A Case of Redemption mini review because I was too irritated to keep reading

A case of Redemption Book Review

Because all it seems to care about in the lone female character (the dead wife doesn’t count) is how attractive she is. Hear me out:

I’ve been wanting a legal thriller — and since I haven’t felt like this in a while, I thought I’d try A case of redemption:

Dan Sorenson was once a high-powered New York defense attorney . . . but that was before a horrifying accident killed the two most important people in his life. As he approaches rock bottom, Dan is unexpectedly offered the opportunity of a lifetime: defend an up-and-coming rapper who swears he’s innocent of the brutal slaying of his pop star girlfriend. Dan realizes that this may be his only hope to put his own life back on track, but as he delves deeper into the case, he learns that atonement comes at a very steep price.

A powerful and riveting new voice in fiction, Adam Mitzner pulls out all the stops in his follow-up to the highly acclaimed A Conflict of Interest a gritty, sophisticated thriller that will draw fans of Scott Turow and John Grisham into a world of relentless suspense.

I thought it had an interesting premise, and Dan Sorenson seemed like he was undergoing a redemption arc, so I was all on board. 

And then, well, I started: now, going in, the author makes it crystal clear that Dan is still grieving and descending into alcoholism, if he’s not already there. Flashbacks specifically to his family are filled with longing and regret and it paints a picture of a man who has nothing left.

Into his life walks Nina, a new lawyer herself, with a case, and suddenly, Dan will remember his wife, and then start noting how attractive Nina is. Or how her smile lights up a room and how he smiles more with her.

I wouldn’t actually have minded this if I hadn’t just been introduced to Dan and his all consuming grief, before Nina walks in and suddenly he’s realising how attractive she is and that when she asks, he won’t pour himself a drink.

It seems like this book pretty much encapsulates pacing gone wrong?

If the Nina angle had been introduced in the middle of the book, or rather Dan’s interest in her, then I’d probably still be reading this book, but no. Right in the beginning while the author is establishing Dan’s character and his grief and regret for his family that was recently killed — THAT is when it starts.

I keep thinking of this #LoveOzLit quote from Gary Kemble and how accurately it reflects this book and Nina and how often readers are told, from Dan’s POV, how pretty she is. It seems like there’s not much to her but to be the love interest for Dan and to be the catalyst that brings him this case.

To be fair, I also wondered if I was over-thinking this. I was listening to this as an audio book so maybe the act of hearing elevated the incessant reminders of her attractiveness?

Do you react to things different if you hear or read them? Would something like the incessant reminders of the beautiful female character annoy you? Or… am I over-thinking this?

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5 Comments

  • Kelly says:

    I don’t listen to audiobooks generally, mainly because I like to read at my own pace. But this sounds all sorts of odd. It’s all a bit, oh I miss my late wife, she was the love of my life, my heart aches and oh look, there’s a hot looking woman I SHALL FIND LOVE AGAIN. The end. I know everyone grieves differently, even fictionally, but my goodness Dan sounds as though he needs a swift kick to the balls. It sounds awfully like a YA contemporary romance, where the author feels the need to create four entire paragraphs every chapter just to remind us how beautiful the love interest in. If I had a dollar for every time I’d read about a male love interest and his ‘sooty long lashes sweeping his cheeks’, I’d have a shitload of cash.

    Brilliant review Verushka, and sorry this one didn’t work for you. Hopefully your next read knocks your socks off <3

  • Lola says:

    That seems a bit of a sudden switch from totally grieving and then falling in love with another women. It does seem that with different pacing it would’ve worked better. With him not grieving as much anymore at the start or his interest in her beginning later.

    I haven’t tried listening to audiobooks yet, not sure why, but I think I prefer reading. I listened to a few samples and most of the times it just feels off listening to it instead of reading. But maybe I’ll give audiobooks a try once.

    I am sorry this one didn’t work for you! I hope your next read is a better one!

  • Let's Get Beyond Tolerance says:

    No, repetition in general can get annoying, but especially when it’s about how hot or beautiful somebody is and hearing it after knowing how in grief the MC was? Wouldn’t work for me I don’t think!

  • AngelErin says:

    I’m not really an audiobook person, so I can’t really say anything there. However, the switch over in the character does sound sudden and annoying. I don’t think I could have continued either. I think you’re on to something about the pacing. I have read a few books that could have been a lot better if the pacing and timing in the plot would have been better. Sorry you had to DNF this one!

  • Lily B says:

    not an audiobook person myself, I tried it but gah.. It ends up being background noise. It’s a bit weird that the character took such a 380 turn tho…

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