(5) = Best; (4) = Better; (3) = Good; (2) = Fair; (1) = OK
These abstracts serve as reminders to myself; they serve to "jog" my memory on what a book was all about. That's all. This is not a literary critique, not a social commentary, and certainly nothing profound to warrant further discussion.
(5) = means that I really enjoyed this book; (1) = means I finished reading it but wonder if my time could have been better spent elsewhere.
The book is about these super patriots with high ideals who feel that our government is plagued with corrupt officials and they are determined to eliminate the scoundrels; they assassinate three congressmen efficiently without leaving a clue other than a warning that the congress should clean up their act. The President is surrounded by an arrogant Chief of Staff and an evil National Security Adviser who play a major role in this adventure.
Michael O’Rourke, a freshman congressman, with high ideals thinks he knows who the assassins are but is reluctant to say anything without corroborating facts. He confides in Liz Scarlatti who is a journalist; she agrees not to share his suspicions in the press. The assassins avoid killing “civilians” so police, secret service men and those assigned to protecting politicians are not harmed when a senator or congressman is killed.
O’Rourke confirms his suspicions and is reluctant to do anything about them as these were former friends in the military. He shares the same ideals as the assassins so you will have to read the book to find out what happens! (4)
This is a sad story of what happened to a “young man” whose aspirations to become a baseball star had fallen. He was spoiled by his family whose imprint in the early years told him he can do no wrong; this is reinforced by adoring coaches, townspeople, peers and almost everyone whom he grew up with. He was going to be the next Mickey Mantle, he can do no wrong, the world owes him his superstardom; he decides not to go to college; he is recruited into the Minor Leagues;
What follows is a series of disappointments. He never makes Major League; he is shifted around from one team to another, one city to another. He cannot admit failure after all he’s the town baseball star. He tells his friends he is just waiting for a Big League Scout to Call him during the Off Season. He manages to survive selling cars and what not. He deteriorates psychologically, begins drinking a lot, becomes violent; his wife leaves him, he loses touch with reality.
Meanwhile, a murder occurs in town and law enforcement officials are sloppy, lazy and careless in sifting through the evidence. The real murderer lies and claims that our baseball star was seen arguing with the murdered woman in the tavern the night she was killed, even though no one in the tavern saw the baseball star that night. No one can miss his presence when the baseball star was around as he was usually boisterous and loud. The simple lie turned into a nightmare for our ex-athlete. His life is ruined.
Grisham concludes that the arrogance of the Prosecuting Attorney, the carelessness of the investigation and the unwillingness of law enforcement authorities to recognize and admit their mistakes had all contributed to the destruction of the young man.
Later DNA evidence proved that our baseball star was innocent, but even in the face of this evidence the Prosecuting Attorney challenges the validity of the DNA tests and demands another test of hair fibers found at the crime scene. He is shocked when the laboratory tests he demanded corroborated the first test. There simply was no DNA match. But he never apologizes, never admits a mistake.
This is a true story and Grisham deserves credit for telling this story on what can happen to an innocent person when law enforcement authorities and the Judicial System are sick and unwilling to face facts.
Powered by WordPress