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In Her Defense
Frank O'Connell's need to live on the edge cost him his family, his home, and a partnership in his father-in-law's prestigious D.C. firm. Then Ashley Bronson walks into his life. The murder of a former cabinet official has just propelled her from the society column to the front page, and, inexplicably, she wants Frank to defend her. Frank thinks his biggest challenge is defending a client against the prosecution's overwhelming evidence. He's got a lot to learn. Subsumed in a defense in which ethics are bent and morals compromised, a desperate Frank hits upon an inspired strategy -- and unwittingly becomes a dangerous threat to people in high places -- a threat that must be stopped no matter what the cost. Confronted by forces they don't understand, besieged lawyer and client have only each other as the courtroom battle begins....
416 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 3, 2000
7 people are currently reading
230 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
July 2, 2014
I was sitting in a corporate FBO in Miami with a 2 hour wait for passengers. There were complimentary books available. In Her Defense was one of them. It was like finding a gem among the seaglass.
I don't know why this wasn't a Best Seller. It has a great main character, Frank O'Connell, a Vietnam Vet, attorney-cocky and sarcastic. There's family conflict, personal character defining issues, conspiracy and a great writing style. A thoroughly enjoyable read. I'm pretty sure the author shares one of the victims beliefs that "the value of our existence can only be computed in the hearts of those we love, and who loves us in return".
I look forward to finding and reading any follow on to this first novel.
I don't know why this wasn't a Best Seller. It has a great main character, Frank O'Connell, a Vietnam Vet, attorney-cocky and sarcastic. There's family conflict, personal character defining issues, conspiracy and a great writing style. A thoroughly enjoyable read. I'm pretty sure the author shares one of the victims beliefs that "the value of our existence can only be computed in the hearts of those we love, and who loves us in return".
I look forward to finding and reading any follow on to this first novel.
April 16, 2023
Needed a book in between while waiting for another to arrive and found this at my parents house. Completely pleasantly surprised! Courtroom drama only made the twists even better. Also loved that the author was a former US Attorney, understanding and explaining the nuances and difficulties that only arise in criminal law. Will say the book seemed a little too long and could’ve wrapped up sooner. Overall, solid 3.5 rounded up.
January 31, 2015
In Her Defense by Stephen Horn is my first time to read or listen to anything by this author. The story was engaging, fast paced and I love the characters Frank O’Connell, an attorney and “Pops”.
Ashley Brown walks in Frank’s office and says that she has killed someone, a former cabinet member. When she tells him her story, it seems pretty open and shut. Her finger prints are on the gun and she did shoot. She had had an argument with the victim recently and she made a threat.
Also on the table is Frank’s relationship with his small son Brendon. His ex-wife is planning on getting married and moving half way across the country with her son.
Frank decides to go with what is known about the killing and start on an investigation to see if there was something that could bring doubt in the minds of the jury. Some of it is predictable but later the story got to be a wild imaginative jump. But the characters of the story were what holds the interest for me.
The courtroom scenes were a sizzling and there were several times when it seemed that the case was solved and everyone could go home but new things happened.
As usual, the worst part for me was the relationship between Frank and his ex-wife. It got overly sentimental for me and I was soon rolling my eyes. Aside from that it was an entertaining story.
Ashley Brown walks in Frank’s office and says that she has killed someone, a former cabinet member. When she tells him her story, it seems pretty open and shut. Her finger prints are on the gun and she did shoot. She had had an argument with the victim recently and she made a threat.
Also on the table is Frank’s relationship with his small son Brendon. His ex-wife is planning on getting married and moving half way across the country with her son.
Frank decides to go with what is known about the killing and start on an investigation to see if there was something that could bring doubt in the minds of the jury. Some of it is predictable but later the story got to be a wild imaginative jump. But the characters of the story were what holds the interest for me.
The courtroom scenes were a sizzling and there were several times when it seemed that the case was solved and everyone could go home but new things happened.
