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Review: "Deadly Stillwater" by Roger Stelljes (part of the Mac McRyan mystery series)

5/8/2013

1 Comment

 
I downloaded this book for free on Kindle, and was pleasantly surprised.  (As of this writing, it's still available for free on Kindle - click the picture or link below:)
Deadly Stillwater
This mystery-thriller was fast-paced, if predictible.  Although I could see many of the plot twists coming, there were a lot of turns that kept the story moving at a good pace and kept me interested. 

The main protagonist is a Twin Cities cop named Mac McRyan.  (Even after reading the book, I'm not sure where the Twin Cities are, other than somewhere in the midwest bordering multiple states.)  McRyan is pretty much perfect.  Young, rugged, Hollywood good-looking, and law-school smart.  His perfection is his downfall as a protagonist.  It's hard to relate to him.  He never gives up on a case, which is what makes him such a great detective, of course.

The case begins when a famous and well-off lawyer's daughter is kidnapped in broad daylight.  From the start, the kidnapping looks like a professional job, with little evidence left behind.  When the Police Chief's daughter is also kidnapped, McRyan and "the boys" know they are dealing with a personal vendetta. 

The FBI is called in to run the investigation, but the local cops stay on the case.  Each possible clue turns into a dead end or an intentional red herring.  The kidnappers have planned well and considered every scenario.  They bury the kidnapped girls in a grave with limited air, setting a short deadline for McRyan to solve the crime and save the girls.  

Despite their meticulous planning, it appears the kidnappers have underestimated McRyan, who sees potential connections and evidence where others do not.  Will McRyan get to the girls before they die?  Will he catch the kidnappers before they escape?

The story follows both the kidnappers and the cops set on catching them.  The book was written well enough to keep those two storylines separate yet intertwined.

There are hints throughout the book of McRyan's personal and professional past, which worked to get me interested in reading the prior books in the series - "First Case" and "The St. Paul Conspiracy" (or get all three in the box set for a low price - see below). 

I would recommend this book as a decent, well-paced mytery.  It was a quick and easy read for fans of crime and mystery books.
Deadly Stillwater First Case (McRyan Mystery Series Prequel) The St. Paul Conspiracy (McRyan Mystery Series) First Deadly Conspiracy - Box Set (McRyan Mystery Series)
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1 Comment

If Someone Is Forced to Commit a Crime, Can They Still Be Convicted?

1/31/2012

14 Comments

 
Question from a reader:  If person A threatens person B with the loss of B's job if B does not cut the brake line of C's car, who can be held liable for the crime?

The short answer is that, if B actually cuts the brake line, both A and B can be convicted.  That would at least be a vandalism charge, and possibly attempted murder, depending on the specific circumstances. 

B would be liable as the direct perpetrator, since he did the criminal act of cutting the brake line.  A would be liable as an aider and abettor or an accesory because he got B to do it.  (Although we usually think of an accessory as being less culpable than the direct perpetrator, that is not necessarily so, as this example demonstrates.)

That leads to the question, if B was basically forced to commit the crime, why would he still be criminally liable? 

There are only limited circumstances where the law allows someone to "get away with" committing a crime.  Generally, if someone is being threatened or forced to commit a crime, they would be expected to report it to the police.  That's true even if reporting the crime would have dire consequences, such as the loss of a job.   

There are some defenses where a person is basically forgiven for committing a crime.  However, the crime must be committed to prevent something worse from happening, and it must be the only real option.  Self-defense  or defense of others would be such a defense.

There are also the defenses of duress and necessity.  These defenses have strict requirements, and generally only permit someone to commit a crime if the crime would help prevent some bigger wrong, and if there was no other reasonable alternative. 

For example, if someone has planted a bomb and threatens to blow up a school if you do not rob a bank, and you have no way to notify authorities or get away, you would probably not be liable for the bank robbery. 

Being threatened with losting one's job would not qualify under any defense.

Note that in teh scenario above, A did not commit blackmail or extortion by threatening B's job to force B commit a crime like cutting a brake line.  Extortion involves threatening someone to force them to give you money or property (or to get a public officer to perform an official act).

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    Author

    Blythe Leszkay is a successful and experienced criminal attorney, criminal law professor, and consultant to writers and filmmakers.  See About Me.  This blog is intended to answer common criminal law questions, dispel misconceptions, and explain misunderstood criminal law concepts.  It is also a place to discuss any crime or law related topics of interest.  Contact me for a free initial consultation on your film or writing project.

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