Genre: Legal Thriller

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The intensity in Phillip Margolin’s novels can keep a reader breathless for hours on end. His ability to paint a picture so vividly with words is a talent that has served him well since his first novel, Heartstone, written in 1978. Forty-one years and Twenty-three books later, The Perfect Alibi will be published in March, proving that Margolin has not lost his touch.

The the case of a young woman accusing a college athlete of rape is a common theme and  Margolin takes it up several notches. There is a DNA match that should clarify everything, but in Margolin’s world it only leads to more questions.

Protagonist Robin Lockwood, a prominent young lawyer, watches as Blaine Hastings is found guilty of the rape of Randi Stark and agrees to represent Randi in a civil suit against her rapist. At the same time she is defending another client on a murder charge that should be self defense. Then there is the case of another attorney who needs Robin’s help with a vengeful prosecutor who is accusing him of killing his partner and best friend.

Nothing is ever as it seems in a Margolin novel, and this is one of his best. The action never slows down, and every page brings a new revelation. His characters are well fleshed out and the descriptions of the surroundings and the court scenes make the story come alive. I was sad to turn the last page and anxiously await his next novel.

​-Beverly


Publisher - Minotaur Books
Date of Publication - ​​​​March 5, 2019

Genre: Legal Thriller

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It is rare to find an author who successfully presents a strong female protagonist, but Paul Batista really surprised me with two very strong leading ladies in this complex courtroom drama, The Warriors. Not only does he introduce us to this dynamic duo, he shows their strength unapologetically and without “girly” things to soften them for the reader.

Senator Angelina Baldesteri is a former First Lady who lived through the assassination of her extremely popular husband. The senator has plans to run for the presidency but there are those who do not want to see that happen. She suddenly finds herself accused of money laundering, perjury, bribery, and obstruction of justice and realizes that she needs a strong attorney to protect her reputation while proving her innocence.

Defense attorney Raquel Rematti (the first time Batista introduced this character was in his novel, The Borzoi Killings) is a personality to be reckoned with, and she agrees to represent the senator. The problem is, they are both strong willed, pig headed and want to be in charge. Raquel quickly realizes that she doesn’t know the whole truth, and there is more to Angelina’s story than meets the eye.

Throw in murder and mayhem, drug lords and a Mexican cartel, and you have Batista at his best. Bringing out the positive and negative strengths in these two characters showcases the talent of an author who draws on his own experience in the courtroom to bring us a novel that is difficult to put down until the last page.

- Beverly


Publisher - Oceanview Publishing
Date of Publication - December 18, 2018

​Genre: Legal Thriller

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Joseph Finder’s strength is in his story. My favorite authors are the ones who draw me in with their particular specialties. There are those whose characters rise off of the page and make me want to share a meal with them or just hang out with them. There are others whose power of description help me to travel the world without leaving my living room. Finder’s characters are well fleshed out and his descriptions are replete with adjectives, but it is his ability to tell a story that captures me and never lets go.

I expected a great novel when I read about Judgment, and I was not disappointed. His protagonist is a female this time, a rule-following judge who makes one mistake in her personal life and watches as her world starts to crumble. Juliana Brody presided over the Superior Court of Massachusetts and is on track to go much further in her career. Unfortunately, she is currently presiding over a case that has connections that might ultimately destroy her career.

When her lapse in judgment turns into a blackmail opportunity for the defendants in one of the cases that is before her, the Judge soon finds that her life, and the life of those closest to her, is in peril. Not one to give in to blackmailers, Judge Brody goes to any length to find out who is behind this scheme. Finder’s research is evident as we learn about underhanded business practices and Russian connections.

Yes, Joseph Finder is a storyteller, and for those who enjoy a good thriller, I promise that Judgment will make your top ten list for 2019.

​-Beverly


Publisher - Dutton
Date of Publication - ​​​​January 29, 2019

​Genre: Legal Thriller

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​I enjoy stories that take place in different locals and allow me to "live" in those areas for a while.  Scott Pratt's protagonist, Joe Dillard lives and practices law in Tennessee. I read this book last year and quickly caught up with the rest in his series.  The next Joe Dillard book is slated to come out around Thanksgiving, so I decided to get you all started on the first in the series, An Innocent Client.

Joe is tired of being a criminal defense attorney and is ready to quit, but he would love the opportunity to defend one innocent person. He believes he has found this person in Angel Christian. She is an attractive waitress who is accused of murdering a preacher after visiting an infamous strip club.

I enjoy the way Pratt writes.  This book bounces around from first to third person, which helps make it a little different than the typical legal thriller. He also involves the reader in Joe's personal life. Joe's sister is a drug addict who was recently released from prison. His mother is fighting Alzheimer's.  His family is somewhat normal, and he is looking for the same answers many of us search for every day.

Pratt's villains might be a bit too evil, but I think it helps shine the light on Joe's fight for right. I find Pratt's characters a bit easier to relate to than Grisham's, and tend to like them better.
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If you haven't gotten to know Dillard yet then you are in for a treat.  Start with this book and work your way through.  

​-Beverly


Publisher - Onyx
Date of Publication - ​​​​November 4, 2008

​Genre: Legal Thriller

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Scott Pratt was November 14, 2014’s featured author, and A Crime of Passion is the seventh in his series about defense attorney Joe Dillard.  In this book, Dillard is hired to defend Paul Milius, a record company baron accused of strangling Kasey Cartwright, a young country singer. He must travel to Nashville to defend Milius, and he doesn't want to leave his wife who is battling cancer.  The million dollar retainer is hard to pass up though, and Milius promises that his private jet will be at Joe's disposal the entire time.  Dillard ends up taking the case, and along with his son Jack, and Jack's girlfriend Charlie begins the search for what really happened. All is far from what it seems.  The devoted wife is not so devoted, and the house staff knows how to keep secrets.

As in all Joe Dillard books, Joe's relationship with his family steals the show.  Unfortunately, this book is not as strong as his others in that respect, but there was enough to keep me happy. His love for Caroline shines through each book and leads me to believe that Pratt ust have a wonderful relationship with his own wife.  Milius and those surrounding him are not the warmest of people, but once Joe starts believing in his innocence, the team works to find the truth that will free him.  
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I tend to get tired of series after five or six books, but Joe Dillard is still capturing my interest, and I anxiously await Book # 8.

​-Beverly


Publisher - Phoenix Flying, Inc.
Date of Publication - ​​​​December 4, 2014

​Genre: Legal Thriller

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Those of you who subscribe to madderlyreview.com know that Scott Pratt was our first  featured author in November of 2014.  We featured Scott because his protagonist, Joe Dillard came to life for me from book one.  Many authors write about disgruntled attorneys, but I have noticed a great deal of growth in Joe as the series continues.  His character is multi-dimensional, and I find myself worrying about his wife Caroline's cancer as though she was a friend.  Joe's reaction to this horror in his life is frighteningly realistic, and I imagine there are those who relate to these reactions.

This book goes down a darker road than Pratt's previous books, but the familiar characters make it easy to continue this trip with Joe.  I love the relationship he has with Sheriff Leon Bates and look forward to his appearances in each of Pratt's books. In Judgment Cometh: And That Right Soon we learn pretty quickly that Joe's client is innocent of the crime he is being accused of committing. Even though he is caught with the chopped up remains of a state Supreme Court justice in the back of his truck, there is more to it than meets the eye.

This is the fourth kidnapped judge, and Joe realizes that he needs to find the real killer in order to free his client. Unfortunately, this client is too intimidated to help Joe, and we watch Leon and Joe go down some very scary trails in their search for truth.   Joe brings his son Jack and Jack's girlfriend Charlie Story back, and this adds to the plot in several ways.

This is definitely darker than Scott Pratt's previous books, but if a character is to remain fresh through a continuing series, the author has to show all aspects of his life. Unfortunately, we all go through dark times and the strong find their way through to the light.  Hopefully, Pratt will continue to give us glimpses into the best of Joe Dillard for many books to come.

- Beverly


Publisher - Phoenix Flying, Inc.
Date of Publication - ​​​​July 21, 2016

Genre: Legal Thriller

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Victor Methos, a lawyer himself, writes about what he knows. His protagonist in Shotgun Lawyer, Peter Game, has a good heart that is buried under a pile of insecurities. Although he comes off as cynical and a bit ethically challenged, we quickly find out that he will go to great lengths for a cause in which he believes. Melissa presents him with just such a cause.

Her seven year old son is gunned down by a semi-automatic during a school shooting at a Salt Lake City elementary school, and she wants the gun manufacturer to pay. Peter is well aware that no one beats the gun lobby and tries to tell her that it is a losing cause. Eventually she convinces him to help her, and the David and Goliath battle begins.

When he realizes his opponent is Brennen Garvin, a brilliant lawyer with a total lack of scruples, his one man office seems laughable and his case impossible. A former fiancé, and a satanist intern/clerk join his team, and the fun begins.

Methos does his usually good job in featuring the “down on his luck” attorney as a credible hero, and the book moves along quickly to a satisfying conclusion. He definitely paints a picture of the horrors of a school shooting, but he does not bury us in more details than is necessary. While I would have enjoyed a bit more character development, this plot driven legal thriller never took the easy way out. This was never going to be an easy win, and the author made it more about the importance of the fight than the big money payout.

Peter Game seems to find himself in this challenge, and I hope Methos brings him back in a future novel.

