What readers think of Protect and Defend, plus links to write your own review.

The abortion arguments put forward in the courts made compelling reading and put the reader in the inenviable position of being able to sit in the judge's chair as it were. My own reasoning flowed to and fro with the testimomy and I found myself having to put the book down so that I could mull over the text to form a personal opinions only to find myself wavering again having read the cross-examination and closing statements. Who would want to judge such a case?

The other two main facets of the book, (President v Majority Leader - Senate v Nominee) were equally enthralling giving the reader an insight into the tactics of gaining votes from the opposition party and the potential abusive use of party funding

Having been given the book by a colleage, and being told only that it was a courtroom drama, (and having just finished the Da Vinci Code), I found this to be a wonderfully exciting read

I believe it takes a lot of courage to choose the most divisive issue in America--abortion--as the central theme for a work of fiction, but despite his obviously pro-choice views, Richard North Patterson's writing gives surprising and compelling voice to all sides. The subplots build inexorably toward the inevitable revelations, but even when he's being predictable, Patterson keeps the pacing brisk and the journey itself riveting. Protect and Defend is astonishingly good fiction that poses difficult and often uncomfortable questions about real life dilemmas. How the characters that populate the book handle their private demons and public conflicts are what make the book such a compelling read.