Bleedout Paperback – 6 Mar. 2006

Springfield, Illinois, is famous in U.S. history. Abraham Lincoln moved to the city in 1837 and set up in various legal practices, was elected to the state legislature and to Congress, and was finally, in 1860, elected U.S. President. Springfield is, or should be, synonymous with all that is best in the U.S. political and justice systems.In this story, Hugh Freyl is another respected Springfield lawyer, specialising in corporate law in a major firm bearing the name of one of Lincoln’s partners. Twenty-five years ago he was struck blind; devastating though this was,he not only returned to his practice but became involved in the Illinois State Literacy in Prisons programme. One of the young offenders whom he encounters is fifteen-year-old David Marion who is serving a life sentence for the murder of his foster-father and foster-brother. David is functionally illiterate, an ‘urban savage’, product of a totally dysfunctional background and even further brutalised by his experiences in a notorious adult prison to which, as a juvenile, he ought not to have been sent. Freyl recognises David’s intelligence and not only undertakes his education but works, with eventual success, to have him freed. Then one night, in the library at his law firm, Hugh Freyl is battered to death.David Marion, with his cold and hostile personality and his reputation for extreme violence, is the most obvious, indeed, the only suspect. He is arrested, held for four days and then, having established an unimpeachable alibi, released without charge. But even so . . . with his history. . . ? It is in his interests to find out who did murder Hugh Freyl and with the aid of Stephanie Willis, Hugh’s former personal assistant and mistress, he sets out to do so. The story of his quest forms one of the narrative strands of this book, while the other, told as if from beyond the grave by Hugh himself, is the story of Hugh’s relationship with David and of the events in David’s life that have made him what he is. It is a measure of Brady’s brilliance as a writer that she does not yield to the temptation to make David likeable, let alone loveable. He is the complete reverse: cold, rejecting, possibly psychotic, subject to blackouts so that even he cannot be sure that he did not after all murder Hugh Freyl. We feel an abstract pity for him, and anger and disgust at Brady’s portrayal of a criminal justice system that veers from the lackadaisical and slipshod to the downright abusive and corrupt, and of a prison system that is unbelievably brutal and degrading. And as the story continues and David and Stephanie begin to uncover a complex web of corporate greed and fraud and political corruption and criminality, David does become more human. But his enemies are closing in on him and those whom he loves.This is Brady’s first crime novel. It is extremely powerful and blazes with deep-felt anger at the abuses she describes. Her choice of Springfield, with its association with Lincoln, as a location is obviously deliberate: the contrast between what the justice and political systems are and what they should be is clear. Although the story is set in the U.S.A., Brady now lives in England. She has written a compelling and well-structured book: an excellent read on anybody’s terms.-------Reviewer: Radmila MayFor Lizzie Hayes (Mystery Women Group)

This is without a doubt, a brilliant thriller, and don't think for a minute that you will be able to put it down becaue you won't. Intelligent and talented writing, together with an intriguing story, likeable characters and a stunningly jaw dropping ending, perfect!

Everything about this book appealed to me before I read it. The back cover endorsements, the story outline, the US setting (I love US crime thrillers). What a let-down. I really struggled to finish it. I found the main characters either one-dimensional or totally unrealistic; the storyline was somehow both dull and confusing at the same time. Never have I found myself so disinterested in the 'who-dunnit' aspect.Some of the adjectives on the rear cover are 'gripping', 'tense', 'astonishing' and 'outstanding'.I would use other adjectives - such as 'boring', 'mind-numbing', 'characterless' and 'rambling'. A thorough disappointment.

I have read all of Joan Brady's previous works so I was not entirely prepared for Bleedout. That said, I read this new work of fiction with great interest and was not disappointed. Comments of a general nature include: The book is well written and well structured. It is obviously well researched and demonstrated the author's breadth of interests and knowledge.What most drew me into the book and kept me turning from chapter to chapter, were the characterisations of David Marion and Hugh Freyl, as well as their relationship and interaction. These were cleverly illustrated by the living Marion and Freyl, speaking from the grave. I felt as though I had a relationship with Marion, one which swung from initial repulsion to eventual liking and admiration.Central to this book is the author's expert study of the psychological aspects of Marion and Freyl. I was not disappointed by the human beings which were presented. One might wish that Marion were not so angry and aggressive in his approach to life, but then it must be very difficult to be otherwise given his childhood experiences.The colourful description of Springfied, Illinois was enough to ensure that I shall never set foot in that town. What an unpleasant place without, it would seem, any redeeming graces.I would happily recommend this book to friends and family. In fact I have already suggested to my brother that he get Bleedout for his next flight from Washington DC to Hawaii. A good read.

Reading this book forced me to ask whether British readers are really as unsophisticated as this author seemed to think when she felt compelled to put British idioms into the mouths of American characters. For instance, American police might frame you, but they do not "fit you up" for anything. Nor do American police keep "murder books" like the British police. Nor would an uneducated American ex-con like "Tony" use the word "manservant" (and his poor grammar tells us he is uneducated, regardless of how poorly Brady renders that dialogue). Finally, Joan Brady has a character claim that he was clerk to Chief Justice Earl Warren "twelve years ago" (twelve years before the events in the novel take place), which would have required Warren to be presiding over the Supreme Court some twenty years or so after his death. Apparently having a cousin who is a former assistant DA in Los Angeles was not enough to capture all the disturbing anomalies I have found so far. I've only managed to read half the book and am not sure I will be able to force the rest of it down; at least not if I can get a delivery from Amazon fast enough to get something else to read. The dialogue drags, the plot plods and the book simply does not ring true. Considering all the fine British and American crime/suspense writers out there, there is no reason to waste time or money on this mish-mash.