The Final Case

A novel

By: David Guterson

Narrated by: George Newbern

From the award-winning, bestselling author of Snow Falling on Cedars—a moving father-son story that is also a taut courtroom drama and a bold examination of privilege, power, and how to live a meaningful life.

"Ultimately, the mystery at the center of The Final Case is not about innocence or guilt, but about how one family’s profound attachments can stand alongside breathtaking cruelty in another.” —Scott Turow, The New York Times Book Review

A girl dies one late, rainy night a few feet from the back door of her home. The girl, Abeba, was born in Ethiopia. Her adoptive parents, Delvin and Betsy Harvey—conservative, white fundamentalist Christians—are charged with her murder.

Royal, a Seattle criminal attorney in the last days of his long career, takes Betsy Harvey’s case. An octogenarian without a driver’s license, he leans on his son—the novel’s narrator—as he prepares for trial.

So begins The Final Case, a bracing, astute, and deeply affecting examination of justice and injustice—and familial love. David Guterson’s first courtroom drama since Snow Falling on Cedars, it is his most compelling and heartfelt novel to date.

Underwhelming post trial

I went to highschool with “Betsy”. I wished the Post-trial chapter would have elaborated on the sentencing a bit more. What changes were made to foster system because of this?
What happened to dad and siblings?

Frustrating

A finely sculpted courtroom drama with an important message, inexplicably padded with endless, irrelevant character sketches.

A quiet book

I loved this book. It was a quiet book about a regular life and all those that are touched along the way. A contrast of good and evil, and struggle of the in-between.

Guterson’s Credo?

If this is Guterson’s credo, it’s a surprisingly weak one. Snow Falling on Cedars is a beautiful work of art and a far more stirring piece. This novel lacks the verve and depth of thought to transcend political propaganda.

Guterson is a great novelist. I just don’t know what he hoped to achieve with The Final Case.

two stories-criminal was a 5*; tea shop story 3*

Enjoyed most of book. The part about his father and his attitude toward his defense work; life in general and his love of the law was right on. As a prior criminal defense attorney I related to his dad and his relationship with his son very closely to my own life and sons. I just could not see the author’s purpose for including the “Tea shop” portions in the story. I thought the author’s treatment and portrayal of the grandmother’s biases clearly had a cause and effect on the daughter and her husband and the way they treated their children, especially the victim. These two people were brainwashed, cultists and as the judge pointed out truly believed they were right in how they handled things with all their children and had NO remorse. His descriptions of the failures of society and government agencies local, state and international were very sloppy at best. People I have met in Seattle whom new the author’s dad loved him and his approach to the practice of law. Jeff Lantz