Lee Child: A Wanted Man: A Jack Reacher Novel
This book starts out at a leisurely pace and races to an action-packed finish..Read my review (****)
Patrick Robinson: Power Play (Mack Bedford)
This book has a unique premise but takes too long to provide action.Read my review (***)
Daniel H. Wilson: Amped: A Novel
An entertaining second book that lacks the punch of the author's previous work.Read my review (***)
Ridley Pearson: The Risk Agent
Engaging characters, intense action, cultural oddities, and thought-provoking story provide a winning formula.Read my review (***)
Allison Leotta: Discretion: A Novel
The author's second novel gives an insider's look to some of the seamier sides of Washington. Entertaining.Read my review (***)
Robert Crais: Taken
Crais is at the top of his game. Riveting. Read my review
(*****)
Stephen Hunter: Soft Target: A Thriller
Not this writer's best effort -- but still worth the ride.Read my review (***)
Lee Child: The Affair: A Reacher Novel (Jack Reacher)
This is the Jack Reacher readers like: smart, tough, unrelenting. Read it and enjoy.Read my review (****)
Jason Starr: The Pack
A refreshing new approach to this genre -- well worth reading.Read my review (***)
Michael Crichton: Micro: A Novel
Interesting -- but not all that engaging -- novel about what happens when you're tiny in a big world.Read my review (***)
Ben Coes: Power Down
A wonderfully entertaining first novel by this talented writer.Read my review (****)
Guillermo Del Toro: The Night Eternal
The third book in a trilogy that pulls you in and leaves you reading long into the night.Read my review (****)
James Lee Burke: Feast Day of Fools: A Novel
Vivid characters, top-notch writing, and a compelling story make for excellent reading entertainment. Even makes a New Englander long for Texas.Read my review (*****)
Colson Whitehead: Zone One: A Novel
Eloquently written novel with unique twists that propel the action.Read my review (***)
S. J. Watson: Before I Go to Sleep: A Novel
Enjoyable -- especially for Momento fans. Great sense of tension as the story progressed.Read my review (***)
George Pelecanos: The Cut (Spero Lucas)
A young tough guy with lots of flaws trying his best to do the right thing. Well worth a look. Superb writing.Read my review (****)
Joshua Foer: Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything
A highly entertaining and thought provoking book about memory and what you can do to improve yours.Read my review (****)
David Ellis: Breach of Trust
An entertaining read -- how much is taken from real-life trial experiences?. Read my review (***)
Paul Doiron: The Poacher's Son (Mike Bowditch Mysteries)
A compelling read -- memorable and moving. Read my review (****)
Michael Connelly: The Reversal
Entertaining but plot issues don't make it as engaging as the previous Mickey Haller novels. Read my review (***)
Randy Wayne White: Night Vision (Doc Ford)
Not much new in this latest Doc Ford edition. Read my review (***)
Robert Crais: The Sentry (Joe Pike)
Top-notch. By far the best in the Joe Pike series! Read my review (****)
Vince Flynn: American Assassin: A Thriller
Read all about how Mitch Ripp started.Read my review (***)
David Morrell & Hank Wagner: Thrillers: 100 Must-Reads
A great way to expose yourself to great books and authors you may not currently follow.Read my review (***)
David Bach: Debt Free For Life: The Finish Rich Plan for Financial Freedom
Stuffed full of useful, direct, sound advice on getting out of debt and staying there.Read my review (****)
Dennis Lehane: Moonlight Mile
A good book -- especially if you've read the earlier series. If new to Lehane, follow the recommendation at the end of the review.Read my review (***)
Lori Armstrong: Mercy Kill: A Mystery (Mercy Gunderson)
A worth follow-up in the Mercy Gunderson series. Read my review (***)
Timothy Ferriss: The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman
A book with some real value if you can cut through the gimmicks and hype. Read my review (***)
Stephen Hunter: Dead Zero: A Bob Lee Swagger Novel (Bob Lee Swagger Novels)
Bob Lee Swagger is showing his age -- but he's still no one to mess with. Read my review (***)
Tom Clancy: Dead or Alive
Clancy's back -- and he's as good as ever. Read my review (****)
Robert Crais: The First Rule (Joe Pike Novels)
A strong beginning but Pike needs to be a more well-rounded character to be compelling. Read my review
(***)
Joe Hill: Horns: A Novel
A great start that doesn't carry through to the end. Read my review
(***)
Lee Child: Worth Dying For
Worth waiting for -- and reading. Read my review (****)
Robert B. Parker: Painted Ladies (Spenser Mysteries, No. 39)
For Parker fans, one of his most entertaining. Read my review (****)
Tom Franklin: Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter: A Novel
A beautifully written book that will leave you thinking about the characters for a long time. Read my review (*****)
Reza Kahlili: A Time to Betray: The Astonishing Double Life of a CIA Agent Inside the Revolutionary Guards of Iran
Learn the mindset of an Iranian Revolutionary Guard and better understand this explosive region of the world. Read my review (***)
Nelson DeMille: The Lion
Highly entertaining -- will keep you on reading way into the night. Read my review (****)
James Hayman: The Chill of Night (Det. Michael Mccabe Mysteries)
This is the second book from this new Maine author. Highly entertaining.Read my review (***)
Sebastian Junger: WAR
Another excellent book that brings war down to a personal perspective.Read my review (****)
Robert G. Fuller Jr: Unnatural Deaths
Surprisingly entertaining.Read my review (***)
Michael Norman: Tears in the Darkness: The Story of the Bataan Death March and Its Aftermath
A haunting, gut-wrenching book that you'll never forget. Highly recommended.Read my review (*****)
Scott Turow: Innocent
A worthy sequel -- especially for those old enough to remember the original.Read my review (****)
Stephen Hunter: I, Sniper: A Bob Lee Swagger Novel (Bob Lee Swagger Novels)
A fun -- though highly implausible -- summer read. Pure escapism.Read my review (***)
Tim Green: False Convictions
An enjoyable early summer read.Read my review (***)
George Carlin: Last Words: A Memoir
If you want to know more about George Carlin than his seven-dirty-words routine, buy it.Read my review (****)
Larry Bird: When the Game Was Ours
It has some interesting tidbits -- but these guys are too far removed from their glory days.Read my review (**)
Lori Armstrong: No Mercy: A Mystery
Female, army sniper, investigator, South Dakota -- what's not to like? Read my review (***)
Seth Grahame-Smith: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Admit it -- you thought he just might be a vampire hunter. Read my review (***)
Jackie Warner: This Is Why You're Fat (And How to Get Thin Forever): Eat More, Cheat More, Lose More--and Keep the Weight Off
This book makes some pretty astounding claims but backs them up with solid advice. Read my review (****)
Jessica Bram: Happily Ever After Divorce: Notes of a Joyful Journey
The perfect book for any woman going through a divorce and looking for confirmation that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Read my review (****)
Interesting comments and articles.
While David G. definately has a point, and his view cannot be discounted, and while I also agree that we will not see a shift away from the billable hour soon, the billable hour is uniquely tyrannical in that it can be used to creat an artificial standard for lawyers. And this applies not just to young lawyers, but older ones as well. Destroying the billable hour, if that could be done, may help liberate the practice to be a profession, as it once was.
Posted by: Yeoman | January 18, 2020 at 11:21 PM
Yeoman, the only way I can see for the legal profession to abandon the billable hour is if there is a huge outcry from clients that it should go. Quite frankly, I don't see that happening.
The other option would be to pay for legal expenses through insurance the way that doctors are paid — but I don't see that coming any time soon either.
There are many good reasons to abandon the practice: it's just that none of them are major enough to change the status quo.
Al
Posted by: Al Nye | January 19, 2020 at 10:06 AM
I agree. I can't see the clients or the insurance carriers doing that.
In part it's because there's alway the hope that the litigation will end early. I guess at one time it was common for lawyers just to quote a case. That is, they'd estimate the cost of covering it and quote that amount. The billable hour was actually regarded as a reform to that, as if a case was quoted high, and settled, it seemed unfair. I can't see us returning to that.
The local federal court here has a different spin on it. They don't think the billable hour is the problem, but lawyers handling too many cases. They set really short schedules to try to force lawyer to handle fewer cases, as your so busy trying to get the one handled.
I have to admit there's some logic to that. If more lawyers handled fewer cases, I think the cases would be handled better, and lawyer's lives would be less brutal, but then they may have added incentive to churn files.
Anyhow, I can't see any reform coming soon.
Posted by: Yeoman | January 19, 2020 at 11:12 AM