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    Old City Hall
    Old City Hall
    Old City Hall
    Audiobook12 hours

    Old City Hall

    Written by Robert Rotenberg

    Narrated by Paul Hecht

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    A noted criminal defense attorney, Robert Rotenberg delivers a courtroom drama that successfully evokes the multicultural city of Toronto even as it keeps readers on the edges of their seats. In the tale, the "Voice of Canada" radio host confesses to murder-but the case is far from closed. "Rotenberg also fires sly and funny barbs at political correctness and bureaucratic inanity."-Booklist, starred review
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateAug 14, 2009
    ISBN9781440760358
    Old City Hall
    Author

    Robert Rotenberg

    Robert Rotenberg is the author of several bestselling novels, including Old City Hall, The Guilty Plea, Stray Bullets, Stranglehold, Heart of the City, and Downfall. He is a criminal lawyer in Toronto with his firm Rotenberg Shidlowski Jesin. He is also a television screenwriter and a writing teacher. Visit him at RobertRotenberg.com or follow him on Twitter @RobertRotenberg.

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    Reviews for Old City Hall

    4/5

    148 ratings28 reviews

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    • 4/5
      A newspaper deliverer walks in on a murder scene. The husband, a Canadian radio host, confesses. An open and shut case--or maybe not.
      The book follows all the players in this case, from their differing points of view. Set in Toronto, which forms a very strong background.
      Well written, interesting story.
    • 4/5
      A famous Canadian radio host admits killing his common-law-wife. Yet when detective Ari Green and Constable Daniel Kennicott start their investigation, things don't seem to be as first thought. Then the accused, Kevin Brace, whose character strongly resembles Canadian icon, Peter Gzowski, refuses to speak to anyone. He insists on writing all communication.There are many red herrings tossed into the plot that keep the reader interested. It helps that if one knows Toronto for most of the action takes place on familiar streets and locales of that great city. The title refers to the main court house in Toronto where the trial in the novel takes place. In an earlier era, it was the city hall. Lots of fun. I am encouraged to read another of his books.
    • 4/5
      I really loved this book and it's one of the best books I've read this year. The plot is imaginative, intricate, and there were some amazing characters introduced in this novel.This book takes place in Toronto, which was an aspect I really enjoyed. Even though I've never been to Toronto, I'm still oddly sentimental about books that take place in Canada. The book starts off strong with an introduction to some supporting characters before the murder is mentioned. The plot of this novel is such a surprise and it shocked me on a number of occasions. There was nothing cliched or predictable about this mystery.Even though the murder mystery aspect of this book is central, the part I enjoyed the most was the characterization. I've read a lot of books this year, but this had the best characters out of any of them. They were well-defined and unique, which is a really big change from the rest of the books I've been reading. What I appreciated the most was that not only did we learn about the main characters and get a complete idea about their personalities, but we also get to learn about the secondary characters as well. Everybody who was even slightly important to the plot was fleshed out with a rich back-story.The only thing I was a little irritated by was the ending. The resolution of this book wasn't exactly what I was expecting and it could have been less open-ended. However, it makes sense since this is the starting book to a series. I'm such a fan of Robert Rotenberg now that I'll be checking out all his other books as well. This is an excellent mystery novel and I highly recommend it.
    • 3/5
       At first glance, where's the story? A radio host opens the door to his morning paper delivery person and says he's killed his wife. He then says not a word. literally, nothing. The police arrive, the homicide detective turns up, the lawyers for defence and prosecution and a number of other interested parties. And it turns out that this apparently open and shut case is nothing of the sort. There's all sorts of secrets hidden behind the superficially perfect life the host has, and the victim isn;t quite what she appears to be either. I listened to this on CD, narrated by a man with a deep, gravelly voice and strong north American accent. So strong, to my ear, that his attempts to do other accents were entirely unconvincing. But as a narrator for this Toronto set mystery, he was a good fit. It's also not exactly the neatest ending, there's not an entirely clear explanation of what did happen, there's what's accepted, but that may or may not be the truth. And there's something quite brave about leaving a puzzle without trying to tidy up all the loose ends.