As usual, the worst part for me was the relationship between Frank and his ex-wife. It got overly sentimental for me and I was soon rolling my eyes. Aside from that it was an entertaining story.
November 11, 2017
Frank O'Connell had a beautiful wife and young child, partner in his wife's father firm; he was living the good life. Searching for something more, he lost it all when he chose to change to criminal law. Now he combs his cases from the jail cell block. Things are about to change when unexpectedly a young woman enters his office and tells him she murdered someone. Frank thinks his biggest hurdle is his new client's guilt but we begin to see that things are not always as they seem and strategy is as important as the facts you know. Frank has a enduring relationship with his former father-in-law (know as Pops) and Walter Feinberg, a crusty retired detective. The District Attorney on this case is an arrogant man that thinks he has a slam dunk case. Pops practices law with finesse and knows all the right people. Frank is quick witted and he and Walter make the perfect team. They are like pit bulls with a bone, they just won't let go until they get the answers.
December 28, 2020
Stephen Horn is a new author to me, but after this novel,I think he's going to be a new favorite of mine. What do you do when you take on a client as a lawyer who's already guilty in the court of public opinion? Disgraced lawyer Frank O'connell is about to find out. Not only has he lost his position at his father in law's law firm, but he's also trying to reconcile with his wife,as well as find a place to stay. One day,a wealthy socialite walks into his office and wants him to represent her. Seems pretty standard, right? Wrong! She's been charged with the murder of a high ranking government official. As if that weren't enough, the evidence just seems to be piling up against her. Will he be able to clear her name? Will he be able to face his own issues? What will happen to his family structure? Is she as guilty as she seems,or is there a deeper issue going on? Read it and find out!
January 15, 2020
This book kept my attention, partly because it was educational as well as suspenseful, but I suspect that a lot of the things the defense lawyer, Francis O'Connell, does and says aren't used (or perhaps allowed) in real trials of celebrity murder suspects, in this case a beautiful babe named Ashley Bronson. At least it wasn't boring. I've been on juries (although I've always been excused by the defense when put on panels for murder trials. Must be my button that reads "hang 'em.") I did, however, enjoy the highs and lows of the book. It's a page-turner and kept me coming back for more. It was also a fun read, even though the lead characters weren't having fun much of the time. But if they were it would be boring.
December 16, 2017
I picked this up as a fun, light read, and I wasn't disappointed. The story followed a typical plot line--I could anticipate the wrinkles in the case early on and predict how the story would unravel. Overall, I enjoyed the book, even if the ending turned sappy, predictable, and too sweet (which is why I didn't give it more stars). It fit the bill of a book that didn't make me think too much and kept me entertained, which is what I wanted for a vacation read.
April 25, 2018
I loved this author's first book from beginning to end but for some reason, I didn't really get into this one until 3/4 of the way through. I found it confusing to keep track of all the characters by name (lawyers, investigators, etc.) and that usually isn't an issue for me so it could have just been because I wasn't fully engaged in the story. To sum up, the last quarter of the book was page-turning but it was slow going getting there.
December 7, 2018
Well written legal thriller with twists and memorable characters. It's also a story of Frank finding himself and learning what's really important to him.
March 26, 2020
Got a little lost.
May 10, 2021
Stock characters, unconvincing love stories- one of those books that annoyed me because I just had to finish reading it.
Read
May 20, 2021I have moved so I can not find the book. Will read it When I find it.
March 17, 2023
Very good, legal thriller.
July 21, 2025
One of those rare books/thrillers were every single page moves the story forward AND has some nice plants early that pays off later.
April 15, 2016
Another book I've had for years and never read before. Sad, because it's worth it.
I think Horn just published it at the wrong time, when many other questions than nuclear missiles were more interesting. It is funny, every once in a while, you read a book and have to check the publication date to be sure it was not written 60 years ago. That is what I did with this one, Frank O'Donnel is a lawyer who decided years ago to quit contract law and go for criminal cases. He realized quickly his choice was hard. It costed him a lot of money, his wife, almost everything.
