This book intrigued me because criminal defense fascinates me. It was hard to read at times because I felt so bad for her and her father. I think it's easy to judge criminal defense lawyers, but this book showed a man who offered counsel to someone who needed it to ensure the justice system handled his case correctly.

I was kindly sent this ARC by NetGalley and I am extremely lucky for that

this is my favourite true crime so far this year, Such an interesting story and tragic for the Canadian Mounted Police. Couldnt put it down and had to finish it

The best part about this book are the first two chapter which are personal and engrossing, full of palpable emotions and completely captivating. Sadly, after these early chapters the remainder of the book is a compilation of material that has been previously published elsewhere: detailed recount of historical events, court transcripts, incompetence of the police investigation, whole sections of textbook paragraphs are included explaining concepts like 'forensic evidence' and the principles behind the existence of defense lawyers.

By her own admission Amy Bell's relationship with her father was pretty much non existent. They were not close, rarely saw each other and Ed never confined in her daughter or shared any introspective thought about his role as a defense lawyer in the murder case of two police officers. When these become clear one question remains, what is the purpose behind this book. Amy Bell herself does not offer any insight, nor even speculations, as to her father's demise beyond a single sentence where she merely implies that her father was looking for fame and fortune when he took on the case and when he lost it he completely withdrew from life. The book does not paint the picture of Ed before or during the developments of 1974 so truthfully it is quite impossible to say how his withdrawal from life started and why. All that is clear is that a largely inexperienced and unqualified lawyer took on a defense case for potentially wrong reasons.

I have read about this murder case elsewhere and can honestly say that the way the events are being described in "Life Sentence" is very confusing. The author constantly interrupts the recounts of hard facts with her own personal speculations. She often loses focus and ventures into history of the geographical area or a particular person's career path going way back in time for no particular reason. There is even a poem being included in the middle of a detailed recount of finding the bodies of the slayed police officers.

"Life Sentence" doesn't even try to touch on the issue hinted at in its title. It is filled with recounts of chronological events, names, and generally information you can learn elsewhere in less than 200 pages. What is entirely lacking is a depiction of 'the father' promised in the title. If like me you thought the book was about the defense lawyer Ed Bell you will be disappointed.

I received a free copy of, Life Sentence, by Amy Bell, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Amy Bell's father decides to be the defense attorney for two cop killers. Not at enviable task, but he felt called to protect them. In the process of his job he lost himself and his way. Was it worth it, being a defense attorney? Their are no winners in this book, its a sad story really.

Part true crime, part local history, and part memoir. The result is a fantastic book.
Amy Bell made her subtitle the mission statement. Her father, Ed, was the defence attorney for two men who kidnapped and murdered two police officers. Through her prose, we see the post-trial man who raised her, the tics and photographs that made her ask questions, and the research that made her understand the trauma of a community.
Because of her direct connection to the material, I immediately liked this more than most true crime books I’ve read. There is never a page where the reader is allowed to forget that everyone involved is a human being. It is a compelling, thought-provoking, and often difficult read. Even when the guilty party is known, closure eludes us.
How was it possible for this to happen in the first place? Were the headlines and stories that came out at the time ethical? Did the cops have the right to do what they did before the trial started? Were there unfair elements of the trial? All this, of course, ignores the big topic of how the leering spectre of capital punishment hung over all involved.
The crime, investigation, and trial form the centre of the book, but they are not the “main point”. Every page has the weight of Amy Bell trying to answer the question: “why was my dad the way he was?”
She found her answer, and it's one that more people should read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Nimbus books for this fascinating, thought-provoking ARC. Amy Bell is a crime historian, as shown in her extensive research and writing. Although a short book, it is not an easy read. There are several main issues addressed.

It chronicles a shocking crime that took place in Moncton, NB., in 1974 when Amy was only one year old. I remember the time vividly because I had just moved to Moncton before the terrible events. The son of the owner of the great seafood restaurant, Cy's, on the main street had just been kidnapped, and a ransom was demanded. During the ransom drop and the search for the young man who had been abducted, two police officers disappeared. The boy was returned without harm. Two petty criminals, R. Ambrose and J. Hutchison, were found with $15,000 in marked ransom money. A broad and comprehensive search went out for the two missing police officers. Their bodies were found in shallow graves in a wooded area with evidence that Ambrose and Hutchison had abducted and murdered them. The dreadful ordeal of the search and discovery is deeply lodged in my mind.

Amy was just a toddler when this occurred. Her father defended the accused criminals. They were found guilty and received the death penalty. An appeal was lost, but later the death penalty was abolished in Canada, and they were to be imprisoned for life. Amy's father emerged from the trial as a shattered man, having lost the case, his career and his marriage. He never spoke about the trial afterwards. Amy and her brother grew up in poverty and isolation. Their home was now a trailer that became increasingly cluttered by her depressed, bitter, withdrawn father.

When her father was dying forty-two years later, Amy found a photo of Ambrose among his belongings. This sent her searching for answers about the crime and her father's role as the defence attorney.

