “tenth case,” there were a number of reasons that it was very important for him to win the case. The primary reason was that he had been suspended from practicing and had been able to negotiate being allowed to finish just ten of his outstanding cases. The first nine were easily won!
The second reason was that he was thinking about not returning after the three-year suspension. Yes, three-years was a fairly long suspension, but Jaywalker had been known to pull stunts in the courtroom, and out, and they had finally accumulated to the point where his panel of judges were no longer willing to allow him to practice. He really didn’t want to “not return” if he lost his last case!
And the third reason was the client...a client that he had had once before, and had never quite forgotten...
The client was accused of murdering her husband...
Details of jury selection, the witnesses, the prosecutor’s case—it’s all there for the reader to enjoy. For this, the tenth case has Jaywalker worried. Is there any way by which he can win this case and set his client free?
I think the primary point of interest for me is that in this case the prosecutor and the defense lawyers respect and work together! Refreshing! Not only do you not hear of this very often; but also what it does is allow you to see how effectively it works, when it does happen! Hopefully, this is a sample of real life?
Readers, The Tenth Case will keep you guessing right up to the last page...and after—for you and the legal characters, including...Jaywalker!
G. A. Bixler
For Amazon Vine
“It had long been Jaywalker’s belief that if you were to pull any ten criminal cases out of a hat, one of those ten could be won by the very worst of defense lawyers...At the opposite end of the spectrum would be the tenth case, one that even the best of defense lawyers couldn’t possibly win...” p. 105
Jaywalker was a great criminal defense lawyer—one of the best. But when he hit his “tenth case,” there were a number of reasons that it was very important for him to win the case. The primary reason was that he had been suspended from practicing and had been able to negotiate being allowed to finish just ten of his outstanding cases. The first nine were easily won!
The second reason was that he was thinking about not returning after the three-year suspension. Yes, three-years was a fairly long suspension, but Jaywalker had been known to pull stunts in the courtroom, and out, and they had finally accumulated to the point where his panel of judges were no longer willing to allow him to practice. He really didn’t want to “not return” if he lost his last case!
And the third reason was the client...a client that he had had once before, and had never quite forgotten...
The client was accused of murdering her husband...
Details of jury selection, the witnesses, the prosecutor’s case—it’s all there for the reader to enjoy. For this, the tenth case has Jaywalker worried. Is there any way by which he can win this case and set his client free?
I think the primary point of interest for me is that in this case the prosecutor and the defense lawyers respect and work together! Refreshing! Not only do you not hear of this very often; but also what it does is allow you to see how effectively it works, when it does happen! Hopefully, this is a sample of real life?
Readers, The Tenth Case will keep you guessing right up to the last page...and after—for you and the legal characters, including...Jaywalker!
G. A. Bixler
For Amazon Vine
November 1, 2008
The Tenth Case by Joseph Teller opens with an attorney, Harrison J. Walker AKA “Jaywalker” standing in front of a disciplinary committee. Jaywalker is suspended from the practice of law for three years due to his use of “creative” tactics and for the fact that he received an oral “token of gratitude” in the courthouse stairwell from a grateful client, while in full view of a security camera. He is told to pick ten of his unfinished cases to complete and hand the rest off.
Jaywalker’s tenth case will be his most challenging ever. Samara Moss, Jaywalker’s client, is a young, beautiful woman, who married an elderly billionaire when she was an eighteen-year-old waitress and sometime hooker. Samara’s husband is murdered and the police find a weapon matching her husband’s stab wounds, along with a bloody towel and bloody shirt stashed in Samara’s bathroom. Add this to the huge life insurance policy that Samara appears to have taken out on him just weeks before the murder, and the case becomes the one in ten case that can never be won no matter how good the defense.
This is a very good legal thriller. The book gives a compelling insight into the workings of the legal system, especially from the perspective of the defense. The character of Jaywalker was going through a sort of midlife crisis throughout the book, yet the author managed to let us see that internal conflict without making the character a boring man. Just enough of Jaywalker’s past is revealed to assist the reader in understanding the man, but not so much that we start skimming pages out of frustration. The end of the book was excellent! While I sometimes find enigmatic endings irritating, because the character of Samara was pretty much a cipher herself, it really worked here.
