Proof Evident
John Dicke
(Reviewer - Narayan Radhakrishnan)
2006 Synergy Books
ISBN: 0976498154

A judge is charged with the murder of a popular sheriff.

Sr. Associate Reviewer Narayan Radhakrishnan writes:

The blurb of this novel caught my attention at the outset - “sometimes the guy pleading insanity is the sanest person in the courtroom” - as a lawyer myself, I have often found myself wondering whether the defense of insanity in murder cases has been mis-utilized by lawyers & whether pucca guilty criminals/murderers have left scot-free on this ground of defense. & improvising on the insanity plea other grounds have cropped up - like using the battered wife syndrome or multiple personally disorder, etc., as a grounds of defense. (Remember the Richard Gere movie based on the William Diehl book Primal Fear). I was tilting towards the opinion that this ground of defense should be abolished.

& Proof Evident convinced me otherwise, & proved why the insanity plea is important as a line of defense in criminal cases.

John Dicke, a lawyer & psychologist in his debut work provides a stunning & well-studied courtroom drama of the importance of the insanity plea in criminal law. Based on the famous Hinckley Defense theory (advanced by lawyer Vincent Fuller during his defense of John Hinckley -- accused of attempting to murder President Ronald Reagan in 1981), the theory has had its ups & downs. Some judges have accepted it, while some have discarded it. It is in this background Dicke bases his novel.

Avery Jackson, judge & law professor is accused of assassinating Sheriff Gene Hardacre. The only one who doesn't believe he pulled the trigger is the judge himself -- he doesn't remember anything. When lawyer Jack Maine comes to his defense, he doesn't expect much & believes the trial to be a formality before the judge is sentenced to death -- but investigating more deeply into the case convinces him otherwise & the lawyer discovers dirt, corruption & even more murders in the labyrinth of power in the Ohio State.

John Dicke's experience as a psychologist & as a lawyer is well revealed & showcased in Proof Evident, so much so that it proves to be an entertaining as well as informative read. The author's website informs that he is at work on another couple of books, (one tentatively titled Fatal Dilemma) & his debut thriller is something to go by -- he sure is gonna create competition for Grisham, Turow, Buffa & other lawyer author superstars.

I recommend this stylish thriller.
(02/26/06)

Narayan
2006©Narayan Radhakrishnan
A RebeccasReads.Com Sr. Associate Reviewer

Reviewer's Bio:
I am a 26 years old lawyer practicing in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. Along with my legal practice, I have finished post-graduate studies for both Business Law & Human Rights. I am a self proclaimed numero-uno legal thriller lover & am the proud owner of all of Grisham's & Turow's novels. I enjoy John Mortimer's Rumpole & relish an occasional Martini & a rare Scot(ch)t-oline with a Patterson on the side.

My work A FICTION OF LAW is now about 500 pages in length & features 500 lawyer authors & 2000 legal thrillers covering a 300 year period - inclusive of entries from the USA, UK, Asia, Europe, China, Middle East etc. Still in search of a publisher.
www.keralatourism.org