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    Crime of Privilege: A Novel
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    Crime of Privilege: A Novel
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    Crime of Privilege: A Novel
    Audiobook14 hours

    Crime of Privilege: A Novel

    Written by Walter Walker

    Narrated by Stephen Hoye

    3.5/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE SACRAMENTO BEE

    In the tradition of Scott Turow, William Landay, and Nelson DeMille, Crime of Privilege is a stunning thriller about power, corruption, and the law in America-and the dangerous ways they come together.

    A murder on Cape Cod. A rape in Palm Beach.

    All they have in common is the presence of one of America's most beloved and influential families. But nobody is asking questions. Not the police. Not the prosecutors. And certainly not George Becket, a young lawyer toiling away in the basement of the Cape & Islands district attorney's office. George has always lived at the edge of power. He wasn't born to privilege, but he understands how it works and has benefitted from it in ways he doesn't like to admit. Now, an investigation brings him deep inside the world of the truly wealthy-and shows him what a perilous place it is.

    Years have passed since a young woman was found brutally slain at an exclusive Cape Cod golf club, and no one has ever been charged. Cornered by the victim's father, George can't explain why certain leads were never explored-leads that point in the direction of a single family-and he agrees to look into it.

    What begins as a search through the highly stratified layers of Cape Cod society, soon has George racing from Idaho to Hawaii, Costa Rica to France to New York City. But everywhere he goes he discovers people like himself: people with more secrets than answers, people haunted by a decision years past to trade silence for protection from life's sharp edges. George finds his friends are not necessarily still friends and a spouse can be unfaithful in more ways than one. And despite threats at every turn, he is driven to reconstruct the victim's last hours while searching not only for a killer but for his own redemption.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJun 18, 2013
    ISBN9780385367226
    Unavailable
    Crime of Privilege: A Novel

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    Reviews for Crime of Privilege

