The Velvet Hammer is partially a memoir and partially a true crime book detailing some of the more heinous cases that Judge Perry presided over.

Learning his life story was interesting and in particular what lead him into law.

I am a lover of true crime so I was interested in learning more about some of these particularly upsetting cases. Some of the cases are quite gruesome and very disturbing. A lot of time is devoted to the Casey Anthony case - which dragged in parts.

What I was very disappointed in is the very biased way that the judge recounts these cases. I was expecting an objective retelling. Instead the judge is very pro the death penalty and uses every opportunity to advocate for it. For ME that detracted from the story of the cases and impacted my reading of the book.

Overall, if you are a lover of true crime there is lots of interesting information in this book. Just be aware that it does come from a prosecutorial, pro death penalty stance. If that is not an issue that is bothersome to you then you will enjoy learning more about these cases.

Really interesting and insightful read. I enjoyed that the author didn’t just focus on the cases he preceded over, but also told his own history and his life. It was inspiring to see how he managed to rise though the ranks despite everything.
Really enjoyed this books.

📱E-Book Review📱

The Velvet Hammer
Chief Judge Belvin Perry, Jr. and Amy Mitchell

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This was such a fascinating book and so much more than I'd been expecting.

Ok, I know it's my own fault - I never read blurbs before reading a book and so this was a 'jusge a book by its cover' pick for me.
Such a striking image with the contrast of the gavel and the blood against that white background - it really stood out to me and I couldn't wait to dive in!

So this was a great introduction to what motivated Perry to want to be involved in the judicial system and I think it's often found that parental careers can often influence us as we grow.
Perry's father being a police officer meant that they must have been exposed to all things law from such an early age.
Plus there's just something about well publicised cases that grab everyone's attention.

Working through the system saw Perry become Chief Judge.
I don't profess to know very much about the legal system, especially not in the US - but this definitely took a lot of motivation, determination and total focus which we saw throughout this book.

On top of this, Perry discusses some of the the most prolific cases that he's been part of and as with many books of this nature, this content can be quite graphic and disturbing to some readers.

Anyone who is obsessed with true crime though will be thoroughly satisfied by these inclusions.

I love how the cases are woven into the memoir parts of the book and this makes everything flow nicely and breaks up each section.
I will say though, that Perry advocates the death penalty throughout his discussions and so there is definitely a bias here - this is not so much a bad thing as it is a personal account - but just be aware if this might be a sensitive topic for you while reading!?

I don't know what I'd expected from this book but I was completely hooked and totally in awe from start to finish.

I have always been drawn to true crime, and the legal system, so this book was a wonderful look inside the life of a judge on not only one of the highest profile murder trials of the century, but also a judge who tried several capital cases in his career.

The book begins by shaping a picture of what it was like growing up as an African American man in the South during segregation. While he spoke of the ever present racial tensions and the horrors that created, Judge Perry focused on the strength he and his family drew on to help silence hate and stereotypes, and rise above the cultural climate to become strong, successful, and give back to their community regardless of the color of its members.

I found his candor insightful, and a refreshing take on that while it is the judges place to be impartial and uphold the law, we often forget that judges are humans, with opinions, and emotions, and face the difficult task of compartmentalizing those to ensure that justice is done.

At times the book was a bit repetitive, with some text being repeated a few times, however the pacing never felt labored or longwinded, and I actually would have read more on several of the cases he spoke of.

Overall, this is definitely a win and will be a top recommendation to all true crime fans this fall!

This was a riveting read, written by a Floridian judge looking back at his career and the cases he oversaw, the most prolific being the Casey Anthony case. I found every case to be incredibly interesting, particularly regarding the death penalty. I thought it was well written, I didn’t feel overloaded with legal jargon. 4 stars. Thanks to Netgalley for the arc.

I enjoyed this book to a point. Well written and informative. Unfortunately I found it a little repetitive and wasn't keen to get back in

What an interesting perspective of the law from the judicial bench. One of the most heinous crimes of murder and the subsequent trial.
The career path and family circumstances that led to the law, being a judge and then chief judge.
It's always interesting to see the reality of what happened in the court room.
A readable and interesting book

I really enjoyed this book. It’sa first person retelling of some famous crimes, and why the judge allowed certain things, or made certain decisions. It was particularly interesting to follow the last case along with him as he shows the timeline and evidence, and what was going on behind the scenes. The book really makes you appreciate what jurors go through in their service, and the immense responsibility and pressure judges are under whilst undertaking their duties

Chief Judge Belvin Perry Jr prosecuted and sat as judge on some of the most gruesome, evil and unspeakable murderers court cases. Throughout this book you learn all about these horrific cases, and the verdicts the jury’s met.

This is a non-fiction book, so proceed with caution as these are all true crime cases. I was shocked when reading how disgraceful people can be. I found even more respect for those people working in the justice system for what they witness and work through.

I am always watching true crime documentaries, which is what made me read this book, but I must say, watching a programme and reading about true crime are very different. With reading this book, my mind conjured images of what I was reading, and it is another level.

The Chief Judge provides his side of the story and viewpoints, which is interesting to read. I believe although there will be aspects not everyone agrees on, his courage to share his position during his career is so brave.

If you are interested in true crime, or any of the cases this judge has worked on, this is really worth a read.