Q: HOW DOES A TELEVISION PRODUCER DESCRIBE THE KIDNAP AND MURDER OF A 2-YEAR-OLD CHILD?
A:“I THINK WE HAVE A HIT ON OUR HANDS!”
In the third The third Marc Kadella legal mystery, an adorable—and photogenic—two-year-old girl is kidnapped, and, when her remains are found, her twenty-two-year-old widowed mother Brittany is charged with her murder. But before she can even be charged she’s been … Brittany is charged with her murder. But before she can even be charged she’s been tried and convicted by the media, at the center of which is Melinda Pace, a cynical, mostly-functioning alcoholic Minneapolis television personality with a “legal news” show called The Court Reporter. Not even in the alternative universe of television news could she be described as a reporter, since she makes no attempt at or pretense of presenting the truth, or even the facts. She does do a great job of producing through-the-roof ratings and whipping the public into a frenzy—with tragic consequences.
Marc is brought into the case early on, before it’s clear it will erupt into a media circus that brings out every goofball, crackpot, and member of the aluminum foil helmet club, along with a publicity-hungry state attorney general.
The prosecution feeds the media monster by painting Brittany as a neglectful mother who got rid of her child because motherhood interfered with her partying.
Marc throws himself heart and soul into saving Brittany from the maw of media justice, and all his associates rally to support him in any way they can. Gorgeous P.I. Maddy Rivers, who is on the case 24/7, reveals a different side as she becomes a sort of big sister to Brittany, providing the TLC that might have kept Brittany out of this mess if she’d gotten it from her controlling mother. Marc’s lady love Judge Margaret Tennant is, as always, sensitive to the needs of an attorney in the throes of a huge case and, as always, eager to meet those needs.
This one’s sure to please fans of the most beloved lawyer sleuth of all time, Erle Stanley Gardner’s Perry Mason, who brought the television camera into the courtroom in the first place, and the nitty-gritty, nuts-and-bolts expertise of legal eagles John Grisham and Richard North Patterson.
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An eye-opener for me, this fictional legal procedural illustrates how law enforcement and the media can censor, edit, filter and twist information to alter perceptions to agree with their opinions, influence the public, and achieve their agenda. Especially relevant given today’s political climate. Explains how sometimes jury verdicts can come in totally opposite from the public’s perception of a defendant’s guilt or innocence. A must-read for fans of legal thrillers.
different and interesting
Excellent read- disturbingly realistic…
A new twist regarding media. Loved it
Enjoyed this book thoroughly!
An excellent book to read in today’s climate. The ending makes you grind your teeth and realize its truth in this world.
All the books in this series have been good so fat
WOW! It’s amazing how the media can twist the truth! Seems like it happens way too often. This was a great book showing how the only thing they care about is the money. In this book it is artfully shown. Second book I have read my this author! He’s a great story teller!
Great!
He is an absolute fantastic author. I love his courtroom scenes. I have read 2 of his books, and I will read the others in time.
Great novel inspired by the Casey Anthony case in Florida.
Hard to put down.
Couldn’t put down! Kept my interest to the end!
Holds this thought in the back of your mind throughout; and post-reading: “this could really happen.” In this age of instant media assessment we’ve begun to find guilty until proven innocent. It’s a turnaround that needs to stop and Media Justice provides a platform to make us think hard about our own judgments.
Great book, very realistic, makes you think about how accurate the media is. One of my favorites, will definitely read more by this author.
Media Justice is a look behind the scenes as TV and other media go about the day finding juicy gossip and turning it into “News”. Media bias for the sake of ratings ( money from advertisers), turns a young mother into a monster with slanted views and out of context “clips” from in court proceedings. The story revolves around the lawyer and his client as he gets the jury to look at the real truth about the mother and not rely on previous televised accounts. A scary look at how TV can incorrectly influence an entire nation. TV has changed from its inception back in the 1950,s when it was first allowed in our homes into a bigger than life monster eating away time and force feeding the viewers with what IT wants them to see and hear. Media Justice does justice to this notion with a great read and food for thought.
Really liked this book!
Could not be bothered finishing it
Great read!
Started out at a slow pace, but developed to an interesting conclusion.
Really liked the author, he informed me, entertained me and surprised me.