The Tenth Case is a great book for anyone who enjoys Scott Turow or the early Grisham novels. I look forward to reading many more novels by this excellent author
Jaywalker’s tenth case will be his most challenging ever. Samara Moss, Jaywalker’s client, is a young, beautiful woman, who married an elderly billionaire when she was an eighteen-year-old waitress and sometime hooker. Samara’s husband is murdered and the police find a weapon matching her husband’s stab wounds, along with a bloody towel and bloody shirt stashed in Samara’s bathroom. Add this to the huge life insurance policy that Samara appears to have taken out on him just weeks before the murder, and the case becomes the one in ten case that can never be won no matter how good the defense.
This is a very good legal thriller. The book gives a compelling insight into the workings of the legal system, especially from the perspective of the defense. The character of Jaywalker was going through a sort of midlife crisis throughout the book, yet the author managed to let us see that internal conflict without making the character a boring man. Just enough of Jaywalker’s past is revealed to assist the reader in understanding the man, but not so much that we start skimming pages out of frustration. The end of the book was excellent! While I sometimes find enigmatic endings irritating, because the character of Samara was pretty much a cipher herself, it really worked here.
The Tenth Case is a great book for anyone who enjoys Scott Turow or the early Grisham novels. I look forward to reading many more novels by this excellent author
October 21, 2008
Manhattan lawyer Harrison J. Walker has, for the length of his twenty-plus year career, been known simply as Jaywalker. In court, the judge usually calls him Mr. Jaywalker. He is that rare criminal defense attorney who believes that a defendant deserves at least one person in his corner, even if the defendant is guilty as sin. This belief has helped Jaywalker achieve a high acquittal rate. Extremely high. Exceeding ninety percent, in fact.
In order to achieve this remarkably high acquittal rate, Jaywalker uses unconventional methods. Methods the court sometimes frowns upon, in the form of a disciplinary board who has decided that he must take a three year break. They allow him to finish ten of his current cases before his three year suspension starts. The first nine are relatively easy to wrap up.
The tenth case is Samara Moss. A beautiful young gold digger who is accused of murdering her wealthy older husband. The evidence is overwhelming, it seems to be an open and shut case for the prosecution. Except that she says that she didn't do it. And it is Jaywalker's job to defend her and prove that she has been framed.
The author has done a fantastic job of constructing a gripping courtroom drama. It is obvious that he is an experienced defense attorney himself and he creates an absorbing, interesting story that gives the reader all the flavor of being behind the scenes with the defense in a murder trial. Add to that a locked room mystery, a little romance and an easy to like protagonist. All in all, a very enjoyable novel.
I look forward to reading the second book in the Jaywalker series, Bronx Justice, coming in 2009.
In order to achieve this remarkably high acquittal rate, Jaywalker uses unconventional methods. Methods the court sometimes frowns upon, in the form of a disciplinary board who has decided that he must take a three year break. They allow him to finish ten of his current cases before his three year suspension starts. The first nine are relatively easy to wrap up.
The tenth case is Samara Moss. A beautiful young gold digger who is accused of murdering her wealthy older husband. The evidence is overwhelming, it seems to be an open and shut case for the prosecution. Except that she says that she didn't do it. And it is Jaywalker's job to defend her and prove that she has been framed.
The author has done a fantastic job of constructing a gripping courtroom drama. It is obvious that he is an experienced defense attorney himself and he creates an absorbing, interesting story that gives the reader all the flavor of being behind the scenes with the defense in a murder trial. Add to that a locked room mystery, a little romance and an easy to like protagonist. All in all, a very enjoyable novel.
I look forward to reading the second book in the Jaywalker series, Bronx Justice, coming in 2009.
June 9, 2010
4.0 out of 5 stars Solid start for a new legal series...., November 8, 2008
This review is from: The Tenth Case (Paperback)
To me it's always about the ending. I can be reading along, enjoying a book immensely when WHAM!, the ending blows me out of the water for good or for bad--so ultimately, my opinion of a book is only as good as I like the ending. That said, I really liked this one.
The plot reads like a cliché of every legal thriller I've ever read, but somehow the way that Teller writes it - even when I think I know what's next, I'm a bit surprised by a little twist. His protagonist, Jaywalker, is known for his history of manipulating and defying the rules of the practice of law. This defense attorney is asked to represent a young wife, Samara, accused of murdering her elderly billionaire husband. The prosecutor has crossed all the "t's" and dotted all the "i's" in what should be a slam dunk case. A guilty verdict is all but assured, but Jaywalker believes in his client's innocence and uses everything he's got to try to get her acquitted. I really enjoyed the explanation of the various facets of the entire process of preparing and putting on the defense from the point of view of Jaywalker. The relationship between all the main characters was minimized and the courtroom drama was the main focus of the book.
Sure it's all pretty predictable, but I enjoyed the ride. Recommend: if you like legal thrillers, buy this one!
