Unbelievable! If you thought you knew contemporary American history you are in for a big surprise! Madigan presents a chapter that has never been told. How is it that we don't know about this? How can a secret this big stay quite for so long? This book changes the history of race relations in Tulsa and the reaction across the country, at tht time, further demostrates how quickly past generations were willing to move beyond the single most horrific act of racism since slavery. The book is filled with stories about the lives of real people, made more real by the remarkable detail still alive within them. Madigan has made this unpleasant story so highly readable that you are transported to Greenwood in 1921, looking for ways to help, to comfort and to change what history has purposely forgotten. Congratulations to Madigan, this is a brave piece of work that will surely make all Americans rethink our history. When the unbelievable happens, thankfully, there will be writers like Madigan to tell the story.

The Burning provides great insight into the dynamics of race relations as they existed in Tulsa Oklahoma circa 1920's. Madigan does an excellent job of laying the social, psychological and historical groundwork necessary for understanding the flourishing and prosperous black community of Greenwood within Tulsa. His extensive research chronicles factors within the white community of Tulsa, bringing into play a diverse mixture of key characters with their own social and racial agendas. As readers following the unfolding string of events, we find ourselves witnesses to one of the most atrocious, heartbreading and bloody crimes committed against any one group of individuals on American soil.

Madigan draws directly from his own personal interviews with surviving eyewitnesses. Lucid, firsthand accounts provide vivid details of the carnage, slaughter and Pandemonium occuring on the streets of Greenwood on that fateful day in May, 1921. Madigan also uses a wealth of historical documents to provide for a salient, conscientious and unbiased account of what transpired as can be hoped for.

The Burning gives us a rare opportunity to learn about one of the most reprehensible acts of terror carried out against one group of American citizens by another. In conjuction with this event, the fact that such a significant historical calamity could have gone underground and been safeguarded there for this many years is practically beyond belief. I have heard we are only as sick as the secrets we keep. Maybe in this time of global turmoil and fear, where mass hysteria and mob mentality simmer just beneath the surface, we might do better to take a closer look at ourself.

Kudo's Madigan, what a worthwhile undertaking!

Up to this point, Tulsa native Scott Ellsworth's "Death In a Promised Land" has been the best book on the Tulsa Massacre of 1921, but Tim Madigan has done an excellent job with this story. Ellsworth's (who graciously gave Madigan assistance with this volume) book on this subject was written in a scholarly "matter of factly" tone, well-written and long on historical detail but somewhat short of passion for the subject. Madign gets deep into the emotions of the people behind the events and trasforms this detail into a story that the readers can identify with. The details and excellent use of primary sources makes it hard to beleive that it only took a year to write this book! Historians and casual readers will both find this book interesting (if extremely sad) reading. However, the ending does say much for the triumph of the human spirit and the book does give and interesting lesson to the depths and heights of human behavior.

You may still want to check out Ellworth's book for a primary introduction to the subject, as it goes a bit deeper into the background of Tulsa to understand the events. But overall, Madigan's work is as of now the best book on this subject.

This was one of the most gripping and interesting stories I have ever read. It was riveting and never boring. This was the first Berhardt book I have read and I now am looking for all the rest. I am in the service, presently in Kuwait. I found this book in the PX. Much to my disappointment, it was the only William Berhardt book they had. I WILL read the whole series and anything else William Berhardt ever writes. Keep them coming

This was reccomended to me by a local bookstore and my first time to read Bernhardt. Wonderful. I am going to be a big fan. Ben Kincaid is some kind of attorney. I went out yesterday and bought his first book, Primary Justice, and finished it today. Unbelievably good for a first book. I found several of his books in Amazon and will try to find all of his books to read in the order they were written.

William Bernhardt has written another good book. I really wish the world had a lot of Ben Kincaids in it, but I doubt it does. Ben is defending an retarted man who is accused of killing a woman ten years ago. The story also includes another man who is taking young boys and making them do sexual things before he kills them. How do these two things connect?? Have to read to find out but you will. Ben, Mike Morelli, Christina McCall, Jones and Loving are all involved. The story will hold your attention from beginning to end. The court room drama is very good. Morelli is, as usual, a very good detective. The ending will surprise you, or it did me, anyway. Ben even gets closer to his Mother in this one. This is book five, would suggest reading them in order, if possible, they will make a better connection.

