Review and Giveaway - Alex Cross's Trial by James Patterson

Alex Cross's Trial by James Patterson





rating: 4.0/5.0






From Goodreads:

The year is 1906, and America is segregated. Hatred and discrimination plague the streets, the classroom, and the courts. But in Washington, D.C., Ben Corbett, a smart and courageous lawyer, makes it his mission to confront injustice at every turn. He represents those who nobody else dares defend, merely because of the color of their skin. When President Roosevelt, under whom Ben served in the Spanish-American war, asks Ben to investigate rumors of the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan in his home town in Mississippi, he cannot refuse.

The details of Ben's harrowing story--and his experiences with a remarkable man named Abraham Cross--were passed from generation to generation, until they were finally recounted to Alex Cross by his grandmother, Nana Mama. From the first time hear heard the story, Alex was unable to forget the unimaginable events Ben witnessed in Eudora and pledged to tell it to the world. Alex Cross's Trial is unlike any story Patterson has ever told, but offers the astounding action and breakneck speed of any Alex Cross novel.

I knew I wanted to read this because I read all James Patterson books and especially his Alex Cross series. I honestly didn't know if I would like it or not. I am so glad I picked this up because I really enjoyed reading this book.

Just like his Alex Cross novels, this is fast paced, it just takes place in a different time-frame and that makes things even more interesting. Taking place in the deep south in 1906 I learned a lot about race relations at this time in U.S. History. This book does not sugarcoat, in fact at times it's gruesome. Truthfully no more than in his other books, but for some reason when it comes to serial killers I can deal with it better. When it comes to lynching and hate crimes that are driven by ignorance it seems so much worse.

Heart-felt, emotional and powerful this book drives home a great story and you come away with a look at a member of Alex Cross's family and an amazing lawyer who would sacrifice himself for what he believed in.

Because of it's focus on Ben Corbett and Abraham Cross - you don't have to read any of the Alex Cross series to read this book - it's very much a standalone book.

Binding: Hardcover
On-sale Date: August 24, 2009
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Pages: 400

Thanks to Miriam Parker at Hachette books I have one copy of this book to giveaway. I will open the contest today through September 12th. US and Canada residents only please. Please enter by:

1. Commenting on my blog, make sure I have a way to contact you. (+1)
   
2. Become a blog follower or let me know if you are already a follower (+1)
3. Tell me any other fiction books dealing with race relations pre-1960 that you have read (+1)
4. Tweet about this review and giveaway, use @cfulcher in the tweet so I can find it (+1)
5. Follow me on Twitter (or let me know if you are a current follower) (+1)
6. Blog about this contest and let me know the link (sidebar or post is fine) (+1)

So there you go - 6 ways to get an entry into this contest. You can leave them in separate posts or one post, it doesn't matter, I will make sure you get your entries, just make sure to let me know what you do.

Review Book Arrival: Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

I received this from the publisher at the request of the author, Michelle Moran. Thank you Michelle!

I also have a giveaway that Michelle has offered for this book, Cleopatra's Daughter and also for The Heretic Queen which recently released in paperback. Go here and enter the contest - it ends September 7th!

Publisher: Crown
Publish Date: September 15, 2009

The marriage of Marc Antony and Cleopatra is one of the greatest love stories of all time, a tale of unbridled passion with earth-shaking political consequences. Feared and hunted by the powers in Rome, the lovers choose to die by their own hands as the triumphant armies of Antony’s revengeful rival, Octavian, sweep into Egypt. Their three orphaned children are taken in chains to Rome; only two– the ten-year-old twins Selene and Alexander–survive the journey. Delivered to the household of Octavian’s sister, the siblings cling to each other and to the hope that they will return one day to their rightful place on the throne of Egypt. As they come of age, they are buffeted by the personal ambitions of Octavian’s family and court, by the ever-present threat of slave rebellion, and by the longings and desires deep within their own hearts.

The fateful tale of Selene and Alexander is brought brilliantly to life in Cleopatra’s Daughter. Recounted in Selene’s youthful and engaging voice, it introduces a compelling cast of historical characters: Octavia, the emperor Octavian’s kind and compassionate sister, abandoned by Marc Antony for Cleopatra; Livia, Octavian's bitter and jealous wife; Marcellus, Octavian’s handsome, flirtatious nephew and heir apparent; Tiberius, Livia’s sardonic son and Marcellus’s great rival for power; and Juba, Octavian’s watchful aide, whose honored position at court has far-reaching effects on the lives of the young Egyptian royals.

Selene’s narrative is animated by the concerns of a young girl in any time and place–the possibility of finding love, the pull of friendship and family, and the pursuit of her unique interests and talents. While coping with the loss of both her family and her ancestral kingdom, Selene must find a path around the dangers of a foreign land. Her accounts of life in Rome are filled with historical details that vividly capture both the glories and horrors of the times. She dines with the empire’s most illustrious poets and politicians, witnesses the creation of the Pantheon, and navigates the colorful, crowded marketplaces of the city where Roman-style justice is meted out with merciless authority.

Based on meticulous research, Cleopatra’s Daughter is a fascinating portrait of imperial Rome and of the people and events of this glorious and most tumultuous period in human history. Emerging from the shadows of the past, Selene, a young woman of irresistible charm and preternatural intelligence, will capture your heart.

Booking Through Thursday - September 3

Here is this week's Booking Through Thursday question:

What’s the biggest book you’ve read recently?

(Feel free to think “big” as size, or as popularity, or in any other way you care to interpret.)

Biggest as in longest - 422 pages of The Last Ember by Daniel Levin. Looking back over my spreadsheet it appears I haven't read anything much longer this year. Wow.












Biggest Author - Alex Cross's Trial by James Patterson (review posting later today)













Biggest as in popularity - Club Dead by Charlaine Harris - the Sookie Stackhouse series is huge now with True Blood out there. I think the wait list for this on PBS was over 300 people!