She gives her thoughts on why an attorney would defend publicly hated, murderous clients and describes how many had their lives changed after their clients received the death penalty or life sentence. She writes that a defence lawyer must be zealous advocates for their clients, loyal, detached and non-judgemental about their client's moral character or potential guilt. As an officer of the court, the defence lawyer is required to cooperate and help administer justice. This conflicting role leads to much pressure and strain on the defence. Amy suggests that defence lawyers tend to empathize with their clients and view their convictions as failures on their part. The belief is that " Every person accused of a crime deserves a defence." Their taking a defence role often leads to public outrage when the public does not feel the criminals deserve it, and it wastes taxpayers' money.

The book takes through the details of the court trial and the police investigation leading to the kidnapping and murder of the two police officers. New facts are revealed that were not fully reported by the Canadian press.

The traumatizing event of 1974 still lingered in people's minds. It was thought nothing like it would ever happen in this small city again. In 2014, J. Bourque was seen walking around a trailer park in northwest Moncton carrying a rifle and handgun while dressed in camouflage. He walked away from the park, and the RCMP was called. This was the same trailer park where I lived when I first moved to Moncton. The area was put in lockdown. RCMP officers were ambushed. Three were shot to death, and two more were injured. Bourque was sentenced to 75 years in prison, 25 years for each murdered Mountie. Recently this was overturned, and he can apply for parole after 25 years. Many members of the public are incensed by this ruling.
An interesting and well-documented look at the Canadian justice system that leads you through the trial and Amy's father's part in it. She includes pictures of her early family life and photos of newspaper pages from 1974 and pictures of the criminals. I think she came away with a better understanding of her estranged father and the effects on her own personality.

Synopsis:
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On December 15, 1974, when Amy Bell was one year old, the city of Moncton, New Brunswick, was consumed with the search for two missing police officers—Corporal Aurèle Bourgeois and Constable Michael O’Leary. They had been abducted by petty criminals Richard Ambrose and James Hutchison after a kidnapping that had scored them $15,000. The search would lead to a clearing in the woods where the officers were found—murdered and buried in shallow graves.

Amy’s father, Ed Bell, stepped up to defend the killers. His unpopular stance—“every person accused of a crime deserves a defence”—eventually led to the ruin of his career and his marriage, and Amy and her brother lived with the aftereffects: poverty and isolation. Ed Bell never spoke of his involvement in this case. It wasn’t until forty-two years later when he lay dying, that Amy, now a crime historian, stumbled upon a Polaroid photograph of one of the killers among her father’s things. That discovery led her to search for answers.

"Life Sentence: How My Father Defended Two Murderers and Lost Himself" is a riveting work that fuses personal and criminal justice history to tell the story of a horrific crime and examine its terrible costs. Includes personal and archival news images.

I have a husband who is a law and justice addict and we have discussed many a time how scummy criminals get great lawyers and why do they deserve great lawyers???? I don't think that everyone deserves a great defence because who pays for it? Legal aid through our taxes. Why keep these miscreants out of prison? (He thinks everyone deserves a top-notch defence despite not having a dime to their name...I wonder how the lawyers can do it with a clear conscience???)

This book shows how much of a toll being forced to represent criminals can take. Unlike the USA where is usually rich and famou$$$$ lawyer$$$$ who take cases like these on (and who get paid handsomely for it) in Canada, it is very complicated about who is covered and why and by whom: that is a whole megillah of information on its own that I will not go into.

Her father volunteered to help those accused because of his belief of everyone needed a fair defence and its price was high and awful for him and his family. Ed Bell never spoke of his involvement but Amy has done so with this wonderfully written book. It is not a casual read but it is an excellent read on how the law works in Canada and the price paid by someone just wanting to help.

Highly recommended to individual readers and book clubs.

A sad but enlightening story about the author’s lawyer father and a case he took on that tore him apart. It affected the whole family by the time it was done, and their lives were forever changed. It took place in Canada in the 70s. Well researched and written, much background is given on things of that era and location.

I absolutely love this book. While my threshold for true crime is not nearly as high as other genres, Amy Bell's book is truly exceptional. It is a true crime book about the murder of two Canadian police officers, but also a memoir about how being the defense attorney for the murderers destroyed her father and family.

There are a few things which really drew me into this book. The first is the fact that it is very short. It is less than 200 pages. By itself, this is not necessarily a "good thing" but Amy Bell is a fantastic writer. She does more with her words than most authors and it makes the story hit that much harder. For example, her passage about the funeral of the two officers is short but poignant. While some authors may take pages upon pages to talk about this episode while pushing numerous emotional buttons, Bell makes subtle word choices and sticks to the facts.

Finally, Bell tells her own story about her strained (to put it lightly) relationship with her father and what it has done to her. Just like the rest of the book, she doesn't wallow or editorialize. It makes it that much easier to connect with the fact that she loved her father, but probably didn't like him all that much. It's a great book and you should read it.

(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Nimbus Publishing. The full review will be posted to HistoryNerdsUnited.com on 4/13/2023.)