What do you think?
Rate this book
Self Incrimination
When Murder Is the Only Option…
Tara Bannister's abusive stepfather finally pushed her too far. To save herself she had to kill him. Or did she? As Tara's self-defense claim crumbles, attorney Leslie Conners must overcome more than first trial jitters to mount a credible defense. Leslie must save Tara’s life...against her client’s will.
Can a Lawyer Save a Client from Herself?
Defense attorneys expect to catch their clients lying. It’s part of the game. But nothing in law school prepared Leslie for this. Tara’s confession doesn’t add up, and the reason may be more shocking than the crime itself.
In the midst of this taxing case, Leslie’s wedding plans to law partner Brad Carson are interrupted by devastating news: she suffers from a dangerous rare heart condition. Does she dare tell Brad? Before the final gavel falls, Leslie must confront the truth about herself and her mysterious client, or the darkness of the past will swallow them both.
Tara Bannister's abusive stepfather finally pushed her too far. To save herself she had to kill him. Or did she? As Tara's self-defense claim crumbles, attorney Leslie Conners must overcome more than first trial jitters to mount a credible defense. Leslie must save Tara’s life...against her client’s will.
Can a Lawyer Save a Client from Herself?
Defense attorneys expect to catch their clients lying. It’s part of the game. But nothing in law school prepared Leslie for this. Tara’s confession doesn’t add up, and the reason may be more shocking than the crime itself.
In the midst of this taxing case, Leslie’s wedding plans to law partner Brad Carson are interrupted by devastating news: she suffers from a dangerous rare heart condition. Does she dare tell Brad? Before the final gavel falls, Leslie must confront the truth about herself and her mysterious client, or the darkness of the past will swallow them both.
464 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
61 people are currently reading
508 people want to read
About the author
Randy Singer
24 books457 followersRandy Singer is a critically acclaimed author and veteran trial attorney. He has penned nine legal thrillers, including his award-winning debut novel Directed Verdict. In addition to his law practice and writing, Randy serves as a teaching pastor for Trinity Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He calls it his "Jekyll and Hyde thing"—part lawyer, part pastor. He also teaches classes in advocacy and ethics at Regent Law School and serves on the school's Board of Visitors. He and his wife, Rhonda, live in Virginia Beach. They have two grown children.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
November 6, 2014
Randy Singer has penned another legal thriller that keeps the reader turning the pages. Self Incrimination weaves such a tangled thread that when you pull on one end another "knotty" problem rears its head. The two main characters, Brad and Leslie, law firm partners and an engaged couple, find their two main clients are intertwined and neither appears to be telling them the complete truth. On top of this, people throughout the legal system don't seem to be quite what they appear either. Brad and Leslie both grapple with ethics as they also try to determine what they really believe about Christianity and Jesus as their savior. A surprise ending with more twists brings this novel to a great conclusion.
May 27, 2009
He's obviously a Christian, but one of the best I've read. I didn't love it, and the best part was the actual courtroom and stuff. The religious stuff was okay, and not too much in your face, so that was okay. It sounds like I don't like religion, but it's not that at all, it just needs to fit naturally with the story. I guess I just feel I've been converted already, and in a book, I care about good writing (and that it's not sick and disgusting). Maybe I just want it to be like a person and be an example without preaching. I hope I'm not just evil.
March 13, 2018
I typically like Randy Singer's books. And I was really into this book for the first 100 pages or so. But the subplot with the lawyer's health seemed out of place and wasn't the least bit interesting and the attitude of the defendant started to get old fast and I still had another 300 pages to read. In the end, I just couldn't stick it out.
May 16, 2009
Randy Singer is a Christian based legal author and is also a trial lawyer. This book was really good. I liked the suspense in it, the edginess of the storyline and also the way he threaded Christianity into it too. Also, I didn't have to worry about any language issues, etc. Sometimes Christian-based authors can go too far and the integrety of the story gets shaded by overdone preachings, if you get my drift. But this guy didn't do that. When away from the book, I found myself thinking of the main character---worrying about her and then realizing 'oh yeah, it's only a book!' And now that I'm finished, I am glad I read it. It's worth the read! And now I wanna see if his others are as good as Self-Incrimination.