This review is from: The Tenth Case (Paperback)
To me it's always about the ending. I can be reading along, enjoying a book immensely when WHAM!, the ending blows me out of the water for good or for bad--so ultimately, my opinion of a book is only as good as I like the ending. That said, I really liked this one.
The plot reads like a cliché of every legal thriller I've ever read, but somehow the way that Teller writes it - even when I think I know what's next, I'm a bit surprised by a little twist. His protagonist, Jaywalker, is known for his history of manipulating and defying the rules of the practice of law. This defense attorney is asked to represent a young wife, Samara, accused of murdering her elderly billionaire husband. The prosecutor has crossed all the "t's" and dotted all the "i's" in what should be a slam dunk case. A guilty verdict is all but assured, but Jaywalker believes in his client's innocence and uses everything he's got to try to get her acquitted. I really enjoyed the explanation of the various facets of the entire process of preparing and putting on the defense from the point of view of Jaywalker. The relationship between all the main characters was minimized and the courtroom drama was the main focus of the book.
Sure it's all pretty predictable, but I enjoyed the ride. Recommend: if you like legal thrillers, buy this one!
January 30, 2010
In my humble opinion The Tenth Case by Joseph Teller is not a suspense thriller nor is it a true mystery. It is more a legal drama with various portions of the story written in the form of a trial transcript that reads like the dialog in the courtroom portion of a Law and Order episode.
The story is told from the perspective of criminal defense attorney Harrison J. Walker, a man with the unlikely nickname of Jaywalker, who thru a series of circumstances and unlikely coincidences finds himself defending a twenty-something, gold digging, sex-bomb who has been charged with murder. (Seems the D.A. is convinced that she had the motive, means and opportunity to carry out the murder of her billionaire sugar-daddy hubby.)
This is yet another look at a plot that has been mined so many times by other writers that most of the gold has been extracted and there is very little left in this vein. On the plus side, it is obvious the author knows his way around the judicial system and his Jaywalker is a somewhat amusing and likeable character. Teller displays a certain skill in telling his story and his writing style will keep you reading even though the ultimate resolution to the story really strains credibility.
The story is told from the perspective of criminal defense attorney Harrison J. Walker, a man with the unlikely nickname of Jaywalker, who thru a series of circumstances and unlikely coincidences finds himself defending a twenty-something, gold digging, sex-bomb who has been charged with murder. (Seems the D.A. is convinced that she had the motive, means and opportunity to carry out the murder of her billionaire sugar-daddy hubby.)
This is yet another look at a plot that has been mined so many times by other writers that most of the gold has been extracted and there is very little left in this vein. On the plus side, it is obvious the author knows his way around the judicial system and his Jaywalker is a somewhat amusing and likeable character. Teller displays a certain skill in telling his story and his writing style will keep you reading even though the ultimate resolution to the story really strains credibility.
November 2, 2008
Joseph Teller's 'The Tenth Case' is a wonderful example of a legal thriller.
Jaywalker is a quirky lawyer who has just been suspended from practicing law for three years. The lewd act he and a hooker were caught on tape engaging in--in the courthouse stairwell of all places--was the final straw. But, taking his near perfect win record into consideration, the judges finally agree to let him finish handling ten cases he's already taken on. The final one, the tenth case, is a client named Samara Tannenbaum, young wife of an old, recently murdered billionaire.
Will Jaywalker be able to perform his magic in his final case, ending with a winner? Or will the fact that the bloody murder weapon was found behind Samara's toilet send him out a looser. I'm not telling and spoiling the fun you'll have reading this novel.
My only complaint about the book is that it was a bit redundant in parts, rehashing evidence and other points a few more times than I needed. But the prose is written artfully enough that that fact is easy to overlook.
Jaywalker is a quirky lawyer who has just been suspended from practicing law for three years. The lewd act he and a hooker were caught on tape engaging in--in the courthouse stairwell of all places--was the final straw. But, taking his near perfect win record into consideration, the judges finally agree to let him finish handling ten cases he's already taken on. The final one, the tenth case, is a client named Samara Tannenbaum, young wife of an old, recently murdered billionaire.
Will Jaywalker be able to perform his magic in his final case, ending with a winner? Or will the fact that the bloody murder weapon was found behind Samara's toilet send him out a looser. I'm not telling and spoiling the fun you'll have reading this novel.
My only complaint about the book is that it was a bit redundant in parts, rehashing evidence and other points a few more times than I needed. But the prose is written artfully enough that that fact is easy to overlook.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews