The Laws of Our Fathers

by Scott Turow
The Laws of Our Fathers cover
Good Books rating 3.33
Crime, Mystery, Thriller/Suspense
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Paperback • £9.99
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  • ID: 8728
  • Added: 2025-12-22
  • Updated: 2025-12-30
  • ISBN: 9781447245032
  • Publisher: Pan Macmillan
  • Published: 2014-05-22
  • Formats: 1
  • Reviews: 3

The Laws of our Fathers by Scott Turow is the fourth installment in the Kindle County legal thriller series. It explores the complex web of judicial corruption and the personal and professional consequences that arise from it. The story revolves around a drive-by shooting in a drug-plagued housing project, which involves the ex-wife of a politician, bringing together a group of individuals who first connected during the tumultuous 1960s. The narrative follows a once-crusading female judge who must confront her fears and courage as she navigates the fallout from a pivotal decision. Turow's intricate plotting and character development shine in this novel, offering a compelling examination of power, morality, and the legal system. The book is not just a thrilling legal drama but also a deep dive into the personal histories and motivations of its characters, making it a rich and engaging read.

Reviews
Publishers Weekly · 2025-12-22
profound 4.50

The book is a rich, complex tale that delves into the mysteries of human character. It is ultimately profoundly moving.

Publishers Weekly praises 'The Laws of Our Fathers' as a rich and complex narrative that explores the depths of human character. They highlight the book's profound emotional impact, noting that it is a deeply moving story. The reviewer appreciates the intricate layers of the plot and the nuanced portrayal of characters, making it a standout in Scott Turow's body of work. They suggest that readers will find it both intellectually stimulating and emotionally resonant.

Quick quotes

    Laws of Our Fathers is a rich, complex and ultimately profoundly moving tale that, like all Turow's work, is quarried from the mysteries of human character.

    It is a deeply moving story.

    The reviewer appreciates the intricate layers of the plot and the nuanced portrayal of characters.

Salon · Rob Spillman · 1996-10-09
disappointing 2.00

The reviewer expected a typical legal thriller but found the characters to be wafer-thin and cliché-ridden.

Rob Spillman from Salon approached 'The Laws of Our Fathers' with the expectation of a typical legal thriller but was disappointed by the wafer-thin characters and cliché-steeped dialogue. They found the narrative lacking in depth and originality, which detracted from the overall reading experience. Despite the promising premise, the execution fell short of expectations, making it a less engaging read than anticipated.

Quick quotes

    Expecting this to be a typical mega-selling legal thriller with wafer-thin cardboard cutout characters booming clichi-steeped B-movie dialogue.

    The reviewer found the narrative lacking in depth and originality.

    The execution fell short of expectations, making it a less engaging read than anticipated.

South Coast Today · 1996-10-09
thoughtful 3.50

The novel is more of a meditative examination of time's hold on the present rather than a typical legal thriller.

South Coast Today notes that 'The Laws of Our Fathers' is less a legal thriller and more a meditative examination of how the past influences the present. They appreciate the novel's depth and complexity, which explores the tangled relationships and the hold that time past exerts over time present. While it may not fit the traditional mold of a legal thriller, the reviewer finds it a compelling and thought-provoking read.

Quick quotes

    Still, the novel is less a legal thriller than a meditative examination of the hold that time past exerts over time present, and the tangled relationships.

    They appreciate the novel's depth and complexity.

    The reviewer finds it a compelling and thought-provoking read.

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