    • 4/5
      After Guilty Plea , I had to go back th this author's first book. Both are excellent. The diversity of characters and viewpoints make this a breath of fresh air for court room drama. The 3rd in the series is out and hopefully will be available here soon.
    • 5/5
      love this detective. interesting reading about Toronto
    • 3/5
      This 2009 crme novel is the author's first book, and tells of a man who tells his newpaper delivery man (a character in his own right) that he has killed the woman who the carrier knows as his wife. The book then details extensively the investigation by the police and by the lawyers, the defendnat's lawyer being hobbled by the defendant not speaking to her, though he writes notes. When we get to the preliminary hearing there is some excitement, but the complexities of the case do not really intrigue. The judge is portrayed as an uncool character, and did not impress me as a credible portrait of even a judge such as he is drawn. There is a lot of Toronto local color, which I presume will make the story of greater interest to people in Toronto. It did not do so for me, and I thought much of the book less than exciting, and some of the pretense at tension towards the end not very realistic.
    • 5/5
      When Mr. Singh makes his last paper delivery of the morning in his adopted city of Toronto, he is looking forward to a cup of tea with his favorite customer, Kevin Brace, Canada’s leading talk show host. But when Brace comes to the door, his fingers covered in a thick red liquid, Mr. Singh feels his heart racing as Brace whispers, “’I killed her.’”If you’re looking for a police procedural with some interesting twists, then you’ll want to check out Old City Hall by Robert Rotenberg, a criminal attorney living in Toronto. The two principal players in this mystery drama are a Jewish detective, Ari Greene, and defense attorney, Nancy Parish. And the one thing that puzzles them both about the case is a lack of motive. Why would Kevin Brace suddenly stab his wife to death—his wife whom even her parents attest Brace loved. Without a motive to present to the court, both Greene and Parish know a first-degree murder charge will not stick, but Brace will almost certainly be convicted of a lesser charge. The judge sees no reason to expend Crown resources on a 63-year-old man who almost certainly will not re-offend so the judge pushes hard for a plea bargain. However, Brace is not talking. He has not spoken a word since his whispered confession to Mr. Singh. He does not want bail. He does not want to see his children by his first marriage. He, in fact, does not seem to care what happens and he is definitely not making things easy for anyone.Besides an intriguing plot, Old City Hall offers a varied cast of well-developed characters in an interesting setting. Rotenberg has proven he has what it takes. I do hope this is the first in a long series from this author.
    • 2/5
      Bogged down in the details. This could have been a great mystery but the writer seemed more interested in pointing out the ethic diversity of Toronto rather and giving every characters' (minor or not) personal family history and how they came to Canada. Great plot twists and storyline if you could find it buried in all the other junk.
    • 4/5
      [Old City Hall] by [[Robert Rotenberg]] was a pitch perfect police procedural. Set in a busy and multicultural Toronto, it begins with Kevin Brace, the beloved national radio talk show host, meeting his newspaper delivery person early one morning with bloody hands, telling him that he killed her. And with that, the story is off and running.There's a huge cast of characters and, to Rotenberg's credit, they are all complex and easy to tell apart. The central crime was well thought through from the beginning and the setting atmospheric. There's a lot to be said for a crime novel that provides a roller coaster plot without descending into unbelievability. Toronto is vividly described, the story taking place while the Maple Leafs look like they finally have a shot at the Stanley Cup. I'll be looking for this author's next book.
    • 4/5
      This was a pleasantly satisfying read. I learned more about Toronto as well as being entertained by a well-constructed plot with some interesting characters. The author kept me turning the pages, wanting to know what was going to happen, and why, and what motivated the characters.Chapters alternated between characters, who were various police officers and lawyers. When one chapter ended with a plot twist or crisis happening to one character, the next chapter resumed with story of one of the other characters, keeping us in suspense, because not everyone knew what was happening to everyone else.The author handled his material confidently and is said to be at work on another book. The characters of this book seem to be positioned for further development and relationships in subsequent works. Still, I had hoped for more development in this book. At times it was not easy to keep the personality of one police detective separate from another.