I wish I had thought to read my review of Mr. Bernhardt's previous novel, Naked Justice, before I bought this book. I could have saved myself the time it took to read Extreme Justice. As with Naked Justice, the plot is a good one but it is padded with so much silliness (the Christian nudist camp, for example) that it becomes just plain annoying. If Mr. Bernhardt would stop trying to be cute and stick to the serious side of his stories, his books would be greatly improved.

I enjoy finding what I call a new Author. Finishing this book I knew I had a new one. I will go back now and read all in the series. His plotting is great and he actually follows a story line that you can follow. The "coma paragraphs" are really great. I highly recommend this book.

Have read them in order. This is number seven. This is one of the best ones in my openion. I liked it much better than "Naked Justice". Ben has decided to stop being an Attorney. He is going to play jazz piano and go on tour. Then, an old girlfriend of Earl Bonners turns up dead and Earl is the chief suspect. Earl is a friend of Ben's and the owner of the club where Ben plays. Kincaid decides he has to defend him and will take one more case. He again gets the help of Christina McCall, Jones and Loving. There is another killing and as they get closer to the killer he comes after Ben. Mike Morelli, a friend and policeman, trys to help but he is unable to. Can Ben pull it off without getting killed himself???? A very, very good ending. I thought I had it figured out and BAM I did not. Strange things happen during the last pages. I found myself trying to read faster and faster to see what was happening and how it would end. If you like a good mystery with a strange twist I think you will like this.

Black Wall Street was very imformative book and gave a lot of insight about how successful we were as a people and how unified the community was at that time. Mr. Hannibal Johnson did a wonderful job in potraying the devesatation brought upon the African-American community on May 31, 1921. This particular book should be in every African-American home as a must read to show our youth that in the past were have been a prosperous people.

Imformative as well as historical commentary on sucessful Afro-Americans during a time of extreme overt racial hatred. A positive example of what others have achieved in the past, in spite of the terrible consequenses, to help focus others in the future. An excellent contrast with your usual American history text verbage about the Roaring 20's. A must for Afro-American home libraries as well as American history buffs.

William Bernhardt has given us two other Ben Kincaid stories (Dark Justice, Silent Justice) and Murder One continues the saga of this not-so-typical lawyer novel hero. Kincaid is defending 19-year-old exotic dancer Keri Dalcanton in her trial for the ghastly murder of police hero Joe McNaughton. McNaughton was found naked, chained to the statue in a fountain in a public park one morning, dead from multiple stab wounds; the night before his wife had badgered him into going to see Keri to break off their torrid love affair. His mutilated body was bound so tightly that his arms were broken. Keri weighs about 100 pounds, Joe 220. Keri was arrested and charged within hours of the time the body was discovered. The cops are up in arms about their hero being killed, and in such a sensational fashion. Early in the trial, Kincaid spots an error in procedure in the way the police got their warrant to search Keri's apartment, and the case is dismissed. Many police are enraged and vow to make Kincaid pay for getting the murderess off. The most vehement is the cop who messed up. In mood for revenge, the police institute the "Blue Squeeze" to badger Kincaid and make his life miserable. With full SWAT team (and media) support they raid Kincaid's office, with a proper search warrant this time, and find a bloody knife in his desk. He is then arrested for concealing evidence and for murder. The circumstances are enough to vacate double jeopardy and bring Keri back to trial again. Then the charges against Ben are dropped. Keri's new trial proceeds, along with a side narrative of the tribulations of Keri's brother Kirk, who is obviously disturbed and deranged. Kirk's actions lead to an unexpected, almost deus ex machina, ending to the trial. Then there is an even more bizarre ending to the novel. The story is well told, and has some very interesting characters who weave in and around the plots twists and turns.

