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Ben Kincaid #9
Silent Justice
When a powerful corporation is charged with dumping toxic chemicals into a community's drinking water and killing innocent children, Ben Kincaid knows the class action suit is a suicide mission. Facing off against the small Kincaid staff is Tulsa's largest law firm. Challenging Ben in the courtroom is the firm's fabled top gun--not to mention a hot-headed judge with a notorious soft spot for big business. But as Ben prepares for legal battle, a sadistic killer strikes. With each gruesome murder, a terrifying connection is more deeply drawn between Ben's quest for justice and another man's relentless hunt for the spoils of his own private--and very dirty--war.
480 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
About the author
William Bernhardt
98 books482 followersWilliam Bernhardt is the author of over sixty books, including the bestselling Daniel Pike and Ben Kincaid legal thrillers, the historical novels Challengers of the Dust and Nemesis, three books of poetry, and the ten Red Sneaker books on fiction writing.
In addition, Bernhardt founded the Red Sneaker Writers Center to mentor aspiring writers. The Center hosts an annual writers conference (WriterCon), small-group seminars, a monthly newsletter, and a bi-weekly podcast. More than three dozen of Bernhardt’s students have subsequently published with major houses. He is also the owner of Balkan Press, which publishes poetry and fiction as well as the literary journal Conclave.
Bernhardt has received the Southern Writers Guild’s Gold Medal Award, the Royden B. Davis Distinguished Author Award (University of Pennsylvania) and the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award (Oklahoma State), which is given "in recognition of an outstanding body of work that has profoundly influenced the way in which we understand ourselves and American society at large." He has been nominated for the Oklahoma Book Award eighteen times in three different categories, and has won the award twice. Library Journal called him “the master of the courtroom drama.” The Vancouver Sun called him “the American equivalent of P.G. Wodehouse and John Mortimer.”
In addition to his novels and poetry, he has written plays, a musical (book and score), humor, children stories, biography, and puzzles. He has edited two anthologies (Legal Briefs and Natural Suspect) as fundraisers for The Nature Conservancy and the Children’s Legal Defense Fund. OSU named him “Oklahoma’s Renaissance Man.”
In his spare time, he has enjoyed surfing, digging for dinosaurs, trekking through the Himalayas, paragliding, scuba diving, caving, zip-lining over the canopy of the Costa Rican rain forest, and jumping out of an airplane at 10,000 feet. In 2013, he became a Jeopardy! champion winning over $20,000.
When Bernhardt delivered the keynote address at the San Francisco Writers Conference, chairman Michael Larsen noted that in addition to penning novels, Bernhardt can “write a sonnet, play a sonata, plant a garden, try a lawsuit, teach a class, cook a gourmet meal, beat you at Scrabble, and work the New York Times crossword in under five minutes.”
In addition, Bernhardt founded the Red Sneaker Writers Center to mentor aspiring writers. The Center hosts an annual writers conference (WriterCon), small-group seminars, a monthly newsletter, and a bi-weekly podcast. More than three dozen of Bernhardt’s students have subsequently published with major houses. He is also the owner of Balkan Press, which publishes poetry and fiction as well as the literary journal Conclave.
Bernhardt has received the Southern Writers Guild’s Gold Medal Award, the Royden B. Davis Distinguished Author Award (University of Pennsylvania) and the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award (Oklahoma State), which is given "in recognition of an outstanding body of work that has profoundly influenced the way in which we understand ourselves and American society at large." He has been nominated for the Oklahoma Book Award eighteen times in three different categories, and has won the award twice. Library Journal called him “the master of the courtroom drama.” The Vancouver Sun called him “the American equivalent of P.G. Wodehouse and John Mortimer.”
In addition to his novels and poetry, he has written plays, a musical (book and score), humor, children stories, biography, and puzzles. He has edited two anthologies (Legal Briefs and Natural Suspect) as fundraisers for The Nature Conservancy and the Children’s Legal Defense Fund. OSU named him “Oklahoma’s Renaissance Man.”
In his spare time, he has enjoyed surfing, digging for dinosaurs, trekking through the Himalayas, paragliding, scuba diving, caving, zip-lining over the canopy of the Costa Rican rain forest, and jumping out of an airplane at 10,000 feet. In 2013, he became a Jeopardy! champion winning over $20,000.
