Reviewed By: Jeff Kreider - RAM
Open and Shut
Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
David Rosenfelt
Class/Genre: Mystery Legal Setting
Series: Andy Carpenter # 1
The first from David Rosenfelt, OPEN AND SHUT, was a delightful read.
Very witty. You'd think you wouldn't "enjoy" a book were our hero, a
slippery defense lawyer, is straining to deal with a marriage that
isn't working, suffers the death of his father and then is walked all
over by client he takes on, pro-bono, for friend (who then disappears).
But Andy Carpenter, though not immune to the situations, takes it in
stride with grace and humor. I couldn't help but carry smile on my
face as I read it. The crux of the story is about a case his father
asks him to look into. The case is one that he (his father) had
prosecuted a number of years earlier. Due to a technicality, the case
is being retried. For the prosecution, it's the quintessential "open
and shut" case. Before Andy can get his sleeves rolled up, he and his
father attend a ball game where his father passes away. From there on
it is one surprise after another all the way to the end. A great
debut novel.
This was also written in present tense. Since I just finished reading the first book where I'd ever seen this technique, I wondered if there wasn't something going around in literary circles about which I hadn't been informed. Two different writers, both first novels, both written in present tense -- is it a conspiracy? Is it contagious? In this case, though, I'm not sure if it was a necessary tool. Certainly, it aids in suspense, but this isn't a suspense novel. It is a mystery. Though the technique does no harm, I didn't see what it added. Nevertheless, present or past tense, I find/found it is/was a great read.
Jeff Kreider - RAM
Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Jeff Kreider - RAM
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