"Murder One" is the latest entry in William Bernhardt's series of legal thrillers featuring the nebbishy lawyer from Oklahoma, Ben Kincaid. Although Ben is far from macho, he is a true idealist, and he is an aggressive and smart courtroom attorney. Christina McCall, Ben's former legal assistant, has recently graduated from law school and she is now Ben's partner. The case in this book deals with the horrible murder and mutilation of a policeman, Joe McNaughton, who was a popular man on the Tulsa police force. McNaughton's cop buddies and his widow are sure that the killer is a nineteen-year-old stripper named Keri Dalcanton. Keri was Joe's lover until he ended their torrid affair. Ben faces formidable obstacles in his efforts to acquit Kerry. First of all, there is strong circumstantial evidence linking Keri to Joe's murder. In addition, several policemen have a vendetta against Ben and Keri in the form of "the blue squeeze," which consists of physical and verbal harassment by the police. As usual, Ben's case seems hopeless and dangerous. However, he and his loyal staff battle the D. A. and the police with some clever tactics of their own. As always, Ben and his cohorts are amusing and charming, and the case is complicated and involving. There are plenty of red herrings to keep the reader guessing. However, Bernhardt goes overboard in several areas. There are graphic depictions of sadomasochistic and kinky sex that do not mix well with the gentle humor that pervades much of the book. The ending is way over the top and the plot becomes extremely contrived in an effort to "surprise" the reader. I enjoy a good surprise, but not at the expense of believability. All in all, "Murder One" is a serviceable legal thriller, but Bernhardt should have toned down the sensationalism and made the plot play out a little more realistically.

Tulsa, Oklahoma, attorney Ben Kincaid has risen through the ranks to become one of my favorite characters in contemporary fiction. In "Murder One", Ben has been retained to represent teenage stripper Keri Delcanton for the murder of her older, married lover. The victim, police detective Joe McNaughton, was viciously murdered, mutilated, and left hanging from a downtown fountain.

Although Ben believes in his client's innocence, the circumstantial evidence against her is so overwhelming that a conviction is almost a foregone conclusion. And then a huge technical error on the part of the police blows the prosecution's case out of the water and Keri is acquitted.

The Police Department, District Attorney, and much of the public at large are outraged and it isn't long before the cops raid Ben's office and "find" the knife used to slaughter McNaughton. Ben is quickly arrested and charged with the murder his client was freed for. Enter Christina McCall, Ben's effervescent former legal assistant who has just graduated from law school. Christina ably represents Ben on the bogus charges, which are finally dropped when a way around double jeopardy is found and new charges are filed against Keri.

The story moves forward at a staccato pace to its thrilling O Henry-like climax. This one should not be missed by legal thriller fans. It's a definite keeper.

As soon as I saw that this book was available, I whipped out my credit card and ordered it. Last year Final Round was published, and during a similar lull of common sense, I ordered that one, too. I thought why not wait for Ben, Christina, Loving, and Jones to return to form? Consequently, when I saw Criminal Intent was in the stores, I leaped for it. Mistake.
If anyone needs a vacation and a little down time, it's Mr. Bernhardt. He's a fine writer, and I imagine a nice chap. His earlier books were somewhat captivating. However, his last two attempts have been subpar even for a struggling hack.
I will not go into detail concerning the story line, which I found to be uninteresting, but will say that the dialogue is sophomore-ish at best. Ben has become a Boy Scout. And maybe that's all right. Maybe we need more of that in our society. The problem as I see it is that we have R-rated audiences reading G-rated mysteries. Fitting for prep school perusal, but not very exciting for folks who have read books written for the more adult population. This book belongs in the juvenile section of the local library right next to Bambi and the Black Stallion. Realistically, I just couldn't quite swallow this latest serving. Sorry.

You'd never guess from the title that the defense lawyer, Ben Kincaid, is going to be up to his neck in religious shenanigans...but he is. Unfortunately, in this case he is disappointed to find out how too fallible his religious guide/priest/whatever is. Bernhardt nicely involves a lot of different Christian denominations in this book...without saying anything nasty or prejudicial about them.

Many people might think the little extracurricular activities that Father Holbrook engages in and also gets his congregation to engage in is not likely to happen. Unfortunately, during the 70's it happened probably all too often. Our church did not have a building of it's own so we borrowed other churches buildings (when they would let us). One time, my mom went into the current building we were using and came out all flustered because we were going to have a children's meeting, and said we couldn't do it. I won't name the denomination, but let's just say the took the idea of 'sensitivity sessions' too far, and my modest mother who was the head of the children's organization had to wait outside and tell everyone to head home. Needless to say, we changed buildings after that!

So Bernhardt's idea isn't crazy, but it didn't make for enjoyable reading all the same. I was thrown off by who I thought was the villain of all the murders...I figured a certain somebody wanted his money sooner than later, and so had 'made arrangements.'

Bernhardt's information about how many times people are found guilty of a crime, and then when new information comes out, it doesn't necessarily exonerate them or let them out of prison because of the way the justice system worked took me by surprise. I knew that DNA was helping to free some wrongly accused. You'd have to live in Siberia, not to read about someone being let free because of sloppy or prejudicial police work. I didn't realize how bad it was, and will be interested in reading more concerning this issue.

The mystery was okay...just wasn't a good topic and didn't pack the urgency or good writing I come to look for in my mysteries...

Karen SAdler

William Bernhardt is one of those guys who labors mightily and persistently despite not being a household name. He actually makes this work to his benefit. He can stretch a bit here and there, and take a chance or three that he might not otherwise be able to because he, at this stage, is not quite well known enough to have to live up to certain expectations. I'm not sure why he isn't better known --- his publisher certainly believes in him, and he can craft as a compelling a page turner as anyone. If one occasionally finds their suspension of disbelief sliding into "Hey, wait a minute" territory while reading his work, it certainly doesn't keep the pages from turning almost of their own volition.

CRIMINAL INTENT is Bernhardt's latest work; Bernhardt takes a big chance here, combining the best elements of two tested subcategories of the mystery genre --- the legal thriller and the drawing room mystery. Whatever strengths and weaknesses Bernhardt's work might have, it is simply amazing how he can so seamlessly combine these elements and craft a work which keeps the reader guessing up to the last few pages while at the same time propelling the reader smartly along. On top of that, he presents an extremely unlikely suspect: Father Daniel Beale, an Episcopal priest who is not exactly the most likable of characters. He's managed to alienate at least half of his parishioners by dragging them, kicking and screaming, toward his view of what's what, with the result that his flock is inexorably straying toward other shepherds.

When Beale is accused of murder, Attorney Ben Kincaid is there to see him through. Kincaid and Beale go back a long way, practically to Kincaid's childhood, and Kincaid is more than capable of seeing the good in the man. When yet another murder occurs, however, and Beale is caught literally red-handed, it seems all but certain that he is indeed the murderer. Kincaid does his best, but even his own client seems to be working against him. For there is much about Beale that Kincaid does not know. Surprise after devastating surprise awaits Kincaid as he attempts to defend Beale --- a task which, it appears, amounts to defending the indefensible.

Bernhardt's fan base will undoubtedly consider CRIMINAL INTENT to be one of his best; certainly this is one of more compelling novels to be published by anyone this year. Kincaid is just offbeat enough, just eccentric enough, to be real and unclassifiable, and his supporting cast is interesting but never threatens to overshadow him. And if you've tried one of Bernhardt's novels in the past, but never returned to his work, CRIMINAL INTENT would be a good way to renew an old but unfulfilled acquaintance. This might be the one that puts Bernhardt's name, already on the map, in bolder letters.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

Many of the "facts" in this book are clearly in dispute. Other historians and researchers have uncovered evidence that contradicts or even debunks some of the supposeded events. This book seems to try and make the 1921 Tulsa Race WAR look like a very one-sided affair, with whites being "guilty" and blacks being "innocent". The truth is that both sides were at fault. A war broke out, and the blacks lost.

Rarely do we have an instance when a teller of history valiantly attempts to remain objective. The author has done well in presenting a historical perspective that does not seek unconscionable blame nor claim illusionary vindication. These acts of historical literary balance, lay the foundations upon which great civilizations have risen. Having heard the oral traditions of Greenwood, it would have been very easy to paint all white people with a broad stroke of UNDENIABLE EVIL, as it would have been with providing all blacks with a halo of SAINTHOOD. By piecemilling together facts, reminants of what many have sought to destroy, along with balancing the personal interviews, the author has provided the impetus for how we should begin discussing our history. As a Black American, I feel slighted, as if I have just been walking in circles, having never learned of moments such as Greenwood, which helps us to better understand who we are. It is strange how we have never seen war as a viable option, but have been labeled as the most violent and retched. Thanks to the author and his supporters, who have finally began removing the veil of America's History. May others, who set themselves upon pedestals, possess enough courage to pursue such a task.

Regardless of whatever facts one can produce that might make the black people involved in this travesty look guilty, America had never bombed itself before this point. I see one review talking about, there was a war and the black people lost. Yes, we lost this war, and every other war against racism. And looking at this incident allows us all to see why black people will continue to lose for a while: we don't own the bombs and we don't run the government. I don't want to see any condemnations of the truth, and the truth is that the black people were the victims in this. To sum it all up: they were too successful to be in America. We need books like these that show us all of the things that the history books that school our children conveniently forget to include, and all of the odds against black people being successful in this country. I didn't read the book but I commend the author for taking one step towards raising the racial consciousness levels of citizens.

This is the 6th Bernhardt book I have read in the Ben Kincaid series. I think I have rated all the others with five stars. This is the first one I was disappointd in. To me, the trial pages were way to long. He went into to much detail on blood and DNA testing. If I had wanted a medical book I would have read one. All the people I liked were there, Ben, Christina, Jones, Loving and Mike. The first of the book was good and the ending was a surprise, to me at least. The middle was boring and to wordy at times. The ending left me sad and this had not happened in the previous books. I will read number seven as the first five were so good. I surely hope I enjoy it more.

This isn't so much a review of Naked Justice by itself as a review of the whole Ben Kincaid (Justice) series. I won't pretend that Bernhardt's books are Pulitzer candidates, but their zany cast of characters will enchant you! They will grab you, especially if you read the series in order. The self-effacing Ben Kincaid is Everyman turned defense attorney, and the other members of his entourage, especially the beguiling Christina, will similarly strike a chord with readers in a way that the super-lawyers of other current legal fiction cannot. These books are just plain fun. While you will become interested in the plots and legal maneuverings, their main attraction is the characters themselves. You will discover that you really care about these people, because they will reflect so much of yourself and of "normal" people, complete with foibles...Stan Davi

Maybe because I waited until 1999 to read this book and maybe because I have read the entire "Justice" series in order (recently, I might add), I don't share some of the other reviewers' problems with this book. Sure, there are parallels with O.J., but truth be told I found this book to be not only interesting but exciting. (I also hazard a guess that anyone reading this book would love to hear an explaination from OJ, such as was provided in this book by it's defendant.)

I not only enjoyed the main plot, but the sub-plots of this book as well. The "Justice" books keep me reading and wanting more. Mr. Bernhardt's main characters are people that if they were real, I would love to know in real life. I also love to hate the prosecutor, Jack Bullock (making his second appearance). Kincaid and Bullock have a history and we learn even more about Kincaid's background in this book than ever before.

I would recommend this book highly, although based on the other reviews, maybe you should read the others in this series first - beginning with "Primary Justice" and following them in sequential order.

I think this book was comprimised by it's lackluster, irrelevant ending. The first 386 pages were wonderfully rich. The main character, Richter Boudreau, was brilliantly inept. Following him around the underside of Tulsa was a great blend slapstick and mystery. The cast of characters were also very colorful, most notably Ronnie, with his commando-like persona. However, there are too many details and ideas that go undeveloped. Some are just unnecessary. Why does Boudreau have two jobs? Why mention his ambition to write a sceenplay? The latter I suspect was meant to pesent a commentary on racial prejudice in the south, but it's sadly never developed. After all this effort is spent developing the characters, the last 9 pages of the book bring the story to an unsatisfying, abrubt halt. I read the last chapter at least 5 times trying to figure out how it fit with what came before. I thought it was a very unbalanced ending (The movie version has a more satisfying, albeit trite, rewritten ending). This book should have been better.

I knew Mr. Berkey many years ago. He did too many drugs. I have been waiting for his next book, but it hasn't come. I very much regret not buying as many copies as possible of the English edition for $2.99 when I had the chance. There is abundant hidden meaning in this tome. Don't be fooled by the book's apparent deficiencies.