When Bernhardt delivered the keynote address at the San Francisco Writers Conference, chairman Michael Larsen noted that in addition to penning novels, Bernhardt can “write a sonnet, play a sonata, plant a garden, try a lawsuit, teach a class, cook a gourmet meal, beat you at Scrabble, and work the New York Times crossword in under five minutes.”
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
July 31, 2023
Ben Kincaid takes on the impossible and the socially relevant cases. This one involves 9 children who died from Leukemia from allegedly contaminated water created by a local manufacturing plant. The subplot involves a 60 million dollar internal theft at the same plant.
The courtroom scenes are full of drama, and the chicanery around the theft and the murders that resulted are ultimately tied into the main story line. Even when cases are not won, the Grand Wheel of Karma seems to spin in Ben's (and his plaintiffs) direction.
On the personal side of Ben's life, his landlady takes sick and she has one last surprise for the always near penniless barrister. These are relatable characters that make the book engaging.
The courtroom scenes are full of drama, and the chicanery around the theft and the murders that resulted are ultimately tied into the main story line. Even when cases are not won, the Grand Wheel of Karma seems to spin in Ben's (and his plaintiffs) direction.
On the personal side of Ben's life, his landlady takes sick and she has one last surprise for the always near penniless barrister. These are relatable characters that make the book engaging.
September 18, 2024
Great courtroom drama about a big corporation poisoning a water supply by burying barrels of waste that leaked. If that isn't enough, a serial killer is on the loose. Great story line that kept me turning the pages.
May 17, 2014
This was a real legal thriller/page turner. I did not realize that it was part of a series. This is the 9th in the Ben Kincaid series. Ben is a sole practitioner in Tulsa. 11 children in a nearby town died from leukemia. The apparent connection was polluted water from a nearby manufacturing plant. The parents sue in a class action suit and the intrigue begins and does not quit until the end. Seemingly unrelated subplots and plot twists abound. Not to be missed. I am going to read the rest of this series. I could not put it own. Similiar to A Civil Action and the Verdict. For fans of legal thrillers, this is a winner.
October 24, 2017
One of the best in an already great series
January 20, 2024
This one’s a bit hard to review only because it frustrated me so much. First, it’s at least 33 percent longer than it needed to be. At least. A lot of the courtroom antics felt circus-like, and I tired quickly of the political barbs the author threw out there. I don’t like it when Dean Koontz does it, and it didn’t work any better with this guy. The judge in the case was a Reagan appointee, so, he naturally was corrupt, heartless, and a monster. Were not all Reagan appointees corrupt, heartless, and monstrous? Ok, in all fairness to the author, that’s not what he says here. Still, if you need a reason for a judge’s bad behavior, there are far more relevant ones out there than who appointed them to the bench.
Ben Kincaid is perennially broke and still shrilly insecure throughout the book. The bank carts off his office furniture before the book ends. Seems like we saw that in another earlier book. And yet again, Kincaid takes on a corporate villain, and he is the supreme underdog. Yet again. Wow! I’m discovering the more I write this review, the less I liked the book. Time to quit while I still shamelessly admit reading it.
A group of kids in a small Oklahoma town died of Leukemia and/or related blood cancers over a four-year period. Ultimately, 11 sets of parents want to sue a company who allegedly dumped poisons into the town’s water supply. No one in their right mind will take the case, since proving cause and effect are elusive at best in a case like that. But of course, poor, hapless Kincaid takes it knowing that he’ll be broke and on the street if he fails.
This goes from two to three stars on Goodreads because the final chapters were excellent, and I’m glad I stayed with it long enough to enjoy those.
This is almost two books within a book. At least there are two plots that ultimately connect. Behind the main plot of the law suit is one in which a serial killer is methodically killing employees of the company accused of sickening and killing the children.
Ben Kincaid is perennially broke and still shrilly insecure throughout the book. The bank carts off his office furniture before the book ends. Seems like we saw that in another earlier book. And yet again, Kincaid takes on a corporate villain, and he is the supreme underdog. Yet again. Wow! I’m discovering the more I write this review, the less I liked the book. Time to quit while I still shamelessly admit reading it.
A group of kids in a small Oklahoma town died of Leukemia and/or related blood cancers over a four-year period. Ultimately, 11 sets of parents want to sue a company who allegedly dumped poisons into the town’s water supply. No one in their right mind will take the case, since proving cause and effect are elusive at best in a case like that. But of course, poor, hapless Kincaid takes it knowing that he’ll be broke and on the street if he fails.
This goes from two to three stars on Goodreads because the final chapters were excellent, and I’m glad I stayed with it long enough to enjoy those.
This is almost two books within a book. At least there are two plots that ultimately connect. Behind the main plot of the law suit is one in which a serial killer is methodically killing employees of the company accused of sickening and killing the children.
August 26, 2024
This was my first William Bernhardt novel. I received it as part of an online bundle of random hardback books. Reading the inside cover I was expecting a cross between The Rainmaker and Erin Brockovich, and that was somewhat on the money. I had not read any of the earlier Ben Kincaid stories, but this certainly was a good stand alone story.
Pros:
The author had several side stories going at once and they were easy to follow. You knew there was going to be a connection, but you weren't sure what that connection was going to be. The characters were generally likeable, except I didn't get the relationship he had with his employee. Maybe I would have understood that better if I had read the earlier books.
Cons:
Some of the courtroom antics were a bit over the top and overly dramatic. They were likely not realistic at all. While the last several chapters were riveting and hard to put down, I felt like the plot twist were forced. I see that a lot in books as the author sometimes tries to hard to put an unexpecting twist in at the end.
Overall, a pretty good read. I may try another of Bernhardt's books.
Pros:
The author had several side stories going at once and they were easy to follow. You knew there was going to be a connection, but you weren't sure what that connection was going to be. The characters were generally likeable, except I didn't get the relationship he had with his employee. Maybe I would have understood that better if I had read the earlier books.
Cons:
Some of the courtroom antics were a bit over the top and overly dramatic. They were likely not realistic at all. While the last several chapters were riveting and hard to put down, I felt like the plot twist were forced. I see that a lot in books as the author sometimes tries to hard to put an unexpecting twist in at the end.
Overall, a pretty good read. I may try another of Bernhardt's books.
October 3, 2021
I just couldn’t put this book down. It was beautiful and sad and tragic and gripping. I don’t have any children of my own but I can’t imagine how much it would tear me apart to have to lose one true events such as this. It was interesting how the murders and leukemia case is connected in the end. You just knew they were going to smash together somehow but how they did was certainly interesting. This book was kind of like Erin Brockovich with a bit of a twist. Except I found this book more interesting than Erin Brockovich. Regarding the killings, it’s so sad that so many deaths were attributed to that kind of financial payout. And the methods were just revolting. I guess it just goes to show that the love of money is the root of all evil… Or at least a good portion of it. I’m really loving the series a lot and I always look forward to reading the next book.
PS I love the way the author arranged the section headers… You don’t really understand until the very end unless you happen to be a fan of Robert Louis Stevenson. I don’t feel like that’s a spoiler but… Just saying.
PS I love the way the author arranged the section headers… You don’t really understand until the very end unless you happen to be a fan of Robert Louis Stevenson. I don’t feel like that’s a spoiler but… Just saying.
May 6, 2017
Another thoroughly enjoyable novel
Well nine books in and these novels are still a joy to read. There really is not much to say. If you get to this book in the series you obviously enjoy the series and you are going to continue to read the books in this series as I have.
This is one of the better installments in the series so by all means read this one!
If you have stumbled across this review and you are not familiar with the series these are part court room dramas and part detective stories with the emphasis on the discovery and the detective parts more than the courtroom stuff. If that sounds good then you get the first book in the series and start reading.
Well nine books in and these novels are still a joy to read. There really is not much to say. If you get to this book in the series you obviously enjoy the series and you are going to continue to read the books in this series as I have.
This is one of the better installments in the series so by all means read this one!
If you have stumbled across this review and you are not familiar with the series these are part court room dramas and part detective stories with the emphasis on the discovery and the detective parts more than the courtroom stuff. If that sounds good then you get the first book in the series and start reading.
