Missing Witness by Gordon Campbell

Missing Witness by Gordon Campbell
William Morrow, 2007
Mystery; 431 pgs

Completed: 09/29/2007
Rating: (Good +)


First Sentence: Dan Morgan had a tattoo.

Reason for Reading: I put my name in for this book through Harper Collins First Look Program and was selected to review it.

Comments: Douglas McKenzie returns to his childhood home in Arizona to take a position in a well-respected law firm after being promised a chance to work along side the legendary defense attorney, Daniel Morgan. It soon becomes clear his presence is more likely a political move by the firm’s senior partner, Paul Butler, hoping to maintain one of the biggest and wealthiest clients the firm represents.

Paul Butler has positioned himself to reap the most financial gain and wants Dan out. As a defense attorney, Dan’s cases bring in little money, often costing the firm in the end. Dan needs a big case that will bring in the money if he is to keep a solid footing in the law firm.

When Travis Eddington, son of that most important client, Ferris Eddington, is shot to death, his wife Rita and twelve-year-old daughter Miranda witnessed walking out of the trailer after the shots were fired, and Rita holding the gun, that big case falls right in his lap. Ferris Eddington hires Dan Morgan to represent his daughter-in-law, believing full heartedly in her innocence. Doug finally gets his chance to watch the master at work, joining Dan in the defense of Rita Eddington.

It is no wonder Dan Morgan is one of the best at his job. He puts his all into his cases and adeptly maneuvers through the legal system to reach the outcome he seeks. He is sharp and on top of his game. He does, however, have a tendency to get too close to his clients, something that sometimes weighs heavily on his shoulders. The narrator, Doug McKenzie, is a young attorney just getting his feet wet. He looks up to Dan and is eager to learn all the tricks of the trade. He has a strong sense of justice and ethics, which is challenged more than once during the trial.

In his debut legal thriller, author Gordon Campbell takes readers into the heart of the courtroom and behind the scenes of the defense. With the more minor details about the inner workings of a law firm, including case assignments, billing, and office politics, Mr. Campbell creates a credible setting for his book. Although set in 1973, it is easy to forget at times as the story could very well have been written in the present time. The little historical tidbits sprinkled here and there are what set it apart.

While the whodunit becomes obvious fairly quickly, there are still enough plot twists and surprises that add to the intensity and suspense of the novel. Missing Witness is a very good start to a promising writing career. I will be keeping my eye out for future novels by Gordon Campbell.

Nonfiction Five Challenge Wrap Up

Although I do enjoy reading some nonfiction, it is often my last choice when I am considering something to read. To motivate myself to read some of those nonfiction books that had been languishing on my shelves, I joined Joy's Nonfiction Five Challenge. The goal was to read 5 nonfiction books of my choosing over a 5 month period, from May through September.

I had quite a list of books to choose from and narrowing it down was hard. I hoped to read some of my alternates in addition to my main selections, but I was not able to. I did, however, read two nonfiction books that were not on my list during the course of the challenge. Because they were not on my list to read for the challenge, I am not including them in this wrap up.

My Nonfiction Selections:
Death's Acre by Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson
The Nazi Officer's Wife by Edith Hahn Beer
Machete Season: The Killers in Rwanda Speak by Jean Hatzfeld
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach


What was my favorite Nonfiction book of the five I read?

Machete Season: The Killers in Rwanda Speak was one of the most powerful of the books I read this past summer. It was difficult to read about the ruthless and violent killings of so many innocent people based solely on their ethnicity. The fact that their friends and neighbors were the ones that turned on them made it even more frightening. Machete Season offered some insight into the the minds of the killers. The author, Jean Hatzfeld, took great care with his subject matter and presented it as plainly as he could. It was not a book he intended to write, he didn't even want to write it at first, but it was something he eventually came to feel he should write.

Following in at second is Edith Hahn Beer's The Nazi Officer's Wife, which is one woman's story of her life in Europe during World War II. She was a Jewish woman who passed herself off as a Christian in order to survive the Holocaust. The author was forced to work in labor camps and a factory before seeking refuge under a new identity. She lived with a constant terrifying fear of discovery and was cut off from her family and friends. This was a heartwrenching and informative story to say the least.

What book could I have done without?

Of all the books I read for the challenge, there is not one I regret reading. I purposefully tried to pick a variety subject matter wise, not wanting to overdo it in one area or another.

Did you try out a new author for this challenge? If so, which one, and will you be reading that author again?

I had read books by only two of the authors before, those being Mary Roach and Jon Krakauer. Both had written books I thoroughly enjoyed and resulted in my wanting to read the two books I chose to read for this challenge. Into the Wild was a bit of a departure for me. Had I not read the author's book, Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith, and then heard so many good things about Into the Wild, I probably would not have picked up the book in the first place. I am glad I did take a chance on it though. Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach was very much up my alley, on the other hand. The subject matter fascinates me. I was quite taken with her first book, Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, and so it seemed only natural to read Spook.

This was my first opportunity to read books by the other three authors. I would definitely not mind reading more by Jean Hatzfeld. He has another book out related to the Rwanda genocide that I hope to read someday. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson have a new book out called Beyond the Body Farm, which I may read down the road. I definitely do plan to read the authors' fictional series, beginning with Carved in Bone. As to Edith Hahn Beer, I do not believe she has written another book.

What was the best part of the Nonfiction Five Challenge?

The best part of the challenge was finally getting to read a handful of the nonfiction books I had been meaning to get to but always seemed to pass over. This was a great excuse to find the motivation to dive right in. I am so glad I did. My only regret is that I did not get to read any of my alternates.

As always with challenges like this, I have enjoyed following the progress of other participants and seeing what everyone else is reading. My wishlist and TBR collection continues to grow each time I come across a book someone else has read that sounds too good to pass up. Because my interest mostly lies in fiction, I am not always up to date on all of the nonfiction books out there. Challenges like this are a great way to find out about books that might interest me and to meet new people.

Many thanks to Joy for hosting this fun challenge.

Booking Through Thursday: Friendship

Buy a Friend a Book Week is October 1-7 (as well as the first weeks of January, April, and July). During this week, you’re encouraged to buy a friend a book for no good reason. Not for their birthday, not because it’s a holiday, not to cheer them up–just because it’s a book.

What book would you choose to give to a friend and why?

I mostly give books to friends or family as presents for gift giving holidays, but every now and then I give a book away at random. Maybe it is a book a friend took an extra special notice in while I was reading it or maybe the book had that person's name all over the cover when I discovered it in the store. I do my best to match the book with the reader depending on taste and preference.

As it turns out, I discovered a couple of duplicate books among my TBR collection. A rare occurence, but unavoidable now and then given the size of my TBR collection, I suppose. I would like to find homes for them, and what better time to do so with Buy a Friend a Book Week just around the corner? I think a drawing is in order!

The Books:
The Fencing Master by Arturo Perez-Reverte
Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult

If you are interested in one of the books listed above, leave me a comment specifying which of the two books you might like to add to your TBR collection. You are welcome to put your name in for one or both.* October 4th will be the close off date and a name will be drawn on the 5th.

*Overseas entries welcome.

Kathrin's Classics Reading Challenge Wrap Up

My hunger for the classics was piqued with Booklogged's Winter Classics Challenge, and so when Kathrin announced that she was going to host her own Classics Reading Challenge, I could not resist joining in. There are quite a few classics sitting among my TBR collection, and so there was no shortage of books to chose from. Kathrin tasked her participants with reading three to five classic novels over the course of five months, from July 1st to November 30th. I selected only three books for this challenge because I wanted to avoid being overwhelmed with this and all my other reading commitments.

My Classics Selections:
Persuasion by Jane Austen
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde


What was my favorite Classics novel book of the three I read?

You would think it might be Arthur Conan Doyle's novel considering how much I like mysteries, but in truth my favorite by far is Persuasion by Jane Austen. It was an entertaining and uplifting story. I enjoyed spending time with the characters and losing myself in Jane Austen's world.