February 20, 2013
/ The book's premise could have spun in a tired ad boring story. Thankfully, Randy Singer is creative enough to inject new life to this plot. He did cover lots of ground here, even heart surgery and faith. Personally, I find the book sometimes straying too far away from the main story line. I did not at all enjoy the surgery section, mainly because I'm squeemish. But, yes, I'll recommend this book to a friend. Oh, Leslie annoyed me at times, especially when she did not tell Brad Carson she'll have surgery. Seriously? Keep that a secret? Come on! Ha!
January 22, 2016
This book picks up where Directed Verdict ended. Although not as exciting as the first book, but still a very good read. I like all the parts where people saw their need for Christ, and were witnessed to and how Sovereign God is in the story. It shows that in real life, God also does mighty miracles in leading people to the Lord thru circumstances in their life.
September 30, 2016
I generally find Christian fiction to be disappointing. The Christian part is usually all happy, flappy leading to a false impression of what true Christianity is, and the fiction part is usually bland. Singer does a good job of blending the two into a comprehensive novel to reflect my Christian beliefs and my love of a good legal thriller.
November 17, 2022
Legal thriller, at its finest
Randy spins quite a tale, and no reader will leave disappointed! This book offers more twists and turns than most races, and you might find yourself gasping for air, even.
Randy spins quite a tale, and no reader will leave disappointed! This book offers more twists and turns than most races, and you might find yourself gasping for air, even.
January 27, 2024
Decent, but not Randy Singer's best (3.5 stars)
Written from the perspective of female attorney Leslie Connors, Randy Singer's "Self Incrimination" introduces us to the bizarre case of Tara Bannister, an abused teenager who inexplicably confesses to killing her stepfather. But as the evidence is carefully considered, not everything about her confession adds up. Not only must Leslie try to solve a most perplexing mystery, but at the same time she has to face important questions about her own physical and spiritual health, while trying to organize a wedding at the same time.
But Self Incrimination is more than just a legal thriller, because Leslie also finds herself investigating some of the claims about Christianity, with the help of C.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity". Disappointingly, what ends up convincing her in the end isn't the force of arguments from apologetics or the truths of the Bible, but rather a religious "experience". While I appreciate the fact that the author has attempted to include serious material into a suspense novel, it just wasn't accomplished satisfactorily in my view, and felt somewhat corny and trite in its execution.
There were more weaknesses, including some implausible elements to the storyline, such as the fact that the protagonist decides not to disclose her life-threatening illness to the man she's about to marry. On the positive side, the resolution of the main mystery itself did prove somewhat of a surprise to me, and although it wasn't outstanding, there were still some surprises at the end. In the end none of this book's weaknesses proves fatal to this novel; it's still a decent read, even if it doesn't quite match Randy Singer's best.
Written from the perspective of female attorney Leslie Connors, Randy Singer's "Self Incrimination" introduces us to the bizarre case of Tara Bannister, an abused teenager who inexplicably confesses to killing her stepfather. But as the evidence is carefully considered, not everything about her confession adds up. Not only must Leslie try to solve a most perplexing mystery, but at the same time she has to face important questions about her own physical and spiritual health, while trying to organize a wedding at the same time.
But Self Incrimination is more than just a legal thriller, because Leslie also finds herself investigating some of the claims about Christianity, with the help of C.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity". Disappointingly, what ends up convincing her in the end isn't the force of arguments from apologetics or the truths of the Bible, but rather a religious "experience". While I appreciate the fact that the author has attempted to include serious material into a suspense novel, it just wasn't accomplished satisfactorily in my view, and felt somewhat corny and trite in its execution.
