The General's Daughter

As I was browsing through the library yet again, I came across this book which I picked up for my weekend reading. I recall the Arien asking me to watch a movie by the same title with him, while I was busy doing the Sudoku and catching up on my sleep, so ob. I gave it a miss. Anyway, I have always liked the book more than the movie and so I decided to read the book.

You are introduced to the story from the perspective of Paul Brenner, a member of the military CID, who is called in to investigate the death of the daughter of a very famous General. He is assisted by a rape counsultant, who is also his ex-flame, Sarah. Investigation into the house of the general's daughter Elizabeth, reveals a number of skeletons in the closet. It is a case that could easily kill his career, growth, and reputation but Paul decides that he shall do his very best to solve the case. He talks to the various people that Elizabeth knew and finds that each person had a motive to kill her. Paul attempts to reconstruct the crime based on the the details shared by the various ppl involved and zooms in on first one person and then the actual killer.

However, while there is proof that the killer was in the vicinity - there is no proof that the killer actually committed the crime. There was motive but so many others also had motive. There was a lot of circumstantial evidence but that would not hold up in court. So it was actually "We know that he knows that we know" and Paul knew that until the killer breaks down and confesses - the killer cud not be convicted and he cud not solve the case. The story dragged at the end, you are feeling desperate and then it breaks. The ending was kinda expected but the book was fantastic.

Urged the Arien to download the movie, as I kept imagining Denzel Washington in Paul Brenner's role and found out that it was John Travolta instead. The movie does make a few changes. Paul (John Travolta) meets Elizabeth in the movie whereas in the book, he has never met her and is called in after the body is found. For folks, who prefer to watch the movie rather than read the book, it has some adult content and so I advice viewer discreetion. Others, read the book - I loved it :)