The Book's First Reviews -- Part I

In order to generate objective reviews of my book -- Why Just Her -- I identifled 25 Top Book Reviewers on Amazon.com. These are people who have reviewed over 100 books on Amazon. I sent them an email and requested a review of my book in exchange for a free copy of the book. The first of those reviews follows . . .

Life and trials of DC Madam, May 10, 2009

By Reader "cvrcak1" (Chicago, IL USA)

It was not that long ago when scandal broke out about Washington, DC Madam Deborah Jeane Plafrey and her escort service. She was in great legal trouble that spanned for almost two years. Her attorney in her civil case, Montgomery Blair Sibley, who was never paid for his services by Ms. Palfrey, documented that experience in his extraordinary book "Why Just Her". 

While on the outside, this book may represent to some story about escort services, it is in fact a story about how unjust judiciary process can be for ordinary citizen. Once accused of serious crimes such as conspiracy and rocketeering, Ms. Palfrey's assets were frozen, her property taken away from her. Without any funds she is forced to rely on federal court appointed attorneys, who were not exactly dedicated to looking after her best interests. Her introduction to Mr. Sibley gives her a glimpse on how grossly she is being misrepresented in a court of law. In addition to trumpted up charges and lack of funds, it becomes obvious that Ms. Palfrey has to deal with political maneuverings of her court appointed attorneys and judge's intertia. Is it possible to get justice as a private citizen in a system where federal judges have a job for life, almost limitless discretion and have ambitious attorneys: prosecutors and defence attorneys alike representing cases whose ultimate career plan is to one day become federal judges themselves? Are these attorneys compelled to look after best interests of their clients, or are they taking the paths of least resistance in order not to jeopardise their future political and professional careers? 

Book provides plenty of references to law and various cases related to this one. Not being a lawyer I cannot comment on those, but I am sure that lawyers and students of law may find them very intriguing. When is the law the law, and when is the technicality just that? Is it always best to strike a deal, or is it better to fight? For Ms. Palfrey, fight was just too exhausting and ends in her dramatic exit from this world less than a month before her sentencing. The tragedy of this case is so overwhelming that affects even a bystander, reader and observer of the events that took place before, during and after Ms. Palfrey's trial.