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Marty Nickerson #1
Absolute Certainty
Rose Connors brings a fresh voice, a dynamic storytelling power, and a passion for the law to her compelling crime fiction debut. Martha "Marty" Nickerson is a lawyer who truly loves her job. As an assistant D.A. for Massachusetts's Barnstable County, which includes all the small towns on Cape Cod, she speaks for the victims of crime and their families, and sees the system as a means for doing right.
The case of Manuel Rodriguez is a prime example. Rodriguez is accused of brutally murdering a college student, a kind young man who had a bright future. Marty has worked hard on this case; as the mother of a teenage son, she identifies with the murdered boy's grieving parents. Her case against Rodriguez is so solid that even public defender Harry Madigan -- the champion of the Cape's underdogs -- expects a conviction. And, on Memorial Day, exactly a year after the crime, the verdict comes in: guilty as charged. Justice prevails.
Then, with Rodriguez behind bars, another body turns up in disturbingly similar circumstances. Did Marty and her colleagues target the wrong man? Her supervisor -- Geraldine Schilling, who aspires to be the county's first female D.A. -- refuses to reopen such a high-profile case. Why should she? The prosecutors played by the rules and won big. But Marty fears that the real killer will strike again.
With her career on the line and lives at stake, Marty must rely on her own moral compass, legal savvy, and gut instinct as she matches wits with a twisted killer. The system itself is on trial as Marty tries to serve Justice, not merely the Law.
Only an author with years of courtroom experience could add such riveting authenticity to a novel thatasks important questions and provides surprising answers. Rose Connors's "Absolute Certainty" introduces a new crime-writing star.
The case of Manuel Rodriguez is a prime example. Rodriguez is accused of brutally murdering a college student, a kind young man who had a bright future. Marty has worked hard on this case; as the mother of a teenage son, she identifies with the murdered boy's grieving parents. Her case against Rodriguez is so solid that even public defender Harry Madigan -- the champion of the Cape's underdogs -- expects a conviction. And, on Memorial Day, exactly a year after the crime, the verdict comes in: guilty as charged. Justice prevails.
Then, with Rodriguez behind bars, another body turns up in disturbingly similar circumstances. Did Marty and her colleagues target the wrong man? Her supervisor -- Geraldine Schilling, who aspires to be the county's first female D.A. -- refuses to reopen such a high-profile case. Why should she? The prosecutors played by the rules and won big. But Marty fears that the real killer will strike again.
With her career on the line and lives at stake, Marty must rely on her own moral compass, legal savvy, and gut instinct as she matches wits with a twisted killer. The system itself is on trial as Marty tries to serve Justice, not merely the Law.
Only an author with years of courtroom experience could add such riveting authenticity to a novel thatasks important questions and provides surprising answers. Rose Connors's "Absolute Certainty" introduces a new crime-writing star.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published August 6, 2002
23 people are currently reading
828 people want to read
About the author
Rose Connors
27 books45 followersRose Connors is an author of mystery fiction. She has written four books about her fictional attorney Marty Nickerson, but hasn't been published in more than a decade. Connors, whose debut novel, Absolute Certainty, won the Mary Higgins Clark Award, grew up in Philadelphia and received her law degree from Duke in 1984.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews
February 12, 2019
3.5 stars A good follow-up to the series I’ve so enjoyed by Kate Wilhelm. There is much less courtroom action, at least in this book. Also the protagonist, Marty Nickerson, is personally involved in the crimes perpetrated since she knows the victims. And at the end of the book, there appeared to be some changes in her circumstances. So I will continue with the next book since I enjoyed this one.
I’m correcting the comment I made as I started the book: “Goody! I found another courtroom series that I like and think will be a good replacement for Kate Wilhelm’s Barbara Holloway series. This protagonist is a prosecuting attorney rather than defense; so I can see a different aspect of courtroom action."
I’m correcting the comment I made as I started the book: “Goody! I found another courtroom series that I like and think will be a good replacement for Kate Wilhelm’s Barbara Holloway series. This protagonist is a prosecuting attorney rather than defense; so I can see a different aspect of courtroom action."
October 23, 2014
Connors writes good legal & court room stuff, very believable, although she often seems to be talking down to the reader. I'm pretty much ignorant of how the actual nuts & bolts of the court system works, so I found some interesting material there. The reader was pretty good, too.
I was very disappointed in the ending. This was a 3 star book until the end & then it lost at least a star. It's a shame, but this author can NOT write action sequences at all. Also, in mysteries like this, I like the author to give some clues as to who the real killer is so that the end is believable. I suppose she did, but not in a very convincing manner & then she dragged everything out at the end wrapping stuff up. I might get another book by this author if I can't find anything better to listen to, but I'd never buy one of her books.
I was very disappointed in the ending. This was a 3 star book until the end & then it lost at least a star. It's a shame, but this author can NOT write action sequences at all. Also, in mysteries like this, I like the author to give some clues as to who the real killer is so that the end is believable. I suppose she did, but not in a very convincing manner & then she dragged everything out at the end wrapping stuff up. I might get another book by this author if I can't find anything better to listen to, but I'd never buy one of her books.
August 18, 2010
We downloaded this book from my local library and burned a CD for a trip we took recently. We were ten hours in the car both ways and this story made the ride seem much shorter.
The book is about Marty Nickerson, an ADA (Assistant District Attorney) in the Cape Cod area. That struck home for me since my son is an ADA in Charlotte, NC. Of course, if he is spending his time tracking down serial murderers he hasn't let his parents know.
One of the things I liked the most about this book was the author's respect for and knowledge about the law. She is constantly letting the reader know about the way the judicial process works in Massachusetts. During one scene her boss pulls her off a case because she doesn't believe Marty will do the best she can to prosecute the case. That was a mistake. Marty knows that for the system to work she has to do her job to the best of her ability even if she has concerns. Later on the judge looks over her notes and it is clear that was what she had planned to do.
The build up of suspense in this novel is handled very well. I was on the edge of my seat at times (not good since I was driving). I also loved trying to figure out how it was going to end. I was wrong, which says something for the unpredictable plot. But I thought there were too many coincidences at the end. That was my one complaint.
I recommend this book, especially the audio version. Bernadette Dunne was the reader. She did a superb job.
The book is about Marty Nickerson, an ADA (Assistant District Attorney) in the Cape Cod area. That struck home for me since my son is an ADA in Charlotte, NC. Of course, if he is spending his time tracking down serial murderers he hasn't let his parents know.
One of the things I liked the most about this book was the author's respect for and knowledge about the law. She is constantly letting the reader know about the way the judicial process works in Massachusetts. During one scene her boss pulls her off a case because she doesn't believe Marty will do the best she can to prosecute the case. That was a mistake. Marty knows that for the system to work she has to do her job to the best of her ability even if she has concerns. Later on the judge looks over her notes and it is clear that was what she had planned to do.
The build up of suspense in this novel is handled very well. I was on the edge of my seat at times (not good since I was driving). I also loved trying to figure out how it was going to end. I was wrong, which says something for the unpredictable plot. But I thought there were too many coincidences at the end. That was my one complaint.
I recommend this book, especially the audio version. Bernadette Dunne was the reader. She did a superb job.
January 24, 2019
Great story! Wonderful plot twists, did not know who did it... GREAT CHARACTERS. moving on to her other books now....
September 8, 2013
The murder that sparks the court case initially was graphic and had me wondering whether I really wanted to read this book. I don’t deal well with graphic. I’m glad I did continue to read. It seems almost an open and shut case when Manuel Rodriguez is brought before the court. Assistant District Attorney Marty Nickerson is convinced he is guilty. But then when a second body murdered in a similar manner turns up, she begins to have some doubts.
The character of Marty, her relationship with her ex husband and teenage son Luke are well drawn as is her relationship with her boss Geraldine. Public defender Harry Madigan was also an interesting character.