    • 4/5
      With great difficulty, I stopped reading partway through the book and started at the beginning again, in order to read it aloud to my disabled husband. It was one of the best-written books we've shared for a good while. The characters were distinct, interesting, and believable. Some reviewers have commented that they would've liked more character development. I perceive this as a compliment to Rotenberg, who made the characters so appealing and then left us wanting more! I look forward to what I hope will become a mystery/suspense series.The author used short chapters, alternating between several locations and intertwined story lines. Each chapter ended with a question that made us read on, but usually the next chapter added another question! However, the eventual denouement was satisfying, tied up the loose ends, and made sense. So many extras were included, beyond the "whodunnit" story: views on life in Toronto from different perspectives of folks not born and raised in Canada, history and use of language, and legal proceedings that (I imagine) were quite realistic.I eagerly await more from Mr. Rotenberg!
    • 5/5
      I was very impressed. It was a great read with great characters and a suspensful mystery that I truly enjoyed. I am forced to read some of his other books.
    • 5/5
      Think Law and Order, Canadian style. A woman is murdered. Her husband appears at their apartment door, with red fingertips, whispering, "I killed her." Once in police custody, though, the husband refuses to talk. It seems like a simple, open and shut case. But things are not always what they seem. Unlike their counterparts in the New York City television drama, but very much like every Canadian I have met, the Toronto detective assigned to investigate the crime, and the uniformed policeman who helps him, are exceedingly polite. They are also exceedingly thorough -- surprisingly so, considering the admission of guilt. Of course, the husband is charged with murder, and the case goes to trial. This novel is very well written, and the characters are multidimensional. I enjoyed this book immensely, all the way through. My only complaint, a minor one, is that the text could have been tightened up a bit and shortened by, say, about 50 pages. Highly recommended!
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this thriller about a murder case in Toronto, which was an interesting twist on the usual legal thriller format in that it wasn't just from the point of view of the attorneys, but rather included the police and detectives as they pieced the case together. The many characters were interesting and varied, though not all as fully-developed as I would have liked (though not really possible due to the number). The plot was good and built to a suspenseful climax. The descriptions of Toronto really made me want to go back to visit soon. There were a few loose ends laying the way for a sequel, perhaps. If so, I'll be sure to read it. I highly recommend this book for any fans of legal thrillers, especially those wanting something a little different.
    • 4/5
      Old City Hall by Robert Rotenberg is an impressive first novel. His in-depth descriptions of Toronto, City Hall and the people are first-rate. The plot deals with the murder of a radio-show host’s wife and his confession. He then refuses to speak another word after the confession. This makes for an intriguing interaction between client and attorney, to say the least. The story is well written and holds the reader’s attention with surprises and enough action to not slow down the story.
    • 4/5
      It started slow, but built up masterfully. There were several main characters, each developed with good background and detail, I was rooting for each one to succeed. Slight predictability in some parts, left me with a question at the end. I thought it was solved, but not so fast. I really enjoyed the book, I look forward to more by Rotenberg.
    • 4/5
      Kevin Brace, a popular Canadian talk show host, meets his newspaper delivery man with blood on his hands and the words, "I killed her." His common law wife is found dead in the bathtub with a stab wound to the chest. He then refuses to speak to anyone, including his attorney, as the investigation and the trial proceed.This book was a bit sluggish for me. Much of it was predictable. A great deal of time was spent on character development and architectural discussion, and this is where Mr. Rotenberg's literary strength lies. I feel that this was very well done considering there were what I would consider several main characters, whom I really liked. All in all it was an enjoyable book but probably not enough so that I would purchase another of Mr. Rotenberg's novels.
    • 4/5
