Death's Witness: A Novel
Death's Witness: A Novel book cover

Death's Witness: A Novel

Hardcover – January 1, 2006

by
Price
$8.94
Format
Hardcover
Pages
320
Publisher
Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1402206658
Dimensions
6.25 x 1.25 x 9.25 inches
Weight
1.1 pounds

Description

From Publishers Weekly The verdict on Batista's debut legal thriller: guilty of delivering not only sharp courtroom drama but steamy romantic escapism as well. Vincent Sorrentino, a crackerjack Manhattan DA (not unlike Batista, a commentator on Court TV), is leading the legal team for 14 defendants accused of bribing Congressman Daniel Fonseca, including Selig "Sy" Klein, owner of a shady trucking empire personally represented by Sorrentino's colleague and friend, Tom Perini, a former Heisman Trophy winner. Tom's murder while running in Central Park shatters his wife and toddler's world and almost lands Fonseca a mistrial. Grieving Julie Perini suffers more shocks as she learns about her husband's secret underworld association connected to the ongoing trial. Batista provides a gripping, if sometimes confusing, insider look into the seamy side of justice and the politics behind criminal shenanigans. The sweet resolution might feel too good to be true, but is still satisfying. (Oct.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. "Death's Witness is an outstanding debut novel" -- BookPage, October 1, 2006

Features & Highlights

  • When defense attorney and former Heisman Trophy-winner Tom Perini is found murdered in Central Park, his grieving wife, Julie, uncovers his connection to a secret underworld, and appeals to Tom's former partner and friend, Vincent Sorrentino, for help.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(181)
★★★★
25%
(151)
★★★
15%
(90)
★★
7%
(42)
★
23%
(139)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Did we read the same novel?

This guy makes Grisham look like literature. Plot makes no sense. Plot twists? Every time the story gets in trouble (which happens a lot) another new character is added. Did you read who reviewed this book? Cable TV cronies. Oh and do you really believe the stunning 30's blonde would fall so easily for the ineffectual lamo old guy hero? Would the mob kill the only key to their fortune? Would they walk away so easily from their cash?
10 people found this helpful
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Wonderful thriller

It's great to see a reissue of this gripping thriller. A famous lawyer who was once an even more famous pro football player is murdered in the first chapter, and his fascinating widow then embarks on the dangerous journey of finding the killers and, in the process, learns that the husband she thought she knew so well was himself a mystery. Great scenes of New York by a writer who obviously knows the city like the back of his hand, terrific love/sex scenes. a film noir atmosphere, and crackerjack court room scenes.
9 people found this helpful
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Great novel

An amazingly exciting, beautifully written novel that literally kept me turning the pages from beginning to end. Great work.
3 people found this helpful
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Profound Genius

Sometimes, as a result of age, or as a result of life, experience can provide "vignettes" worthy of note.

Woven together expertly with powerful and creative eloquence, Mr. Batista's novel successfully explores

cerebral, visceral and passionate responses of the human condition at its best and at its worst.

He applies them appropriately with rare insight to his strong characters with profound understanding.

Death's Witness affords an informative journey into the world of law... at its best and at its worst.

This reader remained absorbed in this ever so probable adventure.

Lady L
2 people found this helpful
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I couldn't put it down

so I read it (300pp) in one night. In the Grisham genre, but much faster-paced. Plot and character development are terrific, and you'll love the denouement! Great read for fans of Lee Child too.
2 people found this helpful
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Wonderful novel

An amazingly fascinating, wonderfully written thriller, with living, breathing characters and surprise after surprise. Out-Grishams Grisham.
2 people found this helpful
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Terrific Mystery

Death's Witness is a terrific book. It is a novel in the vein of my favorite mystery writers: Ross Thomas, Elmore Leonard and Patricia Cornwell. Once I began reading it I could hardly put it down.
1 people found this helpful
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Death's Witness

The book is a great read, I thoroughly enjoyed it and have given several copies for holiday gifts. I highly recomend it.
1 people found this helpful
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A gift that turned out to be a very pleasant surpirse.

This book was a gift and I read the first 4 pages with disinterest. I put it down and picked it up a few hours later and began again. . . and couldn't stop until the very end.
This story is very well written and fairly reflective of the type of characters seen in the criminal world. It had a happy ending, which isn't usual but quite satisfying although somewhat predictable considering the book as a whole. I like it when there is a turn around in consequences--and there are always consequences, even if there are no car chases or acrobatic heroics involved.

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