Allan DonaldsonCritiques

Well, the murder mystery aspect of the story was interesting. I’d have to say I didn’t care too much for the writing style. The story did take a while to get going and for a good part of the book it was extremely repetitive. I’m sure the goal was to attempt to establish how the crime could have been committed. There were several possible scenarios. However it was being repeated at least three times and I soon started wondering if any plot advancement was going to take place. It was frustrating to read and made the plot slow to a crawl.

The possible list of suspects were interesting, albeit small as the setting does take place a in a rather small town. I did like how word does spread fast in towns such as these, and gossip remains rampant. It’s typical of a small town, and since Dorkin is an outsider, he sticks out like a sore thumb and citizens are reluctant to talk to him. I like Dorkin though. He’s very persistent and seems to be the type to strive for the greater good even though the odds are stacked against him. I considered him to be a one of those “quiet unsung heroes” and liked him for his sense of justice. Owen Williams is different and I understand how Dorkin felt when he felt irritated towards him. Owen’s a wuss. I couldn’t help but feel irritated too. He was just a spineless little twit that needed toughening up and he really didn’t help himself in regards to the court case.

I really did enjoy reading the court case part of the novel. It was interesting and grabbed my attention, it did seem like how a court case should be. I liked how Dorkin acted during court. It was a different side to him and although he was blindsided a couple of times he was still determined to prove his client innocent. However, towards the end of court, the repetitiveness of the crime came out again and it got extremely tedious to read. It came to the point where I did skip those pages as I could memorize by heart what had happened (since it was being repeated so much.)

The ending was good, a little predictable, but good nevertheless. It provided a little spark of excitement the book needed. I was not prepared for Owen’s 360 personality change and disliked him even more for it. He deserves a good punch in the face!

Despite the tedious repetitive moments, and the writing style is a little on the dry side, I’m not sure if I could say I enjoyed this book. There were moments were it was worth a read, but perhaps I’m just not used to this writing style and I felt it drag. It did take me a considerably long time to finish this book (despite it being 288 pages). I’m not sure if I could recommend this book to anyone, however, if you’re patient enough to read through the dry bits then give it a try. I would say take it, or leave it.

This is definitely my kind of book - an historical (well 1940's) legal mystery. I enjoyed the setting in New Brunswick since there aren't too many of this genre with a setting in Canada (that I've come across); it was refreshing. This book is well-written, engaging and kept my interest throughout. I'd read another book by this author.½

I enjoyed this -- it's a competently written historical mystery set in WW2 New Brunswick. I particularly enjoyed the way Donaldson uses little known aspects of Canadian history as part of his plot.

It's not as strong or compelling a novel as McLean. The shift into the mystery genre has, for me, led to a less powerful story.½

This review and others can be seen on my blog: http://bookworm-meags222.blogspot.com

I received this book from the Early Reviewers program. I have to say I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy this book at first. It is during war time on the east coast of Canada. A young girl goes missing and Owen Williams is the last one to see her alive. The book is based on the trial as Williams is automatically persecuted by his peers regardless of the lack of evidence against him. I enjoyed reading this novel but at the same time I found the novel for the most part is a bit predictable. The novel was well-written and focused more on character development. Overall I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

It’s a good thing I don't judge a book by it's very first sentences because when I read the first page, with a straightforward description of a Dominion day army parade, I was quite discouraged and silently cursing my decision to request this book via Early Reviewers. But it wasn't long before I was willingly led into the story and then completely wrapped up in this compelling judicial drama about a soldier stationed in a small Canadian town with his fellow "Zombies" during WWII (men who refused to go fight overseas) who is subject to discrimination and is unfairly accused of the homicide of a local young woman, despite a complete lack of evidence. Since there is so little to like about the accused would-be rapist and murderer Owen Williams, I wasn't really interested in his fate, or care much about whether he'd actually done it or not, but rather curious to see how his lawyer Dorkin would pull of the difficult task of defending him. Especially considering Dorkin's lack of experience, his tendency to jump to conclusions and incur the wrath of many in the process and the formidable prosecutor he must contend with, who along with great talent and skill, also displays an utter lack of principles. The cast of unsavoury characters kept the action and dialogues interesting, and though I have to say the twist at the end hardly came as a big surprise, I would still recommend for the sheer pleasure of reading a well told story that lingers on in one's mind.½

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

This was a good read. The story itself had a good plot line, not 'gripping' but enough twists that it kept me interested.

A bit slow in the beginning but it was probably necessary to show how the main character got slowly sucked into doing something he didn't really want to do.

Most of my issues with the book revolve around the construction of the characters and I would have loved to see more development of them in the story.

Many of the characters in book read similar to me, despite the fact that they were supposed to be so different and liked/disliked each other. The conflict between them was not as fully developed as it could have been (through the actions of the characters and not just statements by them saying that they didn't like each other).

The ending made sense to the story and was a good twist in things, but it's unfortunate that we didn't see more of Clemens and his wives earlier in the story though, even if peripherally.

Lastly, I'm not sure how the main character (Owen Williams) went from being an inept, shy, confused, depressed, not so smart guy throughout the entire ordeal to a 'mean-minded, self-righteous little shit' at the end. It seems to me, that in such a stressful ordeal, at least some indication of that side of his personality would show itself along the way. I understand that that reaction from Williams was in part because the visiting reverend had influenced him (a la Clemens on the others) but it still seemed like too much of a jump for him turn vindictive so quickly based on everything we knew of him before that.½

The Case Against Owen Williams is a mystery set in small town New Brunswick during World War 2. A local girl is killed and a local soldier, part of a regiment of men who have been conscripted but refused to serve oversees, is immediately blamed. The book follows Lt Dorkin, who looks into the case on behalf of the army and ultimately volunteers to defend Williams.
The book reads like a true story - the characters and the time and place feel very real. The end wasn't as much of a surprise as I think it was intended to be, but I still enjoyed it and thought this was a well-written, interesting mystery.½

This is a great book. It is a law/mystery that gives you some insight into how the Canadian legal system worked in the 1940's and it's flaws. It shows how much harder it was in those days to determine a person's innocence or guilt (the lack of forensics). The story wasn't fast-paced but did keep me engrossed for the whole book. It is one that I will read again.

I received this book from the publisher in order that I review it. I am really glad that they sent it to me because I probably would have missed it otherwise. This is an excellent legal mystery. It is set in New Brunswick during the Second World War. But there is really not much about the war in the book other than the soldiers that were based in New Brunswick during the war. The book really points out the gaps in our Canadian justice system during this time. A young soldier is charged with the brutal slaying of a young local girl, and the whole town has him tried and convicted even before the court case begins. The lawyer for the defense, Lieutenant Bernard Dorkin does not let this deter him as he sets out to prove his client's innocence. This is a very well-written book, and I highly recommend it.

When asked Librarything if I would like the book, it showed the arrow all the way to the right of the bar. This time LT was right on track.

What an outstanding read! Within the first few pages, I could feel Allan Donaldson take my hand and guide me back into time to the year of 1944 in wartime, New Brunswick, Canada. Right from the beginning, I was impressed on how he made me feel like I was there. Although I was invisible, I could feel the surroundings as if they were real and had a connection with the characters.

The story started explaining what “Zombies” were. Then took us into the home of Sarah Coile. It only took a few pages to understand her family life. The reader was taken to the “dance hall” where Sarah was before she was murdered. A walk into the woods with Owen Williams was the last place she was seen.

From there, the mystery begins.

From beginning to end, the story was perfectly paced, enjoyably enhancing, and expertly skillful, gliding the reader through the various scenes.

The Case Against Owen Williams is an extremely enjoyable read. Mr. Donaldson shows us that the accused, while possibly innocent, is not always a saint or what one would call a good person. A person no matter how evil they appear, may not necessarily be guilty of the ulitmate crime. A person can be a victim of more than just murder and their seemingly wanton actions can be a product of circumstances or desperation. Even those who appear to be beyond reproach may be more than they seem at first glance.

This book hooked me immediately and had me eagerly anticipating the outcome. The author paints a vivid and detailed picture of a small war time town, and it's occupants. He draws the reader right into the dry, dusty and tired back woods town. The characters are well developed and engaging, the pacing is excellent. Mr. Donaldson manages to capture the many flaws of human nature, and our willingness to believe the worst in people despite a lack of evidence or not having seen or met a person. Public opinion, and propaganda are powerful things, as is prejudice. All of these and more are on display in the Case Against Owen Williams.

There is alot of heavy subject matter dealt with in the course of the book, but it's all handled with a deft hand and quite a bit of skill. Nothing seems vulgar or overdone. There's also a good air of mystery about the story. I did think I had managed to figure out what was going on rather early on in the book, only to find out I was wrong and be surprised by the ending. I thought the length of the book was spot on as well. Nothing dragged out or overdone. Overall a fantastic, and enjoyable read.

I greatly enjoyed Mr. Donaldson's book about the defence of a young soldier who may have been wrongly accused of murdering a local girl in a small rural town in New Brunswick. The story transports you to 1944. Private Williams is a conscripted soldier who refuses to serve overseas and he's the last person to be seen with Sarah Coile who turns up dead a few days later.The story shows us how public opinion can be manipulated as Private Williams is already considered to be guilty as charged despite most evidence against him being circumstantial. Lieutenant Dorkin, a lawyer from Saint John, deals with small town politics and uncovers some nasty secrets on his quest to prove Private Williams' innocence. I found the book fast-paced and I enjoyed the descriptions of the different characters and surroundings.

The Case Against Owen Williams was quite an enjoyable book. Allan Donaldson is a gifted writer, who gently guides the reader into the world of a young defense lawyer, enhancing every page with wonderful details about the settings and circumstances of the scenes and characters. The basic premise is quite simple and admittedly unoriginal – a young man accused of murder claims he’s innocent and has a rookie lawyer defending him against a seasoned and slightly unethical courtroom professional. But in its simplicity is woven rich details and skilled storytelling, that I happily immersed myself in the book despite its slightly predictable nature. All in all, an easy and enjoyable read!

Set after WWI and at the beginning of WWII in a small town in northern New Brunswick. MaClean is a vetran... although he survived (He was sent home with a 'weak heart and lungs' after some gassing) he has memories that still haunt him. He never had a family; he lives in a boarding house and uses his pension to drink. The plot of the book as written on the back cover is him earning some money to buy his elderly mother a birthday present. In reality this book includes a lot of flashbacks to his youth and some during the war... what went wrong, and wondering if things could have turned out differently.½