Want to read
July 31, 2017This author is a "colleague" of mine. I met him and we discussed the best translation of Homer (we agree Fagles) while each of us was taking a piss in separate urinals. He is a very good legal writer (as in writing legal briefs, etc.) and gives excellent writing advice to other lawyers. I feel bad that I never supported one of my own by reading his work, so I saw this book and it needed a home. I plan on reading it and hopefully, I will find that the rest of his work resonates with me. This guy has done what I know that I am capable of doing. Congrats Bill!!! You're our John Grisham.
August 7, 2019
Ben Kincaid takes on a civil suit. He represents a group of parents whose children have died of leukemia because of a large corporation not disposing of toxic waste properly and it is getting into the water system. A parallel story is a killer is systematically killing off some of the employees of this corporation in search of the merchandise which turns out to be missing bonds that were stolen years before. The murderer turns out to be the lawyer that Ben has hired to help him with the case.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2017
Great Series
I love Bernhardt's books. Ben Kincaid is probably the nicest lawyer in all fiction. I love him, and Christina. This book deals with a big company trying to cover up its sins. Highly recommended.
I love Bernhardt's books. Ben Kincaid is probably the nicest lawyer in all fiction. I love him, and Christina. This book deals with a big company trying to cover up its sins. Highly recommended.
February 9, 2022
Oh, the Suspense!
This was the best novel in the Ben Kincaid series so far. The plot line was complicated and winding, but the heartache and suspense drove me into several very late nights of reading. I love the team of characters in the series and the courtroom drama was great!
This was the best novel in the Ben Kincaid series so far. The plot line was complicated and winding, but the heartache and suspense drove me into several very late nights of reading. I love the team of characters in the series and the courtroom drama was great!
September 24, 2019
Very interesting book. It was like having two stories going on at once.
Excellent writing that certainly kept my interest.
Excellent writing that certainly kept my interest.
January 31, 2021
Great story
Really sad that this story actually happens in many places. Great characters and storylines, lots of twist and turns in this one.
Really sad that this story actually happens in many places. Great characters and storylines, lots of twist and turns in this one.
June 7, 2021
Really enjoyed the intertwining stories & twist at the end
July 26, 2024
Two mysteries in one and a surprise ending. Very good.
December 4, 2013
I'm not quite sure how I ended up with this book in my stack from the library. It's ninth in a series I have never read before, and according to what I've recorded, I've never even read the author before. The description on the inside cover doesn't reference the fact it's part of a series, so my best guess is I picked it up randomly and thought it looked like a decent, escapist legal thriller.
I don't have anything against series writing per se. It's just different than what I usually read these days. And anyone that cranks out that many books that quickly needs a good editor. Bernhardt seems to have one, but the mistakes that are missed are kind of big ones. Like a character's wife changing names, from Carrie Sue to Gloria (Archie Turnbull, pages 146 and 176). Or the terms "defense" and "plaintiff" being mixed up (I don't have a citation for this one, because one of my friends picked up my copy of the novel and the bookmark noting the mistake fell out).
As for the actual story -- what anyone reading this review actually cares about -- it was okay. Small-time lawyer with a big heart and loyal staff goes up against evil corporate America.
I don't think I'll be reading books one through eight, though. (Or ten through infinity.)
I don't have anything against series writing per se. It's just different than what I usually read these days. And anyone that cranks out that many books that quickly needs a good editor. Bernhardt seems to have one, but the mistakes that are missed are kind of big ones. Like a character's wife changing names, from Carrie Sue to Gloria (Archie Turnbull, pages 146 and 176). Or the terms "defense" and "plaintiff" being mixed up (I don't have a citation for this one, because one of my friends picked up my copy of the novel and the bookmark noting the mistake fell out).
As for the actual story -- what anyone reading this review actually cares about -- it was okay. Small-time lawyer with a big heart and loyal staff goes up against evil corporate America.
I don't think I'll be reading books one through eight, though. (Or ten through infinity.)
June 15, 2011
GOOD BUT NOT TOP NOTCH
The story is about a powerful rich corporation accused of improper waste disposal, this fact causes the death of eleven children who live in a nearby neighborhood, there is also a subplot featuring a sadistic killer who makes the impossible to accomplish his goal. The author is a great storyteller, in this book he deflty manages two different parallel stories, and subtly intertwines them until they merge into the main plot, he knows how to handle ticking bomb suspense and exhibits a gripping writing style with an accurate character drawing. However, some flaws can be seen like the unveiling of the identity of the sadistic killer and the contrived ending which after long way originated in a terrific start, shows blunt childish surprises and a quick turning of key events just to end the book That left me unsatisfied.
The story is about a powerful rich corporation accused of improper waste disposal, this fact causes the death of eleven children who live in a nearby neighborhood, there is also a subplot featuring a sadistic killer who makes the impossible to accomplish his goal. The author is a great storyteller, in this book he deflty manages two different parallel stories, and subtly intertwines them until they merge into the main plot, he knows how to handle ticking bomb suspense and exhibits a gripping writing style with an accurate character drawing. However, some flaws can be seen like the unveiling of the identity of the sadistic killer and the contrived ending which after long way originated in a terrific start, shows blunt childish surprises and a quick turning of key events just to end the book That left me unsatisfied.
July 30, 2011
My most recent visit with William Bernhardt's excellent series featuring the relentless attorney, Ben Kincaid and his loyal collection of staff, friends, and adversaries, is my favorite so far. The case is again probably hopeless and presents a substantial economic threat to all concerned, but Ben plows ahead and shows his dedication to fighting the good fight against huge odds. The plot is tight and the outcome unpredicted, but the reader leaves well satisfied as always. Bernhardt always keeps his characters real and his conflicts compelling. It is a pleasure to read these stories.
January 29, 2015
It was a pretty good book, the ending had the right mix of surprise while still allowing you to figure it out if you paid enough attention to detail, and it didn't seem like the author had to go out of their way or try too hard to bring the story to a close.
The story is told in an interesting way, the characters are built up quite nicely. Without placing too much emphasis on details that do not carry the story forward.
The story is told in an interesting way, the characters are built up quite nicely. Without placing too much emphasis on details that do not carry the story forward.
July 15, 2014
It was hard to decide between three and four stars because of one factor: several really gruesome murders. After the first one I knew that the others would be likewise gruesome and skipped the details. I do really enjoy the characters of Ben Kincaid and Christina and there are some real surprises. My husband and I read quite a few of the earlier books and then we somehow stopped reading, I'm not sure why.
September 18, 2008
William Bernhardt's legal thrillers feature lawyer Ben Kincaid, who takes on big, impossible cases with few resources. In this one, Kincaid represents a family of a young leukemia victim and raises serious questions about the link of illegal dumping of industrial chemicals to causing leukemia. Plot twists keep you going until the final word. A very good read!
May 31, 2012
Children are dying from cancer in a small Oklahoma town. The parents suspect toxic waste from a local plant is the cause and convince Ben kincaid to take the case. A deranged man takes a law class that Kincaid is teaching hostage and kills one student. Employees of the company named in the law suit are being tortured and murdered.
December 30, 2014
Best story so far in this series
Well what can I say? During the trial I wanted to beat hell out of Colby and Judge Perry. I'm betting this is why most people feel that justice is not served. Of course just when I've given up hope. Here comes Ben and his gang to give back hope for justice. Good job!
Well what can I say? During the trial I wanted to beat hell out of Colby and Judge Perry. I'm betting this is why most people feel that justice is not served. Of course just when I've given up hope. Here comes Ben and his gang to give back hope for justice. Good job!
October 6, 2008
After a break of a few months I am back reading Bernhardt's books. This story is a little like Erin Brocovich. Bernhardt's writing has a new depth to it. I just wish his character, Ben Kincaid, could try a case with an impartial judge.
March 16, 2016
Bernhardt does not disappoint! His courtroom dramas and criminal mysteries are some of the best I have ever read. Corporate tampering, illegal dumping of toxic waste, and a huge lawsuit taken on by a "soft-hearted" lawyer interwoven with danger and thrills make this book exciting to read.
May 21, 2016
I think I might have found a new author. This is the first book by Bernhardt that I have read. I thought I would be lost since it is book number 9 but I was able to follow the characters' relationships and the storyline was a page turner.
March 19, 2008
Another interesting Kincaid book. Obviously a quick read and again hits on interesting social issues.
December 10, 2008
Very good book!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews