Genre: Legal Thriller

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Truth be told, I have not read every book in Levine’s series featuring attorney Jake Lassiter. I am not sure why, and I just might go back and catch up on those I missed. Jake is an interesting character, and like Rosenfelt’s Andy Carpenter and Coben’s Myron Bolitar, he surrounds himself with equally interesting people. His fiancé, Melissa, and his nephew, Kip, feature heavily in Cheater’s Game as Jake tries to save Kip from himself.

The plot of this latest book is so timely that it is almost uncomfortable. Twenty year old Kip, who was raised by Jake since Jake's sister deposited the very young child on his doorstep, is exceptionally intelligent and seemingly equally naive. Kip gets involved with a wealthy con man who acts as a mentor and convinces him to join his business. He has Kip help him in conning millions of dollars out of parents who want to insure that their children will be accepted into the finest colleges in the country. In fact, with Kip's expertise in taking the SAT’s, which he does for the clients' sons and daughters, the young people are accepted into the schools of their choice. Everyone is happy...except for the government.

When his “mentor” cuts a deal with the government and throws Kip under the bus, Uncle Jake takes on his most difficult challenge yet. He must convince a jury to find Kip not guilty, even though the government has a rock solid case. Adding to the stress is Jake’s health issues, which cause him migraines, memory lapses and dizzy spells. Jake is suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a condition that many former football players are dealing with now. Jake, a former Miami Dolphin, is taking part in medical trials headed up by his fiancé.

This “ripped from the headlines” legal thriller is easy to read as a stand alone even though it is the fourteen book of his series.

-Beverly


​Publisher - Herald Square Publishing
Date of Publication - April 20, 2020

Genre: Legal Thriller

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Wow! The Big Lie is so topical it is scary. Criminal attorney Jack Swyteck is asked to represent Charlotte Holmes, gun lobbyist and one of Florida’s 29 electors who is bound by oath and law to cast her vote for President MacLeod, because he won Florida by the thinnest of margins. Once again the country will have a president who did not win the popular vote.

When Charlotte announces that she intends to cast her vote with her conscience and throw the electoral college to Florida Senator Evan Stahl, the president's opponent, President MacLeod, doesn’t take it well. His hand-picked prosecutor intends to prove Charlotte is unfit to cast her vote.

Whenever Jack Swyteck is in the picture, you can be sure that his client will have the best representation possible and that we, the readers, will be reading a story to remember. With help from Theo, his “friend/investigator/former client/bodyguard”, Jack is determined to prove Charlotte fit to cast her vote, even while he is loathe to get involved in politics.

Grippando has been one of my go to authors for many years, and his stories always do seemed “ripped from the headlines.” Although there were one or two slow moments in this book, it was certainly worth reading. For the most part it kept me turning pages and rooting for Charlotte to have the right to represent all of the people of her state.

-Beverly

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Publisher - Harper
Date of Publication - February 25, 2020

Genre: Legal Thriller

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In The Holdout, Graham Moore gives us a legal thriller different than any I have read before, and I hated to turn that last page. Protagonist Maya is part of a jury convened to decide on the guilt or innocence of Bobby Nock, a twenty-five year old teacher accused of murdering Jessica Silver, one of his students. Jessica vanished on her way home from school one day and hasn’t been seen since.

The story alternates between the trial itself and a meeting of the jurors ten years later as they participate in the making of a docuseries about the case. The flashbacks of the trial are told from the viewpoint of each of the jurors as the novel progresses, and when one of the jurors is murdered while making the docuseries, everyone becomes a suspect.

Moore does a masterful job keeping the reader guessing about the original murder as well as the newest one, and each of the jurors pull the reader in with their own life stories told along with their experiences during the trial. When their individual secrets threaten to be revealed during the present day murder investigation, the consequences for all involved could be disastrous.

Moore’s strength in his characterization coupled with his ability to weave together a mesmerizing story make this a book you don’t want to miss.

- Beverly


Publisher - Random House
Date of Publication - February 18, 2020

Genre: Legal Thriller

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Victor Methos is an attorney, so it doesn’t surprise me that he can tell the legal stories that he does so well. His frame of reference is his own practice, and his obvious talent with the written word draws his readers into a world in which he is quite familiar. What does surprise me in A Gambler’s Jury is how successful he is in inhabiting the persona of a female protagonist.

Most men who write legal thrillers do so through the voice of male protagonists. Methos introduces us to Attorney Dani Rollins, a woman fighting her own demons as she fights for her clients. His ability to capture her emotions and speak through her voice is a testament to a truly talented author.

Dani’s latest client is a mentally challenged teenage boy who supposedly masterminded a drug deal that was way beyond his abilities. Someone is setting him up, and the system just might be a part of it. With  help from Will, her investigator, Dani does all she can to set Teddy Thorne free from a justice system that is using him to make a point. It is a solid story that keeps the reader rooting for Teddy as the deck is stacked against him.

My only complaint about the book is a general one. Why do authors feel the need to paint all defense attorneys as barely functioning alcoholics? I don’t like to spend a great deal of time around people who are inebriated at parties, so why would I want to spend time with them when I am enjoying a good book? I realize it adds a dimension to a character, but I believe a good author can add a dimension in a more creative way. Methos surely qualifies as a talented author, and I hope he brings a sober Dani back to help fight the bad guys in another book.

- Beverly
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​​Publisher - Thomas & Mercer
Date of Publication - February 27, 2018

Genre: Legal Thriller

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I have been a Margolin fan since I first picked up Gone But Not Forgotten many years ago.  He pulls you in on the first page and never lets you go.  Most of his books are stand alone, and his plots are always fascinating. He does have one series that I thoroughly enjoy, and A Reasonable Doubt is the third in the series that follows the exploits of attorney Robin Lockwood.

Margolin created such an interesting character in Lockwood that I understand why he doesn’t want to let her go.  Aside from being an extremely bright defense attorney, she is a former MMA fighter which adds depth to her character.  She is surrounded by several interesting secondary characters, but there is never a doubt as to who is the star of this series.

In A Reasonable Doubt magician Robert Chesterfield requests her help in obtaining patent protection for an illusion that he is about to present.  As a criminal attorney Robin explains that she would not be the right choice, but Chesterfield insists.  He had been defended in a murder trial several years before by Regina Barrister, former partner of the firm and a legal legend. Regina, suffering from early onset Alzheimer’s, retired from the firm after mentoring Robin to follow in her footsteps.  Chesterfield is somewhat mysterious as he gives her a retainer and asks her to please look into his patent protection.

Shortly after the meeting, Robin is invited to the unveiling of his illusion.  Chesterfield disappears, as expected, but he never reappears.  Robin isn’t sure whether he is in hiding from his many enemies or whether one of those enemies actually harmed him.  Following her, as she tries to track him, makes for some very exciting reading.

Margolin does such a good job with his characterization of the despicable magician, that you can easily see any number of people wishing to make him disappear.  His characters are always multifaceted though, and the reader continues wondering if perhaps Chesterfield is more than just a con man.

A Reasonable Doubt is a wonderfully plot driven story that will have the reader wondering until the very end.

- Beverly


​Publisher - Minotaur Books
Date of Publication - March 10, 2020

​​​​Genre: Legal Thriller

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John Dobbyn’s legal thrillers written in his unique literary style are always a treat to read.  His research is evident when attorneys Michael Knight and Lex Devlin tackle a new case, and I find the information shared in High Stakes particularly fascinating. Knight takes center stage in this novel as he searches for an authentic Stradivarius violin with a jaunt through the streets of Romania. This violin is believed to house the code for a secret treasure that was hidden during the fifteenth century by Vlad Dracula.

The descriptions of the streets and little violin shop in Romania made me feel like I was there, and the notes on the tyrannical Dracula felt historically accurate and were a highlight of the story. I even enjoyed reading about the violins themselves and began to have a greater appreciation of their worth.

Dobbyn’s main setting for this series is Boston, and he seems to have a handle on the various gangs that reside there. In High Stakes we are privy to the workings of the Russian, Romanian and Chinese gangs as Knight juggles all three in his quest for the violin...and his desire to remain alive.

With little stops in Bucharest, Istanbul and even the Carpathian Mountains, this book is sure to satisfy your wanderlust as well as your craving for a good thriller. 

- Beverly
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Publisher - Oceanview Publishing
Date of Publication - ​​October 2, 2019

​​​​Genre: Legal Thriller

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I am a fan of Gimenez and his protagonist, Scott Fenney, so I was excited to find a book I hadn’t read featuring Fenney. In Accused, Attorney Fenney is contacted by his ex-wife Rebecca, who is being accused of murdering her current boyfriend. Since he was the one she left Scott for, taking her case is not a simple decision.

Trey Rawlins, a rising star on the pro golf tour, lived with Rebecca in a ultimate-million dollar home on the beach in Galveston, Texas. When Rebecca called the police to their home in the middle of the night, she was covered in Trey’s blood and her fingerprints were on the knife that killed him. She swears she is in innocent, and Scott agrees to bring his crew to Galveston to defend her.

The story is well written, but I found his description of all of the women in the novel disturbing. Aside from his daughters, the housekeeper and his law partner, there were few redeeming qualities in any of the female characters. They were all unfaithful, interested in money and fame above everything else and lied continually to get what they wanted.

He also made the pro golf tour seem populated with over-sexed men with questionable morals and more vices than the NFL and NBA put together. I had trouble empathizing with any of the characters other than Scott’s immediate family and co-workers and the D.A. who seemed almost too good to be true.

Scott never gave up in his defense of his ex-wife, and the reader gets to experience the seedier side of Galveston as more “bad guys” enter the scene. It was difficult to figure out who “done it” although I had my suspicions throughout. If you can get past the women bashing, this is a fun book to read.

- Beverly


Publisher - Navarchus Press
Date of Publication - ​​​October 1, 2011

​​​​​Genre: ​Legal Thriller 

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Every now and again I read a James Patterson novel that is recommended to me, although I miss his early days when Alex Cross kept me on the edge of my seat. The Family Lawyer wasn’t a typical Patterson thriller, but it did pull me in with its relevant theme. Attorney Matthew Hovanes is shocked to find his high school aged daughter, Hailey, has been arrested for bullying a classmate who eventually takes her own life. Matt and his law partner, Debra, are faced with a prosecutor who has a pretty airtight case.

The supporting characters were a bit weak, and I never quite understood why Hailey’s friends turned on her. In fact, Matt and Debra were the only characters that I found particularly redeemable, and so I never got fully invested in the book. It did capture me in the beginning though, because bullying is so prevalent in our society today. I was hoping this was a novel that would have a strong message, because Patterson is an author with a large audience.

While the first half of the book moved quickly, like many of Patterson’s books, this one seemed to taper off through the last quarter. The ending was somewhat predictable, and I felt like it might be a set-up for another series. I wouldn’t mind a series featuring Attorney Hovanes since he was somewhat engaging, but Patterson, whose real strength is in writing thrillers, needs to surround him with a more appealing cast.

- Beverly

Publisher - Grand Central Publishing
Date of Publication - ​​​September 5, 2017

​​​Genre: Legal/Thriller

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Mirror, Mirror, the third in Hawkins’ four part series, shows the author’s ability to develop her characters as well as her plot line. When I first picked up the book I found the protagonist, Jeff Ryder, so unpleasant that I put it aside for a bit. I went back to it because I am a fan of Ms. Hawkins’ writing, and once I got into it I was hooked.

Jeff is a very successful attorney working in a  prestigious firm when the story begins, but on the day he is about to make partner he is accused of encouraging a client to falsely testify, enabling the conviction of the wrong man for the attempted murder of police rookie Chris Rafferty. As the attorney’s world crumbles around him, he desperately tries to prove his innocence and regain his life, but his own personality seems to be working against him.

Chris is now a quadriplegic recovering from the six bullets that ended his career. Hawkins features Chris and his wife Beth in some chapters and Jeff in other chapters, taking the reader on a roller coaster of emotions. When Jeff decides to represent Chris in a lawsuit proving negligence in this tragedy, he develops relationships and emotions he never saw coming, and Hawkins begins showing her strong talent in character development.

From the captivating prologue, through the strong story-line and finally bringing us to a satisfying conclusion, Deborah Hawkins showed me once again why I anxiously await the next book in this well thought out series.

- Beverly​

Publisher - Deborah Hawkins
Date of Publication - ​​August 29, 201

​Genre: Legal Thriller

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During the last few years the opioid crisis has filled the pages of many newspapers, magazines and books. Who is to blame? Why is the use of heroin, oxycodone, fentanyl, etc.,  on the rise? Are doctors prescribing too many pain killers? J. D. Trafford approaches this topic with a vengeance in his latest novel, Without Precedent.

Corporate attorney Matthew Daley is one of the most successful defenders of pharmaceutical companies in the country. His latest success comes at the same time his sister Allison dies of a heroin overdose, rendering the offer of a promotion bittersweet. His return home before her funeral sets his life in a whole new direction.

Taking a stand for his sister, he takes on a multibillion dollar pharmaceutical company represented by a team of New York corporate attorneys, trying to prove that their drug was the first step in his sister’s heroin addiction. Trafford’s knowledge of this issue, whether by research or experience, draws the reader in, and his likable protagonist keeps us interested.

I found myself disliking "Big Pharma" even more than I thought I did, when I read about their relationship with the physicians who prescribe their products. I realize that the description of these corporate bigwigs was fictional yet I can’t help but believe that there is a ring of truth in the author’s words.

As much as I liked Matthew, I did think some of the other characters were a bit weak. His alcoholic mother could have been much more interesting if her backstory had been developed. His father was superficially presented too, even though there seemed a great deal to develop there. I kept waiting to find out more about his brother, Jackson, and friend, Sherman, who helped build his ragtag team. Imagine the fun Trafford could have had building the character of Jackson, a liberal redneck.

The story itself was compelling though, and the reader can’t help but cheer for this New York lawyer who returns to fight a hometown battle. I have reviewed several of Trafford’s novels, and liked them all enough to anxiously await his next one.

- Beverly
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​Publisher - Thomas & Mercer
Date of Publication - March 12, 2019