Close Case
Authors: Alafair Burke
Close Case
“Samantha Kincaid…battles the system to solve a puzzling homicide. Daughter of crime writer James Lee Burke and herself a former deputy D.A., the author keeps the plot hurtling along.”
—
People
magazine (in a Book Pick review)
“A crackling legal thriller…Burke is a former prosecutor, so she knows what she’s writing about, getting the details all in place. She’s also a gifted storyteller, which makes
Close Case
suspenseful, thought-provoking, and a lot of fun.”
—
Chicago Sun-Times
“Samantha Kincaid makes a welcome return in
Close Case
…As in Burke’s past books, seemingly simple legal cases become anything but cut-and-dried, and their consequences are always intriguing.”
—
The Seattle Times
“This is clearly an insider’s view, authority riding on every sentence. The plot dazzles and tantalizes…Adultery, murder, community activists, and Sam’s dogged rock-the-boat tactics keep you glued to every line. Nothing is as it seems amid legal shenanigans and police camaraderie, and the shocks of the plot stun. The Burkes have become a dynasty.”
—
The Providence Journal
(Rhode Island)
“Alafair Burke upholds her family reputation for top-notch mystery writing…There is a lot more investigating and personal back story than courtroom drama in
Close Case
…Burke tells the story with great style.”
—
Omaha World-Herald
“She’s tough, clever, and cantankerous as hell…In short, Samantha Kincaid is a pain in the butt…Burke has good storytelling in her genes…More, please.”
—
The Guardian
(London)
“
Close Case
follows
Missing Justice
, a novel that Burke wrote last year—and it has the same power and suspense.”
—
Deseret Morning News
(Salt Lake City)
“Burke delivers a fast-moving story of race and drugs and politics and prosecutors and cops and reporters—and how the volatile mix plays out on urban streets.”
—
The Times-Picayune
(New Orleans)
“This novel brims with intelligence and suspense.”
—
Tucson Citizen
“
Close Case
is the third in the Samantha Kincaid series by Burke, and in it she comes into her own as a writer. The first two books were good, with great characters and a nice sense of place…But
Close Case
is different. There’s an ease of writing, a smoothing of the hard edges, the touches that take a writer to the next stage in development, and Alafair Burke has reached it.”
—
Toronto Globe and Mail
“Burke hits her stride…[A] big, bustling canvas with plausible moral dilemmas for Samantha and surprises that are still popping on the final pages.”
—
Kirkus Reviews
“Absorbing…Burke confidently lays out the procedural details.”
—
Publishers Weekly
“Burke’s first-person narration works beautifully…[a] superb legal thriller. Highly recommended.”
—
Library Journal
“An enjoyable read. The well-limned characters, interesting plot, believability of the crime, and the way Burke brings readers right into the investigation add to the tension and suspense.”
“[Burke] is her own writer—she hasn’t tried to copy her father—and she creates strong characters and strong plots…This is a fast-moving, assured book with lots of surprises and action. Burke and Kincaid come into their own here.”
—
Statesman Journal
“For those fans of legal thrillers,
Close Case
by talented Alafair Burke will fill the bill.”
—
New Mystery Reader
“In addition to the very empathetic Samantha, Burke has created a number of engrossing characters…Well-written, with engaging characters, this is a very good legal mystery. Rating: A.”
—
Deadly Pleasures
“With this effort, Burke has found a compelling voice for protagonist Samantha Kincaid, while offering a plot with the kind of headlong rush that’s the attraction of the genre…Kincaid possesses a winning combination of sweetness and vulnerability that’s rather refreshing—and almost unheard of in such mysteries.”
—
Willamette Week
“[A] politically charged gritty thriller.”
—
Booklist
“Hot, hardboiled…and highly recommended.”
—Lee Child
“A terrific, multi-layered novel, one that constantly surprises and delights. Everything is just right—the quotidian details about prosecutors, cops, and reporters, the richness of the Portland setting, the seamless plotting. Alafair Burke has out-done herself.”
