by Andrea Renee
Cox
Note: I normally don't post negative reviews on my blog, because I would rather share with you about books I enjoyed and think you might also like. However, when I signed up to review this one, I agreed to post my review on my blog, whether or not I enjoyed it. Please consider this review my personal thoughts and concerns about this book. Feel free to read the book and decide for yourself.
When I saw the
endorsement on the front cover of this book, I knew I wanted to read it. How
could I not when it’s touted to “rival a John Grisham novel”?
I wish I had a
bunch of positive things to say about this book, but I cannot pretend I enjoyed
it. This is an extremely difficult review to write, because I dislike being
negative about any author’s hard work. I know how many hours and emotions and
commitment go into writing a novel, and I appreciate the passion and effort and
time that go into every book I read, even those that weren’t a good fit for my
reading taste.
Warning: There are
plot spoilers ahead.
Not two chapters
in, I was disappointed by the predictability of this story. That trend
continued throughout, only truly surprising me twice in over 300 pages. The
plot, which had great potential, seemed simplistic with not much suspense or
action driving it.
The
inconsistencies in three of the four POV characters made them difficult to root
for. I wasn’t sure if Kate was a rookie lawyer or seasoned. She seemed to have
earned a respectable and accomplished reputation, yet she was so naïve,
unpracticed, and emotional that it seemed like this was her first case. She also
claimed to have depression, but there were no signs in her thoughts or actions
to prove it. Ethan claimed to be leveraging his friendship with Kate to win the
case, but he waffled on remaining her friend or using her throughout the entire
book. Landon claimed to be most concerned about Kate’s safety, but he was quick
to relent on his normal security protocols when she asked him to. That behavior
made me question whether or not he was actually an Army Ranger in his past.
Those guys have to be decisive and in control, but the Landon I got to know
throughout the story was weak and confused and not able to stand up to his
client to do what was in her best interest where her safety was concerned.
Nicole was the
strongest of the four POV characters, and I don’t have much complaint about her,
except that she was barely given any page time for how strong a character she
was. Were she the lead, I would have enjoyed this story much better, because
she was a gal I could get behind and cheer for. She had strength and a great
moral code, yet still had doubts about her abilities that she fought to
overcome. Nicole was my favorite part of this book and the only completely
positive aspect of it for me.
Since this book
has been compared to John Grisham’s, his were what I weighed it against. This story
fell flat for me, after having read over a dozen of Grisham’s. Deadly Proof was predictable and had
major inconsistencies. About half of the book was repeated information. For
example, Landon had a conversation about security with Cooper, then in the very
next scene, Landon conveyed the same information (nearly word for word) to
Kate. This type of thing happened over and over again. Another thing that
really bothered me was how slow the legal side of the story was. Eighty percent
was focused on the discovery phase and the junk documents that were handed
over. There were inconsistencies on who the client was. Most of the time, it
was a class-action suit. On several occasions, though, Kate suddenly began
talking about how her client was a single woman rather than the earlier stated
masses. I understand they were beginning the bellwether trials with only one
case in order to see if they could further pursue a class-action suit, but even
after that was decided, Kate talked about her clients being both the entire
group affected by the medication and the widow whose case was up first.
Shouldn’t she know which client or clients she was fighting for?
Why didn’t Kate
ever include any of the other lawyers on the committee for which she wanted to
be named lead counselor? I didn’t understand why this committee was even
necessary if Kate never intended to be a team player. That made her seem
hypocritical, by the way, considering she demanded all her associates to be
team players when she, in fact, was not one herself. What happened to the
trial? There never was one. I still don’t understand that, after having
finished the book. Also, why was the bad guy willing to kill in the early
chapters, then chose to use petty harassment throughout the rest of the book?
It seemed like two different MOs to me, which made it appear like there were
two different “enforcers,” which I knew from the beginning was incorrect due to
the predictability I already mentioned. It turned out to merely be another
inconsistency.
Due to all of the
above, plus more, this book was hard for me to invest my emotions or time into.
When compared to a Grisham novel, this book was significantly less complex and
the characters drastically less developed. The overall presentation was
belittling to the reader. An example is that several times supposedly
intelligent characters asked really dumb questions simply to allow the lead to
explain legal terms that anyone who had been on a jury, read a Grisham novel, or
seen an episode of Law and Order
would already know. Other times, legal terminology was used ad nauseam, which
only served to make me feel talked down to rather than invited into the story.
Why should I, the reader, be held at arm’s length or even looked down upon
simply because I haven’t gone to law school? I’ve read enough legal thrillers and
seen enough courtroom dramas to know what litigation,
discovery, and bellwether trials are.
Even the faith
thread was weak to me. It seemed to only be drawn upon when characters were
desperate, yet the characters were then able to solve their own problems
without relying on God. I really struggled to understand how the faith was
intertwined with the core of who the characters were or the problems they
faced.
As you can
imagine, this book was a complete miss for me. I won’t be continuing the
series, and I’m not eager to attempt another Dylan book. I think I’ll reread a
few of my favorites of John Grisham’s instead.
That being said, I
am more disappointed than anything about this book. It had an interesting back
cover copy, an intriguing cover, and great endorsements. I was really looking
forward to it and was hopeful about finding a new favorite legal suspense
writer to follow. I’m always on the lookout for good quality books in that
genre, because it is one I’ve enjoyed and been fascinated with since I was
about twelve years old. That’s why I wanted to give this one a try. I had no
idea that I would come away from it feeling like I’d wasted my time. I guess
I’m back on the hunt for more quality legal thrillers.
About Deadly Proof:
Riveting new series offers legal suspense with a romantic twist
In the biggest case of her career, attorney Kate Sullivan is tapped as lead counsel to take on Mason Pharmaceutical because of a corporate cover-up related to its newest drug. After a whistleblower dies, Kate knows the stakes are much higher than her other lawsuits.
Former Army Ranger turned private investigator Landon James is still haunted by mistakes made while serving overseas. Trying to forget the past, he is hired by Kate to look into the whistleblower's allegation and soon suspects that the company may be engaging in a dangerous game for profit. He also soon finds himself falling for this passionate and earnest young lawyer.
Determined not to make the same mistakes, he's intent on keeping Kate safe, but as the case deepens, it appears someone is willing to risk everything-even murder-to keep the case from going to trial.
About Rachel Dylan:
 |
| Rachel Dylan |
Rachel Dylan writes Christian fiction including legal romantic suspense. Rachel has practiced law for over a decade and enjoys weaving together legal and suspenseful stories. In addition, Rachel writes the Danger in the Deep South including "Lethal Action" and "Devoted Defender," which appeals to fans of edge of your seat romantic suspense. Rachel also writes the Windy Ridge series including "Trial & Tribulations" and "Fatal Accusation." These legal thrillers with elements of spiritual warfare are great for fans who enjoy books by Peretti or Dekker. "Trial & Tribulations" was a Selah finalist in 2016. Rachel lives in Michigan with her husband and five furkids-two dogs and three cats. Rachel loves to connect with readers.
Find out more about Rachel at http://www.racheldylan.com.
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