description: Chicago, 1983: A sainted bishop lies slain, mutilated, and dismembered in his church. Moments after the murder, an angelic-looking young man, Aaron Stampler, is found crouched in the confessional, covered in blood and clutching a butcher knife, but swearing his innocence of the heinous act. Enter attorney Martin Vail. Vail is so good at his job, he has managed to infuriate every judge, prosecutor, and politician in Illinois. Now they're paying him back - by appointing him to defend Aaron Stampler and plead a case he cannot possibly win. But Vail is no ordinary lawyer, and the legal team he assembles is no ordinary backup squad. So begins a court battle worthy of Presumed Innocent and a nightmare of terror every bit as horrifying as Silence of the Lambs.
language: English
title: Primal Fear
titlecomplete: Primal Fear
characters: Aaron Stampler, Martin Vail
genres: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Drama, Mystery Thriller, Novels, Crime, Legal Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller
ratings_count: 9480
series: Vail/Stampler
publisher: Unabridged Library Edition