    3.5/5

    115 ratings43 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Quick, easy, suspenseful read.
    • 4/5
      I received an ARC of this book from the publisher for review.The last sentence of the book "In that case, change the names" has a lot of impact. I'm not giving anything away here---without reading the book that sentence means nothing. But having read the book it does tell a lot about the motivation behind writing "Crime of Privilege."As has been mentioned before, this book reads as fact, not fiction and presumably about the Kennedys. On that level it's not all that interesting but if you read it as an independent book of fiction, it works quite well indeed. Walter Walker has an excellent command of language and plotting. As a result you find yourself drawn into the shadowy world inhabited by the folk that live near the rich and famous.The central character is George Becket, an assistant DA from Cape Cod who witnessed a sex crime as a young man that involved the Gregorys, a rich and politically connected family in Massachusetts. Becket was morally scarred by his subsequent inaction however this inaction provided his subsequent motivation to seek out the truth and uncover corruption, or in other words pushed him to become a prosecuting attorney.This book revolves around a cold case that may involve the Gregorys. A young woman was murdered and Becket is recruited by the victim's father to push through the politically motivated coverup and find out what really happened to his little girl. Becket's quest to find out the truth takes him across the country and to France and Central America. He gets threatened, shot at, and tortured but he never gives up.Inspiring? Not exactly. Walker keeps his book grounded in realism so the characters are genuine as is also the outcome of Becket's lancing at windmills. This is a very good book and just barely qualifies as fiction.
    • 4/5
      I paid undiscounted retail for this one at my favorite indie bookstore and don't regret a penny. This is a better-than-usual legal/investigative thriller that sucked me right in and kept me reading -- and wondering who was *really* on whom's side and why -- until the end. The writing was excellent: proper grammar and an especially nice rhythm that kept me moving right long. I figured out the killer about the same time the protagonist did (always a plus); and his internal battle over "what's right" versus "what's easy" was realistic, versus preachy. This is the first of Mr. Walker's several novels that I have read. I will definitely try the others.
    • 4/5
      Really enjoyed author's style, especially George's inner dialogue. A great summer read, lots of twists, lots of travel.
    • 2/5
      Early on I thought I was going to like this book, but it started to drag around page 64 or so. It started to become predictable about then and I could see the end coming. I enjoyed the characters more than the story and I kind of skimmed through the last half of the book, just to get through.
    • 3/5
      I liked Crime of Privilege by Walter Walker. The story was intriguing and it made me think about how the uber-wealthy can toy with the lives of average Joes. I liked the suspense of the book, but the ending lacked. With four pages left in the book, I realized that there was no way the author could tie everything together. I didn't feel as if the readers ever really know how the mystery was solved. The book seemed to wrap it up too quickly, but didn't explain how the ending came to be. With a more thorough ending, I would have loved this book.
    • 4/5
      George Becket, age 22, is on spring break and is invited to a party at the Senator's house on Cape Cod. Here he witnesses a rape and does nothing. Three years later there is a murder of a young woman and once again the Senator's family is involved. Becket has learned over the years that acquiescing to the powerful reaps its rewards, and that disturbing the status quo brings its problems. Now, nine years after the murder, he is an assistant district attorney and is accosted by the dead woman's father, urged to investigate and to find the killer.Walter gives us a vivid portrayal of how you can sell your soul by merely remaining silent when faced with corruption. He also shows us, dramatically, how aligning oneself with those who use power to influence, manipulate and control puts you in the company of those where no one is trustworthy. There are twists, turns and betrayals on almost every page. Walker is a talented writer; the book is a quick read in spite of being over 400 pages.
    • 3/5
      I liked Crime of Privilege by Walter Walker. The story was intriguing and it made me think about how the uber-wealthy can toy with the lives of average Joes. I liked the suspense of the book, but the ending lacked. With four pages left in the book, I realized that there was no way the author could tie everything together. I didn't feel as if the readers ever really know how the mystery was solved. The book seemed to wrap it up too quickly, but didn't explain how the ending came to be. With a more thorough ending, I would have loved this book.
    • 5/5
      The Gregory family is a rich and famous family of a Massachusetts senator. That sounds familiar for some reason. Anyway there was a rape in Florida and a murder on Cape Cod. Was it a Gregory behind these crimes or were they just convenient scapegoats? Do they think privilege is their right? Is there an elaborate coverup? Along the way there are plenty of twists and turns and travels around the globe tracking down the people who were at the Gregory compound the night of the murder. I couldn't wait to find out who did it and if and how justice was served. IMHO Walter Walker is a wonderful writer.
      I received this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
    • 4/5
      I found this to be a worthy addition to a fine list of legal crime novels. Walker is a new author but his writing is mature and his narrative works well to build tension. It is essentially an examination of the power of family status, prestige and reputation that hinders fair treatment of justice during a search for a murderer. Well done and an author to watch for in the coming months and years.The book was read in Kindle format and was sent by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      The Crime of Privilege is an all too believable book about the crimes of the privileged that are, I'm sure, overlooked, covered-up, and blamed on others. Full of twists and turns, a good "who-done-it," it had me wondering throughout which of the bad boys from the rich and famous families this story could have been written about. I would put this book on my "Good Beach Reads" list.

