Dark Justice

by William Bernhardt

Book Overview

Suffering from courtroom burnout, attorney Ben Kincaid heads to the picturesque Pacific Northwest for some much-needed R and R. But Ben's blissful getaway becomes a busman's holiday in the small town of Magic Valley, where a pitched battle between the local logging industry and crusading conservationists has led to brutal murder. Years earlier, professional activist George Zakin was successfully defended against a charge of murder by a fledgling attorney...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345434765
• ISBN13: 9780345434760
• Release Date: December 1999
• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Length: 448 Pages
• Weight: 0.51 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 4.2" x 7.1"

Customer Reviews

Interesting and entertaining thriller that teaches!

This was my first introduction to Mr. Bernhardt's books, so I can't claim that any before were better than this one. He does a good job introducing the ongoing conflict between environmentalists and those whose livelihoods would be affected by sanctions. As is usual, both sides act out of emotion, and refuse to see the other side's point of view. This is a constant theme yet it rarely ends in murder. Accidents yes, but outright murder, no. It obviously would be all to easy for another group to take advantage of this situation and use it to their own advantage. Bernhardt does a good job of writing about the people involved, though characterization takes a back seat to the plot in this case. Maybe he has set up the characters in previous books which I need to go back and read, and believe me I will! Karen Sadler, Science Education, University of Pittsburgh, klsst23@pitt.edu

For lovers of courtroom drama and intrigue

Vividly described charcters, great courtroom drama sequences, clerverly woven plot which does not permit you to predict the outcome until the very end. A great book - and - even without sex.

"Dark Justice" Shines Through

"Dark Justice", the 8th installment in the Ben Kincaid series, proves to be possibly the best offering from William Bernhardt.I've always felt that Will Bernhardt is probably one of the most underrated authors in the legal genre. Nonetheless, his latest book is a thoroughly entertaining read. I've followed his work since the first "Primary Justice" several years back, and I've watched progressively how each book is better than the previous one."Dark Justice" is a very timeless book; it presents a very controversial topic that is heavily debated today. I was also surprised to know that all of the events in the book (most of which have been spoiled to you by the reviews above) have all occurred in the last 15 years.Bernhardt's exhaustive research and true mastery of the genre proves an asset.

beautiful handling of a touchy subject

We have lived in a small northern mn town for nine years where the primary employer is the lumber co. The fine line an author who tries to present both the logging interests views and that of the envitonmentalists is a touchy subject at best. Also woven with an excellent mystery story of characters that one can identify with, made this a book, I found hard to put down until I was through. I eagerly await his next.

Non-stop environmental legal thriller starring Kincaid

Tulsa trial lawyer, Ben Kincaid, is tired and in need of a vacation after a series of tough courtroom battles. He decides to rest in Magic Valley while doing a book signing of his first novel. Though no one shows up for the signing, Ben begins to relax. That state changes and all hell breaks loose when a lumberjack is murdered. The accused, George Zakin, pleads with Ben to defend him. Six years ago, Ben got George acquitted from a charge of homicide and expects the much wiser attorney to repeat the outcome. Ben begins to inquire into other possible suspects, including Bigfoot. The prosecutor is the merciless but sexy Granny Adams, who always obtains a conviction. As Ben digs deeper into the investigation, he finds himself in danger from both the tree-huggers and the tree-cutters. DARK JUSTICE, the ninth Ben Kincaid legal thriller, is an exciting tale that provides insight into the protagonist's past as well as placing him in a new venue. The story line is filled with action though the courtroom antics seem ordinary for a Kincaid novel. The complex logging environmental issue of the Pacific Northwest disappointingly retrogrades into a violent thriller without much insight into the controversy. Still, William Bernhardt demonstrates his immense talent by keeping the story line filled with non-stop action that will please fans of Kincaid.Harriet Klausner