There were more weaknesses, including some implausible elements to the storyline, such as the fact that the protagonist decides not to disclose her life-threatening illness to the man she's about to marry. On the positive side, the resolution of the main mystery itself did prove somewhat of a surprise to me, and although it wasn't outstanding, there were still some surprises at the end. In the end none of this book's weaknesses proves fatal to this novel; it's still a decent read, even if it doesn't quite match Randy Singer's best.
November 29, 2021
So much wrong with this book, but I almost gave it two stars: woo-hoo. Anyway, I have read one other of Randy Singers books. I enjoyed it and was looking forward to this one. What was wrong?
1. The other court case being run by Brad Carson added very little to the book. 2. The medical event, again didn't really add to the story. I think that it was put in for number 3. 3. Finding god. Added nothing. Total distraction from the story. If I want to read about god, I will find it in my own time. Not have it thrown in a legal novel (there was nothing written in the books blurb about this part of the book). I fast forwarded my ebook when these bits came up. 4. Convoluted, confusing ending.
Disappointing
1. The other court case being run by Brad Carson added very little to the book. 2. The medical event, again didn't really add to the story. I think that it was put in for number 3. 3. Finding god. Added nothing. Total distraction from the story. If I want to read about god, I will find it in my own time. Not have it thrown in a legal novel (there was nothing written in the books blurb about this part of the book). I fast forwarded my ebook when these bits came up. 4. Convoluted, confusing ending.
Disappointing
November 18, 2017
Trish wonders why she is living like this, a husband with an unruly temper. Somethings are worth fighting for, was this one. With an 11 year old boy and a 16 year old girl, who was already pushing her boundaries. Survival was the name of the game. What happened Tara, is a new client for the attorney Laura, was this young girl guilty. Love the description of the lawyer, red hair and Irish, trying to get a response from Tara. Delightful, entertaining, yet, the fact is, this was a murder, could we figure out who. Once again Randy doesn't disappoint his readers. The description of the home life, catches you from the first, wanting to help, and now father is out of the picture, surely it wasn't one of them. Do read, enjoy and figure out who and why.
August 8, 2021
I have really enjoyed Randy Singer's other books. This one was too long. I also didn't care for some of the characters even though I was supposed to feel sorry for them. I didn't think the story was that interesting. There was some good action, but it was limited. The courtroom narratives were the best part. The twist was somewhat predictable, and not that exciting. I'm just not feeling it with this book.
October 30, 2019
This book is all over the place from courtroom drama and suspense to Christianity and health issues. I agree with some of the other reviews and don’t feel like they all meshed real good together in this story. I did like it having other aspects the the characters lives but think it could have been handled differently.
June 3, 2017
I think I have liked his other books better than this one.
An abusive husband and stepfather is murdered, and the truth is hard to find. The teenage girl was not very likeable, and the plot moved around a bit too much for me.
An abusive husband and stepfather is murdered, and the truth is hard to find. The teenage girl was not very likeable, and the plot moved around a bit too much for me.
June 29, 2019
the plots are ongoing the characters the lies there clients aren’t telling the truth or are they another page turner by randy singer and too me it not overprachy or for me me it felt wasn’t and so many twist and tangle it so many things great christian supsence
June 10, 2024
I was so surprised how much I enjoyed this book! Follows along a new lawyer and her client who shot her abusive step father. Lots of twists and turns. The faith and religion in this book was admirable and very relatable
July 13, 2017
It was a little more predictable than the other Randy Singer books I have read, but I still enjoyed it.
October 26, 2017
Vermakelijk verhaal, leuke personages. Fijn dat het boek steeds Cheistelijker wordt.
April 21, 2018
Dit verhaal zat erg goed in elkaar.
December 17, 2018
Excellent
Excellent is the least I can say, and I never saw that coming. Sami greatness I have seen in many of his previous books
Excellent is the least I can say, and I never saw that coming. Sami greatness I have seen in many of his previous books
October 20, 2021
One of Singer's best!
July 11, 2022
3 1/2 🌟
February 13, 2023
Very interesting ending. Much more to the story than you expect, even though you already expect there will be.