When a rich and beautiful woman asks him to be her lawyer when she is accused of murder, we see something like Verdict. Suddenly, Frank decides to fight for her, and do as much as possible.
As he digs into the layers of her father's life, he questions his choices, his life, but has no time to spare -the trial is coming and if he misses, he won't get a second chance!
It is just surprising to read about a guy who has been in the war, and understand he speaks of the Vietnam one, not Afghanistan or Iraq.
A good suspense-thriller, where there is not too much gore. And many surprises to expect...
But at the end of the book, it feels much more like a spy adventure famous in the 1960s or 1970s, 80 at the latest than a description of the FBI fixing their inanities in the year 2000.
Once the USSR had exploded, the problems were different.
I enjoyed the outdated way of describing the FbI cover-alls. And we will never know what was true or not!!!
I thought, by the way, that, according to modern spy thrillers, the problem of the detonator has been solved, and small bombs could be made without problems.
Let's say the book would have been much more believable if set in the 50s or 60s.
I think Horn just published it at the wrong time, when many other questions than nuclear missiles were more interesting. It is funny, every once in a while, you read a book and have to check the publication date to be sure it was not written 60 years ago. That is what I did with this one, Frank O'Donnel is a lawyer who decided years ago to quit contract law and go for criminal cases. He realized quickly his choice was hard. It costed him a lot of money, his wife, almost everything.
When a rich and beautiful woman asks him to be her lawyer when she is accused of murder, we see something like Verdict. Suddenly, Frank decides to fight for her, and do as much as possible.
As he digs into the layers of her father's life, he questions his choices, his life, but has no time to spare -the trial is coming and if he misses, he won't get a second chance!
It is just surprising to read about a guy who has been in the war, and understand he speaks of the Vietnam one, not Afghanistan or Iraq.
A good suspense-thriller, where there is not too much gore. And many surprises to expect...
But at the end of the book, it feels much more like a spy adventure famous in the 1960s or 1970s, 80 at the latest than a description of the FBI fixing their inanities in the year 2000.
Once the USSR had exploded, the problems were different.
I enjoyed the outdated way of describing the FbI cover-alls. And we will never know what was true or not!!!
I thought, by the way, that, according to modern spy thrillers, the problem of the detonator has been solved, and small bombs could be made without problems.
Let's say the book would have been much more believable if set in the 50s or 60s.
September 22, 2008
I really liked this book. It was as one commenter put it, "a typical read for this type of book." It was a fast paced legal thriller with lots of twists and turns. The character development was strong and I really liked the main character. I loved his sarcasm and ironic wit... I think I loved this book because of him and his "Pop." They were characters that I sincerely liked. The plot got a bit far fetched in the end, but although I expected a surprise ending, I didn't expect the surprise I got. Oh, and as a romantic, I loved the ending. It was perfect. This was a fun read although there was some nasty language and sexual innuendo and a gratuitous sex scene.... I'd probably have to rate it R for that.
August 27, 2011
Quick entertaining read and a little enlightening, in terms of how the defense, who has nothing whatsoever to go on (in other words, she "did it") uses detectives, the press and whatever, to manufacture the obfuscation of fact. Washington DC highly placed female offspring of BMIDC (Big Man in DC) is accused of murder, of another BMIDC and friend (or long-standing enemy) of her recently deceased father's. Chooses dark horse lawyer. They fall in love. While dark horse lawyer is trying to sort out his relationship w/his ex-wife, his ex-father-in-law (another BMIDC) and his young son. (BTW, portrayal of son is sweet........). Got at Augustana Lutheran book sale but will lend to JS and then sell.
September 21, 2012
Excellent. Fast pace, a young lawyer, who had been given everything, rich wife, nice practice, lovely child, found there was something missing. He chucks it all, wonderful family, great practice, to become a cell block lawyer, as he wants to start from the beginning and make it on his own.
