Overall, what did you think of Her Kind of Case? (no plot spoilers in this thread please)
1 2
Created: 05/16/19
Replies: 36
Join Date: 10/15/10
Posts: 3442
Join Date: 04/21/11
Posts: 264
I liked the book mostly because of the protagonist, Lee Isaacs. There is probably generational appeal since I recognize some of her insecurities prompted by her impending 60th birthday and fear that her formidable skills as an attorney and a Tae Kwon Do master could be diminishing. I also enjoyed the overall plot and could see Jeanne Winer's real-life expertise as an attorney. But I felt some of the book's energy starting to wane about two-thirds of the way and really had to push to finish. That said, it looks like this might be a series and I would definitely read #2.
Join Date: 08/13/13
Posts: 20
Interesting book. Liked the development of Lee's character and admired the way she tried to help Jeremy. I'm a fan of legal novels and feel Winer gave more insight into the actual nuts and bolts of a case than many other books.
Join Date: 05/16/11
Posts: 35
This was a really good read. What I liked best was the "inside baseball" of how trials really work. I liked a main character of "a certain age." The author did a good job creating Lee, she was believable and smart and insecure. Jeremy a good character but he did get tiresome occasionally. He seemed awfully mature for his age. Was hard to put this book down, always a good sign.
Join Date: 07/15/14
Posts: 28
I am fully enjoying this book. I always enjoy a good procedural mystery but this book has a lot of heart. I find the characters fully developed. I can sympathize not only with the defendant but also with Lee. The protagonist, Lee, has created a very structured and interesting life in response to grief.
Join Date: 02/07/18
Posts: 49
I loved Her Kind of Case and hope that we will be seeing so much more of Lee in future books. Her character comes across as very honest and real and I felt the author truly wrote so much of herself and her life into this fascinating, brilliant and very human lady. Bravo! I want more!
Join Date: 06/19/12
Posts: 407
I liked the way the author developed Lee - very human and believable. Supporting characters were also really good. I also think she did a better job than most of presenting the innards of a trial -- she presented the procedural aspects realistically without belaboring them and took the time to show the thought behind the tactics Lee employed. I'll read another Lee Isaacs book if given the chance.
Join Date: 05/31/11
Posts: 166
For the most part, I enjoyed "Her Kind of Case". The characters were well defined and interesting. The case was timely. The court room drama seemed authentic. I found Lee's whining about her coming birthday a bit tedious and it seemed in contrast to the strong character she was. I am an introvert so I understand her other quirks. Her delightful relationship with her father presented a strong contrast to the awful relationship between Jeremy and his father. So, overall - I liked the story.
Join Date: 03/29/16
Posts: 364
Join Date: 12/01/16
Posts: 292
Join Date: 06/14/11
Posts: 6
Let me preface the following with this disclaimer: Usually I read literature, although I love really well-done mysteries of any kind (why yes, I'm a fan of Masterpiece Mystery and James Lee Burke), so while I enjoyed the parts of the book that described the courtroom proceedings, overall I found the book to be ho-hum, run-of-the-mill. My reasoning:
1. The waxing and waning of Lee’s character is tedious. She is beautiful, looks far younger than her years, is intelligent, and in great physical shape for any age, so, beyond losing a case that was important to her and her age, show us reasons for her self-doubt.
2. The key to the whole defense puzzle was not picked up by the “sharp” defense attorney until it was almost an after-thought. When I read the passage, early in the book, I knew it was important; why didn't Lee?
3. A couple of things didn’t make sense (don't want to give anything away).
4. It also could have used a better editor. Sure Lee’s eighty-something dad was active and with-it, but calling him when it is 11:15 PM her time, meaning it was 1:15 AM his time? I don’t buy it, and I’m glad I didn’t buy the book.
Join Date: 05/21/19
Posts: 6
Join Date: 05/21/19
Posts: 3
I began this book at home. I read 30 pages. I left on vacation and I took the book with me. I accidentally left the book at the motel. It took a week for the book to be returned to me. I decided to start over. I am glad that I did. I enjoyed learning about the trial process. It was interesting to see how the prosecution uses bargaining to get witnesses to testify. Jeremy’s “ awakening” was interesting to watch.
I want to read more books with Lee Isaacs as the lawyer in charge.
Join Date: 06/25/13
Posts: 347
I really enjoyed this book. I like Lee, I like her problems with losing her touch and growing old. These are the same thing most of us older adults face. The case of the young was interesting and I was glad to see Lee keep going to help him
Join Date: 06/05/18
Posts: 245
I liked the book. It took me a little while to get into it but then it went quickly. I enjoyed the give and take of prosecutor and defense attorney. The part I didn't like was that Lee identified that her husband was bi-sexual. It had no bearing on the story, her friends or any other component of the tale, but rather seemed like part of an agenda. It would not have mattered to me if Lee had been a lesbian. It just didn't add anything to the story.
Join Date: 05/26/18
Posts: 77
Overall, I liked the book very much, primarily because of the richly drawn characters. I appreciated Lee’s strengths, as well as her weaknesses, most notably her fear of growing older and losing her edge. Her friends were complex, not caricatures. Winer provided insight into the legal proceedings without losing us in the weeds. If there is a second book featuring Lee Isaacs, I will definitely read it. Although I read many mysteries, I would not recommend most of them to my book club. This one is an exception. The themes of aging, adolescent sexuality, friendships, LGBTQ issues, religion, and parent-child relationships provide lots of discussion opportunities.
Join Date: 02/06/17
Posts: 438
I am a huge fan of the mystery/detective/crime genre, but I prefer the books I read to have a bit more bite than the run of the mill series. In my opinion, authors who are capable of doing this well include Louise Penny, Jane Harper, J. K. Rowling/Robert Galbraith, and now Jeanne Winer.
What I liked about this story is that the author touched on a number of different themes, but none of them felt forced. Typically we only hear from the prosecution or police in legal thrillers, so I appreciated the point of view this book offered. Winer did an excellent job developing her characters. I loved Carla and absolutely hated Jeremy's parents (but this is a good thing, I think, when an author is able to illicit such a strong feeling toward her characters).
Join Date: 06/23/13
Posts: 142
I liked the book very much. I liked Lee Isaacs and could relate to her worries about turning sixty, when to retire and not wanting to portray any of her concerns to others. The story moved at a good pace with lots of interesting characters. A good read.
Join Date: 05/13/19
Posts: 3
Join Date: 08/16/11
Posts: 79
I enjoyed the book very much. It's refreshing to have a 60-year-old woman as the main character and to have her portrayed as smart and tough (physically and mentally). I would definitely continue to read the books if this turns into a series.
Join Date: 05/11/15
Posts: 95
I really enjoyed reading this. I love that Lee is "older", both a great lawyer and a Tae Kwan Do master. I thought Jeremy's case was really interesting, and sad. I hope Winer rights more with Lee as the protagonist.
Join Date: 11/01/15
Posts: 37
I enjoyed the book. It was a quick, easy read. The characters well developed, for the most part. I would think it had multi-generational appeal. It had several timely themes that were subtly woven into the story.
Join Date: 06/13/18
Posts: 14
This is one of the few books I've read that made me want to meet the author and be best friends. I enjoyed the development of the main character, Lee, and her sense of humor. The plot was enjoyable and challenging and overall, the book an easy read. There are enough subjects/concerns throughout the story to make it interesting for book club discussions.
Join Date: 11/05/17
Posts: 72
Join Date: 06/13/11
Posts: 24
Join Date: 11/30/16
Posts: 11
Join Date: 11/20/14
Posts: 25
I really liked this book. I would rank it No.1 for all my books read in 2019. I enjoyed getting to know Lee and found her thought process fascinating throughout. I enjoyed all of the characters (yes, even the unlikable ones) and found them all believable. Story line was well crafted.
I am "of a certain age" greater than Lee's and therefore relate to her concerns regarding advanced aging. To those who aren't there yet, I hope you will live long enough to be able to relate to her circumstances.
I have and will continue to recommend it all. I'm hoping this will become a series.
Join Date: 05/29/19
Posts: 2
I enjoyed the book very much. I thought the story progressed at a good pace. The main character was authentic and relatable. The plot twists were unexpected but not unpredictable. I hope there will be more stories with Lee Isaacs.
Join Date: 10/19/10
Posts: 38
Join Date: 06/13/11
Posts: 107
I enjoyed it very much. I like court cases and felt this one played out very realistically. The changing of minds seemed truer than the usual cut and dried scenarios. Lee is an interesting character and this would make a good series. I am looking forward to more of her stories.
Join Date: 04/22/11
Posts: 32
I really enjoyed this mystery. The characters were so well developed and very interesting. The legal aspects of the book I found fascinating. Lee Isaacs is a complex, intriguing and terribly intelligent protagonist.
Join Date: 05/30/19
Posts: 1
This was a lightweight, mostly enjoyable read. I didn’t find Lee Isaacs a strongly compelling character, as she skated along the top of, rather than truly engaging with, her significant character points/conflicts (widowed; growing older; gay/liberal friends, possible love interests, often representing guilty criminals; aging father). I realize that this must be the first in a series, so the author is mainly just getting the pieces on the board, but there has to be at least a little something deeper to make me eagerly await the next installment. This lack of any deep character development meant that there was much less tension at the end of the case as there could have been, because I didn’t get enough of a sense of what was truly at stake for Lee personally. It is a delicate balance, building a character when you know you have further books ahead; my suggestion would be to explore one key main character element in each book. If the conflict with the supporting character was supposed to be revealing of Lee’s deeper conflicts, I’d say the author missed the mark on getting that fully on the page this time.
Join Date: 05/30/19
Posts: 2
I really enjoyed this book. Good character development and I found Lee to be a likeable and believable character. The plot flowed well and I definitely stayed with the story to see how it would play out. I only slowed down a bit when I felt the descriptions regarding the actions actions rituals regarding karate and the Dojo got a bit too detailed. However, I liked the fact that Lee's concerns about reaching the big 60, were offset by her being so physically active. I also liked that she was older and not dependent on her looks or 'sex-appeal' as so many female protagonist are. A good read, excellent ending and I woudn't mind reading any future novels about this interesting and capable attorney.
Join Date: 12/04/11
Posts: 63
I thought it was an ok book but predicable. I liked the relationship between Lee and her father and you don't usually see friendly relationships between lawyers on the opposite side of the fence so that was refreshing. Hard for me to understand, though, her fascination with karate and her willingness to not only take the physical abuse but hurt someone intentionally as well. " It's only a broken nose" . I just can't relate to this mentality, maybe that's why I couldn't relate to her.
Join Date: 04/20/11
Posts: 72
I found this book hard to put down and, in fact, read it over a 2-day period. I found the character development to be good enough to believe it was a real story. Having passed my 60th birthday I can remember that it bothered me enough to think obsessively about the age for significant portions of time until it passed. So Lee's continual remarks about her age seemed natural to me. Lee's decision-making also seemed rational to me and that also makes for a good mystery. Overall I really enjoyed the book and would probably read a second by this author. While it was not a book I would call one of my most favorites or a 5 star book, I would give it a high rating for enjoyment/entertainment.
1 2
Reply
Please login to post a response.