Lew's AUTHOR BLOG

READERS’ COMMENTS …
Wow! That’s some story. It’s scary to think how many like Josh are trapped in our legal system. My heart is breaking for this kid.

• I couldn’t put A Good Conviction down until it was finished – and that was in the wee hours of the morning! Weinstein allows the reader to feel the same anger, scare and frustration that Josh experiences, as we watch him become a victim of a corrupt DA. At the same time that we root for Josh to get justice, we are brought into the world of incarcerated criminals who fill their days with ways to survive. It’s a wild ride, and a story that I highly recommend.
• What a ride! A scary, yet thoroughly believable, journey through the police and court systems of New York City. Lewis Weinstein captures the tensions and fears of prison life so well, it’s hard to believe he hasn’t done hard time himself. It certainly makes you wonder how many innocent people are behind bars.
• A Good Conviction is a well written, well paced, and fascinating tale of prosecutorial abuse in the Manhattan DA’s office. Makes one wonder how many other times something like this has occurred and just how high the abuse is actually sanctioned … Judge (ret.) Leslie Crocker Snyder, former Manhattan Assistant District Attorney, first sex crimes prosecutor in the U.S.:
• This gripping story demonstrates how one’s life can take a 180 degree turn in a moment. Innocent actions can be misinterpreted and unfortunate consequences result. Weinstein is a great story teller and A Good Conviction is a very well crafted story.
• A Good Conviction is an unusually gripping story of an erroneous conviction and the passionate fight to correct that injustice. Weinstein’s account of what a bad prosecutor does to Joshua Blake provides a frightening and realistic parallel to many of the true life cases we documented in our study … Michael Radelet, one of the authors of In Spite of Innocence, a study of over 400 cases of persons wrongly convicted of crimes carrying the death penalty
• I am an avid reader of fiction, especially thrillers, and I can tell you that Weinstein holds his own among his peers including Baldacci, Grisham & Patterson. Do yourself a favor and add “A Good Conviction” and “The Heretic” to your reading list and discover this truly talented writer.
• Having spent countless hours working with detectives, courts, attorneys, and wrongly convicted inmates I was most impressed with how well researched and accurate your narrative was. You really nailed it. In addition, it was a great read. … Dan Slepian, NBC Frontline producer of many crime and legal news shows
• I am amazed at the research that Weinstein has done for both of his books. A Good Conviction, like The Heretic, is a real page turner with a lot of suspense. However, the book is more than just suspenseful. Weinstein illuminates an issue that is very serious and through a fictional account he sensitizes the reader to the plight of the many people who are incarcerated for crimes that they did not commit. I recommend the book highly and cannot wait for his next book.
• A Good Conviction is one of the few books that I could not put down and always looked forward to the next chapter! So many books have the tendency to be drawn out in the middle, but this one kept you on the edge throughout and you really did get to know every character. I love a book that when I read it I feel like I am living it and that can only be done by a talented writer. Thank You for the experience!
• A Good Conviction would be a great book for a reading group/book club. The characters were real and the circumstances of the main character’s life – from a great future to no future were heart wrenching.
• The characters and their emotions were so vividly portrayed that I still think about them as if I knew them. Lovers of New York City will walk the streets of the city and visualize “A Good Conviction” happening. You will walk past a certain news-stand and wonder if the owner remembers Josh.
• When you read a book that you don’t want to end….that is a good book. “A Good Conviction” is a good book.
• Fraught with emotion and spot-on depiction of everyone from the lawyers to the hardened criminals, the reader experiences all the perils of life behind bars. With the surety of a jury handing down a life sentence, Weinstein confidently guides the reader through the complicated maze of our legal system and the politics within to a conclusion that is both uplifting and staggering in its depth.
• A Good Conviction strikes home like no other book I have read. It could happen to any of us or those we care about. Takes the phrase “no good deed shall go unpunished” to a whole new level.
• Having spent two years of a twenty year career with the NYPD transporting prisoners to and from Manhattan Central Booking, I read much of Mr. Weinstein’s book holding my breath. During those long 24 months I never got used to the sound of the cell doors sliding closed with a loud CLANG! Even knowing full well I would be leaving, it induced instant claustrophobia. Well, the scenes in A Good Conviction that take part on Riker’s Island brought that sound and more back to me with amazing clarity. If you want a glimpse into the hell that is American prison life, read this book.
• A Good Conviction is a page turner and I loved every minute of it. The main character is entirely believable and his circumstances are chilling: something that could happen to any one of us. The research behind this book and the author’s familiarity with legal procedures (which are not hard to follow in the book) are evident.
• I am really into this story! I feel so bad for Josh. I love to read books that I feel close to the characters and that’s how I feel with this one!
• I love crime novels and this one doesn’t disappoint. The stark contrast in the opening chapters between Joshua Blake’s, until then, seemingly charmed life and the brutal reality of Sing Sing prison is chilling. You can’t help but think ‘What if that were me?’
• The story is gripping. It keeps you turning the pages with twists and turns to the plot.
• The characters engage you. Watch them develop – not just Josh as he is forced to face unimaginable challenges just to survive in jail, but those who take up the challenge of trying to prove his innocence. What motivates them? Why does NYPD Lieutenant Kerrigan put himself on the line? What drives Darleen to stand by Josh? And look out for Josh’s defense lawyer – he may not inspire confidence to begin with but develops as a quiet force.
• I like the style, the way the story moves from Joshua being at Sing Sing to his free days and then to his time at Rikers Island. Makes for interesting reading that way.
• I absolutely love this book. I read a lot of mysteries by Michael Connelly and James Patterson and Len Deighton. A Good Conviction is right up there. This should definitely be on the NY Times best reads.
• I abhor ADA Claiborne. You made him into a villain but did it in a way that did not make him a caricature. I cannot think of a character in your book who was not drawn well. The best thing I can say about any book is that I am sorry to see it end. I was sorry to reach the end of your book.
• Having anxiously awaited this novel after reading The Heretic with our book club in South Jersey, I have been gripped by the A Good Conviction’s reality and intensity. We’d like to think such injustices don’t happen, but recent advances in forensics have proven that many innocents are incarcerated. What’s scary about Josh Blake’s situation is that it strikes you as being entirely plausible.
• Loved the attention to detail about the story’s New York locations – provided a reality foundation which made the story more startling.
• Every page of A Good Conviction forces me to confront the very real issue in our society of someone who lives the horror of a wrongful conviction and life in the realities of prison.… Your attention to detail is great — I feel I am in New York with Josh!
• I liked the court room scene and thought it moved quickly in a compelling manner
• A Good Conviction just grabs your attention and compels you to read on and on.