He is hired on a murder case, and intrigue, and mystery is around every corner. There is some excellent detective work done by friends he has hired, and with the help of
his divorced family (who he thought he would never ask of anything) he wins a very difficult case, and
finds out, spies are everywhere, still hanging around from the Cold War.
Really enjoyed this story.
He is hired on a murder case, and intrigue, and mystery is around every corner. There is some excellent detective work done by friends he has hired, and with the help of
his divorced family (who he thought he would never ask of anything) he wins a very difficult case, and
finds out, spies are everywhere, still hanging around from the Cold War.
Really enjoyed this story.
September 15, 2011
Lawyer gives up a job with his father in laws prestigious law firm to take public defender cases and looses his wife in the process. By chance he is hired to defend a high profile socialite accused of murder. He is up against a ambitious prosecutor and has his own demons to fight as well. His client is admittedly guilty, but he is working hard against the odds to create reasonable doubt that she actually did the deed. As things come down to the wire in the trial he gets a break that changes the course of the investigation.
February 3, 2017
It was only meant to be a palate cleanser after Anna Karenina, and it worked for that.
On the merits, it's a wanna-be-Grisham with a taste for cliche. Oh, the protagonist male has a drinking problem, left his wife, sabotaged his career because he didn't want to play by their rules, but is a hell of a lawyer? Go on! You won't believe that there's more to his sexy client than meets the eye. Good for what it is I guess?
On the merits, it's a wanna-be-Grisham with a taste for cliche. Oh, the protagonist male has a drinking problem, left his wife, sabotaged his career because he didn't want to play by their rules, but is a hell of a lawyer? Go on! You won't believe that there's more to his sexy client than meets the eye. Good for what it is I guess?
July 22, 2009
Great plot twists and well written. Down on his luck defense attorney takes on what seems to be an open and shut case: the suspect confesses. In building a defense, trying to cast doubt, he uncovers conspiracy plots and other dirty secrets. Characters are pretty well crafted though I thought the relationship resolutions were not strong.
July 30, 2009
A good book with focus on the law - a big chunk of crime and mix in a tad bit of romance in there too.
My favorite quote from this book would come from the latter part of the story:
"And I know now, as sure as any immutable law of nature, that the value of our existence can only be computed in the hearts of those we love, and who love us in return".
My favorite quote from this book would come from the latter part of the story:
"And I know now, as sure as any immutable law of nature, that the value of our existence can only be computed in the hearts of those we love, and who love us in return".
October 10, 2007
This is one of those books that you have to read carefully, yet it is NOT a difficult read at all. It is a legal thriller, but you don't mind being in the courtroom during those chapters. The way it all comes together is amazing! This is a twisty-turny good, good read.
July 21, 2008
There is so much going on in this book - murder, FBI espionage, nuclear devices, spies from Russia, lawyer and ex wife still in love. Character development is strong. This is a typical read for this type of story.
August 14, 2010
I don't usually read murder-mystery books, but this one sucked me in. I really like the writing style, and I love the main character. It has a crazy twist in the end, which I actually didn't especially like because it was incredibly unbelievable. But overall, a good, easy read!
November 10, 2010
I really liked this book. It was fast paced and always changing. Some parts were very complex and hard to follow. It is hard to believe how they came to the conclusion of the trial but I really liked the ending.
August 8, 2011
This book was so much better than i was expecting. it was fun, entertaining, and tied up in a nice circle. Full of surprises and secrets. this was really very interesting and gave good insight into the defense side of law that most mystery or crime books dont go into. i recommend this book.
April 27, 2014
Wow, I really enjoyed this recommendation from Bev. Likeable and believable characters. Just when you thought it was over....something else happened. Suspense, drama, love triangles, espionage and lawyers.
June 16, 2008
Good so far.
November 17, 2008
It was just okay..The main character's development was the most interesting part of the novel...the story was a little drawn out in my opinion
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews