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Ben Kincaid #12
Death Row
William Bernhardt’s powerful series of legal thrillers featuring crusading attorney Ben Kincaid have won him a die-hard following and widespread critical acclaim as a “master of the courtroom drama” (Library Journal). Now, on the heels of his national bestseller Criminal Intent, William Bernhardt returns with his most electrifying novel to date.
Oklahoma attorney Ben Kincaid put his reputation on the line when he represented Ray Goldman. The seemingly mild-mannered industrial chemist was charged with a staggeringly brutal crime: the torture and massacre of an entire suburban Tulsa family. But in spite of the grisly, tabloid-ready details of the sensational case, Ben’s deft defense against a lack of hard evidence and improper police procedure made an acquittal all but certain. Until the prosecution’s star witness—the lone survivor of the slaughter—took the stand . . . and sealed Ray Goldman’s fate.
Seven years later, Goldman’s date with the death chamber is at hand. But seconds before the lethal injection, an eleventh-hour reprieve halts the execution—and launches Ben on a race against time to overturn Ray Goldman’s conviction. Erin Faulkner, the young woman who narrowly escaped the carnage that claimed her family, has abruptly recanted her testimony, after years of silence desperate to keep an innocent man from dying. Just as suddenly, this near-miraculous turn of events turns tragic: Erin is discovered dead, an apparent suicide. And Ben Kincaid is the only witness to her stunning confession.
Ben is certain Erin didn’t commit suicide. She was a victim of murder— silenced by the same killer who butchered her family. All Ben has to do is prove it. But his unseen enemy is determined to cover his tracks once and for all . . . with blood.
In Death Row, William Bernhardt ratchets up the suspense quotient to near-heartstopping new levels—and challenges even the most jaded thriller readers to keep up with the twists and turns. Crime will never pay. But crime fiction—served up with the wit, grit, and sheer virtuosity of Bernhardt—always pays off.
Oklahoma attorney Ben Kincaid put his reputation on the line when he represented Ray Goldman. The seemingly mild-mannered industrial chemist was charged with a staggeringly brutal crime: the torture and massacre of an entire suburban Tulsa family. But in spite of the grisly, tabloid-ready details of the sensational case, Ben’s deft defense against a lack of hard evidence and improper police procedure made an acquittal all but certain. Until the prosecution’s star witness—the lone survivor of the slaughter—took the stand . . . and sealed Ray Goldman’s fate.
Seven years later, Goldman’s date with the death chamber is at hand. But seconds before the lethal injection, an eleventh-hour reprieve halts the execution—and launches Ben on a race against time to overturn Ray Goldman’s conviction. Erin Faulkner, the young woman who narrowly escaped the carnage that claimed her family, has abruptly recanted her testimony, after years of silence desperate to keep an innocent man from dying. Just as suddenly, this near-miraculous turn of events turns tragic: Erin is discovered dead, an apparent suicide. And Ben Kincaid is the only witness to her stunning confession.
Ben is certain Erin didn’t commit suicide. She was a victim of murder— silenced by the same killer who butchered her family. All Ben has to do is prove it. But his unseen enemy is determined to cover his tracks once and for all . . . with blood.
In Death Row, William Bernhardt ratchets up the suspense quotient to near-heartstopping new levels—and challenges even the most jaded thriller readers to keep up with the twists and turns. Crime will never pay. But crime fiction—served up with the wit, grit, and sheer virtuosity of Bernhardt—always pays off.
416 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 3, 2003
About the author
William Bernhardt
99 books531 followersWilliam Bernhardt is the author of over sixty books, including the bestselling Daniel Pike and Ben Kincaid legal thrillers, the historical novels Challengers of the Dust and Nemesis, three books of poetry, and the ten Red Sneaker books on fiction writing.
In addition, Bernhardt founded the Red Sneaker Writers Center to mentor aspiring writers. The Center hosts an annual writers conference (WriterCon), small-group seminars, a monthly newsletter, and a bi-weekly podcast. More than three dozen of Bernhardt’s students have subsequently published with major houses. He is also the owner of Balkan Press, which publishes poetry and fiction as well as the literary journal Conclave.
Bernhardt has received the Southern Writers Guild’s Gold Medal Award, the Royden B. Davis Distinguished Author Award (University of Pennsylvania) and the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award (Oklahoma State), which is given "in recognition of an outstanding body of work that has profoundly influenced the way in which we understand ourselves and American society at large." He has been nominated for the Oklahoma Book Award eighteen times in three different categories, and has won the award twice. Library Journal called him “the master of the courtroom drama.” The Vancouver Sun called him “the American equivalent of P.G. Wodehouse and John Mortimer.”
In addition to his novels and poetry, he has written plays, a musical (book and score), humor, children stories, biography, and puzzles. He has edited two anthologies (Legal Briefs and Natural Suspect) as fundraisers for The Nature Conservancy and the Children’s Legal Defense Fund. OSU named him “Oklahoma’s Renaissance Man.”
In his spare time, he has enjoyed surfing, digging for dinosaurs, trekking through the Himalayas, paragliding, scuba diving, caving, zip-lining over the canopy of the Costa Rican rain forest, and jumping out of an airplane at 10,000 feet. In 2013, he became a Jeopardy! champion winning over $20,000.
When Bernhardt delivered the keynote address at the San Francisco Writers Conference, chairman Michael Larsen noted that in addition to penning novels, Bernhardt can “write a sonnet, play a sonata, plant a garden, try a lawsuit, teach a class, cook a gourmet meal, beat you at Scrabble, and work the New York Times crossword in under five minutes.”
In addition, Bernhardt founded the Red Sneaker Writers Center to mentor aspiring writers. The Center hosts an annual writers conference (WriterCon), small-group seminars, a monthly newsletter, and a bi-weekly podcast. More than three dozen of Bernhardt’s students have subsequently published with major houses. He is also the owner of Balkan Press, which publishes poetry and fiction as well as the literary journal Conclave.
Bernhardt has received the Southern Writers Guild’s Gold Medal Award, the Royden B. Davis Distinguished Author Award (University of Pennsylvania) and the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award (Oklahoma State), which is given "in recognition of an outstanding body of work that has profoundly influenced the way in which we understand ourselves and American society at large." He has been nominated for the Oklahoma Book Award eighteen times in three different categories, and has won the award twice. Library Journal called him “the master of the courtroom drama.” The Vancouver Sun called him “the American equivalent of P.G. Wodehouse and John Mortimer.”
In addition to his novels and poetry, he has written plays, a musical (book and score), humor, children stories, biography, and puzzles. He has edited two anthologies (Legal Briefs and Natural Suspect) as fundraisers for The Nature Conservancy and the Children’s Legal Defense Fund. OSU named him “Oklahoma’s Renaissance Man.”
In his spare time, he has enjoyed surfing, digging for dinosaurs, trekking through the Himalayas, paragliding, scuba diving, caving, zip-lining over the canopy of the Costa Rican rain forest, and jumping out of an airplane at 10,000 feet. In 2013, he became a Jeopardy! champion winning over $20,000.
When Bernhardt delivered the keynote address at the San Francisco Writers Conference, chairman Michael Larsen noted that in addition to penning novels, Bernhardt can “write a sonnet, play a sonata, plant a garden, try a lawsuit, teach a class, cook a gourmet meal, beat you at Scrabble, and work the New York Times crossword in under five minutes.”
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
October 8, 2019
For my reading experience there were pros and cons about this book.
The characters - a bit flat as expected in a pulpy fiction book in the middle of a series. Attempts at developing them were made through rather clumsy internal dialogues that they have with themselves, often resorting to rhetorical questions (I hate that!)
The plot and pacing - coupled with a very brisk pace, it was complicated enough to keep the reader interested. However, the resolution (identity of the killer) seemed a bit contrived
The characters - a bit flat as expected in a pulpy fiction book in the middle of a series. Attempts at developing them were made through rather clumsy internal dialogues that they have with themselves, often resorting to rhetorical questions (I hate that!)
The plot and pacing - coupled with a very brisk pace, it was complicated enough to keep the reader interested. However, the resolution (identity of the killer) seemed a bit contrived
March 13, 2010
William Bernhardt is brillant! Death Row is yet another one of his suspense filled novels. He is one of my favs!
July 17, 2024
This is by far the most intense Ben Kincaid book I've read. The details of the "death row" lethal injection experience had me holding my breath. Absolutely loved this book...and I have high hopes that the romance all readers of this series think should happen may finally happen.
November 20, 2023
Not the best in the Ben Kincaid series, this episode revolves around the attempt to abort an execution of a "flavorist" (flavor scientist) who is incarcerated for the mass execution of a large family...with the exception of one spared individual who later rescinded her critical testimony and paved the way for the convicts retrial or release. Unfortunately, she died, and the convicts case became a lot more complicated.
The case was just over the other side of plausible, so I was not so immersed into the situation, especially as compared to Bernhardt's previous Kincaid novels.
On the personal side, Ben is finally showing some interest in his highly intelligent and good looking partner...so stay tuned. And, the same is happening to Det. Mike Morelli, who discovers some respect and interest in his newly assigned partner.
The case was just over the other side of plausible, so I was not so immersed into the situation, especially as compared to Bernhardt's previous Kincaid novels.
On the personal side, Ben is finally showing some interest in his highly intelligent and good looking partner...so stay tuned. And, the same is happening to Det. Mike Morelli, who discovers some respect and interest in his newly assigned partner.
May 13, 2017
Another great installment
After so many books in this series there is little to say.
This book has a slightly different plot than most of the previous books which is neither good nor bad just different. It is a slightly different storyline then we are used to and it is just fine.
We still have the same characters (and a new one) that we enjoy and the usual hijinks. These are quite simply good stories well told. If you like a bit of a mix of detective stories and courtroom dramas I think you will enjoy this series as much as I have.
After so many books in this series there is little to say.
This book has a slightly different plot than most of the previous books which is neither good nor bad just different. It is a slightly different storyline then we are used to and it is just fine.
We still have the same characters (and a new one) that we enjoy and the usual hijinks. These are quite simply good stories well told. If you like a bit of a mix of detective stories and courtroom dramas I think you will enjoy this series as much as I have.
June 13, 2024
Erin Faulkner was 15 when someone slaughtered her family. She was the only survivor. The killer chained Erin in the basement of the house convinced he’d come back to pleasure himself with the now-injured, vulnerable Erin. He never came back. She freed herself with considerable effort. She heard the killer’s voice. She told the cops it was the voice of Ray Goldman. Her testimony sent Goldman to death row. For seven years, Tulsa Attorney Ben Kincaid has labored hard to get Goldman’s case reviewed. It all came to naught, and the executioners have strapped Goldman into the chair in preparation for administering the ultimate Mickey Finn. Then the call came. The warden hung up and told Goldman that a last-minute legal maneuver by Kincaid had worked. The court granted a 30-day stay of execution, and that gives Kincaid only days to find new information that would free Goldman permanently,
That’s when Erin Faulkner limps into his office and says she wants to recant her testimony of seven years earlier. She was under huge pressure from the district attorney, and she caved and insisted Goldman was the guy. He wasn’t. That’s great news for Ben until they find Erin dead the next day of an apparent suicide.
More people will die before the book ends, and the flamboyant and lovable Christina, Ben’s law partner, will find herself in danger of death.
I guess this series gets a lot of criticism from people who grumble about the contrived plots and the unbelievability factor. I choose to read it simply to enjoy it and ride the ride however far-fetched it may seem.
That’s when Erin Faulkner limps into his office and says she wants to recant her testimony of seven years earlier. She was under huge pressure from the district attorney, and she caved and insisted Goldman was the guy. He wasn’t. That’s great news for Ben until they find Erin dead the next day of an apparent suicide.
More people will die before the book ends, and the flamboyant and lovable Christina, Ben’s law partner, will find herself in danger of death.
I guess this series gets a lot of criticism from people who grumble about the contrived plots and the unbelievability factor. I choose to read it simply to enjoy it and ride the ride however far-fetched it may seem.
August 31, 2024
"Attorney Ben Kincaid put his reputation on the line when he represented Ray Goldman. The seemingly mild-mannered man was charged with massacring an entire suburban Tulsa family. When the prosecution’s star witness—Erin Faulkner, the lone survivor of the slaughter—took the stand, Goldman’s fate was sealed. But just as his date with the death chamber is imminent, Erin abruptly recants her testimony; after seven years of silence, she is desperate to keep an innocent man from dying. Yet the next day, Erin is discovered dead, an apparent suicide. And Ben Kincaid is the only witness to her stunning confession. Now Ben must hunt down the killer who is determined to cover his tracks."
February 22, 2024
Wow! This is my first time reading William Bernhardt's work, and I am glad I picked "Death Row" up from a give-a-way shelf.
Was it perfect? No. However, I couldn't put the book down as the lawyer, Ben Kincaid, and his team raced to save a man wrongly accused of murdering an entire family—so many twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat.
I am not going to say anything more. Pick up a copy and decide for yourself.
Was it perfect? No. However, I couldn't put the book down as the lawyer, Ben Kincaid, and his team raced to save a man wrongly accused of murdering an entire family—so many twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat.
I am not going to say anything more. Pick up a copy and decide for yourself.
March 8, 2018
Formulaic, but with lots of twists. Ben defends man accused of serial killing, found guilty on the merits of an impressionable 15 yr old sole survivor. He is on death row, about to be executed when she recants her testimony. Another home run for Ben and crew. Interesting tidbits on the fast food industry. A good read.
June 13, 2018
A good story. The author grabs your attention early on with the date of execution arriving for Ray Goldman sitting on death row. From there his attorney Ben Kincaid and his team work tirelessly to delay the execution and prove Ray’s innocence. There are some underlying mini plots that provide interest as I tried to figure out who the real villains/killer was.
August 28, 2025
another Great read
Bernhardt is a great storyteller. Paced plausible thrills and distraction make for a wonderful book. Thank you for your characters and plot lines. Best of all your characters are interesting and narrative style is so easy to read. Your books flow smoothly and are truly exciting experiences.
Bernhardt is a great storyteller. Paced plausible thrills and distraction make for a wonderful book. Thank you for your characters and plot lines. Best of all your characters are interesting and narrative style is so easy to read. Your books flow smoothly and are truly exciting experiences.
February 16, 2021
A decent mystery, I felt like the writing was a bit choppy, changing scenes in the middle of a chapter with quite a few characters to keep track of, made the story hard to follow who was talking. I did like Ben, he is a good guy.
June 4, 2022
Quite a Challenge
The Kincaid and McCall team had their hands full with trying to prevent the execution of a client. There were tough disappointments along the way, but the book ended with unexpected outcomes. Great read!
The Kincaid and McCall team had their hands full with trying to prevent the execution of a client. There were tough disappointments along the way, but the book ended with unexpected outcomes. Great read!
July 15, 2023
Another great book in the series! Lots of twists and turns, and to be honest, I wouldn’t have pegged the killer for who I was. But the most shocking thing that I think I saw was, I cannot believe that Ben did not have Gisele fixed before this… 😊 but I bet he will now!
February 19, 2025
Excellent story about a man on death row for killing a family of eight. A real page turner as Ben and Major Morelli investigate the killing of 2 additional killings 7 years later. Good courtroom drama and suspense.
October 24, 2017
A great Kincaid and crew book. If you have never read the series it is a must read for any courtroom drama fan.
April 5, 2018
An engaging legal thriller-mystery set in Tulsa. Several page-turning scenes keeps the story moving nicely.
May 1, 2019
Getting oh so tired of attorneys and cops with the “it’s all my fault “ syndrome.
May 8, 2019
Fair
I don,t believe that. A retinal scan from a dead eye would fool a scanner. This book has too much padding and would have been better if was much shorter.
I don,t believe that. A retinal scan from a dead eye would fool a scanner. This book has too much padding and would have been better if was much shorter.
May 29, 2019
Another Triumph
Great story. Great factories. Well told. A little wordy. Still a good read. I've been reading Bernhardt for years and have always enjoyed his books.
Great story. Great factories. Well told. A little wordy. Still a good read. I've been reading Bernhardt for years and have always enjoyed his books.
August 7, 2019
About a guy on death row who didn't commit the crime. Ben is trying to a pardon but Cristina tracks down the killer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2020
This was a good legal thriller. I would certainly read another of William Bernhardt's books.
May 31, 2021
Thrilling
If you like legal thrillers and courtroom drama you will enjoy! I love having to guess who the killer is
If you like legal thrillers and courtroom drama you will enjoy! I love having to guess who the killer is
September 22, 2021
Couldn't put it down. Loved the characters and the outcome. I will be picking up more of his books in this series.
November 26, 2022
Good book
June 16, 2025
Very suspenseful from beginning to end! Love it!!
September 2, 2025
I think William Bernhardt's writing gets better with each book in this series. Looking forward to the next one.
February 18, 2026
Terrific!
What a beautiful novel. Good things happen when you take the time to enjoy life. Can't wait to read the next novel.
What a beautiful novel. Good things happen when you take the time to enjoy life. Can't wait to read the next novel.
January 24, 2017
legal thriller in tulsa
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews