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Death Row
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Plot Summary of Death Row
"

Ballantine, Jul 2003, 25.95, 320 pp.
ISBN: 0345441745

Seven years ago Tulsa attorney Ben Kincaid failed to obtain a not guilty verdict for his client, food chemist Ray Goldman. Now the convicted killer of multiple murders, in which he killed eight members of the Faulkner family removing their eyes, faces execution by lethal injection unless Ben can get a stay with with last appeal.

Shockingly, Erin Faulkner, the only eye witness survivor whose testimony condemned Ray, tells Ben she made an error as she had doubts, but folded under immense pressure from the ADA to attain a conviction. Before Ben can use this new information, Erin is found dead, an apparent suicide. When a second person is killed who was coming to Ben with information, the lawyer tries to get more time but fails in a system in which justice is so blind that it appears that an innocent man will die.

Though surprisingly Ben has little to do with solving the case, fans will enjoy this death row legal thriller. The angst-laden story line works at its best when the pressure on Ben becomes unbearable especially when the hero desperately pleads with the court for more time. Though the office of the DA is painted to an extreme, with its only interest in attaining convictions even in death row cases, William Bernhardt is at his marvelous best with this delightful mystery.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Death Row
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20%




Tone of story - very humorous
Time/era of story: - present (2000-2010)
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Legal Thriller Yes
Legal Plotlets - finding out whether someone is really guilty

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - a lawyer creature
Age: - 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use? - a little
Ethnicity/Race - White/American
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 20's-30's
Profession/status: - killer
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist - revenge
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - Midwest

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths? - 0 (not a murder mystery)
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
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The Jump by Martina Cole


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William Bernhardt Resident Scholar Profiles

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