January 4, 2024
Loved this on the edge of your seat pace! It kept me guessing and every time I thought I’d figured it out another twist.
June 3, 2024
3.50 overall; good story, but I didn't like the end as much
March 14, 2017
This book was a real page-turner and I really enjoyed it. However, the phrase "seven inch zipper scar" was incredibly overused for a while and I didn't love the fact that it's what seemed to matter most to Leslie. Also, when Leslie found religion, it seemed so...forced and a little out of place. All in all, I liked this book and I'm glad I read it. Maybe now I'll try out a few more of Singer's novels.
November 11, 2016
Inept at writing females
While I sincerely admire the author for getting the gospel message across, I think he should stick to male protaganists. As a woman, I was constantly getting my "feathers ruffled" by the heroine's thoughts and logic.. didn't ring true.
While I sincerely admire the author for getting the gospel message across, I think he should stick to male protaganists. As a woman, I was constantly getting my "feathers ruffled" by the heroine's thoughts and logic.. didn't ring true.
February 6, 2017
An exciting (twist-filled) legal novel that kept me in suspense and anticipation with regards to the protagonist's personal and work life. It was amazing to experience that a skillful writer can indeed write in the first person - and the opposite sex (Male author writing in a female's first person)!
My Summary:
Two things get in the way of Leslie Connors purely looking forward to and planning her upcoming wedding to law partner, Brad Carson.
Firstly, a rare heart condition (HMC) which causes Leslie to re-evaluate the most important aspects of her life: her relationship with Brad and her faith in the incomprehensible Jesus Christ.
Secondly is Tara Bannister; who is claiming self-defense. But everything doesn't add up. The case soon turns out to be a lot more complicated and complex than anticipated.
My Likes:
I am VERY pleasantly surprised at how believable Leslie Connors is. It is never easy to accomplish this when writing in first person, but to do it while being the opposite sex of the character - well, I have never heard of such a thing. But Randy Singer (male) creates a credible female protagonist. Very well done. I could not find fault.
Maybe people more clever than I could have seen some of the twists or even the end coming, but I sure didn't. Each one was exciting. But it never made me loose track nor did I get confused with the many twists and turns the reader has to keep track of. It was masterfully explained whenever necessary without getting redundant.
I like the fact that when Leslie This actually applies to most of the other characters as well. I think this is especially important for the credibility of the story, since its Leslie's thoughts all the time and it thus has the potential to become unbelievable really quickly.
My Dislikes:
Brad Carson is a bit too... good to be true. A bit too much of the perfect guy. But then again if you can't have them in books then you won't have them anywhere. It didn't spoil the story in the least. I just noticed.
What I did find hard to believe is that Whatever the reason, I found it pretty hard to believe.
My Conclusion:
An exciting (twist-filled) contemporary legal fiction that kept me in suspense and anticipation with regards to the protagonist's personal and work life. It was amazing to experience that a skillful writer can indeed write in the first person - and the opposite sex (Male author writing in a female's first person)!
My Summary:
Two things get in the way of Leslie Connors purely looking forward to and planning her upcoming wedding to law partner, Brad Carson.
Firstly, a rare heart condition (HMC) which causes Leslie to re-evaluate the most important aspects of her life: her relationship with Brad and her faith in the incomprehensible Jesus Christ.
Secondly is Tara Bannister; who is claiming self-defense. But everything doesn't add up. The case soon turns out to be a lot more complicated and complex than anticipated.
"'I'm glad he is dead,' says the sulking teenager... Those are not the words you want to hear from a new client. Especially when it's your first murder case." ~ page 9
My Likes:
I am VERY pleasantly surprised at how believable Leslie Connors is. It is never easy to accomplish this when writing in first person, but to do it while being the opposite sex of the character - well, I have never heard of such a thing. But Randy Singer (male) creates a credible female protagonist. Very well done. I could not find fault.
Maybe people more clever than I could have seen some of the twists or even the end coming, but I sure didn't. Each one was exciting. But it never made me loose track nor did I get confused with the many twists and turns the reader has to keep track of. It was masterfully explained whenever necessary without getting redundant.
