The Alibi Witness

A Courtroom Thriller

Fiction - Mystery - General
167 Pages
Reviewed on 02/25/2014
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Dylan Patrick Grant is the pseudonym of Dennis P. Grenkowicz. Grenkowicz served twenty years as county prosecuting attorney in Alpena, Michigan. In private practice since 2009, he now specializes in criminal defense while teaching as an adjunct faculty member at Kirtland Community College.
In 2009, he was awarded the Frank J. Kelly Distinguished Public Service Award from the State Bar of Michigan.
He and his wife Judith live in Alpena, Michigan.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Marissa Tapia for Readers' Favorite

The Alibi Witness by Dylan Patrick Grant is about Michael Crane, a federal prosecutor who is pulled into a case to testify as an alibi witness to his ex-fiancee, who is on trial for murder. With a confession, eye witness, and a weapon, Darlene's fate as well Michael's is on the line. Suspense starts to build as Crane is being threatened with perjury and a witness is suddenly murdered during the case.

Dylan Patrick Grant kept me on the edge of my seat. The case is very interesting and I enjoyed learning about the psychology used in the court room, as Michael analyzes the jurors and how the questioning is going during court proceedings. I'm a big fan of psychological and crime stories. So, getting inside the head of a prosecutor was fun to read. It's amazing how detail-oriented the character, Michael, was whether it's judging someone's personality at a glance or how they might vote.

Though the summary warns of graphic violence and sexual encounters, the book doesn't go into too much detail about those scenes, so reading it wasn't overwhelming or offensive for me. The scenes painted a picture that helped me get a better feel of why Darlene was the way she was without distracting me from the main plot. The warning may put off some readers, however I personally wasn't offended by the situations in the book and I actually thought the author worded those situations well. I really liked this book and I'm hoping to read more of Michael Crane's court cases. For those that like mystery/crime books, I would highly recommend The Alibi Witness.

Faridah Nassozi

Decades ago, while still in college, Michael Crane thought he had found the love of his life, Darlene, until she broke up with him for reasons he never fully understood. Darlene is now on trial for a murder that took place decades ago. Michael is called to testify on her behalf, but proving that he really was her alibi on the night of the murder will not be an easy thing. The fact that Darlene suffers from dementia makes it even harder. The case takes an interesting turn when Michael realizes that he is not just fighting to prove Darlene's innocence, but to save himself, too. He gives the case his all and vows to do whatever he can to save Darlene. Along the way he gets several surprises, both good and bad.

The Alibi Witness by Dylan Patrick Grant is a courtroom thriller about a man's fight to save a friend from going to prison for a crime he knows she did not commit. The prosecution is out for blood, doing everything possible to win the case while the defense is also fighting tooth and nail to see that an innocent woman does not end up in prison. The Alibi Witness is a fast paced story, skilfully written with a lot of depth and drama. Dylan Patrick Grant's writing style makes you feel as if you are following the case from inside the courtroom. The story is full of suspense, drama, and interesting twists and turns that I never saw coming. This is the type of story that makes you cross your fingers, hold your breath, and pray for the best outcome; it is that engrossing.

Danielle Pinzon

The Alibi Witness by Dylan Patrick Grant introduces Michael Crane, a federal prosecutor, as the main character. However, currently he's a witness, testifying for the defense of his ex-girlfriend, Darlene Turner, who was charged with the murder of Johnny Reed in 1976. Crane's testimony is that Darlene couldn't have murdered the man since he himself was proposing to her during that day. Though it has been years since the last time they had seen each other, Michael is quite sure that Darlene is innocent. What follows is a gripping courtroom ride as the reader follows the trial and the consequent examination and cross-examination of the prosecutor and defending attorneys. The plot is full of twists as each piece of the puzzle is revealed about the circumstances of Johnny Reed's death, and ultimately leads to whether or not Darlene's sentence is favorable or otherwise.

Dylan Patrick Grant writes a very exciting thriller in The Alibi Witness. One of the particular things I liked about how he wrote this book is that the reader, with only a basic understanding of courtroom goings-on, is not drowned in the jargon. Grant presents easily understood explanations of court proceedings, starting from both lawyers down to the jury. He also balances the expected tedium of heavy dialogue of a trial with the mystery of the death itself, asking the right questions and not revealing all the pieces until the very last minute, making me quite eager to read until the very end. His characters are not caricatures of archetypes as well. From Michael Crane's character to even Jake Member, he adds just enough personality in each of his characters, making them realistic and making the reader sympathetic to their woes. It was a very enjoyable read, filled with the right amount of tension and emotional impact for this genre.