      A compelling legal suspense, Old City Hall collars your attention from the first chapter. With 18 years of experience as a criminal lawyer in Canada, Rotenberg's debut novel offers an insider's view of the courtroom specifically that of Toronto's Old City Hall.As he opens the door with blood on his hands, Kevin Brace, the "Voice of Canada" confesses to killing his wife to his early morning newspaper man. Taken into custody Brace refuses to talk and even odder, of a man with his means, he refuses bail. The story is slowly disclosed through the eyes of the police, the prosecutor, and Brace's defense attorney as they try to uncover a motive for the crime. Rotenberg cleverly builds the story around the people dispensing the justice and his attention to detail and observation of human behavior, especially in court, are a considerable strength. Old City Hall isn't a fast paced legal thriller but it is an arresting read. And Toronto plays a lovely role as an accessory to the crime.
    • 4/5
      Kevin Brace, a popular Canadian talk radio DJ meets his newspaper delivery man at the door one morning and says “I killed her.” Brace’s wife is indeed dead, found stabbed in the chest, lying in the penthouse bathtub. Brace is arrested and charged with her murder, but is he guilty? Perhaps the biggest mystery of all is why he refuses to talk – not to the police, not to his cellmates, not even to his attorney.The story is told from multiple perspectives – including the case detective and policeman, a newspaper reporter, and the Crown (prosecuting) and defense attorneys – in alternating chapters. None of these folks stand-out as the protagonist. We get to know each person’s role in the Brace case, and at the same time are given background information into their professional and personal connections and relationships. Like the characters in the best Richard North Patterson books (the ones in the middle of his career) and John Lescroart’s Hardy/Glitsky series, any one of these people could star in his/her own future novel. Or they could continue to appear as an ensemble cast. This is Robert Rotenberg’s first novel (you'd never guess) and I hope he’s planning on creating a series. I'd like to spend time with these folks again. Overall, I enjoyed the book. There are a few loose threads I would have liked to have seen tied up and not all of the characters are fully developed. However, in general, the story is tight and fast-paced, the people are interesting and diverse, and the Toronto setting is rich and a refreshing change of pace.
    • 5/5
      A stunning legal thriller/crime novel. Impossible to put down, a true page-turner. It reminded me of early (less sarcastic) John Grisham, but with an appealing humane touch into the bargain (and that's not easily achieved in a novel of this type where action, suspense, motive, and all kinds of legal and crime terminology can be found on every page). It boggles my mind to find out that this is a debut novel - because it does read like something from a seasoned writer. I highly recommend it.
    • 4/5
      I received this book through early reviewers and thoroughly enjoyed it. It had a strong storyline but most notable to me about this book were the writing style and the characters, I really enjoyed the way the author writes from the perspective of each of the main characters letting you know how and what they are thinking. It truly brings the characters to life and that is my favorite part of this book - I loved the characters, their rstories, relationships, and interactions. I especially like the way the author highlights even the more minor characters - I especially like Ari Greene's father.
    • 5/5
      OLD CITY HALL is a wonderfully engrossing mystery told through the eyes of several different participants. It shows how the crime affects all these different people, all-the-while the city is being caught up in Stanly Cup fever. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.
    • 5/5
      With a murder and a confession within the first few pages, this book would seem to have nowhere to go. Wrong! The plot, which delivers as many twists as a corkscrew, kept me reading far too late one night.The book is well paced and the characters fully developed: the detectives; the accused and his family; the prosecutor, and witness Mr. Gurdial Singh; none are cardboard characters or placeholders. It was a rare pleasure to read, and I hope for more novels from this very talented Canadian author.
    • 4/5
