An Unusual Request Is Made
Publisher’s Synopsis
Disbarred defense attorney Edward Hall discovers that in order to win his case he has to lose in this tense and twisting legal thriller.
Disbarred Texas lawyer Edward Hall accepts an offer to represent the most obviously guilty defendant in town. If he handles this case well – meaning he needs to lose – he has a chance to regain his law licence. But as the trial approaches, Edward finds himself having to solve and prove a completely different case: one of cold-blooded murder.
Details
- Title: From The Grave
- Author: Jay Brandon
- Publisher: Severn House Publishers (January 7, 2020)
- Genre: Mystery / Crime / Legal
- Hardcover: 240 pages
My Thoughts
Legal thrillers are right up at the top of my wish list. I love to see lawyers outwit each other. And in the past, Brandon’s books have helped fill that void in my reading, since I don’t run across an abundance of legal mysteries.
But in this case, I was pretty disappointed. Edward Hall, the lawyer, spends much of the time either not believing his client or throwing up his hands and pretty much handling the case like a novice. Even I could have figured out several things to investigate that might possibly have helped his client’s case.
But with Edward’s girlfriend’s help, they begin to investigate the possibility that there is some connection between a local artist’s death and the current case.
Now we’re talking about the same lawyer who earlier was having trouble investigating simple things like whether calls were coming in or going out on cell phones. Things that seemed to have escaped Edward’s notice earlier. Yet now, with his girlfriend’s help, he is able to search another case and his current case to see if anything ties them together. Hmmm. . .
And no spoilers, but the courtroom scenes were somewhat repetitive and not exciting.
I really enjoy the battle of legal wits in these types of stories. But in my opinion, the method of attempting to prove someone innocent should never happen the way it did in this book. That alone caused my rating to drop.
My thanks to #SevernHouse and #NetGalley for an eARC and the ability to freely post my opinion.
What Concerned Me
The legal scenes and the tactics didn’t work at all for me.
My Conclusion
I like Jay Brandon’s writing and I won’t hesitate to pick up another of his books. But this story didn’t work for me.
Here’s a book that I really liked by Jay Brandon. Against The Law
About The Author
Jay Brandon is the author of 18 novels, including the Edgar Award-nominated Fade the Heat. As an attorney, Jay has practiced at the Court of Criminal Appeals, which is the highest criminal court in Texas, as well as at the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office and the San Antonio Court of Appeals.
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