A Slight Case of Guilt Thomas R Bransten 9780984956746 Books
Download As PDF : A Slight Case of Guilt Thomas R Bransten 9780984956746 Books
“A Slight Case of Guilt is a beautifully-written novel that captures the spirit, atmosphere and characters of Dijon, France in the early 1970s after the kidnapping of a young French boy who is heir to an age-old noble family. From mouth-watering baguettes and local bakeries to the families, police, lawyers and politicians behind the scenes, author Thomas R. Bransten elegantly portrays the heartbreaking drama through the eyes of journalist Lincoln Goldstone who leads the reader through an enticing and memorable story laced with style, wit, and cynicism." ~ Steven Caplan, Welcome Home, Sir “In A Slight Case of Guilt Thomas Bransten brilliantly describes his characters, no matter how briefly their appearance, in such rich, almost poetic tones, that you feel as if you’d recognize them on the street. He’s a superb word painter whose every scene is like a period tapestry hanging in a museum; masterfully-wrought suspense is woven with subplots that sparkle and stab with insight. Whoever writes the inevitable screenplay for A Slight Case of Guilt should have an easy time of creating a blockbuster movie. Haunting and powerful, and at times sadly comical, this is an absolutely compelling must read!” ~ Merle P. Martin, Nomad’s Chant "With polished prose and a deft writer's eye, Thomas Bransten sweeps readers up and drops them into 1970s Dijon, where the kidnapping of six-year old Christophe Ville de Coutray is just the beginning of a complex and beautifully-woven plot that explores the still-unresolved issues of the German occupation during World War II and French collaboration. A great read that's suspenseful, gripping and compelling." ~ Alex Keto, The Rainbird War
A Slight Case of Guilt Thomas R Bransten 9780984956746 Books
I read this book from the original galley and loved it so much I ordered it for myself on Kindle. However, it was snagged in the storm Sandy and nothing but an apology letter asking me to be patient ever come in. I am still hoping to get it to have another read of it.A Slight Case of Guilt is as compelling as a Grisham mystery and while you know the crime right away, you have mixed emotions all the way through about the perp. Is hethat guilty of murder or not. A really great new voice - from an octogenarian who has been refining and tweeking this for several decades to get it just right.
Five Stars - no question~
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Tags : A Slight Case of Guilt [Thomas R. Bransten] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. “A Slight Case of Guilt is a beautifully-written novel that captures the spirit, atmosphere and characters of Dijon,Thomas R. Bransten,A Slight Case of Guilt,Big Table Publishing Company,0984956743,FICTION Mystery & Detective General
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A Slight Case of Guilt Thomas R Bransten 9780984956746 Books Reviews
It would not be accurate to describe this book as a murder mystery since there is no mystery about who committed the murder. It is closer to a psychological drama. Bransten does an excellent job of getting into the head of the characters involved in the horrific crime, based upon a true story - particularly the grieving father and the murderer. His eerie and compelling psychological portrait is reminiscent of Ruth Rendell.
However, beyond the psychological study of a murder and his victims, the reader also learns a great deal about post-World War II France. The complicated legacy of both rebellion and complicity with the Germans a fascinating study - one that is rarely illuminated especially so deftly.
This book is not a "light" read - the reader will find no predictable "who-dunnit" or "how-dunnit." It's dense with psychological and historical detail and changing points of view. Those who like historical fiction or enjoy psychological study of complex characters will find it a very compelling read indeed.
I finished reading A Slight Case of Guilt, and I really enjoyed it. At first I was a bit confused by the amount of detail provided for meals, snacks, and beverages (I originally found this to be a distraction), but I pretty quickly realized how important this level of detail was for creating the appropriate cultural atmosphere for the story, and from that point on I enjoyed reading those descriptions.
I loved the overall story and the way it was presented, and especially loved that right up until the end, I didn't know what was going to happen, despite knowing from fairly early on who had "done it". I also was looking forward to what was going to eventually happen in 2008, and wasn't at all disappointed in the way that part of the story played out. I also liked the way there were actual real historical events and references woven into the story line (I mostly read non-fiction, and really love that kind of stuff). And of course I loved the characters (even Charley).
Great thought-provoking passages related to the death penalty, and when I finally saw it in context, I realized how clever the title of the book was.
I learned a lot about France, and the French judicial system. I was also shocked to discover that the guillotine was still allowed (in fact, was the official method of execution) in France into the 1970s (I read later that it was outlawed in 1977). I also read what I could find about the kidnapping and murder of Philippe Bertrand (the true story upon which A Slight Case of Guilt was based), and how Patrick Henry's trial in that case helped lead to the abolition of capital punishment in France.
"A Slight Case of Guilt" by Thomas Bransten is a murder mystery with an ingenious twist From the beginning the reader knows who the murderer is; the mystery lies in the quest to find out if the perpetrator of the heinous crime will get caught. And if he does, will the punishment be death by the guillotine? Execution has not yet been banned in 1970s France, the setting of this horrific pre-meditated kidnapping gone awry.
But reading this novel is not only a journey of horror; it is also a visit to the Province of Burgundy, through the grape vineyards, wineries, restaurants, bakeries and dining halls with Lincoln Goldstone, an American reporter covering the murder story. He describes the never-ending and ever-varied gastronomical delights of French cuisine in language that is as succulent to the mind as the eating is to the taste buds while telling of "feasts of country cooking" featuring "tripe sausages, pistachioed pork, goose stew, sheep's tongues-with-turnips, trout braised in wine...[and] lusciously sweet snails fattened on vine leaves..." These foods may not excite most American visitors or readers, but they'll be unable to resist the bakery offerings "Dessert, of course, was the piece-de-resistance a warm tart with a mouth-melting crust embracing unctuous almond paste. And atop it a mound of fresh raw cream whipped only moments before serving [with] a flavor redolent of hay-filled barns and cows' udders." Thus does Bransten entice, delight and horrify with sensuous and evocative language and a plot that twists and turns like a skateboarder.
The unfolding drama gives rise to a close, multi-faceted examination not only of the use of the guillotine, but of capital punishment in general. A reader following the intense debates will be hard-pressed not to reexamine his/her own views.
This is indeed one of those books that one cannot put down, but that is sorely missed after reaching the concluding page, thus leaving the reader applauding and crying, "More! More! Encore!" "A Slight Case of Guilt" is not just a murder mystery; it is a literary masterpiece.
This is a vivid, well knit, absorbing novel about a French kidnapping and its aftermath -- not a who-done-it (the reader knows this early on, and in fact witnesses the crime) but a how-do-they-figure-out-who-done-it. Interlaced with the crime story is a nice romance between two expatriate American journalists covering the events.
A very interesting and compelling story. The characters are vivid and the action is well paced. There are several twists and turns as thee story reveals itself.
I read this book from the original galley and loved it so much I ordered it for myself on . However, it was snagged in the storm Sandy and nothing but an apology letter asking me to be patient ever come in. I am still hoping to get it to have another read of it.
A Slight Case of Guilt is as compelling as a Grisham mystery and while you know the crime right away, you have mixed emotions all the way through about the perp. Is hethat guilty of murder or not. A really great new voice - from an octogenarian who has been refining and tweeking this for several decades to get it just right.
Five Stars - no question~
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