I like the fact that when Leslie This actually applies to most of the other characters as well. I think this is especially important for the credibility of the story, since its Leslie's thoughts all the time and it thus has the potential to become unbelievable really quickly.
My Dislikes:
Brad Carson is a bit too... good to be true. A bit too much of the perfect guy. But then again if you can't have them in books then you won't have them anywhere. It didn't spoil the story in the least. I just noticed.
What I did find hard to believe is that Whatever the reason, I found it pretty hard to believe.
My Conclusion:
An exciting (twist-filled) contemporary legal fiction that kept me in suspense and anticipation with regards to the protagonist's personal and work life. It was amazing to experience that a skillful writer can indeed write in the first person - and the opposite sex (Male author writing in a female's first person)!
May 22, 2019
Complex Christian legal mystery. Lots of twists, lots of thought provoking lessons about Christianity.
When rookie criminal defense attorney Leslie Conners is assigned the case of Tara Bannister, she expects it to be open-and-shut. Tara's claims of shooting her abusive stepfather in self-defense are convincing and seem corroborated by her injuries. However, things aren't what they appear on the surface. Though the prosecutor has physical evidence that shows Tara is lying about aspects of her story, Leslie is determined to win Tara's acquittal. Leslie is engaged to her law partner, Brad Carson, and the two are busy defending cases and planning their wedding. When Leslie is diagnosed with a life-threatening heart disorder, she doesn't tell Brad about her condition, not wanting to add further stress to his life.
Fans of legal thrillers and intense mysteries will love Self Incrimination, a thinking-person's story. Though at times the plot becomes so convoluted in people and situations that one almost needs a diagram to keep it all straight, this only adds to the intrigue and doesn't detract from the enjoyment of an action-packed ride. Leslie is a fascinating main character. Her intentions are good, even with her lack of trial experience. When she discovers her health problem, she becomes more human and accessible to the reader. Her faith journey is incredibly realistic and intense. Readers will fully understand Leslie's arguments against Christian faith, and her struggles to prove the existence of God using legal methods provides much food for thought.
Randy Singer's writing style reminded me of John Grisham. The Christian message adds an additional dimension to the story. Brad and Leslie are likable attorneys at a time when lawyers can use a little good press. Tara's case is interesting and delves into the dilemmas about abuse and self protection against an abuser. How far is too far? Self Incrimination is an engrossing tale that will have you reading late into the night.
When rookie criminal defense attorney Leslie Conners is assigned the case of Tara Bannister, she expects it to be open-and-shut. Tara's claims of shooting her abusive stepfather in self-defense are convincing and seem corroborated by her injuries. However, things aren't what they appear on the surface. Though the prosecutor has physical evidence that shows Tara is lying about aspects of her story, Leslie is determined to win Tara's acquittal. Leslie is engaged to her law partner, Brad Carson, and the two are busy defending cases and planning their wedding. When Leslie is diagnosed with a life-threatening heart disorder, she doesn't tell Brad about her condition, not wanting to add further stress to his life.
Fans of legal thrillers and intense mysteries will love Self Incrimination, a thinking-person's story. Though at times the plot becomes so convoluted in people and situations that one almost needs a diagram to keep it all straight, this only adds to the intrigue and doesn't detract from the enjoyment of an action-packed ride. Leslie is a fascinating main character. Her intentions are good, even with her lack of trial experience. When she discovers her health problem, she becomes more human and accessible to the reader. Her faith journey is incredibly realistic and intense. Readers will fully understand Leslie's arguments against Christian faith, and her struggles to prove the existence of God using legal methods provides much food for thought.
Randy Singer's writing style reminded me of John Grisham. The Christian message adds an additional dimension to the story. Brad and Leslie are likable attorneys at a time when lawyers can use a little good press. Tara's case is interesting and delves into the dilemmas about abuse and self protection against an abuser. How far is too far? Self Incrimination is an engrossing tale that will have you reading late into the night.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews