The Best Defense by Kate Wilhelm

A Three Reasons Review

1. Reason I chose this book

Kate Wilhelm was an author I “discovered” last year. I enjoyed the first one in her Barbara Holloway series and this audiobook was on the “always available” list through my library, so I borrowed it.

2. Reason I liked the book

It kept me hooked. Barbara Holloway is defending a woman accused of killing her daughter and then setting a building on fire to cover up the crime. The media has already convicted her, but Barbara is far from sure she’s guilty. There’s a small group of other suspects, some of whom prove to be very dangerous.

I liked Barbara better in this one. She’s still not quite sure of who she is/ who she wants to be, and she is recovering from the death of the man she fell in love with in the first book, but she doesn’t dwell on herself as much as she did in the first one. Her passion for justice is still evident though.

3. Reason I’m recommending this book

It’s a good, solid courtroom drama with a well-plotted mystery. There are plenty of clues, and the characters are well-developed. It touches on some important issues, like battered wife syndrome and the way media can affect how the public sees things.

Barbara Holloway #2, but can be read as a stand-alone
11 hours, 2 minutes, narrated by Anna Fields
First published 1994

Challenge: Mystery & Suspense

3½ out of 5 stars

Purchase at Amazon.

I borrowed my copy from the library and the above is my honest opinion.

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