      I received a free copy of Crime of Privilege through Goodreads first reads.
    • 3/5
      Well, what did I think of this one?The fact that it has taken me months to write the review is a clue.It is not bad...but it could be better.The prominate "Kennedy-esk" family is a little heavy handed, and they certainly come across as a very sleazy bunch, which depending on your feelings about the Kennedys, you might like or hate. I admit, I rather liked it..lolAnd George is a fairly likable fellow. A bit morally challenged and a bit of a slacker but a pretty good character. Even if sometimes you just want to give dear George a bit of a kick. Open your eyes George! Still, since everyone else in the book is so sleasy, George stands out as the White, or maybe Gray, Knight of the book.As is so often true, the book is just too long for the story. Bring out the Big Red Pen and cut 75-100 pages. Really, totally doable, and would make for a much tighter book. Sadly, it was one of those books where I was checking how many more pages I had to go until the end, not a great sign. And the jumping back and forth from the present day story to the past, not as smooth and clear as it could be, with an ending that I found more than a bit of a letdown. Did I hate it? No.Did I love it? No.A nice middle of the road book, maybe a nice beach read, but not one I would run out and grab.Or recommend that you do.
    • 4/5
      A Kennedy like family with a bunch of boys behaving badly is the root of this murder mystery in which a young girl winds up dead on a golf course after a night at the family compound. There is a history of boys behaving badly in this Senators family. The death is swept away for many years for lack of evidence when the book's protagonist brings the case back to life. It is very methodical in its progression to the conclusion but I was satisfied. There are a lot of characters but they are introduced steadily as the book progresses so I was able to keep them all straight. I think this was a very good first book and I will look forward to Mr,Walkers next book.
    • 5/5
      Crime of Privilege is the first book I have read by author Walter Walker and I was thrilled with this book. I was captured from the beginning. Crime of Privilege has a murder and a rape in different locations and years apart and involve the main character George Becket. George was a college student when the rape occurred. Now George is an Assistant DA in Cape Cod. He is approached by a father whose daughter was murdered in 1999. This is when George gets drawn into wanting to know murdered this young girl. Everything seems to point to an elite family named the Gregory's.Walter does a great job showing exactly how the rich, elite, privileged get away with more then the average Joe.
    • 5/5
      A first rate thriller! As the guest of a guest at a party thrown by one of America’s wealthiest and most powerful families, college student George Beckett witnesses an incident involving several young members of the privileged elite. When asked if he’ll testify George can’t say for certain exactly what it was he witnessed… was it simply a little drunken “fooling around” or something far worse? As a reward for what the family perceives as his “loyalty” George is the recipient of a few high powered favors. Nothing as crude or obvious as a bribe but George knows he’s been paid off. Years later he still thinks about the incident, has dreams about what he saw… and he still isn’t sure. As an unremarkable assistant District Attorney George is just coasting through life doing the bare minimum when he finds himself thrust into the midst of another old case involving members of that same family, this time there can be no doubt as to what happened… it was murder.The story starts out fairly quickly, and never stops doing a slow consistent build right up until the final chapters. It does a few time leaps back and forth but does it in a smooth style that isn’t hard to follow. The story is introspective, anyone expecting a thrill ride of nonstop action will be very disappointed, George is trying to come to terms with what he's done and what he has to do. The end doesn’t wrap up in a tidy little bow, there is closure to the story but rather than a black and white resolution the reader is left in a gray area – some things will change others will always be the same.There’s an awful lot going on in this story beneath the surface. It contains much in social commentary on things like (corrupted) power, (unearned) privilege and the often unhealthy influence of family dynasties. There is also a strong sense of paranoia that weaves throughout the plot. In a lot of ways it’s a conspiracy theorists worst nightmare come true. I was completely riveted by the story.The character of George Beckett isn’t a knight in shining armor, his heroic qualities are minimal. Some readers might be put off by his apparent ambivalence to the things going on around him. I thought it added a sense of realism to the character, here’s basically a working class guy who has spent most of his life in relative comfort around the edges of the rich and powerful, now he can rock the boat and possibly sink himself in the process or do nothing and try to live with himself knowing he never even tried.The book contains adult language, sexual situations and some violence.*** I received a free Advance Readers Edition of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. There were no conditions given or promises made as to whether the review would be good, bad or indifferent – only that it would be my honest opinion. It is.
    • 4/5
      Crime of Privilege is a mystery/thriller that I enjoyed more for the characters than the actual thrill.George is screwed. He’s gotten through law school, and has a job as an assistant DA on Cape Cod, but all of this has only been possible because of one night, long ago. George had attended a part at the family home of Senator Gregory and had witnessed some younger members of the family taking advantage of a very drunk girl also attending the party. The repercussions and cover up surrounding this event has changed George’s life.Little does he know that it isn’t over yet, twelve years later, when a man asks George to get involved in the unsolved mystery of the murder of his daughter. This father believes the Gregorys have something to do with the murder.It seems as if George has no control over his own life. He’s been pulled into a vortex and can’t figure out how to get out. As he begins investigating, while getting pressure from his boss, the DA, as well as the family of the girl who was raped 12 years ago, he realizes he is more screwed than he ever thought.The heart of Crime of Privilege is George’s figuring out how to get himself out of this mess. He’s torn between doing the right thing (and losing everything), and going with the flow (and continuing to enjoy the life he currently leads.) He honestly cannot trust anyone – because it seems everyone is working on some side of this case. I enjoyed watching George’s character go through this turmoil. I really enjoyed his partner, Barbara, too. She was a well-written character that allowed much of George’s growth.The pacing of Crime of Privilege is good. I read it fairly quickly, and never got bored. As far as “thrilling,” I never really got the thrill. I thought it was pretty obvious who the killer was and the ending, while giving me a sense of justice, kind of fizzled instead of popping. There weren't any huge twists or revelations that surprised me.I enjoyed the epilogue, and thought it added some closure to George’s plight – which I really wanted while reading Crime of Privilege.I would recommend Crime of Privilege to those who like a light thriller that is a lot about the characters and not so much about surprising twists and turns.
    • 4/5
      Crime of Privilege was a good read. There were unexpected twists to the age old story of the wealthy getting away with murder. Asst. D.A. George Becket is a little naïve but his story is real enough. Walker does a great job of creating characters that are interesting and engaging. The "truth" of the privilege enjoyed by the rich and powerful creates a thrilling plot. The ending was a little abrupt after the drama and intrigue but overall a good read.
    • 3/5
      I had mixed feelings about this book.On the plus side, the character development of George Beckett, the main character, is very good, his actions and motivations were natural results from his background. The second positive aspect of the story is that all of the questions raised throughout the book were answered, no threads left hanging. Flashbacks from the present to the crime itself are identifiable (I hate wondering where in time I am). Along that same line, the story progression in itself was logical, without jumps or gaps.Best of all, the author did not fall victim to endlessly describing the various settings throughout the story. It honestly does not take three pages to describe a sitting room, and I appreciate that he avoided that trap. Do not think, however, that his settings were lacking. When George meets with one of his witnesses in a crowded cafe, the hustle and bustle are conveyed very succinctly.Overall, the book is a thinly-veiled Kennedy-family-conspiracy/coverup affair. George's experiences involving Mr. Andrews, an integral part of the storyline, seem to me to be very far-fetched, and I found it to be not engrossing.
    • 3/5
      This starts as a fast paced a novel, loosely based on several Kennedy family members and a crime in Florida many years ago. The book moved from present day back to the time of the original incident Sometimes hard to follow and more implausible as it proceeded, I lost interest by the end and found it difficult to finish.
    • 3/5
      This is the story of George Becket a middle class man who is enamored by his wealthy friends.The book begins with George at a party in the Palm Beach mansion of Senator Gregory of Cape Cod. George is with two college aged friends who offer to show an intoxicated co-ed the mansion. Upstairs, the two members of the Gregory family have sexual relations with the co-ed.George has a moral dilemma of the wrongness of his friends actions but doesn't want to take any steps that would 'rock the boat.' Finally, he feels the action has gone too far and stops further sexual attacks on the unconscious woman.Later, he's visited by an associate of the co-ed's family who want him to testify about her rape. George tells the man that he isn't sure if it was consensual. The man tells him that the co-ed's father is very wealthy and if George doesn't testify, they'll ruin his life.Years later, George is a lowly DA in Cape Cod. A man approaches him and asks his help in the investigation of the man's daughter's murder. The case involves the Gregory family.Although not wanting to take action, George is finally persuaded and begins to investigate in a half hearted manner.The story is well told as George becomes more convinced in his actions and that the Gregory family is trying to hide their deeds.George is an interesting but weak character. I felt that the story was entertaining but too lengthy. This caused the tension to lessen and I wished for a stronger conclusion.
    • 4/5
      This review is for LibraryThing Early Review. When I first started this book I was able to read several chapters and stay hooked to the story. The main character, Georgie, is easy to hate in the beginning as he watches a college girl get raped by members from a prominent family. Skip several years, George is a lawyer for the D.A.'s office, when he is asked to investigate the murder of a young woman, with the suspects being from the same prominent family. The plot was hard to follow at times because it jumped back and forth in time, and eventually I had to sit the book down because of lack of interest. Flash forward several months, I pick the book up, and found that I couldn't put it down. I began rooting for Georgie and wishing for him to make amends for his past, and find the ones' responsible for the murder. Overall the story was pretty good, however I felt that parts of the story dragged on forever.
    • 4/5
      George Becket, now an attorney in the district attorney office of Cape Cod, had “friends” and friends of friends while growing up. Some of the friends were part of a wealthy and privileged family, the Gregory’s. Two young women, one from Cape Cod, the other visiting south Florida were involved with the family and friends. One committed suicide, the other was murdered.George, years later, is tasked with the job of finding the murdered woman. The problems he deals with appear monumental due to the Senator’s powerful influence. The investigation takes him to Europe, Hawaii, and Central America. The plot and characters were good but sometimes confusing. Overall I enjoyed the book although at times it was slow going.
    • 3/5
      Review of Crime of PrivilegeDisclosure: I received a free copy of this book with the expectation that I would provide an honest review. That review follows:This story is about George (diminutively referred to by some as ‘Georgie’) Becket, an Assistant DA on Cape Cod who gets caught up in investigating a cold-case murder that the police and the DA’s office have abandoned. As George investigates further, he finds this crime is related to another crime with which he is himself involved.I enjoyed the writing, the prose is natural and readable, but nothing spectacular. I struggled with maintaining interest in a few places--the characters did not really captivate me and the plot took some illogical turns sometimes. There was little masking the resemblance between the Gregory family in the story and a remarkably similar American family. While this interest drives the reader’s interest,for a while, ultimately, the story has to carry itself. The most interesting aspects of this book were the insight into the power and influence that people can wield and--perhaps more significantly--how easily the rest of us let ourselves be awed and ‘bought’ by the equivalent of a few trinkets of attention of influence. It makes you wonder: how low is your price? Possible spoilers follow:The genre of this book is a little difficult to track, since it is presented as a mystery, but ultimately falls short of getting the reader to care. The story meanders so much that it obscures the real plot. Ultimately, the story let me down and left me vaguely empty. There was an attempt at tying up some loose ends, but they felt more forced than natural and didn’t really help.The very last line of the book at first felt very satisfying, but after a couple seconds suddenly felt cheap, easy and predictable.
    • 4/5
      CRIME AND PRIVILEGE by Walter Walker is an enjoyable quick read and while I am a huge fan of suspense thrillers, I thought I would enjoy this book more than I actually did. The writing is superb, the lines of good verses evil are wonderfully blurred and the characters are extremely well drawn out. Overall Walker has written a brilliant book and I do believe that CRIME OF PRIVILEGE will be enjoyed by numerous fans of suspense thrillers.
    • 5/5
      Crime Of PrivilegebyWalter WalkerMy " in a nutshell" summary...A rape...a murder...a wealthy family...protected sons...all make this book impossible to put down.My thoughts after reading this book...I actually am at a bit of a loss for words...this gem of a book was so good. It's the story of a wealthy powerfully connected family...who are able to control the outcomes of anyone they choose to protect. This is also the story of George Beckett...who went to school with cousins, brothers and friends of this family...and witnessed a horrible rape...says nothing about it and ultimately regrets this decision. This event...overshadows his career as an attorney. Finally...due to overwhelming outside forces...he gets involved. This involvement nearly costs him everything. He doesn't actually become involved until there is another even more horrible crime and resulting predictable cover up. He becomes involved and gets deeper and deeper into what this family has done...until there is an amazing...perhaps a teeny bit predictable ending! But oh so good!What I loved about this book...There was not one thing out of place in this book. Characters were villainous, unlikeable, likeable, frustrating, weak, strong, creepy, and totally fascinating. George was both weak and strong...admirable and sort of standoffish. But totally fascinating. His quest to find the truth about who killed the girl on the golf course...kind of jaw dropping. I loved the collection of good guys and bad guys and that sometimes...I was not sure who the good guys were...or the bad ones, either.What I did not love...I never truly felt empathy for George and I really wanted to. He was the good guy but annoyingly so. I couldn't stop thinking that he should have done something when the first rape occurred. Final thoughts...I think all of the characters that I loved hating made this book even more wonderful for me. It was exciting...thrilling...and I loved it!
    • 3/5
      George Becket is the main character in this novel of the privileged few. Walter Walker has written a book with great pacing, and good character development. For 95% of this book, I was quite pleased. Unfortunately, at the end, there were too many threads left undone. It is a shame to read this book, and then, at the end, wonder why the author didn't tidy it up. And no, I don't always expect every aspect of a novel to be neatly, and happily bundled in the final chapter, but I do expect a completed story. I don't feel this one finished.
    • 4/5
      “Crime of Privilege” by Walter Walker is a book about power, manipulation, loyalty and courage. George is a young lawyer who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is not a self confident young man, but rather a person whom it seems, has never had to put his values on the line and struggle through adversity to do the right thing. He is a mostly passive observer of a violent crime to a young girl and is drawn into the investigation a violent murder of another young woman. In the process of dealing with and investigating the crimes, he questions whether there may be a connection between the two. To further complicate the situation, they both occurred on or near the properties of a very wealth and powerful family which is deeply involved in politics and the social scene in and beyond Cape Cod. The investigation of these crimes takes George on travels to other parts of the world and to meetings with friends and connections both new and others long forgotten. It becomes apparent that George is going to be pressured by several competing interests both financially, professionally and personally. The intimidation, violence and power brokering that goes on in the book are a big part the story of money, power, politics and the corruption they can foster. In “Crime of Privilege” there is romance, frustration and sometimes deep disappointment for several of the characters. As George is developed as the main character, I both understood him and felt sorry for him but I never did like him. The secondary characters, especially those very closely related to the murdered. Readers who enjoy mystery, lawyer or political novels will find this a very goos read. I enjoyed this book and give it a 4 stars.
    • 3/5
      This thriller was a page turner in the best sense of the word. It quickly moved through a complicated plot and scenario was believable. I was not happy that Walker used a thinly veiled story line on the Kennedys. I also found the ending somewhat disappointing.
    • 5/5
      Just finished the book a minute ago...found it a little slow at first,,,thinking its the Kennedy scandal all over again,I did listen to the news at the time,but when it was turned over to a young lawyer,George Becket is when it gets really interesting.He is told to go there he needs to and talk to who he needs.The ending is unputdownable(not sure if its a word,but it fits)
    • 4/5
      If you enjoy a good thriller, and this is definitely a good one, then this book should do the trick. It takes off from the beginning and never lets up. The main character, George Becket, is likeable, if not a bit out of his element. The story is like many newspaper headlines you've seen over the years. A member or members of a rich, prominent family have committed a crime, in this case murder. There are cover ups aplenty and lots of questionable characters. The story is a fun to read and the action pulls you along as it moves from Florida to Cape Cod, where most of the action occurs. George must also travel to other parts of the world as he tries to bring justice to an innocent girl and her surviving family.