—Laura Lippman, author of
By a Spider’s Thread
“
Close Case
is a page-turner with humor, intelligence, and a kick-ass heroine. Alafair Burke just keeps getting better and better.”
—Harlan Coben
Missing Justice
“Burke…is definitely a comer and a keeper.”
—
Chicago Tribune
“Entertaining, complex.”
—
Dallas Morning News
“Bolstered by Burke’s crisp writing and attention to detail,
Missing Justice
delivers a penetrating insider’s look at the law and those who have made it their career. Burke…brings such a sense of energy and enthusiasm to her story that the details of how a case comes together—and can fall apart—seem fresh.”
—
Orlando Sentinel
“In
Missing Justice
, Burke really hits her stride. And so does her protagonist…She’s smart, she’s tough, and she’s unafraid—in short, just the way we like our heroines.”
—
The Times-Picayune
(New Orleans)
“Samantha Kincaid is one feisty, smart, articulate soul…She is appearing in her second novel in what’s proving to be the beginning of a tough, funny, incisive new mystery-procedural series…Meticulously, Burke presents her tale with authority and expert pacing…I hope Sam Kincaid hangs around for a long time to come because she’s great company and spins a timely yarn.”
—
Providence Journal
“Alafair Burke made a promising debut with
Judgment Calls
…Kincaid returns in another absorbing legal thriller.”
—
Seattle Times
“Should be required reading for local mystery fans…Compelling.”
—
The Oregonian
“Are you born with great genes for writing fiction? Or is it something you learn at your daddy’s or mommy’s knee? Whatever it is, Alafair Burke, daughter of James Lee, has it…Kincaid is a great character.”
—
Toronto Globe and Mail
“As a former prosecutor herself, Burke knows the inside of a courtroom, and it shows in the details.”
—
Rocky Mountain News
“Perfect summer escapism…Satisfying…An exciting story that has all of the unexpected twists that are necessary for a first-rate mystery story.”
—
Tucson Citizen
“This writing is reminiscent of Sue Grafton’s mysteries: headscratchers with some humor and light.”
—
The Missoulian
“A taut mystery/thriller with fine characters…a fine and fast read.”
—
Statesman-Journal
(Salem, OR)
“A finely wrought aggregate of the elements of a police procedural, merged with the architecture of a legal thriller and a tightly plotted ‘old-fashioned’ mystery…In this second outing for them, both Burke and Kincaid come off as very talented and justly claiming their place among the work of writers like Linda Fairstein and Jan Burke…She has the gift every writer longs for: to grab the reader’s attention on page one and hold on to it until the last page is read.”
“A delectable vehicle for Samantha. Alafair Burke advances the story with ingenuity and a sly, sexy charm.”
—
Deseret Morning News
“Each of her two books can be read as a stand-alone…Buy them both. You won’t be disappointed.”
“Lively…Burke does a good job of integrating the political and personal lives of her characters, with the detectives of the Major Crimes Unit being particularly well-drawn. Witty and concise dialogue.”
—
Publishers Weekly
“A very entertaining mystery.”
—
Davis Enterprise
“A very clever whodunit long on red herrings, shadowy motives, and sly humor. The author’s background as a former deputy D.A. in Portland lends gritty ambience to this modern parable of greed and ambition.”
—
Booklist
Judgment Calls
“Paints a persuasive insider’s picture of the gossip, sexist banter, dirty talk, competing egos, and office politics in Kincaid’s little world of cops and prosecutors…Hers is a lawyer’s crisp, no-nonsense narrative…This is a solid debut, and the publisher promises that we’ll be hearing more from tough, tart, sexy, high-minded Samantha Kincaid…First-rate, suspenseful entertainment.”
—
Washington Post Book World
“A grabber of a first novel…the series is off to a start that promises a smart and significant future.”
—
Houston Chronicle
“If a courtroom is the perfect setting in your vacation reading,
Judgment Calls
is the beginning of a fresh new series…Burke…makes an impressive start with this novel…If you love
Law and Order
, you’ll love
Judgment Calls.
”
—
The Times-Picayune
(New Orleans)
“It’s no mystery why Alafair Burke’s first novel,
Judgment Calls
, is already getting rave reviews…Burke demonstrates a natural-born propensity for suspense.”
—
Phoenix New Times
“An engrossing novel that compares to the best of the genre.”
—
Rocky Mountain News
“Author Burke is a splendid guide through its satisfyingly twisty plot.”
—
The Seattle Times
“Burke definitely stands on her own merits as she delivers a debut that immediately springs to life…Burke’s crisp writing and attention to detail bolster
Judgment Calls
…Burke’s flair for characters shines…
Judgment Calls
would be an engrossing read no matter whose name was on the cover.”
—
Newport News Press
“Sure-footed, well-written, craftily plotted…Burke alternates this plot with Kincaid’s legal strategies for the courtroom in a deft, crisp style that’s smooth as silk. She happens to be the daughter of writer James Lee Burke, but her own debut stands splendidly on its own.”
—
Providence Journal
“Clean, direct prose and a riveting knowledge of her subject…I finished the book in one gulp…Alafair Burke holds our attention with professional skill and authoritative ease.”
—Santa Fe New Mexican
“Fast-paced, well-plotted debut.”
—
Raleigh News & Observer
“[Burke] has developed her own unique style of storytelling that is both fresh and wholly original.
Judgment Calls
is an exciting first novel and the perfect summer book to send shivers of suspense down the reader’s spine.”
—
Tucson Citizen
“It’s the attention to the minutiae of trial tactics that illuminates Kincaid’s character and gives distinction to the novel.”
—
The Toronto Star
“Alafair Burke has made an excellent start…We’ll be watching for the return of Samantha Kincaid.”
—
Toronto Globe and Mail
“Burke comes out of the gate flying…This has all the makings of a successful series, and we’re looking forward to the next.”
—
New Mystery Reader
“An accomplished and thrilling tale of her own…She writes in her own style, at her own pace, and the result is an engrossing novel that compares to the best of the genre.”
—Peter Mergendahl,
Rocky Mountain News
“Alafair Burke is the real deal…
Judgment Calls
is a fine work, introducing what I hope will be a long-running series about the trials and tribulations of Samantha Kincaid…With
Judgment Calls
, Alafair Burke has arrived on the crime fiction scene in dramatic fashion…She’s going to go very far.”
—
January Magazine
“Burke writes with both a clarity and a self-assuredness that belies her first-time novelist status. The plot lines are tightly woven, and she adroitly ties things together in the end. This is the first in what should be a popular series.”
—
Library Journal
“Fast-paced debut introduces a sharp new crime series…Narrated in a crisp first person and injected with good-natured humor…tightly plotted.”
—
Publishers Weekly
“Introduces D.A. Samantha Kincaid, a sympathetic protagonist and welcome newcomer to the legal-thriller landscape…Burke blends courtroom drama and criminal investigation with surprising aplomb…This promising debut augurs well for a successful series.”
—
Booklist
“Captivating. Alafair Burke is a wonderful writer, with the kind of skill and confidence I most admire! I’m a big fan and look forward to the next novel in the series.”
—Sue Grafton
“A terrific debut; very different from her famous father’s work, but the storytelling DNA is all there, for sure. This is smart, savvy, expert.”
—Lee Child
“Reading
Judgment Calls
by Alafair Burke makes predicting the future easy. Burke comes out of the gate with a first novel that proves she’s got what it takes and will be sticking around. This is the most telling of legal thrillers. It expertly shows that the most gripping drama is not found in the courtroom but in the places where choices get made in the shadows cast by politics and corruption and human desires.”
