The Velvet Hammer

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.

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

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

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 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!