Irreparable Harm by Randy Singer

Genre: Legal Fiction 
Publisher: Waterbrook Press
Released: May 20, 2003
421 pages

About the Book:

A fight for life. A battle for right.

Attorney Mitchell Taylor is trapped in a lose-lose situation.

Bright but inexperienced attorney Mitchell Taylor is torn between warring personal and professional interests. Can he help his client - a young surrogate mother - and save the child she carries without sealing the fate of others?

When Dr. Nathan Brown and his wife, Cameron, undergo a controversial method of in vitro fertilization, some of their cloned embryos are used to achieve a pregnancy in surrogate Maryna Sareth while the others are cryogenically preserved. Dr. Brown's premature death, however, and mounting evidence that the baby has Down's Syndrome unleash a legal, ethical, and moral firestorm.

Dr. Brown's dying wish is that the remaining embryos be used for stem-cell research. His wife wants to force the abortion of the baby Maryna carries in hopes that one of the remaining embryos can produce a "healthy" child.

Meanwhile, Mitchell wrestles with an agonizing ethical dilemma: Can he protect the embryos, which requires that a federal legislative ban on cloning be overturned, while at the same time helping the beautiful young surrogate save the child she carries - possible only if the ban is upheld?

With time running out, Mitchell and Maryna must run the gauntlet of bioethical nightmares, corporate treachery, and life-threatening confrontations if they are to save the unborn and avoid irreparable harm.

My Rating & Thoughts:    ⭐⭐⭐

There is quite a bit happening at once and a lot of scientific talk that I found it hard to follow at times. I really liked the character of Mitchell and was rooting for him to succeed. A lot is thrown at him days into his first job as a lawyer. I was scared for Maryna and what she had gone through to get to this country and then what is happening to her now. There were a few people that frustrated me, in particular Cameron and The Rock. Some of the things that particular people were able to do in the state they were in felt a bit unbelievable and too convenient. I did really like Mitchell and Maryna and their faith discussions, but I did not like the ending. It felt like it was wrapped up way too quickly and left me with questions. Due to the main subject matter this is definitely a book that gives you stuff to think about and which side you would be on, but there was too much medical and research jargon for me.

(I purchased my copy of this book; opinions expressed 

in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)

Check out my reviews of other books by this author: 

   

By Reason of Insanity

Directed Verdict 

Dead Lawyers Tell No Tales 

Fatal Convictions 

The Cross Examination of Jesus Christ 

The Judge  

The Cross Examination of Jesus Christ by Randy Singer (Review)

Genre: Non-Fiction
Publisher: Waterbrook Press
Released: March 21, 2006
201 pages

About the Book:

Sit in the Courtroom as the Savior Testifies.

Witness the disturbing display of events as Jesus stands against His detractors and the unbridled might of the Roman Empire. In this unsparing up-close account, you will experience the greatest injustice in history — the trial and punishment of Jesus of Nazareth — and gain a fresh appreciation for the enormity of the stakes.

His innocence convicted Him .

But you will also travel with Jesus in the years leading up to His final trial as He reveals eternity’s greatest truths in response to hostile questions from the religious leaders of His day.

· Can you prove that you’re the Messiah?
· How can you defend a woman caught in adultery?
· What does it take to reach heaven?
· How can we know God?
· What is truth?

Whether you embrace the claims of Christ or your verdict is still out, you’ll gain provocative insight into the driving passion behind the carpenter from Nazareth. As you take a juror’s seat in this monumental case, you’ll realize that as Jesus answers His accusers, He’s not just talking to them, He’s talking to you.

My Rating & Thoughts:    ⭐⭐⭐

I took my time reading this book to absorb what I was reading. The first and last chapters are a fictionalized version of the Biblical account of the trial and crucifixion of Jesus from the point of a Roman officer, the in-between chapters are insights into the teachings and examples of Jesus with Mr. Singer's personal experiences or research added in. The details of the crucifixion was hard to read, but really exposed Jesus' love and sacrifice for us. I enjoyed reading some of the personal stories that Mr. Singer shared but a lot of the other information felt like it was a textbook sharing works from others (the sources are credited). The first and last chapters are the ones that I will remember. 

(I purchased my copy of this book; opinions expressed 

in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)

Check out my reviews of other books by this author: 

   

By Reason of Insanity

Directed Verdict 

Dead Lawyers Tell No Tales 

Fatal Convictions 

The Judge 

Review: Dead Lawyers Tell No Tales by Randy Singer

Genre: Legal Thriller
Publisher: Tyndale House
Released: May 1, 2013
448 pages

About the Book:

Landon Reed is an ex-quarterback convicted of organizing a points-shaving scheme. During his time in prison, he found forgiveness and faith and earned his law degree. Now he longs for an opportunity to prove his loyalty and worth. "Be careful what you ask for."

Harry McNaughton is one of the founding partners of McNaughton & Clay--and the only lawyer willing to take a chance employing an ex-con-turned-lawyer. Though Landon initially questions Harry's ethics and methods, it's clear the crusty old lawyer has one of the most brilliant legal minds Landon has ever encountered.

The two dive into preparing a defense for one of the highest-profile murder trials Virginia Beach has seen in decades when Harry is gunned down in what appears to be a random mugging. Then two more lawyers are killed when the firm's private jet crashes. Authorities suspect someone has a vendetta against McNaughton & Clay, leaving Landon and the remaining partner as the final targets.

As Landon struggles to keep the firm together, he can't help but wonder, is the plot related to a shady case from McNaughton & Clay's past, or to the murder trial he's neck-deep in now? And will he survive long enough to find out?

My Rating & Thoughts:    ⭐⭐⭐

We follow Landon and Kerri Reed. Landon has just been released from prison after a point-shaving scandal, he is a changed man and is now a first-year lawyer. Landon is trying to redeem himself and Kerri has stood by him through it all. His past will always be with him and is constantly thrown in his face, but he tries to put it behind him and be a better person now. His first case becomes much bigger than ever imagined. His mentor and the lawyer that took him under his wing is murdered, shortly after another two lawyers from the firm are killed. Can they figure out what is going on and why the firm lawyers are being targeted? I was worried for Landon and Kerri.

There were quite a few separate storylines introduced that made me wonder why and how they were included, and I struggled with all the football references. While I didn’t always follow what was happening, I was invested in the characters of Landon and Kerri. I loved how they worked together and tried to support one another even when their jobs pulled them in separate directions. They were not perfect and had their struggles and insecurities. There was one character that I did not trust and while I was right, I should have been suspicious of a few other as well. I especially liked the friendship that Billy provided to Landon and Kerri. I was rooting for him to save the day when trouble was obvious. The twist at the end shocked me, I had not seen it coming and did not suspect it at all. While I liked the main characters, I struggled with following the story at times and felt like it became very layered and twisted. 

(I purchased my copy of this book; opinions expressed 

in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)

Check out my reviews of other books by this author: 

   

By Reason of Insanity

Directed Verdict 

Fatal Convictions 

The Judge 

Review: Directed Verdict by Randy Singer

Genre: Legal Thriller
Publisher: Tyndale House
Released: Oct. 15, 2002
420 pages

About the Book:

In Saudi Arabia, two American missionaries are targeted by the infamous religious police―Muttawa. The man is tortured and killed; his wife arrested on trumped-up charges before being deported to the United States. Compelled by the injustice of her plight, young attorney Brad Carlson files an unprecedented civil rights suit against Saudi Arabia and the ruthless head of the Muttawa. But the suit unleashes powerful forces that will stop at nothing to vindicate the Arabian kingdom. Witnesses are intimidated and some disappear; jurors are bribed; and a member of Brad’s own team may be attempting to sabotage the case. As Brad navigates a maze of treachery and deception, he must gamble his case, his career, and the lives of those he loves on his ability to bring justice to one family, challenge the religious intolerance of a nation, and alter the course of international law.

My Rating & Thoughts:    ⭐⭐⭐

This is a legal suspense and I seriously thought about dnfing while reading the first three chapters. It begins in Saudi Arabia with two missionaries Charles and Sarah Reed and the Mwata police come to arrest them because they are Christian missionaries try to convert from Muslims to Christianity. In these first few scenes we are witness the torture of Charles and Sarah Reed and it was so descriptive and so unsettling to my spirit I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue reading. Because I had read the book summary, I knew that there was a trial in America involving how these two American’s were treated in Saudi Arabia so I was thinking, okay we are just getting the background of what happened and it will not be like this the whole way through so I decided to keep going. We then meet Brad Carson who is the American lawyer working in Norfolk, Virginia. In his opening scene he is in the courtroom defending a case, we get some background information on him and this particular judge. However, this particular case is about pro-life and there was a scene that was pretty descriptive of how a certain abortion procedure happens and I was like I don't want to know this, this is way too descriptive for me. So again, I was questioning if I wanted to keep going. However, I knew this book received the Christie award for being a mystery suspense in 2002/2003 so I thought it can’t be that bad let’s keep going. I am happy to say that the abortion thing is in that one chapter and is never brought up again. However, the torture scenes that happen do get shared a bit during the trial as witnesses and victims must explain what happened, however this is not as detailed as it was at the beginning. By the trial part of the book I was invested in the characters and cheering for Sarah and Brad's team. Everything seems to really be stacked against them in this case, will they be able to win? We learn shortly after the case is filed that there is a mole inside Brad's team, and they are providing information to the other side leaving us to ask who this person is and why are they doing this? There are little hints dropped throughout the book about who this person is but very generic. We learn their gender but that only narrows it down so much. We don't learn who it was and why until the last few chapters. When it was revealed I was shocked as I was positive it was somebody else and I was also blindsided by their motivation. I really enjoyed this part of the book. However, I gave this book three stars because even though I didn’t like the opening scenes and due to the vast number of characters to keep track of it, I was hooked for the last third needing to know who the mole was. This is a very heavy subject matter, Christians being persecuted and attacked for their faith in Saudi Arabia.  If you're going to read it know going in that it can get very descriptive with the torture scenes. 

(I purchased my copy of this book; opinions expressed 

in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)

Check out my reviews of other books by this author: 

   

By Reason of Insanity

Fatal Convictions 

The Judge 

Review: By Reason of Insanity by Randy Singer

Genre: Legal Thriller
Publisher: Tyndale House
Released: April 25, 2008
379 pages

About the Book:

After a series of kidnappings and murders in Virginia Beach, newspaper reporter Catherine O'Rourke experiences disturbing dreams that detail each crime. In an effort to aid the investigation, she shares them with her confidential source—a detective working on the case. Catherine's intimate knowledge of the crimes immediately makes her a prime suspect. When scientific evidence corroborates her guilt, she's arrested and charged with murder. As she begins to doubt her own innocence, Catherine turns to Las Vegas lawyer Quinn Newberg, a high-priced specialist in the insanity defense. Quinn believes in justice, Vegas-style. But he doesn't believe in the supernatural, or that Catherine's dreams are anything other than the result of a fractured personality disorder. "Who can understand the human mind?" Quinn knows that insanity cases are unpredictable, but nothing had prepared him for "this!" To win, or even survive, Quinn will need more than his famed legal maneuvering and biting skepticism. On this case, he needs a miracle.

My Rating & Thoughts:    ⭐⭐⭐

Story begins by following Quinn who is a trail lawyer defending his sister for the murder of her husband, her plea is that she is not guilty by reason of insanity. Then there is a second storyline that begins following Catherine who ends up getting charged with murder. Eventually the two characters come together, and Quinn ends up taking on Catherine’s case. There are so many questions going on about whether or not Catherine is guilty that the best defense appears to be guilty by reason of insanity. We learn that there are different definitions of insanity and the two defense cases are vastly different. I really liked Quinn and I really liked Catherine, but this story moves very slowly and for over half of the book it is really two separate stories. Eventually the two stories combine when Quinn starts working with Catherine, and we begin to realize why so much time was dedicated to us learning about these characters prior to them meeting. When there was approx. 100 pages left I became so engrossed with what was happening that I couldn’t put the book down. Prior to this I hadn’t had any issues with putting it down because it had been moving slow. Overall, the story was very detailed describing Catherine’s time spent in jail, the trails and working with the psychiatrist to determine if these clients were insane or not. I was so shocked by the reveal near the end as I had not seen that coming, and I loved the ending. This book left me feeling hopeful for these characters, but it did take me a long time to really get into the story. 

(I purchased my copy of this book; opinions expressed 

in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)

Check out my reviews of other books by this author: 

   

The Judge

Fatal Convictions 

Review: Fatal Convictions by Randy Singer

Genre: Legal Thriller
Publisher: Tyndale House 
Released: Aug. 1, 2010
397 pages

About the Book:

Alexander Madison is part lawyer, part pastor, and part con artist. When a Muslim imam is accused of instigating honor killings, Alex must decide whether to take the case that every other lawyer in town is running away from. He doesn’t realize until it’s too late that defending the imam may cost him the one thing in life he cares about most. Fatal Convictions is the story of a lawyer willing to risk it all and the women who must choose between faith and love.

  

My Rating & Thoughts:    ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Alex works as a part-time pastor and part-time lawyer. His firm gets hired to defend a muslin leader who was been charged with instigating honor killings. The man says he is not guilty, but the prosecution has some very compelling evidence against him. Alex struggles wanting to be one to fight this case and wants to drop it, but his business partner is determined that they should take on the case. Over time Alex’s opinion changes but he receives backlash from his church board due to the publicity of the case. There were some very gruesome and intense scenes included in this story that I wasn’t expecting, and I was worried that it would cause me to lose sleep, but I was okay. I became so invested in the story that I didn’t want to put the book down, but I forced myself to take breaks due to the dark subject matter. I learned quite a bit about the muslin faith that I didn’t know. I enjoyed the courtroom scenes and following Alex and Shannon while they tried to defend the case even though they weren’t sure on the guilt of their client. I liked the mix of the courtroom scenes, the research aspects, and the personal activities of the characters. The conflict with the church board felt realistic and I liked how the faith element was added in with Alex looking to God to help him decide how to proceed. I also enjoyed the scenes between Alex and his grandmother, she helped guide him without telling him what to do. While this was a pretty dark subject matter I liked most of the storyline. I did struggle with the scenes between Alex and Nora as their relationship just felt wrong for a pastor as they come from 2 different beliefs. There were quite a few twists and turns over the course of the story and while there are some scenes told from the villain’s perspective I was shocked by the final reveal. I especially loved that an epilogue was included to give us an update on how life was going for Alex a year later, I was pleased with how his story wrapped up.

“Christ’s entire message was based on God’s willingness to forgive our sins, not just one time, but for all time.”

(I purchased my copy of this book; opinions expressed 

in this review are my honest opinion and completely my own.)

Check out my reviews of other books by this author: 

   

The Judge