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Witness #1
Hostile Witness
ASIN B002Z7G0QO moved to the most recent edition
When sixteen-year-old Hannah Sheraton is arrested for the murder of her stepgrandfather, the chief justice of the California Supreme court, her distraught mother turns to her old college roommate, Josie Baylor-Bates, for help. Josie, once a hot-shot criminal defense attorney, left the fast track behind for a small practice in Hermosa Beach, California. But Hannah Sheraton intrigues her and, when the girl is charged as an adult, Josie cannot turn her back. But the deeper she digs the more Josie realizes that politics, the law and family relationships create a combustible and dangerous situation. When the horrible truth is uncovered it can save Hannah Sheraton or destroy them both.
"This story was inspired by a case my husband handled. As a superior court judge he had to sentence a minor to life in prison. It made me wonder how I felt about minors arrested for violent crimes. Are they most vulnerable among us - capable or horrible violence, perceived as adults and yet emotionally still children?" Rebecca Forster
"An enthralling read, with colorful, well-developed characters and the unique atmosphere of the California beach communities." Nancy Taylor Rosenberg
"Blending complex psychological character portraits with spot-on accurage courtroom drmaa, Forster's riveting legal thriller keeps the plot twists coming until the last, satisfying page." - Alafair Burke
When sixteen-year-old Hannah Sheraton is arrested for the murder of her stepgrandfather, the chief justice of the California Supreme court, her distraught mother turns to her old college roommate, Josie Baylor-Bates, for help. Josie, once a hot-shot criminal defense attorney, left the fast track behind for a small practice in Hermosa Beach, California. But Hannah Sheraton intrigues her and, when the girl is charged as an adult, Josie cannot turn her back. But the deeper she digs the more Josie realizes that politics, the law and family relationships create a combustible and dangerous situation. When the horrible truth is uncovered it can save Hannah Sheraton or destroy them both.
"This story was inspired by a case my husband handled. As a superior court judge he had to sentence a minor to life in prison. It made me wonder how I felt about minors arrested for violent crimes. Are they most vulnerable among us - capable or horrible violence, perceived as adults and yet emotionally still children?" Rebecca Forster
"An enthralling read, with colorful, well-developed characters and the unique atmosphere of the California beach communities." Nancy Taylor Rosenberg
"Blending complex psychological character portraits with spot-on accurage courtroom drmaa, Forster's riveting legal thriller keeps the plot twists coming until the last, satisfying page." - Alafair Burke
366 pages, ebook
First published February 3, 2004
12517 people are currently reading
11702 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Forster
48 books516 followersRebecca Forster began writing on a crazy dare and found her passion.
Now with over 40 books to her name, she is a USA Today and Amazon bestselling thriller author. Rebecca likes hands-on research and is a graduate of the DEA and ATF Citizens Academies. She is an avid court watcher, has taken numerous weapons courses, and even landed by tail hook on the USS Nimitz to make sure she has lived what she writes.
Rebecca is married to a Superior Court judge and is the mother of two grown sons. She resides in Southern California
Now with over 40 books to her name, she is a USA Today and Amazon bestselling thriller author. Rebecca likes hands-on research and is a graduate of the DEA and ATF Citizens Academies. She is an avid court watcher, has taken numerous weapons courses, and even landed by tail hook on the USS Nimitz to make sure she has lived what she writes.
Rebecca is married to a Superior Court judge and is the mother of two grown sons. She resides in Southern California
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,815 reviews
February 10, 2012
I really enjoy legal thrillers and was looking forward to digging in to this novel. After just a few pages, I almost put it away for good, but being a little OCD, I couldn't stand the thought of not finishing a book, so I continued. It did start to get better about halfway through, but I don't think I will read any more of the series. I can not decide if I like her style of writing - it seemed quite inconsistent to me - some parts of the story line were well thought out and interesting while other parts meandered and did not connect with or move the story forward. I wanted to like the main character, but I felt that she was underderveloped despite Forester's attempts to show us who she was through a lot of extraneous narration. While the main characters were lacking, Forester did a great job of developing some of the secondary characters through their actions and dialogue with the main character - I completely got the essence of Archer, Faye and even the legal secretary. Overall, the plot was predictible, the characters mediocre, and generally missing logical progression in the character's thought processes. There is definitely potential here and I wish the author much success in the future.
January 17, 2015
This "manuscript" is an adequate first-draft version of what could have become a good novel if the author had been willing to spend some time revising and editing. There was actually a good nugget of a plot, and the characters were interesting and fairly complex. The remainder of this review is a giant "however."
The tone of the book was very inconsistent. Some passages of dialogue and narration were written with clarity and facility, while other passages could have come from the pencil of a third grader writing a note to pass in class to his/her friend.
A good, honest attempt to revise the manuscript would have resulted in far fewer long passages that left the reader thinking, "huh?" Confusing similes and metaphors as well as muddied logic and convoluted
philosophy filled the pages. Some chapters left me wondering if the author even read what came off the tips of her fingers.
Finally, a decent copy editor would have repaired the numerous errors in grammar, punctuation, usage, and structure. Oh, and by the way, the book is misclassified. It is definitely NOT a "thriller."
Overall, Hostile Witness left me sad that the book was written so half-heartedly.
The tone of the book was very inconsistent. Some passages of dialogue and narration were written with clarity and facility, while other passages could have come from the pencil of a third grader writing a note to pass in class to his/her friend.
A good, honest attempt to revise the manuscript would have resulted in far fewer long passages that left the reader thinking, "huh?" Confusing similes and metaphors as well as muddied logic and convoluted
philosophy filled the pages. Some chapters left me wondering if the author even read what came off the tips of her fingers.
Finally, a decent copy editor would have repaired the numerous errors in grammar, punctuation, usage, and structure. Oh, and by the way, the book is misclassified. It is definitely NOT a "thriller."
Overall, Hostile Witness left me sad that the book was written so half-heartedly.
Read
July 3, 2018The Hook - Couldn't resist the price of this bundle a couple of years ago. It had to be a steal, probably less than $3.00. That's the power of advertising and bargain book offers by vendors like Barnes and Noble and Amazon in hopes the author will be read and reviewed favorably. I feel a bit guilty but can't say no to some of the offers. The bundled The Witness Series contains seven books, which seems to be the entire series, 1887 pages. What was I thinking? If it took me this long to get to the first, well, who knows when I'll read another. Stay tuned.
The Line(s) - ”Then don't throw her away. Don't abandon her. A mother can't do anything worse than that.“
The Sinker - Oh me. Somehow when I purchased this I thought it was about a woman in The Witness Protection Program. No, this series in about protagonist Josie Baylor-Bates, a former criminal defense attorney and her clients and witnesses. We, the reader could also be considered the witness as crimes, alibis, trials, are laid before our eyes.
Like any good legal thriller, clues are given, but often misleading and you are kept on your toes deciding if the culprit is guilty. The trial writing and detail to setting of Hermosa Beach, CA was the best of this first outing. What didn't click with me was the often the dialog between characters. Many GR readers commented on the inconsistencies in writing and I'd have to agree. Tightening up of plot and editing would have gone a great way to improve what started as a good premise. I thought Josie had some potential and my overall positive attitude says try another before deciding if the series has warrant.
The Line(s) - ”Then don't throw her away. Don't abandon her. A mother can't do anything worse than that.“
The Sinker - Oh me. Somehow when I purchased this I thought it was about a woman in The Witness Protection Program. No, this series in about protagonist Josie Baylor-Bates, a former criminal defense attorney and her clients and witnesses. We, the reader could also be considered the witness as crimes, alibis, trials, are laid before our eyes.
Like any good legal thriller, clues are given, but often misleading and you are kept on your toes deciding if the culprit is guilty. The trial writing and detail to setting of Hermosa Beach, CA was the best of this first outing. What didn't click with me was the often the dialog between characters. Many GR readers commented on the inconsistencies in writing and I'd have to agree. Tightening up of plot and editing would have gone a great way to improve what started as a good premise. I thought Josie had some potential and my overall positive attitude says try another before deciding if the series has warrant.
July 3, 2012
From the moment the book opened with 16-year-old Hannah Sheraton being processed into the women's prison, I was hooked.
When Hannah's mother begs her old college roommate, Josie Bates, to defend her daughter, Josie is caught up in a complicated legal situation. Was this a simple case of a rebellious teenager acting out or was there an underlying reason for the girl's obsessive compulsive actions? These are the issues that Josie must uncover if she is to mount a credible defense for Hannah.
Throughout the book, Ms. Forster teases you with snippets about Hannah, her mother, Linda Rayburn, and her aspiring politician husband, Kip. Each one of these characters is flawed in their own way and especially how they interact with each other, but the burning question throughout the book was did Hannah set that fateful fire. It's a roller coaster of emotions and it will keep you thinking about the relationships of mothers and daughter and father and sons long after you've finished reading the book. Highly Recommended.
When Hannah's mother begs her old college roommate, Josie Bates, to defend her daughter, Josie is caught up in a complicated legal situation. Was this a simple case of a rebellious teenager acting out or was there an underlying reason for the girl's obsessive compulsive actions? These are the issues that Josie must uncover if she is to mount a credible defense for Hannah.
Throughout the book, Ms. Forster teases you with snippets about Hannah, her mother, Linda Rayburn, and her aspiring politician husband, Kip. Each one of these characters is flawed in their own way and especially how they interact with each other, but the burning question throughout the book was did Hannah set that fateful fire. It's a roller coaster of emotions and it will keep you thinking about the relationships of mothers and daughter and father and sons long after you've finished reading the book. Highly Recommended.
September 12, 2013
Josie Baylor-Bates used to be a high profile lawyer, but resigned from her law-firm after a female client she successfully defended killed her children after walking free. Josie was racked with guilt and couldn’t get it off of her mind. She then wanted nothing more than to work as a lawyer in a low profile law firm in Hermosa Beach, California. However, all that was about to change when an old college roommate turns up at her door for help. Her sixteen year old daughter has been arrested for the murder of her step-grandfather: who happened to be the chief justice of the California Supreme Court. Josie agrees to defend the girl who had also been charged as an adult. There then followed a well-researched and entertaining story with believable characters and many twists and turns. This legal thriller grabbed me from the first page and the only problem I had with it, was that I found it difficult to put down and get on with the practicalities of my life.
‘Hostile Witness’ is the first in a series of eBook legal thrillers by Rebecca Forster featuring Josie Baylor-Bates and is often free on Kindle. This is a good move by the author, because I can see that a number of people will do what I’m going to do, and that is read the free copy, then download the next book and place it on their reading list.
‘Hostile Witness’ is the first in a series of eBook legal thrillers by Rebecca Forster featuring Josie Baylor-Bates and is often free on Kindle. This is a good move by the author, because I can see that a number of people will do what I’m going to do, and that is read the free copy, then download the next book and place it on their reading list.
September 11, 2012
This is a terrific read, with a challenging premise and characters who are well developed, with more than enough strengths and flaws to make them seem very real human beings.
Some GR reviewers said they figured out "who done it" early in the story. I never try to do that, finding it more enjoyable to let the author bring me along for the ride. In a murder mystery, the pleasure for me is more in the steps taken to work out the solution than in the solution itself. And if I had guessed, I would have gotten it wrong!
Hostile Witness offers plenty of suspense, tense action, high emotional content (both positive and negative), and a satisfactory ending that bodes well for future books in the series (this is #1). I just bought #2.
Personal note: I noticed that all of Rebecca Foster's books are priced quite low on kindle. I think I'm going to follow Rebecca's lead and lower the kindle price of three of my novels - The Heretic, The Pope's Conspiracy, and A Good Conviction - and see if this stimulates more sales.
Some GR reviewers said they figured out "who done it" early in the story. I never try to do that, finding it more enjoyable to let the author bring me along for the ride. In a murder mystery, the pleasure for me is more in the steps taken to work out the solution than in the solution itself. And if I had guessed, I would have gotten it wrong!
Hostile Witness offers plenty of suspense, tense action, high emotional content (both positive and negative), and a satisfactory ending that bodes well for future books in the series (this is #1). I just bought #2.
Personal note: I noticed that all of Rebecca Foster's books are priced quite low on kindle. I think I'm going to follow Rebecca's lead and lower the kindle price of three of my novels - The Heretic, The Pope's Conspiracy, and A Good Conviction - and see if this stimulates more sales.
August 17, 2012
Did Hannah Sheraton start the fire that killed her step-grandfather Justice Fitz Rayburn? Josie Baylor-Bates, a friend of Hannah's mother, defends her daughter.
This story slowly unfolds in the court and with Josie's investigations outside. Very little is said between Hannah and Josie. You are unsure of her guilt and Hannah believes her problems will blow away. You do not develop an empathy for Hannah because she does not co-operate fully with Josie. This crime thriller is basically a court room drama featuring regular court procedures and dialogue between counsels.
Hostile Witness is dull, it is not an exciting novel. There are no big surprises, it is drab and it is not a gripping story. There are no likeable characters in this book. I have nothing to recommend in this novel. I took nothing away from this book. It was not a reading pleasure but a drag. I think that Hostile Witness is rubbish and I shall be voting it the minimum 1 star on Good Reads as I consider this book one to AVOID. I will not be reading another of Rebecca's books.
This story slowly unfolds in the court and with Josie's investigations outside. Very little is said between Hannah and Josie. You are unsure of her guilt and Hannah believes her problems will blow away. You do not develop an empathy for Hannah because she does not co-operate fully with Josie. This crime thriller is basically a court room drama featuring regular court procedures and dialogue between counsels.
Hostile Witness is dull, it is not an exciting novel. There are no big surprises, it is drab and it is not a gripping story. There are no likeable characters in this book. I have nothing to recommend in this novel. I took nothing away from this book. It was not a reading pleasure but a drag. I think that Hostile Witness is rubbish and I shall be voting it the minimum 1 star on Good Reads as I consider this book one to AVOID. I will not be reading another of Rebecca's books.
March 5, 2017
As far as Courtroom Dramas go, this can be described as an easy read. The outcome is quite predictable to say the least, so a bit disappointed in that part. Number one in the Legal Witness Series, I will give it another chance, but I hope the plot will improve a bit. Nothing wrong with the writing style, mind you. But it has to get better at keeping the reader interested.
On the other hand, it has plot twists that not always work as planned. Josie Bates leading role is not fully exploited, and sometimes her reactions are devoid of a plausible reason. The rest of the characters are Ok, sometimes more understandable than Mrs Bates herself. All in all, the reading is worth the effort.
On the other hand, it has plot twists that not always work as planned. Josie Bates leading role is not fully exploited, and sometimes her reactions are devoid of a plausible reason. The rest of the characters are Ok, sometimes more understandable than Mrs Bates herself. All in all, the reading is worth the effort.
February 17, 2014
I picked this book up on recommendation of another member of Goodreads. I’m always reluctant to try a new author because too often they don't deliver a good story.
That isn’t the case here. Forster tells a tale that engaged me almost from the beginning. And she kept things happening throughout the rest of the story.
I liked Josie, too. She was strong enough to never give up on what she believed in, even when everyone on her side told her she should give in. But she was also weak enough to sometimes doubt if she was doing the right thing. That made her very human.
I never quite got a good handle on Josie’s relationship with Archer, never got a feel for how it happened. It seemed to me as if it just was.
And I found an error that, as a ‘car guy,’ really jumped out at me. In one scene, Forster has Josie putting her arm atop the bench seat in Archer’s Hummer. Hummer’s don’t have front bench seats; they have buckets separated by a wide console.
That small quibble aside, this book was good enough to make me add other books in the series to my ‘want to read’ list.
Thanks, Lewis.
That isn’t the case here. Forster tells a tale that engaged me almost from the beginning. And she kept things happening throughout the rest of the story.
I liked Josie, too. She was strong enough to never give up on what she believed in, even when everyone on her side told her she should give in. But she was also weak enough to sometimes doubt if she was doing the right thing. That made her very human.
I never quite got a good handle on Josie’s relationship with Archer, never got a feel for how it happened. It seemed to me as if it just was.
And I found an error that, as a ‘car guy,’ really jumped out at me. In one scene, Forster has Josie putting her arm atop the bench seat in Archer’s Hummer. Hummer’s don’t have front bench seats; they have buckets separated by a wide console.
That small quibble aside, this book was good enough to make me add other books in the series to my ‘want to read’ list.
Thanks, Lewis.
October 4, 2015
Anyone looking for a Courtroom Drama needs to go no further. I really enjoyed this book, I received this free so decided to start it and see. I was hooked. It is not just a story of a crime, an investigation, a trial and a conviction, it is so much more. A sixteen year old girl with a lot of problems is accused of killing her grandfather. A mother desperate to save her child begs an old school friend to help and defend her. A defense attorney who has given up the bright light cases for peace and quiet. But.... nothing is as it seems so many twists and turns. Very well written from all views. I connected with all the characters. This is the start of a series and yes I will be reading more from this author.
July 2, 2012
Usually when a book is free for Kindle on Amazon, I'm a bit skeptical of how good it's going to be. And some I've read that were free have proven that point. Yet, Hostile Witness by Rebecca Forster reminded why I keep pursuing free books - because every now and then, you'll find a gem! I fell in love with this book. It was fast-paced and kept me on the edge of my seat.
Synopsis per Amazon, "When sixteen-year-old Hannah Sheraton is arrested for the murder of her stepgrandfather, the chief justice of the California Supreme court, her distraught mother turns to her old college roommate, Josie Baylor-Bates, for help. Josie, once a hot-shot criminal defense attorney, left the fast track behind for a small practice in Hermosa Beach, California. But Hannah Sheraton intrigues her and, when the girl is charged as an adult, Josie cannot turn her back. But the deeper she digs the more Josie realizes that politics, the law and family relationships create a combustible and dangerous situation. When the horrible truth is uncovered it can save Hannah Sheraton or destroy them both."
Normally, I write my own reviews, but a top reviewer on Amazon summed it up so well, I had to share his review with you (Daniel Jolley):
"Usually, legal thrillers have a few passages that are dry and boring or feature cardboard characters lacking any spark of life in them. Not so with Hostile Witness. Forster has given life to some vivid, remarkably human characters - the heroic, sympathetic lawyer who puts a painful past behind her to defend a young girl accused of arson and murder; the 16-year-old defendant, a troubled teen lost in emotional chaos and harboring shocking secrets, the girls' seriously dysfunctional mother and step-father seemingly hiding behind mysterious secrets of their own, the hard-nosed yet somehow slightly noble prosecuting attorney, even the victim himself, a man already dead when the novel begins.
The protagonist of the novel is Josie Baylor-Bates, a lawyer who finds herself back in the criminal defense game she left some years ago. Not only is she still dealing with the pain of being abandoned by her mother when she was just a young girl, she is haunted by an old case. An accused murderer she successfully defended (and truly believed to be innocent) turned around and killed again - only this time it was her own children. The sense of guilt that tragedy engendered in Josie led her to abandon criminal defense cases altogether and settle down in a quiet beach community with a quiet little legal practice. Then an old college roommate turns up at her door and begs her to defend her daughter. This will be no ordinary case; it will, in fact, explode all over the media. The girl, Hannah Sheraton, is accused of killing her step-grandfather, a man who just happened to be a prominent justice on the California Supreme Court. In the middle of everything is Hannah's step-father, the governor's choice to take his father's place on the high bench. The case has media circus written all over it - even before a series of shocking revelations about the murdered judge come to light, but Josie agrees to take the case after meeting Hannah. She sees a little bit of herself in the young girl, a frightened lass with deep emotional troubles manifested outwardly in obsessive-compulsive behavior, self-mutilation, and a powerful overdependence on her mother.
Convinced of her client's innocence, Josie's defense of the girl runs into a number of obstacles, including the girl's own mother and step-father, neither of whom, Josie comes to believe, has Hannah's best interests at heart. All too soon, this case has become intensely personal for Josie, and that leads her to question her own motivations. Forster does a wonderful job of developing these characters, showing you increasingly significant cracks in their facades while holding out on the goods until the very end. You have your suspicions, but you just don't know the truth about what is really going on and who is really responsible for the victim's death until the very end.
The novel's most memorable moments take place inside the courtroom, culminating in some unforgettable moments of witness testimony, but the case takes drastic turns (more than once) away from all the cameras and watching eyes. It's an emotional roller coaster for Josie, trying to deal with her own personal baggage alongside the heavy burdens placed upon her by Hannah's incredibly dysfunctional family and the intense pressures of such a high profile trial. A wondrously human heart beats inside the chest of this particular lawyer, though, and that - plus a beautifully constructed plot - is what makes Hostile Witness a novel you just can't put down."
Synopsis per Amazon, "When sixteen-year-old Hannah Sheraton is arrested for the murder of her stepgrandfather, the chief justice of the California Supreme court, her distraught mother turns to her old college roommate, Josie Baylor-Bates, for help. Josie, once a hot-shot criminal defense attorney, left the fast track behind for a small practice in Hermosa Beach, California. But Hannah Sheraton intrigues her and, when the girl is charged as an adult, Josie cannot turn her back. But the deeper she digs the more Josie realizes that politics, the law and family relationships create a combustible and dangerous situation. When the horrible truth is uncovered it can save Hannah Sheraton or destroy them both."
Normally, I write my own reviews, but a top reviewer on Amazon summed it up so well, I had to share his review with you (Daniel Jolley):
"Usually, legal thrillers have a few passages that are dry and boring or feature cardboard characters lacking any spark of life in them. Not so with Hostile Witness. Forster has given life to some vivid, remarkably human characters - the heroic, sympathetic lawyer who puts a painful past behind her to defend a young girl accused of arson and murder; the 16-year-old defendant, a troubled teen lost in emotional chaos and harboring shocking secrets, the girls' seriously dysfunctional mother and step-father seemingly hiding behind mysterious secrets of their own, the hard-nosed yet somehow slightly noble prosecuting attorney, even the victim himself, a man already dead when the novel begins.
The protagonist of the novel is Josie Baylor-Bates, a lawyer who finds herself back in the criminal defense game she left some years ago. Not only is she still dealing with the pain of being abandoned by her mother when she was just a young girl, she is haunted by an old case. An accused murderer she successfully defended (and truly believed to be innocent) turned around and killed again - only this time it was her own children. The sense of guilt that tragedy engendered in Josie led her to abandon criminal defense cases altogether and settle down in a quiet beach community with a quiet little legal practice. Then an old college roommate turns up at her door and begs her to defend her daughter. This will be no ordinary case; it will, in fact, explode all over the media. The girl, Hannah Sheraton, is accused of killing her step-grandfather, a man who just happened to be a prominent justice on the California Supreme Court. In the middle of everything is Hannah's step-father, the governor's choice to take his father's place on the high bench. The case has media circus written all over it - even before a series of shocking revelations about the murdered judge come to light, but Josie agrees to take the case after meeting Hannah. She sees a little bit of herself in the young girl, a frightened lass with deep emotional troubles manifested outwardly in obsessive-compulsive behavior, self-mutilation, and a powerful overdependence on her mother.
Convinced of her client's innocence, Josie's defense of the girl runs into a number of obstacles, including the girl's own mother and step-father, neither of whom, Josie comes to believe, has Hannah's best interests at heart. All too soon, this case has become intensely personal for Josie, and that leads her to question her own motivations. Forster does a wonderful job of developing these characters, showing you increasingly significant cracks in their facades while holding out on the goods until the very end. You have your suspicions, but you just don't know the truth about what is really going on and who is really responsible for the victim's death until the very end.
The novel's most memorable moments take place inside the courtroom, culminating in some unforgettable moments of witness testimony, but the case takes drastic turns (more than once) away from all the cameras and watching eyes. It's an emotional roller coaster for Josie, trying to deal with her own personal baggage alongside the heavy burdens placed upon her by Hannah's incredibly dysfunctional family and the intense pressures of such a high profile trial. A wondrously human heart beats inside the chest of this particular lawyer, though, and that - plus a beautifully constructed plot - is what makes Hostile Witness a novel you just can't put down."
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October 1, 2013I have also published this book review on my blog, writeplaceblog.com. Please check it out and subscribe if you're interested in writing, or literary and horror fiction.
There is a reason Josie Baylor-Bates isn’t a criminal defense attorney anymore. And everything seems to be working out with her life just fine, thank you very much. She’s about to be made partner in a small, inconspicuous law firm serving no one controversial, and she’s got her home and her dog to keep her company in Hermosa Beach, California. A former beach volleyball star in her late 30s, the only thing she still contends with is abandonment issues from her mother who walked out on her when Josie was just a teenager.
It is into this world that Linda and Hannah Rayburn arrive, a mother-and-daughter team set to bring a plea of not guilty to trial in the murder of Fritz Rayburn, a former California Supreme Court Justice. Fritz has been killed by a blow to the head and a subsequent fire in the sizable home he shared with his son Kip, Kip’s wife Linda and Hannah, who stands accused of the crime due to a history of emotional problems and eyewitness accounts of her arguments with Fritz hours before the crime.
Hostile Witness is the first in the Witness Series legal thrillers that stars Josie Baylor-Bates and is saved from easy categorization as a John Grisham or a Perry Mason courtroom drama by the strong characterization accompanying the players. Not quite literary but engaging in every other sense, Josie’s doubts about representing Hannah stem from her earlier defense of a young woman who went on to kill again after her successful release. It was this high-profile trial that drove Josie to more inconspicuous areas of the law. Hannah, a beautiful, sensitive and anxious teen, is a gifted painter but also obsessive compulsive. Her mother, Linda, a former college roommate of Josie–as much a party goer as Josie was a student athlete, blood and water, in other words–shows up on Josie’s doorstep with her indomitable will and pleas to represent her daughter. Only Linda has enough influence, from their complex college relationship, to convince Josie to return to criminal law…just this once.
Set wonderfully against the sights, sounds and smells of Hermosa Beach, Josie’s increasing involvement in Hannah’s life soon defies not only a history as a criminal attorney who represented the wrong client in a high-profile case. It also ties into mother-and-daughter concerns, as Linda’s parenting qualities eventually become a significant factor in the trial even as Josie becomes something of a surrogate mother to Hannah. It turns out too that Kip Rayburn, set to replace his father on the Supreme Court and who desperately wants the trial of his stepdaughter to go away (and his stepdaughter too, for that matter), has some secrets of his own.
Part drama, part courtroom thriller, part story of an attorney about to enter middle age and questioning where her values lie, the twists in the plot line, the dubious facts, the intensity and high emotion make Hostile Witness a gripping read. Relationships are never certain as new evidence contradicts what the reader has come to know as truth. And when Josie refuses to face that mounting evidence against her client, she holds fast to a belief in Hannah’s innocence, contradicting everyone from a belligerent prosecutor, to Kip Rayburn and even then to Hannah’s mother and Josie’s strong and supportive anchor of a boyfriend. The stage is set for a final showdown that ultimately does not disappoint.
Not a typical reader of legal thrillers, I nevertheless was impressed by the steady pacing that pulled me through to the story’s gripping conclusion. Five books compose Forster’s Witness series. I just added number two, Silent Witness, to my list of books to read.
There is a reason Josie Baylor-Bates isn’t a criminal defense attorney anymore. And everything seems to be working out with her life just fine, thank you very much. She’s about to be made partner in a small, inconspicuous law firm serving no one controversial, and she’s got her home and her dog to keep her company in Hermosa Beach, California. A former beach volleyball star in her late 30s, the only thing she still contends with is abandonment issues from her mother who walked out on her when Josie was just a teenager.
It is into this world that Linda and Hannah Rayburn arrive, a mother-and-daughter team set to bring a plea of not guilty to trial in the murder of Fritz Rayburn, a former California Supreme Court Justice. Fritz has been killed by a blow to the head and a subsequent fire in the sizable home he shared with his son Kip, Kip’s wife Linda and Hannah, who stands accused of the crime due to a history of emotional problems and eyewitness accounts of her arguments with Fritz hours before the crime.
Hostile Witness is the first in the Witness Series legal thrillers that stars Josie Baylor-Bates and is saved from easy categorization as a John Grisham or a Perry Mason courtroom drama by the strong characterization accompanying the players. Not quite literary but engaging in every other sense, Josie’s doubts about representing Hannah stem from her earlier defense of a young woman who went on to kill again after her successful release. It was this high-profile trial that drove Josie to more inconspicuous areas of the law. Hannah, a beautiful, sensitive and anxious teen, is a gifted painter but also obsessive compulsive. Her mother, Linda, a former college roommate of Josie–as much a party goer as Josie was a student athlete, blood and water, in other words–shows up on Josie’s doorstep with her indomitable will and pleas to represent her daughter. Only Linda has enough influence, from their complex college relationship, to convince Josie to return to criminal law…just this once.
Set wonderfully against the sights, sounds and smells of Hermosa Beach, Josie’s increasing involvement in Hannah’s life soon defies not only a history as a criminal attorney who represented the wrong client in a high-profile case. It also ties into mother-and-daughter concerns, as Linda’s parenting qualities eventually become a significant factor in the trial even as Josie becomes something of a surrogate mother to Hannah. It turns out too that Kip Rayburn, set to replace his father on the Supreme Court and who desperately wants the trial of his stepdaughter to go away (and his stepdaughter too, for that matter), has some secrets of his own.
Part drama, part courtroom thriller, part story of an attorney about to enter middle age and questioning where her values lie, the twists in the plot line, the dubious facts, the intensity and high emotion make Hostile Witness a gripping read. Relationships are never certain as new evidence contradicts what the reader has come to know as truth. And when Josie refuses to face that mounting evidence against her client, she holds fast to a belief in Hannah’s innocence, contradicting everyone from a belligerent prosecutor, to Kip Rayburn and even then to Hannah’s mother and Josie’s strong and supportive anchor of a boyfriend. The stage is set for a final showdown that ultimately does not disappoint.
Not a typical reader of legal thrillers, I nevertheless was impressed by the steady pacing that pulled me through to the story’s gripping conclusion. Five books compose Forster’s Witness series. I just added number two, Silent Witness, to my list of books to read.
March 21, 2012
Josie is a lawyer, and a very good one. So good, in fact, that she even managed to get a not-guilty verdict for a guilty client... who then murdered her own children.
Josie decided not to practice criminal law ever again.
Until her best college-friend showed up desperate, needing Josie to represent her daughter Hannah - who has been accused of murdering her step-grandfather. And that step-grandfather just happens to be a famous and politically active California judge.
Hannah is not easy to represent - she has OCD and she cuts herself. She self-medicates with legal and illegal medication. And she's hiding something. Josie knows it, but she doesn't know what it is.
When she finds out, it's nearly too late.
This book grabbed me immediately, and kept me hooked. I'm supposed to be packing and painting our house for a move, but instead I blocked off a day to read this, it was that good (also, I'm really tired at this point, so I'm not a hard sale for resting with a book. But still. It was great).
Josie is a well-rounded character, portrayed well enough in all her human-ness that I didn't really like her that much. The character of Hannah is exceptionally well done, well enough that I alternated wanting to save her and wanting her to be locked away forever. In the end, I'm still not sure which alternative would be best for Hannah... and everyone else who comes in contact with her.
And Archer? What can I say. I have a soft spot for soft-spoken tough guys who don't wear their ability to kick ass on their sleeve and carry around inner-sadness and barely healed torment.
The only character I didn't feel was well-rounded (and there's always at LEAST one in every book, because it would be too boring to spend a chapter describing everyone's background, from main character to gardener) was Kip. Kip's motivations were discussed, but never really fleshed out. I understood his background, I just didn't really understand his present.
There's a good deal of action, and you are never quite sure how much is OCD and how much is psychosis - even when the book ends.
I've read several reviews of this book on Amazon which point out numerous grammatical deficiencies. I can honestly say that I didn't notice most of them while reading, as I was too caught up in the story.
Josie decided not to practice criminal law ever again.
Until her best college-friend showed up desperate, needing Josie to represent her daughter Hannah - who has been accused of murdering her step-grandfather. And that step-grandfather just happens to be a famous and politically active California judge.
Hannah is not easy to represent - she has OCD and she cuts herself. She self-medicates with legal and illegal medication. And she's hiding something. Josie knows it, but she doesn't know what it is.
When she finds out, it's nearly too late.
This book grabbed me immediately, and kept me hooked. I'm supposed to be packing and painting our house for a move, but instead I blocked off a day to read this, it was that good (also, I'm really tired at this point, so I'm not a hard sale for resting with a book. But still. It was great).
Josie is a well-rounded character, portrayed well enough in all her human-ness that I didn't really like her that much. The character of Hannah is exceptionally well done, well enough that I alternated wanting to save her and wanting her to be locked away forever. In the end, I'm still not sure which alternative would be best for Hannah... and everyone else who comes in contact with her.
And Archer? What can I say. I have a soft spot for soft-spoken tough guys who don't wear their ability to kick ass on their sleeve and carry around inner-sadness and barely healed torment.
The only character I didn't feel was well-rounded (and there's always at LEAST one in every book, because it would be too boring to spend a chapter describing everyone's background, from main character to gardener) was Kip. Kip's motivations were discussed, but never really fleshed out. I understood his background, I just didn't really understand his present.
There's a good deal of action, and you are never quite sure how much is OCD and how much is psychosis - even when the book ends.
I've read several reviews of this book on Amazon which point out numerous grammatical deficiencies. I can honestly say that I didn't notice most of them while reading, as I was too caught up in the story.
November 29, 2012
Hannah is a tattooed, multi-pierced 16 year old with OCD and a mother who does not understand the concept of love. We meet her after she has been arrested for murder and thrown into prison.
Josie is a big shot defence lawyer who, after successfully defending a guilty woman who went on to kill again, has run away from her old life to practice law in a small town, where her toughest case is to defend a 'weenie-wagger' - and convincing him to keep his trousers on when in public. Josie is also Hannah's only chance.
Rebecca Forster's characters are well drawn, with depth, and believable. They are flawed human beings, as are we all, and Hannah and Josie in particular undergo a profound journey as the book develops.
The plot twists and turns before building to an exciting climax. It follows Josie as she tries to piece together what happened the night Supreme Court Justice Fritz Rayburn, Hannah's step-grandfather was murdered. Hannah is less than helpful; her mother, Linda, surely wins the 'Most Selfish Mother of the Year' award, and her step-father has his own demons to overcome. Josie gets drawn in to this dysfunctional family, which brings back her own pain stemming from being abandoned by her mother as a child.
This is a fascinating and gripping page-turner, which I could not put down. I was completely drawn in to Josie and Hannah's world and I am very happy to recommend 'Hostile Witness'.
Josie is a big shot defence lawyer who, after successfully defending a guilty woman who went on to kill again, has run away from her old life to practice law in a small town, where her toughest case is to defend a 'weenie-wagger' - and convincing him to keep his trousers on when in public. Josie is also Hannah's only chance.
Rebecca Forster's characters are well drawn, with depth, and believable. They are flawed human beings, as are we all, and Hannah and Josie in particular undergo a profound journey as the book develops.
The plot twists and turns before building to an exciting climax. It follows Josie as she tries to piece together what happened the night Supreme Court Justice Fritz Rayburn, Hannah's step-grandfather was murdered. Hannah is less than helpful; her mother, Linda, surely wins the 'Most Selfish Mother of the Year' award, and her step-father has his own demons to overcome. Josie gets drawn in to this dysfunctional family, which brings back her own pain stemming from being abandoned by her mother as a child.
This is a fascinating and gripping page-turner, which I could not put down. I was completely drawn in to Josie and Hannah's world and I am very happy to recommend 'Hostile Witness'.
January 2, 2012
I got this as a free book off of Amazon.
It's been a while since I've read a page turner-- one that I had to stay up late reading just to race to the end. This was one of those novels. From the initial meeting of Linda, a past roommate with an intriguing proposal, to meeting her defendant, Hannah and to revealing the rest of the ragtag band of screwed up characters, they were all fascinating characters. I loved the fast paced courtroom drama-- I definitely have a soft spot for those. I loved the dramatic moment near the end when Josie is building her case... and gets an unexpected result.
Most of all, I really liked Josie. She is a character with staying power. Strong, passionate but emotional and caring-- someone who resonates like Erin Brokovich. She's someone I would want defending me. And what's more, my first instinct when I finished the book was to pick up more books by Rebecca Forster!
This is a thrilling ride that no one should miss out on.
It's been a while since I've read a page turner-- one that I had to stay up late reading just to race to the end. This was one of those novels. From the initial meeting of Linda, a past roommate with an intriguing proposal, to meeting her defendant, Hannah and to revealing the rest of the ragtag band of screwed up characters, they were all fascinating characters. I loved the fast paced courtroom drama-- I definitely have a soft spot for those. I loved the dramatic moment near the end when Josie is building her case... and gets an unexpected result.
Most of all, I really liked Josie. She is a character with staying power. Strong, passionate but emotional and caring-- someone who resonates like Erin Brokovich. She's someone I would want defending me. And what's more, my first instinct when I finished the book was to pick up more books by Rebecca Forster!
This is a thrilling ride that no one should miss out on.
January 1, 2014
I may have rated this book a little higher had I not been screaming "OBJECTION!" in my head throughout the trial portions of this novel. As an attorney, I did not consider the courtroom procedures to be all that realistic but I understand this is a work of fiction and courtrooms are different all over this country. I also had a disconnect from most of the characters. The only one I seemed to care for was Archer and considering his minimal role in the book, that is not saying much. But, the book did keep my interest, which is not something I can say for the other free Kindle books I have downloaded.
May 3, 2013
I downloaded this free book and found myself immediately welcomed into Josie, Hannah, and Archer's world! The characters become friends who I wanted to be in constant contact with just like family or neighbors. The dust bunnies multiplied as I finished one book in the series and downloaded the next. Rebecca's characters are very realistic and complicated, making then extremely life like. The "movie" played vividly in my head as I turned the pages andI felt like I was on Hermosa Beach! Definitely worth your time!
September 17, 2020
My first by this author. There have been umpteen court room drama stories for more absorbing than this one. Here the story plays around a 16 year old, being tried as an adult, for the murder of her (step) grandfather, a reputed judge. The other critical players are her step father, her mother and Josie Bates who is defending her.
The story is interesting, but a tad too long and repetitive. Somehow I could not invest too much in the characters so could not 'live' their lives.
Read this book by all means for the story is good. I only wish it had a slicker editing.
The story is interesting, but a tad too long and repetitive. Somehow I could not invest too much in the characters so could not 'live' their lives.
Read this book by all means for the story is good. I only wish it had a slicker editing.
July 17, 2016
Another damned crime novel where the heroine/ lawyer is a beautiful, six-foot, legendary sand volleyball champ, with a hot cop boyfriend who totally adores her. The story is mundane and as predictable as rain. The writing is pedestrian and boring. The author keeps inserting romance novel dreck which is one of my pet peeves. There are more cliches than all the tea in china. (See what I did there?) Sorry, but this one is a loser.
November 4, 2016
The action and the suspense are non-stop in this courtroom drama. Sometimes you'd like to get relief from the tension, but that never happens. However, it's a difficult book to put down, and I was especially rooting for Hannah, the teenager accused of murder who was being treated badly by practically everybody, including her step-grandfather, the man who is murdered.
May 8, 2015
Mother and child?
Attorney Bates gets emotionally involved with the client. This sentence in the book says it best "You worked with what you had, you did what you could, and you made choices based on need".
Attorney Bates gets emotionally involved with the client. This sentence in the book says it best "You worked with what you had, you did what you could, and you made choices based on need".
December 30, 2018
My first try of Forster's Witness series, with a teen heading to trial for maybe killing a state Supreme Court justice.
August 9, 2025
4.5 ⭐ rounded up.
July 12, 2011
A tightly woven plot, strong characterisation and a dramatic storyline combine to make HOSTILE WITNESS, by Rebecca Forster, a compelling, exciting read.
Other reviewers have commented on this title's page-turning qualities. This was one novel that not only did I lose sleep for, but it accompanied me to the supermarket, car repairer and was propped on the kitchen bench while I supervised dinner preparation. Its plot was well paced and did not get bogged down with unnecessary waffle, unlike other novels I have read where it's not the end of the world if you skip a page or chapter or two.
It's always tempting to compare one author with another based on similar central characters, setting or plot. An obvious comparison might be made between legal drama heavyweight, John Grisham, and Forster. Both certainly feature lawyers as central characters and legal dilemmas as a source of conflict in their plots. However, as much as I have enjoyed the novels by Grisham that I have read (and I certainly haven't read them all), I found Forster's first work in the `Witness' series had a stronger focus on characterization. `Hostile Witness (The Witness Series)' featured strong, very human female characters, whose actions and motivations were gradually revealed to the reader through each of the character's own perspective. This allowed for reader empathy to be developed, particularly for the characters of Josie and Hannah, but also the less-likeable character of Hannah's mother, Linda. However, that's not to say the supporting male characters are reduced to two-dimensional stereotypes, as less capable writers have a tendency to do with minor characters. For example, characters such as the prosecutor, Rudy Klein, are portrayed with some complexity - enough supporting detail about him is provided so we, as readers, understand his mental battle between his professional role and his moral and emotional uncertainty when it comes to prosecuting an obviously damaged minor. Indeed, this is probably one of the novel's primary strengths: Forster has taken the complex and often socially taboo subjects of mental illness and domestic violence and treated them with a clear eye, compassion and understanding.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and recommend it highly.
Other reviewers have commented on this title's page-turning qualities. This was one novel that not only did I lose sleep for, but it accompanied me to the supermarket, car repairer and was propped on the kitchen bench while I supervised dinner preparation. Its plot was well paced and did not get bogged down with unnecessary waffle, unlike other novels I have read where it's not the end of the world if you skip a page or chapter or two.
It's always tempting to compare one author with another based on similar central characters, setting or plot. An obvious comparison might be made between legal drama heavyweight, John Grisham, and Forster. Both certainly feature lawyers as central characters and legal dilemmas as a source of conflict in their plots. However, as much as I have enjoyed the novels by Grisham that I have read (and I certainly haven't read them all), I found Forster's first work in the `Witness' series had a stronger focus on characterization. `Hostile Witness (The Witness Series)' featured strong, very human female characters, whose actions and motivations were gradually revealed to the reader through each of the character's own perspective. This allowed for reader empathy to be developed, particularly for the characters of Josie and Hannah, but also the less-likeable character of Hannah's mother, Linda. However, that's not to say the supporting male characters are reduced to two-dimensional stereotypes, as less capable writers have a tendency to do with minor characters. For example, characters such as the prosecutor, Rudy Klein, are portrayed with some complexity - enough supporting detail about him is provided so we, as readers, understand his mental battle between his professional role and his moral and emotional uncertainty when it comes to prosecuting an obviously damaged minor. Indeed, this is probably one of the novel's primary strengths: Forster has taken the complex and often socially taboo subjects of mental illness and domestic violence and treated them with a clear eye, compassion and understanding.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and recommend it highly.
June 7, 2013
When am esteemed Californian judge is murdered and his home burned, his troubled step-granddaughter is the prime suspect. Attorney Josie Baylor-Bates has a hundred reasons not to take on this case, and her handling of it opens her to public condemnation and private torment, but for some reason she just can't let it go. Lawyers are supposed to be detached. For Josie, this is very personal.
I predicted the ending. What was obviously intended to be a surprise twist was a little too obvious in my opinion, but that in no way spoiled my enjoyment of a story filled with tension and deep emotion.
This psychological thriller had a little of everything - romance, crime, psychology, courtroom drama... The characters lived and breathed and I had to love them, hate them, weep for them, grieve with them, and ultimately burst with admiration and sympathy for the beautiful, courageous, loyal, deeply troubled Hannah, and for the lawyer who was willing to risk all to save the girl she believed in when everyone else condemned and abandoned her.
Rebecca Forster demonstrates extraordinary talent as a writer, both through her ability to weave a gripping story, and through her skill with words. Descriptions are vivid and tantalizing, transporting readers to the place to observe the action first-hand.
A must read for anyone who enjoys a good crime story, courtroom drama, or psychological thriller, ''Hostile Witness'' is the first in a series, and I will definitely be looking for more titles by Rebecca Forster. I struggled to put it down, and finished it craving for more.
I predicted the ending. What was obviously intended to be a surprise twist was a little too obvious in my opinion, but that in no way spoiled my enjoyment of a story filled with tension and deep emotion.
This psychological thriller had a little of everything - romance, crime, psychology, courtroom drama... The characters lived and breathed and I had to love them, hate them, weep for them, grieve with them, and ultimately burst with admiration and sympathy for the beautiful, courageous, loyal, deeply troubled Hannah, and for the lawyer who was willing to risk all to save the girl she believed in when everyone else condemned and abandoned her.
Rebecca Forster demonstrates extraordinary talent as a writer, both through her ability to weave a gripping story, and through her skill with words. Descriptions are vivid and tantalizing, transporting readers to the place to observe the action first-hand.
A must read for anyone who enjoys a good crime story, courtroom drama, or psychological thriller, ''Hostile Witness'' is the first in a series, and I will definitely be looking for more titles by Rebecca Forster. I struggled to put it down, and finished it craving for more.
August 17, 2012
This is a well written book with an engaging plot. It was clear to me from very early on that there were going to be some interesting twists and this was so. The plot draws you in immediately and never let’s go its grip of you.
Hannah is a character who I immediately felt for and I was with her all the way through the novel. Josie was also a very good character with her own unresolved issues which play an integral part in the plot. Most of the other characters were people who I would not like if I met them in person but they were just as well crafted and real.
Hannah has obsessive compulsive disorder and it is interesting to see how and why this behaviour began, I felt that this condition was portrayed very well.
I loved this book and cannot recommend it highly enough, go and get a copy.
Star Rating 5/5 I loved it.
Hannah is a character who I immediately felt for and I was with her all the way through the novel. Josie was also a very good character with her own unresolved issues which play an integral part in the plot. Most of the other characters were people who I would not like if I met them in person but they were just as well crafted and real.
Hannah has obsessive compulsive disorder and it is interesting to see how and why this behaviour began, I felt that this condition was portrayed very well.
I loved this book and cannot recommend it highly enough, go and get a copy.
Star Rating 5/5 I loved it.
July 26, 2012
I loved this story and was instantly intrigued from page 1! There is foul language through out... not something I really enjoyed. But I was way too interested in the story to stop reading or even to skip to the end. I wanted every detail!
I like how the book is told in multiple points of view. I felt like I got to know the characters much better, though some of them I really didn't like and eventually hated as things played out. But the main three women, the accused 16 year old, her mother and the attorney will be on my mind for a long time.
I thought I had an idea how it would all play out but there were so many twists and turns... it kept me on the end of my seat and I have stayed up late the last few nights in order to read as much as I could.
I like how the book is told in multiple points of view. I felt like I got to know the characters much better, though some of them I really didn't like and eventually hated as things played out. But the main three women, the accused 16 year old, her mother and the attorney will be on my mind for a long time.
I thought I had an idea how it would all play out but there were so many twists and turns... it kept me on the end of my seat and I have stayed up late the last few nights in order to read as much as I could.
June 18, 2012
I couldn't get past the author's motivation for her main character (Josie)...
In short, she made Josie a highly successful defense attorney who gave up defense work when she "got off" a woman who then, after gaining her freedom, killed her children. The running theme throughout the book then became that Josie could only defend someone who she believed was innocent.
No defense attorney I have ever met has had that attitude.
And then, of course, (yes, I'm going to give away the ending) Josie is proven right when her boyfriend's answering machine records her entire confrontation with the real killer. Good thing he had his machine set on unlimited recording time...
In short, she made Josie a highly successful defense attorney who gave up defense work when she "got off" a woman who then, after gaining her freedom, killed her children. The running theme throughout the book then became that Josie could only defend someone who she believed was innocent.
No defense attorney I have ever met has had that attitude.
And then, of course, (yes, I'm going to give away the ending) Josie is proven right when her boyfriend's answering machine records her entire confrontation with the real killer. Good thing he had his machine set on unlimited recording time...
March 28, 2017
Better than your average legal thriller even though it is still fairly predictable. Maybe it is because the main character is so likable or that the 16 year old girl she defends seems so messed up because of her mom. I don't know.
Forster isn't a great writer or anything. In fact, I found a number of grammatical errors (missing apostrophes mostly), but I never know if that is because I am reading a digital version or if the author and editor really missed them.
As I said the book is pretty predictable, but I would read the next book in the series if it came up free on Nook (this one was). I don't think I will pay for it though.
Forster isn't a great writer or anything. In fact, I found a number of grammatical errors (missing apostrophes mostly), but I never know if that is because I am reading a digital version or if the author and editor really missed them.
As I said the book is pretty predictable, but I would read the next book in the series if it came up free on Nook (this one was). I don't think I will pay for it though.
September 22, 2017
HOSTILE WITNESS – An adverse witness who is known to offer prejudicial evidence as a result of adverse interest or bias.
Black’s Law Dictionary
When Judge Fritz Rayburn, California Supreme Court Justice, is suddenly killed in a fire at his home, the whole state was in mourning. Sixteen-year-old Hannah Sheraton, Judge Rayburn’s step-granddaughter, is arrested and charged with complicity in his tragic death. She is charged with murder and the D.A. is intending on trying her as an adult. Hannah isn’t a typical teenager. She is a very talented and gifted artist but also has a myriad of personal and personality problems. Obsessive/compulsive is a common diagnosis voiced by the many professionals her parents had sent her to.
Linda Sheraton-Rayburn, Hannah’s mother, in a desperate attempt to protect her daughter, contacts a college friend to defend Hannah. Josie Baylor-Bates was a good attorney. She gave up practicing criminal law when she won a case; only to have her client kill her children after she was free. Kristin Davis had convinced Josie of her innocence and her talents got them a favorable judgment.
This is a first-rate judicial spoof that could rival any case involving Erle Stanley Gardner’s Perry Mason. Many well-developed characters add to the believability of this tale of love, greed, and mystery. Could a young girl do what she is accused of? Probably the most demanding and intriguing question is how far can and should go to defend their client? Josie goes to the ultimate limit for Hannah. Could her mental problems play a role in this mystery or is someone else pulling the strings? I feasted on this courtroom drama, hungrily anticipating each new revelation around every twist or turn. Perusing the other Goodreads reviews, I see that the jury on this book is hung. I put my weight on the positive side and only by reading this book yourself can determine your stand.
Black’s Law Dictionary
When Judge Fritz Rayburn, California Supreme Court Justice, is suddenly killed in a fire at his home, the whole state was in mourning. Sixteen-year-old Hannah Sheraton, Judge Rayburn’s step-granddaughter, is arrested and charged with complicity in his tragic death. She is charged with murder and the D.A. is intending on trying her as an adult. Hannah isn’t a typical teenager. She is a very talented and gifted artist but also has a myriad of personal and personality problems. Obsessive/compulsive is a common diagnosis voiced by the many professionals her parents had sent her to.
Linda Sheraton-Rayburn, Hannah’s mother, in a desperate attempt to protect her daughter, contacts a college friend to defend Hannah. Josie Baylor-Bates was a good attorney. She gave up practicing criminal law when she won a case; only to have her client kill her children after she was free. Kristin Davis had convinced Josie of her innocence and her talents got them a favorable judgment.
This is a first-rate judicial spoof that could rival any case involving Erle Stanley Gardner’s Perry Mason. Many well-developed characters add to the believability of this tale of love, greed, and mystery. Could a young girl do what she is accused of? Probably the most demanding and intriguing question is how far can and should go to defend their client? Josie goes to the ultimate limit for Hannah. Could her mental problems play a role in this mystery or is someone else pulling the strings? I feasted on this courtroom drama, hungrily anticipating each new revelation around every twist or turn. Perusing the other Goodreads reviews, I see that the jury on this book is hung. I put my weight on the positive side and only by reading this book yourself can determine your stand.
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