I have to admit to skimming over the description of the murders but the rest had me reading. But then I’ve always been a sucker for good novels and TV shows about lawyers. This certainly fills that category. The longer the story goes on the more compelling a read it becomes.
The author apparently spent a number of years as a criminal defence attorney and it shows in the way the story and the legal aspects are delivered. A good read.
The character of Marty, her relationship with her ex husband and teenage son Luke are well drawn as is her relationship with her boss Geraldine. Public defender Harry Madigan was also an interesting character.
I have to admit to skimming over the description of the murders but the rest had me reading. But then I’ve always been a sucker for good novels and TV shows about lawyers. This certainly fills that category. The longer the story goes on the more compelling a read it becomes.
The author apparently spent a number of years as a criminal defence attorney and it shows in the way the story and the legal aspects are delivered. A good read.
April 3, 2016
Lame. Did we have to read every word of the closing argument in the Rodriguez trial? Surely a synopsis would have been enough? The only reason I'm giving this two stars is because of the kick ass public defender, the only character in the whole book who had any integrity. Definitely going to pass on this series.
October 18, 2014
There were a lot of very good plot elements that could have made this book very good. And the writing was actually pretty good. Most of the characters were well developed. And then the book just simply fell apart at the end. It became contrived and absurd and stupid. I feel robbed.
March 18, 2009
Marty Nickerson is a dedicated prosecutor for the DA’s office on Cape Cod. As this debut novel opens, she is wrapping up a murder case, with absolute certainty that the defendant is guilty. When a similar murder occurs the day after the trial ends, she’s still certain that the state has its man. But public defender Harry Madigan, an attorney whom Mary admires, is convinced the opposite is true. The reader is privy to Ms. Nickerson’s thought process as she sifts and resifts through evidence, considers and reconsiders, consulting privately with Harry as the situation grows more intense. It has become a trend in recent years to write about professional disillusionment. Author Connors does so with refreshing style, penning terse courtroom segments, office infighting, and family/personal scenes with skill. She needs more work with creating genuine suspense, but three out of four’s not bad. Good first effort.
February 4, 2025
I chose this book as part of my local library’s 2025 book Bingo challenge. It fits a couple of categories but I’ll use it as a Staff Pick. A very good mystery written by an attorney who retired to Chatham so it is filled with places and references that I call home.
June 10, 2012
A fresh take on the criminal justice system from a true insider with a strong voice. This is an auspicious first novel by a savvy, experienced, trial attorney. Rose Connors has got it all really right: from her tough but vulnerable protagonist, Cape Cod ADA Marty Nickerson, and her completely believable relationship with an ex-husband and a teen-aged son, to a small select cast of interesting supporting characters.
We’re in Barnstable County on Cape Cod when the novel opens and Nickerson is deep in the final stages of a rock-solid case against a vicious killer. The case is clean, the evidence huge, even the Public Defender agrees. All seems eminently satisfactory and the jury finds the man, Manuel Rodrigez, guilty. But then another body, is found under disturbingly similar circumstances to that of the first. Evidence points to the same killer. Copycat? Faced with a politically astute boss working hard to become the first female DA in the county, Nickerson can’t get Rodrigez’ case reexamined. She goes way out on a limb in fairness to her own sense of justice and right. What happens next is surprising.
We have a fine sense of place in this novel and the characters seem to be completely comfortable. They belong in these settings. One’s sense of credibility is never strained beyond the breaking point. The dialog is crisp and centered. The pace is measured and the structure of the novel is taut. There is a relentless feeling, particularly in the last half of the book, which seems to take hold of the reader in a way that many novels are unable to exert. Add a handsome dust-jacket good production and careful editing to a thoughtful, well-written provocative novel, and you have an outstanding debut.
July 7, 2012
This was a refreshing new author...I enjoyed the book very much, and I found myself in tears quite a bit as well. Can't say exactly why I gave it a 5, but it sure seemed like a 5 after I was finished. I'm looking forward to future books by Rose Connors...this was her very first book and it was a selection of the Literary Guild, the Book-of-the-Month Club, the Doubleday Book Club and the Mystery Guild.
February 1, 2013
Really more like 3.5. This is a compellingly written mystery and procedural, with details about court system processes that the prosecutor author convincingly provides. I was caught right away and the story held me right to the end. Several characters that I like, hope to meet again. Plot twists that mostly work. Some too-neat resolutions, though. I look forward to reading more.
June 22, 2012
Fluffy and without substance. Most of the chapters were 2 and 1/3 pages long; an attempt at creating pacing? There was a plot and some people with names, but not much else. If you like meaty mysteries, skip this.
June 26, 2017
I am always glad to find a new legal thriller writer and I truly enjoyed this one.
From Amazon:
"Rose Connors brings a fresh voice, a dynamic storytelling power, and a passion for the law to her compelling crime fiction debut.
Martha "Marty" Nickerson is a lawyer who truly loves her job. As an assistant D.A. for Massachusetts's Barnstable County, which includes all the small towns on Cape Cod, she speaks for the victims of crime and their families, and sees the system as a means for doing right.
The case of Manuel Rodriguez is a prime example. Rodriguez is accused of brutally murdering a college student, a kind young man who had a bright future. Marty has worked hard on this case; as the mother of a teenage son, she identifies with the murdered boy's grieving parents. Her case against Rodriguez is so solid that even public defender Harry Madigan -- the champion of the Cape's underdogs -- expects a conviction. And, on Memorial Day, exactly a year after the crime, the verdict comes in: guilty as charged. Justice prevails.
Then, with Rodriguez behind bars, another body turns up in disturbingly similar circumstances. Did Marty and her colleagues target the wrong man? Her supervisor -- Geraldine Schilling, who aspires to be the county's first female D.A. -- refuses to reopen such a high-profile case. Why should she? The prosecutors played by the rules and won big. But Marty fears that the real killer will strike again.
With her career on the line and lives at stake, Marty must rely on her own moral compass, legal savvy, and gut instinct as she matches wits with a twisted killer. The system itself is on trial as Marty tries to serve Justice, not merely the Law.
Only an author with years of courtroom experience could add such riveting authenticity to a novel that asks important questions and provides surprising answers. Rose Connors's Absolute Certainty introduces a new crime-writing star."
From Amazon:
"Rose Connors brings a fresh voice, a dynamic storytelling power, and a passion for the law to her compelling crime fiction debut.
Martha "Marty" Nickerson is a lawyer who truly loves her job. As an assistant D.A. for Massachusetts's Barnstable County, which includes all the small towns on Cape Cod, she speaks for the victims of crime and their families, and sees the system as a means for doing right.
The case of Manuel Rodriguez is a prime example. Rodriguez is accused of brutally murdering a college student, a kind young man who had a bright future. Marty has worked hard on this case; as the mother of a teenage son, she identifies with the murdered boy's grieving parents. Her case against Rodriguez is so solid that even public defender Harry Madigan -- the champion of the Cape's underdogs -- expects a conviction. And, on Memorial Day, exactly a year after the crime, the verdict comes in: guilty as charged. Justice prevails.
Then, with Rodriguez behind bars, another body turns up in disturbingly similar circumstances. Did Marty and her colleagues target the wrong man? Her supervisor -- Geraldine Schilling, who aspires to be the county's first female D.A. -- refuses to reopen such a high-profile case. Why should she? The prosecutors played by the rules and won big. But Marty fears that the real killer will strike again.
With her career on the line and lives at stake, Marty must rely on her own moral compass, legal savvy, and gut instinct as she matches wits with a twisted killer. The system itself is on trial as Marty tries to serve Justice, not merely the Law.
Only an author with years of courtroom experience could add such riveting authenticity to a novel that asks important questions and provides surprising answers. Rose Connors's Absolute Certainty introduces a new crime-writing star."
March 14, 2024
This book showed me how the same book, read nearly 20 years apart, creates totally different reactions.