-Beverly


Publisher - Thomas & Mercer
Date of Publication - ​​​​October 23, 2018

Genre: Legal Thriller

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Deborah Hawkins made me love her characters early on in Keeping Secrets, and I continued to be invested in a positive outcome until I turned the last page. There are several protagonists, and Hawkins gives them each their moments in the sun as she features different ones in each chapter.

The story centers around the life and imminent death of Professor Edward Wynne Carter, III, who has spent over thirty years on Virginia’s death row for the murder of his pregnant wife, Anne. Ed insists his love for Anne would have never allowed him to kill her, and Attorney Brendon Murphy has kept him alive until now, but an execution date looms ahead.

Ed’s son, Wynne, is an Attorney and his father’s biggest champion, and is doing everything in his power to save his father as well. Wynne's fiancé, Claire, is willing to give up her big wedding and concentrate on helping the Carters prove Ed’s innocence, but complications arise.

McKenzie Fitzgerald, just out of law school when Anne was murdered, interviewed a key alibi witness, forgot to turn on the tape recorder, and covers up her mistake at Ed’s expense. Now she is fighting for a seat on the Supreme Court and realizes if she brings out the truth to save Ed, she will lose the nomination.

The story, with so many roads to follow, is an easy one to get involved in, and I never felt lost. Hawkins style pulls us into the mind and heart of each of her characters, and the story itself, loosely based on the truth, is a fascinating read. Although the end felt a wee bit too contrived for my taste, I enjoyed the book enough to overlook that small issue.

-Beverly


Publisher - Amazon Digital Services LLC
Date of Publication - ​​​August 30,2018

​Genre: Legal Thriller

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Most legal thrillers are written from the prospective of the attorney, and it is refreshing to read J. D. Trafford’s novel through the eyes of the judge. Good Intentions introduces us to Judge Jim Thompson just as his world seems to be coming apart. He has been following in the footsteps of his mentor, Judge Meyer, and is working with children and their families, trying to fairly determine if foster care is the correct solution for the children who come before him. A recent decision that turns tragic jeopardizes his job at the same time that he finds Meyer’s murdered body.

I must say, I have read a great deal of legal thrillers and find it odd that so many lawyers  (and now a judge) spend most of their time trying to solve crime rather than defend or adjudicate. In Good Intention, Judge Thompson is determined to find out who killed his mentor. While digging through Meyer’s belongings, he comes across several pictures that seem out of place and a bank account earmarked for Thompson that contains millions of dollars. Trying to save Judge Meyer’s reputation while in the midst of trying to salvage his own gets complicated, and Thompson is no longer sure who he can trust.

Trafford is a compelling writer, and his stories always keep the reader interested. He is a lawyer by trade, and I feel he does a stronger job representing lawyers as displayed in his last book, Little Boy Lost. In that novel, attorney Justin Glass felt three dimensional throughout, where as in this latest novel there are times when Judge Thompson falls a little flat. The story is a good one though, and he does a good job showing the various sides of foster children cases.

This is a good choice for Trafford fans as well as legal thriller thriller enthusiasts looking for a slightly different point of view.

- Beverly


​Publisher - Thomas & Mercer
Date of Publication - ​​​June 19, 2018

​Genre: Legal Thriller

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John Dobbyn’s passion for his topics always draw me in, and this book is no exception. The illicit trade of exotic and endangered species of wild animals has always bothered me, and Dobbyn makes it clear that it is a hot button topic for him as well. Hopefully, these facts embroiled in fiction will alert his readers to this despicable practice and lead toward changes in the near future.

The relationship between defense attorneys Michael Knight and Lex Devlin is one that I have enjoyed through this series. Devlin has proven himself a strong mentor for the younger Knight who is a better attorney because of their relationship. Things become personal in Fatal Odds for Knight when Roberto, a jockey and a relative of his, dies in a fixed horse race. As if that isn’t bad enough, Roberto’s brother, Victor, is being accused of murder, and Knight is determined to defend him.

Suddenly, the lawyer is in way over his head, dealing with Puerto Rican crime gangs and threats against his life. He follows Victor to Puerto Rico and the story really picks up pace there. The reader is taken into the rainforest and is given a lesson on animal smuggling that will definitely make one think. When an author can teach me new facts along with entertaining me, I consider his/her book a success.

There are quite a few secondary characters in this book, and I had to focus as I turned each page or I would have lost my way. I don’t want to say too much and give away the plot, but I will say that with help from his friends Knight comes up with quite a scheme to outwit the mafia, gang members, and anyone else who gets in his way. Dobbyn is foremost a storyteller, and this is one story that you won’t want to miss.

- Beverly

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​Publisher - Oceanview Publishing
Date of Publication - ​August 2,2016