What book could I have done without?

I can honestly say that there was not one book I regret reading. Although I have mixed feelings about Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, I am still glad I read it.

Did you try out a new author for this challenge? If so, which one, and will you be reading that author again?

Both Oscar Wilde and Arthur Conan Doyle were authors whose work I had not read before. Being a mystery lover, I felt it was about time I read a novel featuring the famous Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Dr. Watson. I will most likely read more by Mr. Doyle in the future should one of his novels come my way. As for the other, I had long been fascinated with the character of Dorian Gray and thought this would be the perfect time to read the book in which he was born. The Picture of Dorian Gray is Oscar Wilde's only novel, but he has written poetry, short stories and plays. I may someday try reading some of his short story work since it's been recommended, however, I will not be rushing out to do so. And I would never pass up the opportunity to see one of his plays again if circumstances make it possible.

Persuasion was the third Jane Austen novel I have read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I hope to eventually read all of the author's novels.

What was the best part of the Classics Reading Challenge?

For the most part, I enjoyed many of the classic novels I have read over the years, even as required reading in school. My enjoyment of reading spans a broad spectrum of subject matter and time periods. There's still a hesitancy in selecting a classic novel to read over, say, a more contemporary piece of work, however. Somehow reading a classic carries the stigma of being work or something that requires more effort than perhaps I want to put into it. Sometimes that is true, but many times, I have found, it is not--at least not on a personal level. The classics are not so different than any other book I read, not really. They may hold a more honored place in literary history because they are older and have stood the test of time, but my expectations when I read them are the same I have for any other lesser known book. I read for a variety of reasons, but nearly always for pleasure. Reading is something I do as a hobby. Whether I am seeking knowledge, escape, comfort, inspiration, some deeper meaning, to feel, or simply to go on an adventure, I want to have fun doing it. I have found all of that in the classics as well as the non-classics.

All this to say that Kathrin's Classics Reading Challenge inspired me to renew my interest in the classics, reminding me yet again how much I do enjoy reading them. Most of the time, anyway.

Thank you, Kathrin, for hosting this wonderful challenge.

Medical Mystery Madness Challenge Wrap Up

I jumped at the opportunity to join in on Debi's Medical Mystery Madness Challenge as soon as I heard about it. I went through my TBR collection looking for the perfect books to read. I have so many medical mysteries that it made the final decision difficult, but I finally settled on some older books that had been sitting on my shelves for quite a while. The challenge was to read two or more medical mysteries between July 1st and November 1st.

Medical Mystery Selections:
Brain Dead by Eileen Dreyer
Life Support by Tess Gerritsen
The Society by Michael Palmer
The Pumpkin Seed Massacre by Susan Slater


What was my favorite medical mystery novel book of the four I read?

It is such a close call for this one. I am going to have to go with Michael Palmer's The Society, followed closely by Life Support by Tess Gerritsen.

What book could I have done without?

None of the books I read for this challenge turned out to be a disappointment. And while none of them knocked my socks off, each were entertaining, and I came away satisfied overall with my reading experience.

Did you try out a new author for this challenge? If so, which one, and will you be reading that author again?

Three of the authors were completely new to me. Tess Gerritsen was the only author whose work I had read before, and I had only read one of her books before, that being Life Support. I definitely hope to read more by all four of the authors.

What was the best part of the Medical Mystery Madness Challenge?

The best part of this challenge was trying new authors I had been wanting to try for quite a while now. Susan Slater's book had been in my TBR collection since before I began keeping track and Michael Palmer's since 2004.

I also enjoyed visiting the blogs of other challenge participants and learning what other medical mysteries are out there. There are a variety of authors I have yet to try, some I had never heard of before, and even more I have heard of that I haven't yet read. My wish list has been growing by leaps and bounds, not only because of this challenge, but all of them.

Many thanks are due to Debi at Caught Between Worlds for hosting this fun challenge.