I read this back in the early 2000s and thought it was really good. I saw the book recently when a rural library was closing and giving away books. I remembered thinking it was an entertaining book. This time, however, it really fell short. Maybe it's because I'm older. Maybe it's the experiences of life gained over that 20 years. Who knows.
I experienced the same thing when I read Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. First time I read it was in early 1980s and thought it was funny. I read it again in the early 2000s and thought it was really dumb. I read it a third time maybe 5 years ago and saw the brilliant satire. Different times of reading, different reactions.
That said, Absolute Certainty is not a bad book. It's just flat in some cases and the characters aren't developed well enough. Also, the writing of any action is a bit difficult and it reads almost secondary. The entire book is written in present tense, but I found I had to go back and read over some passages to make sure I got what happened.
Anyway, it's weird. You read a book once and think it's really good. Then, two decades later you read the same book and have a totally different opinion of it.
I read this back in the early 2000s and thought it was really good. I saw the book recently when a rural library was closing and giving away books. I remembered thinking it was an entertaining book. This time, however, it really fell short. Maybe it's because I'm older. Maybe it's the experiences of life gained over that 20 years. Who knows.
I experienced the same thing when I read Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. First time I read it was in early 1980s and thought it was funny. I read it again in the early 2000s and thought it was really dumb. I read it a third time maybe 5 years ago and saw the brilliant satire. Different times of reading, different reactions.
That said, Absolute Certainty is not a bad book. It's just flat in some cases and the characters aren't developed well enough. Also, the writing of any action is a bit difficult and it reads almost secondary. The entire book is written in present tense, but I found I had to go back and read over some passages to make sure I got what happened.
Anyway, it's weird. You read a book once and think it's really good. Then, two decades later you read the same book and have a totally different opinion of it.
May 17, 2018
I'm not sure where this recommendation originated, but I'm glad I read this book. The story takes place (mostly) in Chatham, on Cape Cod. This drew my attention, since my husband spent our honeymoon there fifty years ago next month. We returned there to celebrate our 25th. Things had changed so much by then, I imagine I would not find much that we knew then....
The narrator is an assistant prosecutor in the DA's office. Just the day after the guilty verdict for a murder committed a year ago (story time) on Memorial Day, another body is found in surprisingly similar ways. Is there a serial murderer in this small town?
I enjoyed the courtroom scenes, the interactions between lawyers and other officers of the court, and learning some things about the characters in this book. I will certainly try to find the second book in the series and see how it goes!
The narrator is an assistant prosecutor in the DA's office. Just the day after the guilty verdict for a murder committed a year ago (story time) on Memorial Day, another body is found in surprisingly similar ways. Is there a serial murderer in this small town?
I enjoyed the courtroom scenes, the interactions between lawyers and other officers of the court, and learning some things about the characters in this book. I will certainly try to find the second book in the series and see how it goes!
October 31, 2018
I did not want to put this book down. Unfortunately, I had several books with immanent due dates which needed to be read first.
If you like legal thrillers, this was well done. I have recommended it to my book group.
Someone is killing young men in the Cape Cod area on patriotic holidays. They have marked them with roman numerals so that no one can doubt that there is a serial killer out there.
Unfortunately, the DA and staff are reluctant to accept that the person they just convicted of the first murder is not guilty. Marty risks her career to join forces with the other side to find the killer.
I look forward to the others in this series. Sorry to see there are only three more.
I read a copy from the public library.
If you like legal thrillers, this was well done. I have recommended it to my book group.
Someone is killing young men in the Cape Cod area on patriotic holidays. They have marked them with roman numerals so that no one can doubt that there is a serial killer out there.
Unfortunately, the DA and staff are reluctant to accept that the person they just convicted of the first murder is not guilty. Marty risks her career to join forces with the other side to find the killer.
I look forward to the others in this series. Sorry to see there are only three more.
I read a copy from the public library.
November 12, 2021
Marty -Martha- Nickerson is an assistant district attorney on Cape Cod. And when she prosecutes a case she likes to be absolutely certain she is convicting the right person. Even when the evidence says the man did the crime Marty feels uneasy with the conviction. And then a second almost identical murder takes place and some one is arrested, Marty feels almost certain he isn't the killer. And Marty notices something almost undetectable on the 2 corpses and then when the unthinkable happens and they find a 3rd victim with the same "sign" on his body she knows the men arrested are the wrong men. And then things really start to fast forward when they fell strongly the real killer is ready kill again in just days.
October 29, 2024
I disagree with several other reviewers about the question of whether the ending is thrilling: I DID find it so, and i'm generally hard to please on that front. However, one has to suspend a good deal of disbelief about it; there is too much coincidence that you need to be willing to forgive.
Is the bad guy too bad? We all know from Innocence Project presentations that there are indeed prosecutors who are too ready to dismiss evidence of alternative theories, so in this sense it is realistic. We wish the villain's portrayal was overboard/exaggerated, but i'm afraid it is not.
Are the teens all too perfect? Yes.
Overall, quite enjoyable, and the audiobook narrator is terrific for this novel
Is the bad guy too bad? We all know from Innocence Project presentations that there are indeed prosecutors who are too ready to dismiss evidence of alternative theories, so in this sense it is realistic. We wish the villain's portrayal was overboard/exaggerated, but i'm afraid it is not.
Are the teens all too perfect? Yes.
Overall, quite enjoyable, and the audiobook narrator is terrific for this novel
January 4, 2025
I can recommend - entertaining enough. Predictable in a way with the typical DA is running for office so we can’t afford not to get a conviction type plot; however, a good geographic backdrop & some decent characters make up for it. Kept Me turning pages and in suspense. The action ending was abrupt and felt rushed and the emo ending ran on a bit. I would have preferred the opposite with a little more build up for the action ending.
Husband’s trial seemed as an unnecessary throw in.
Also, suspend belief as MANY people had unsupervised access to the evidence room.
Just saw it is a series. I won’t purposely continue - just if I have nothing else to read and a sequel is available at the library.
Husband’s trial seemed as an unnecessary throw in.
Also, suspend belief as MANY people had unsupervised access to the evidence room.
Just saw it is a series. I won’t purposely continue - just if I have nothing else to read and a sequel is available at the library.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 24, 2024
I've now read/audiobook 3 by this author and greatly enjoy the repartee, snappy retorts and sometimes surprising endings. How can one go wrong with Bernadette Dunn as the narrator? Along the way the insertions of court proceedings are a bonus. More like 3 1/2 stars. No one time have I heard that dreaded repeated 'she said / he said' after every character speaks - clearly this author understands the read can follow along.
November 20, 2018
Rose Connors lives in our town on Cape Cod and the story takes place on the Cape and so it adds to the interest. We were having an adult beverage at a local establishement and the author was there and during our conversation she mentioned that she had written some books so that is how I started to read her - good entertainment and of course free from the local public library
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September 25, 2022A legal suspense/mystery reminiscent of John Grisham. Lyrical Cape Cod descriptions, engaging characters, and innocent victims in jeopardy. A serial murder that strikes too close to home. I would read more by this author!
September 8, 2024
i really enjoyed this book. i was completely engrossed in the legal & criminal mystery of the potentially wrongful conviction. lots of great characters & a big suspenseful page-turner. am really looking forward to more of this attorney turned author's novels.
November 9, 2017
awesome book... not many authors can make me cry but Rose Conners did. I was intrigued through out the story and was taken by surprise by the ending. Looking forward to reading more of her work.
July 12, 2018
Some great characters, but some of the information seemed very superfluous at times. I found myself skipping over complete paragraphs that were describing something or other in minute detail.
October 13, 2018
Love this series. I listened to them on my phone.
December 27, 2018
A frank look at the sometimes frustrating blindness of those sworn to uphold justice.
March 6, 2019
it’s fascinating to me how many books are written about cape cod. In this one a prosecuting attorney begins to doubt the integrity of her office
September 18, 2019
Liked the protagonist, Marty Nickerson. Some of the dialogue was a little cliche, but good story line with interesting characters.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews