| Title | : | The Defendants (Thaddeus Murfee Legal Thrillers #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 266 |
| Publication | : | First published January 14, 2014 |
The Defendants (Thaddeus Murfee Legal Thrillers #2) Reviews
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As my rating shows, this book was an ok read. I took it with me everywhere I went for five days.
More editing would be helpful since when I'm reading and see a typo, it just throws me off kilter. I hope that writers make sure their novels are clean and there are no typos whatsoever. It's make all the difference in the world and shows that the writer cares about his/her product from beginning to end.
Also, some pages just droned on and on unnecessarily in my opinion. I think authors have a number of words to reach for whatever reason, the publisher's requirements? Nevertheless, it's silly and unnecessary to write a description or something on page 20 and then say the same thing on page 32. (Of course with Kindle this would be location.)
It was pretty good reading but glad I'm finished. -
Good story, horrendous editing!
I was definitely caught up in the storyline so I pushed my way through the myriad of errors that had me screaming,"where's the EDITOR?!" Mistakes in grammar, spelling and punctuation should not exist in books; however it seems that with the advent of ebooks, editing has nearly disappeared. I would recommend this story, but realize that if you get hung up on writing errors, you will be frustrated. The author even made errors in his storyline. For example, in one chapter he has the sheriff telling Ernie that he is at her house with a search warrant because of a murder and she is a suspect. A couple chapters later he again writes about that incident but Ermeline seems clueless and thinks it's all about her ex-husband. The sheriff tells her they will talk in private in the car on the way to the police station. I mean at least remember what you name a store and use that name (changes the name of the office supply store) I want to list all the mistakes I highlighted, but I'm tired of tapping out this review on my Kindle! I would give the story three stars but due to all the writing mistakes I dropped to a two. -
A new series worth following
The story line is good, a little over the top on characterization, decent intrigue and intensity. There appeared to be little editing. -
This was a freebie and I'm glad that is all I paid for it. The writing, plotting, characterization, is uneven and thus plodding..... I ended up skipping 5 chapters at a time and got the gist of the story; thus the two stars. If I had just quit completely, it would have been one star.
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I didn't enjoy this as much I have of other Ellsworth books, but it was a quick read and hit all the tropes we expect. Also, it's relatively light bedtime reading.
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Take these elements: A small town where everybody knows everybody and everything going on; a young enterprising lawyer; a poor waitress; a back from Afghanistan paralegal. Mix in: the Chicago mob; an ugly personal assault; a murder; a corrupt governor; Illinois politics as usual; the FBI and a charming widow. What have you got?
A lame mess in this case. "The girl - woman? - sat a horse very nicely. And she seemed to have a damn finge figure too, he imagined, although he'd only had a glance at the pretty, trim legs and the loose denim work shirt, which was amply filled out."
"...this was Illinois, where corrupt governors and corrupt government officials were a way of life. They're expected to be out there, plotting and stealing and covering up and even murdering. The job of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois --- the first duty at the top...---was to investigate the sitting governor and his party ties and mob ties."
We are promised "a legal thriller with courtroom drama" and some of that is delivered, but with undisciplined writing that includes the above and too many casual leaps of credulity. These include: our hero being up against not one, but two experienced trial attorneys who have never lost a case; his own sense of having to quit the profession if he loses the case; his ability to go from someone who hasn't handled a gun to expert marksman in a couple of hours; the graphic novel version of conversation between criminals; the intimidation that persuades the thug to give up the truth.
Aw man, you can do much better. But I am not going to chance reading any more of your series. -
If you’re a fan of the courtroom drama of legal thrillers, you’ll love The Defendants by lawyer turned thriller writer John Ellsworth.
Thaddeus Murfee, a rookie lawyer with 18 months of trial experience, runs a one-man firm in the little Illinois town of Orbit. When a local woman, Ermeline Ransom, claims that she has been molested by a local businessman, Victor Harrow, she asks Thad to represent her in a civil suit. But, when Harrow turns up dead, and Ermeline’s fingerprints are on the weapon, Thad finds himself having to defend her against a possible death penalty.
Despite a few typos here and there, this is legal drama at its best. Ellsworth pens the courtroom scenes with a degree of authenticity and veracity that just feels real. Moreover, he totally nails the small town scene, and the often quirky characters that inhabit small-town middle America. In addition, he shows the seamy side of big city politics and corruption.
The surprise ending will leave you gasping – no joke. -
very entertaining read, fast paced & action packed...
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I had to look up a little about the author before I started the review, because there were parts of it that, as a trial attorney, didn’t make sense to me. I didn’t know if it was because Illinois has a very different procedural system, or if the author was not an attorney and was taking some guesses. But, in reading some blurbs, I discovered that the author was a trial attorney for 30 years, which means that his courtroom scenes and his procedural choices should be accurate for Illinois....which means nothing to me in Texas, but I’m going to accept that what he wrote was correct and just go from there.
I had a little bit of trouble getting into this; the first part is told in a looping sequence, telling the initial pieces of the story from several different points of view, all starting before the event actually happened and all ending more or less at the same point. I usually prefer more linear storytelling, but that’s a preference and not a real problem with the writing.
I didn’t like the first chapters enough that I told myself that I would read until the 10% mark on my Kindle version, and if I hadn’t gotten into it by then, I would let myself stop.
Luckily, I decided to keep going through the parts that weren’t to my personal taste and keep going, into the meet of the plot. The beginning was a little disjointed and I think the ending went on too long, but the meat of the plot—the true court case—was very interesting, and definitely worth the read.
I will also throw in another point that was important to me, although I don’t know if that will matter to others. I am struggling lately in my profession, with the corruption and failures of the legal system, and trying to decide whether it’s better to try to change the system from the one side, one case at a time, or if I should leave and try to change it from the outside. In this case, Thaddeaus chose to face the corruption in the system and work both against and within it to get the outcome he was looking for. So I appreciated that very much. Thanks, Thaddeus! -
Everything a Thriller Should Be
After finishing the first book in this series (Thaddeus Murfee A Young Lawyer) I simply had to continue to read about his further exploits in the second star to the right.
Thaddeus is struggling in his new home of Orbit, IL. All the lawyers there are, because the uptick from The Great Recession has not yet hit this very small town in a very small county in Illinois.
Thaddeus, however, has made trustworthy friends. And when a well-known and liked young woman suffers a horrible injury, one of those good friends sends her to Thaddeus.
And the book is off to the races. His experience as an Assistant United States District Attorney (see book one) stands him in no better shape than any other wet behind the ears lawyer.
Thaddeus does have one secret weapon - his paralegal, Christine. She had served in the United States Army. Two tours in Iraq, one in Germany. The first two as an MP, the third and last as a paralegal - trained by her time in the JAG Corps.
Between the two of them, this is an exciting legal thriller, shaking up lives across the the state. There's even a FISA Warrant involved, which is incredibly interesting in today's political environment.
This is another unputdownable book by Mr. Ellsworth. The characters are fully shaped, without a single extra word, the narrative is taut and exciting. There nothing superfluous, but time is given for Thaddeus to have a life outside of the practice of law.
Enjoyable to the last word.
One side note: the joke herein has the incorrect punchline. "Your Honor." -
The Defendants Thad Murfee bk 2 by John Ellsworth Review
Courtroom drama, Rookie lawyer’s big break, can he do it?
Young Thaddeus Murfee is a trial lawyer with less than 18 months of courtroom experience. He is completely unprepared for the complicated murder case that he is asked to defend. While Ermeline was passed out, her date carved his name on her breasts. Later, he is found murdered. Ermeline is arrested based on circumstantial evidence because she had motive and opportunity. She hires Thaddeus, who makes his criminal lawyer debut defending his first murder case in this intense courtroom drama.
