2020 Best Book Awards Finalist – Thriller/Adventure
“This nervy, disturbing, gut-punch of a vigilante novel is unlike anything you’ve ever read. It’s also one of the year’s best thrillers.” –Best Thrillers
“The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” -Dick the Butcher, William Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part 2, Act IV, Scene 2
Ron Rellick agrees.
Simple and sweet. We all know how lots of … agrees.
Simple and sweet. We all know how lots of people hate lawyers, especially if they have ever been sued. Dr. Ron Rellick loses everything, including his sanity, to a malpractice claim and goes homicidal.
The title has a dual meaning… The legal system is strangling America, and now a serial killer is strangling the legal system.
Get inside the mind of a good man turned violent. See how the evil of corrupt lawyers leads to unforgiving vengeance. Dr. Rellick becomes the hunter to avenge what he sees as the scales of justice fractured and out of balance.
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One word review? Incredible. I’ve been drawn into this book more than I thought I’d be, which was unexpected, and because of how complex and involving the story is, it’s taken me much longer to get through it than I anticipated. I wanted to take in every bit of information and fully understand the position the main characters were in, and as a result, I think I’d put this book up there in my top five of the year so far. Fleisher is an absolute literary wizard!
The main question I kept asking myself throughout this book was why have I not heard from this author before?! I was amazed by the entire book and just how much it stuck with me. Ron’s character has been created with so much depth and the story line is so gripping and truly memorable. It’s been a while since I enjoyed such a good thriller and as my favourite genre, I’d put this book high up there with the work of some very well known authors!
I wrote a more in-depth review over on my blog, take a look! : https://aquintillionwords.com/2020/06/27/the-american-strangler-book-review/
Dark, twisted, a little preachy, compelling, thought-provoking, shocking, gritty, and gripping – The American Strangler is all of those and more. We’ve all heard a few lawyer jokes in our time, and whether we’ve ever been sued or not, most of us have an opinion about frivolous lawsuits, the lack of justice in the legal system, and those who would abuse the many problems with that system. Robert M Fleisher takes it a step further and gives us a serial killer. But Ron Rellick isn’t just any serial killer. Here’s a guy who definitely gets a raw deal, but he doesn’t react the way polite society would expect him to act. Oh no, this guy becomes the hunter, and his prey is far from ordinary. Even so, I’m not sure I’d call this one a psychological thriller. It is disturbing, and the story has elements of a psychological thriller, but it doesn’t have the twists I would expect from the trope. In fact, this one falls under a couple of different categories in my opinion. It is a crime thriller, but there are times when the pacing slows down and it feels more like a crime drama – there is a difference. Keep in mind that most of the book is focused on Ron Rellick with only glimpses of other characters throughout the story, so it’s a bit different than those tropes as well. Whatever you want to call it, this one is an intriguing read, one that makes you think. It’s written a little different than I would’ve expected, and at times it feels dry like you’d find in a non-fiction novel, which is also where it gets preachy, but oddly enough, it works for The American Strangler. Those parts of the story give it a true crime feel that you can’t help but stop and think about. There were a couple of explicit scenes later in the book that just seemed like they were more for the obligatory bit of spice, or shock value in one instance, than adding anything to the story. I wasn’t offended by it, although some may be, it just didn’t feel like those parts were necessary. Then we come to the conclusion, and I don’t want to give it away, so I’ll just say that I didn’t see that coming, but at the same time, it was fitting. To sum it up, The American Strangler is a bit different than anything I’ve read lately, and it’s one I won’t soon forget.
Society makes fun of lawyers calling them sharks and held in disregard. The American Strangler is a sharp book that ponders the issues of those who follow the rules. Some lawyers rig juries and buy off expert witnesses, thus fixing the outcome. They become very wealthy but the defendants suffer fines.
What makes this book intriguing is that a doctor, Ron, became a victim of insurance fraud. He had tried to put money and investments abroad or under different names. Knowing other doctors had lost their shirts, he ensured he took out a great deal of insurance.
Due to a loophole, he ended up losing the lawsuit and insurance covered very little money. This changed the way he looked at the system that took all his money and investments.
Without providing spoilers, I will see the book investigates the inequalities within society. Unknowingly, Ron becomes an instigator of change. Thus, the law enforcement strives to find him.
This book made me question my morals and beliefs. Although Ron is not following the rules he becomes a folk hero. People are thankful for his actions. The lower class begins to thrive and their lives begin improving.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This was a compelling read, that I found I did not want to put down! Great, multi-faceted characters. Very interesting plot. Vivid descriptions Suspenseful and thrilling. I felt every emotion. Kept me intrigued from the first page to the last. Simply a GREAT read!
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.