Primal Fear | Author: William Diehl | Language: English | Publisher: Ballantine Books | ISBN-10: 034591452X | ISBN-13: 978-0345914521 | Publication Date: September 1, 1998 | Print Length: 399 pages

Hotshot attorney Martin Vail must defend a young man accused of brutally murdering Archbishop Rushman, known as the “Saint of Lakeview Drive.” This case looks impossible until his psychologist makes a discovery. Spine-tingling… Mr. Diehl can sustain suspense.

Martin Vail, the brilliant “bad-boy” lawyer every prosecutor and politician loves to hate, is defending Aaron Stampler, a man found holding a bloody butcher’s knife near a murdered archbishop. Vail is certain to lose, but he uses his unorthodox ways to good advantage when choosing his legal team—a tight group of men and women who must uncover the extraordinary truth behind the archbishop’s slaughter. They do, in a heart-stopping climax unparalleled for the surprise it springs on the reader.

Clever twists and a bona fide surprise ending make this an above-average courtroom thriller, tapping into the post-O.J. scrutiny of our legal system in the case of a hotshot Chicago defense attorney (Richard Gere) whose latest client is an altar boy (Edward Norton) accused of murdering a Catholic archbishop. The film uses its own manipulation to tell a story about manipulation, and when we finally discover who’s been pulling the strings, the payoff is both convincing and pertinent to the ongoing debate over what constitutes truth in the American system of justice.

Making an impressive screen debut that has since led to a stellar career, Norton gives a performance that rides on a razor’s edge of schizophrenic pathology—his role is an actor’s showcase, and without crossing over the line of credibility, Norton milks it for all it’s worth. Gere is equally effective in a role that capitalizes on his shifty screen persona, and Laura Linney and Frances McDormand give memorable performances in their intelligently written supporting roles.

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