What did I like? This was an extremely fast paced, action packed, romantic, front row seat to all the messy and gory details. I was hooked on the first page and before I knew it I was done.
What are you going to like? Criminal law, courtroom thriller, political and mob ruling corruption from the top to the bottom and how they handle someone that ignores their warnings. Then out of the weirdest place, a little romance is thrown in just for a break in all the gore and corruption. This is fast paced, heart pounding, breathtaking and only split-second decisions to save Thaddeus from certain death. -
From Follett: The guilty party is found murdered. Or was he guilty? Ermeline is arrested because she had motive and opportunity. She hires Thaddeus, who makes his debut defending his first murder case in this courtroom drama. Ilene is a beautiful widow who loves horses. Ilene is introduced to Thaddeus one Saturday morning as he is caring for his own horse. She invites him to Christmas dinner. Soon Thaddeus finds himself in great need of her care and she rushes in to help. Will her love be enough to pull him through this courtroom thriller? Paralegal Christine Susmann, home from the war in Iraq, uses her military training to help Thaddeus put together the defense. Together they discover the dark forces behind the case and Christine teaches him how to arm himself and how to shoot--a skill he will need. The suspense mounts while alibis fall away and the killer's plot is discovered. In The Defendants, John Ellsworth offers you a courtroom thriller that puts you right on the front row to witness how murder cases are defended. See the politics behind all criminal cases, and how love can grow out of the strangest beginnings anyone could imagine. In the end, Thaddeus is given a split second to save his own life. His reaction is amazing!
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David vs Goliath, can a lowly waitress prevail against the Governor and the Mob?
Small town waitress, Ermaline Ransom, goes to Victor Harris's temporary office in a purple bus for a drink. While there mobster, Johnny Bladanni, shoes up and drugs her and Victor then carves VIC on one breast and TOR on the other one. All to get Victor to pay his bribe money for the last six months, $100,000! When Victor could only come up with $25,000, Johnny goes back to the Governor with it and is told to get Victor's tax and bank records to see if there was anything with any equity. When the Governor discovers that Victor has liens on everything he owns, he tells Johnny to make an example of him. The Governor also tells him to set Ermaline up to take the fall. Johnny gets in touch with Ermaline's ex-husband, Hector, to help with the job by planting the murder weapons in her home. He links Ermaline to the murder by carving ERM on Victor's forehead. Can Thaddeus Murfee, her young and inexperienced lawyer help to set her free? Many good friends help him along the way but it takes one big mouth to accomplish the seemingly impossible!
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From Follett: The guilty party is found murdered. Or was he guilty? Ermeline is arrested because she had motive and opportunity. She hires Thaddeus, who makes his debut defending his first murder case in this courtroom drama. Ilene is a beautiful widow who loves horses. Ilene is introduced to Thaddeus one Saturday morning as he is caring for his own horse. She invites him to Christmas dinner. Soon Thaddeus finds himself in great need of her care and she rushes in to help. Will her love be enough to pull him through this courtroom thriller? Paralegal Christine Susmann, home from the war in Iraq, uses her military training to help Thaddeus put together the defense. Together they discover the dark forces behind the case and Christine teaches him how to arm himself and how to shoot--a skill he will need. The suspense mounts while alibis fall away and the killer's plot is discovered. In The Defendants, John Ellsworth offers you a courtroom thriller that puts you right on the front row to witness how murder cases are defended. See the politics behind all criminal cases, and how love can grow out of the strangest beginnings anyone could imagine. In the end, Thaddeus is given a split second to save his own life. His reaction is amazing!
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Ellsworth writes a good story keeping me interested with all sorts of characters and some mob interaction. Most of the story takes place in Orbit Illinois where they must be dumb. Thaddeus and everyone else knows she didn’t do it but no one investigates ? Come on, how dumb? Where is the PI?
What a lawyer, didn’t even inventory her belongings, belongs in a zoo. Then Ellsworth lies through his teeth instead of making the story true to real life. Can’t he use google to give him some good information? Novels closer to reality are better received, look at Clancy! Weeks have gone by and now we go back to the mob and Johnny’s mess up, with the bangman telling him to get it done, it doesn’t line up???? He could have taken the “Blade” out earlier and it would have held together, seems he wanted a dramatic ending. All this criticism and I still liked the story.5 -
Thaddeus is a young attorney, eighteen months out of law school, practicing in small town southern Illinois. He has been hired to defend a local, a young single mother who has been charged with the murder of another local, a contractor with a shady background. She had, at his invitation, followed him back to his trailer office following her night shift as a cocktail waitress. The investigation and its consequences were surprisingly well written however I had some problems with logistics. The book, published in 2014, stated she was being tried with a potential death penalty which didn’t make sense (but did make good reading) since Illinois abolished the death penalty in 2011. Still it was easy and sometimes amusing reading. Thanks to the author and publisher for an e-galley for an honest review.
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Really I would rate it a 3 1/2 but since I can’t do half stars I do always round up. Figure anyone who can write a book gets extra points from me.
My book says “ Book 2” of the Thaddeus Murfee series but I think it reads like the first book. I find the first books of a series are always finding their way so I do have great hopes for the next book. Actually just looked at the list of books in the series and “Thaddeus Murfee” is listed first.
The biggest issue I had with this book was that it started out so slow. I didn’t like the way it kept going back from the point where the book started. Like it would say “a few days before....”. Once all the “back” stories caught up with real time, it finally took off.
I am ready to start Book 3 of the series. I do know they do get better because I started out with a book I picked up at Half Price Books-Book 5 and had it read within a day. -
The Defendants
Thaddeus Murfee, although not well known as a lawyer, takes a chance on defending Ermeline Randsom in the case of the murder of Victor Harrow. After she was defiled by Victor Harrow in his office/business after being drugged. All she wanted to do was sue Victor Harrow for damages. However, it would go well beyond that, it would go all the way to being a pasty for the mob and the Attorney General. What a great story. I loved it. It was very well written and has great characters. I can't wait to read the prequel. Five stars from me. -
I'm a Fan of All of John Ellsworth's Characters !
I just reread the first Thaddeus Murder Book, and noticed that I evidently hadn't reviewed it the First time. That's not my usual modus operandi, but, it sometimes happens when I'm anxious to get to the Next book in a Series. I have read All the Michael Gresham series, and All the Thaddeus Murfree so far. To say I enjoy John Ellsworth's Work would be a massive Understatement. He stands with Grishom, and his peers in Legal Fiction, and I strongly recommend All of Mr Ellsworth's books. -
Wow!! The Defendants by John Ellsworth was exhilarating, nail-biting, and very dramatic.
Thaddeus Murfee is becoming one of my favorite Defense attorney’s, I’ve met.
Charged for a murder she was set up to take the fall for, Ermeline Ransom was left with little hope and a tattoo that would forever mark her permanently.
Attorney Murfee Ransom needs a miracle to get her off.
Can he find the needle in the haystack to save her or will this trial end his career before it even gets started.
Phenomenal legal thriller with an astonishing ending! -
"Wow! When The Mob Controls Government"
This is a fast-paced courtroom drama featuring the young trial lawyer Thaddeus Murfee. He's only had 18 months of courtroom experience and is not totally prepared to take on a complicated murder case which is also pressured by a mob boss. One mob bad man in this captivating story is named Bang Bang Moltinari. This legal thriller has an exciting climax. The story is intense and mind blowing. You'll not want to put it down for long! Highly recommend. -
First time reading this author, and I really like his style of writing, The Main Character Thaddeus Murfee is very interesting and complex and the author ( John Ellsworth ) really goes into the details of being a small town lawyer. The details about a small town in Illinois and the city of Chicago show a realistic contrast. Also the problems the State of Illinois has with the mob and political influence is well written and very authentic . I enjoyed this story so much , I am starting to read the 2and legal thriller about Thaddeus Murfee.