      The first in what will hopefully be a series of mysteries. The action is told through the eyes of several major players (a detective, a police officer, several attorneys, a reporter, and a witness), most of whom would make a great continuing cast of characters. A newspaper deliveryman arrives at a luxury condo in downtown Toronto to find one of his regular customers, a well-known radio host, with blood on his hands and his wife dead in the bathroom, declaring that he's killed her. The accused will speak to no one, including his attorney, and over the next few months it's up to the defense, prosecution, and police to try to piece together what happened. On the one hand, handing out the action to so many main characters makes the puzzle more complicated; on the other, although we learn of their personal lives and how they handle investigations, this approach gives the reader a certain detachment from the story, since there is no one character with whom to connect. The upshot was that while I couldn't put the book down, I didn't feel as intense an emotional reaction as I have to other mysteries or suspense novels. Definitely recommended.
    • 4/5
      Debut novel by Rotenburg. Radio show host blabs confession of wife murder to a daily newspaper delivery guy the morning of her death. Should be an open and shut case but then, there would be no novel.This book is an excellent starter. I love the character following of each person's view per chapter. It's a police procedural with lawyers and reporters thrown in. The plot isn't too complex although the nuances are plenty. The ending isn't tidy and all wrapped up either although I could see most of it coming. There are one or two twists I didn't see.Oh, and although Canada is obsessed with hockey in this book, it doesn't drive me crazy like some other books that include hockey.
    • 3/5
      Despite a rather shaky start in the legal profession, Robert Rotenberg's background in criminal law explains the perspective of his first novel OLD CITY HALL, most of the the book is being told from either the defence or the prosecution viewpoints.OLD CITY HALL starts off in a decidedly disarming manner, with polite, proper and very Indian Mr Singh going about his daily job of distributing newspapers which always involves a chat with Mr Kevin in Suite 12A. On this particular morning the door is open as usual, but there is no sign of Kevin Brace. When he eventually appears in the hallway of his apartment, Mr Singh is the only person to hear him confess to killing his wife. Kevin Brace refuses to speak again. He doesn't speak to the police who investigate the crime, to his cellmate as he awaits trial, or even to his own defence counsel.The case of Kevin Brace is the reason a number of characters all come together, although Brace himself is almost a bit player in the entire book. Partly this is because of the use of the Counsel viewpoints, partly because of Brace's decision not to speak. I have to admit I found other characters failure to deduce the reasons behind his speechlessness somewhat inexplicable at the end of the book, although this aspect is really difficult to talk about in a review without giving the game away - suffice to say, there were aspects that made clanging noises for quite a while after I finished reading.Whilst there is a crime at the centre of the book, it does take a slightly lower profile in this book. An odd thing to conclude as ultimately the story is about the trial of that crime. Possibly this is because this isn't the sort of book where a crime is committed and a guilty party must be identified, rather this is book concentrates on "post arrest". Whilst there is definitely still some investigating going on, mostly it's not about the who, but more concentrating on the why of the crime, it's also the story of the trial and the characters involved in that trial. The crime itself is over and the investigation has a slightly different focus, and therefore intensity, once preparations for, and the trial itself, commences. Having said that, the trial even takes a slightly lower profile as well. Perhaps it's partly this difference that made OLD CITY HALL compelling, possibly it's partly because the lawyer characterisations are really very strong. The book slowly builds the story of the two counsel, aspects of their private lives and their involvement in the trial, at the same time as the facts behind the case are revealed. The lives of the perpetrator and victim are gradually drawn out, the motivation behind the death of Kevin Brace's wife is explained, and Mr Singh goes back to delivering his papers.
    • 4/5
      "Old City Hall" is breathtakingly good. It's a crisply paced murder-mystery with a satisfying plot and sufficient twists to keep it addictive and infectious to the very end. Actually, I would not pigeonhole "Old City Hall" as just good for the murder-mystery genre - it is a fine book, period.The novel boasts an intriguing and consistently sympathetic cast of characters, the most colourful and endearing of which is the city of Toronto itself. Rotenberg rounds out the story with historical and cultural background on the city, and behind-the-scenes legal, law enforcement and incarceration insights that add interest and dimension to the overall story without unduly slowing down the plot momentum. And whoa ... underpinning the whole thing with a Toronto Maple Leafs subplot of sorts - how great is that? Rotenberg handles a complex narrative with a confidence and deftness that belies the fact that this is his first novel.