legal – Bibliophile Book Club

A Killer’s Alibi (Philadelphia Legal #4) by William L. Myers Jr.

About the author:

William L. Myers Jr. is a Philadelphia lawyer with thirty years of trial experience in state and federal courts up and down the East Coast. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Law, he has argued before the United States Supreme Court and still actively practices law.

Myers was born into a proud, working-class family and now lives with his wife, Lisa, in the western suburbs of Philadelphia.

About the book:

For attorney Mick McFarland, the evidence is damning. And so are the family secrets in this twisty legal thriller from the Amazon Charts bestselling author of A Criminal Defense.
When crime lord Jimmy Nunzio is caught, knife in hand, over the body of his daughter’s lover and his own archenemy, he turns to Mick McFarland to take up his defense. Usually the courtroom puppeteer, McFarland quickly finds himself at the end of Nunzio’s strings. Struggling to find grounds for a not-guilty verdict on behalf of a well-known killer, Mick is hamstrung by Nunzio’s refusal to tell him what really happened.
On the other side of the law, Mick’s wife, Piper, is working to free Darlene Dowd, a young woman sentenced to life in prison for her abusive father’s violent death. But the jury that convicted Darlene heard only part of the truth, and Piper will do anything to reveal the rest and prove Darlene’s innocence.
As Mick finds himself in the middle of a mob war, Piper delves deeper into Darlene’s past. Both will discover dark secrets that link these fathers and daughters—some that protect, some that destroy, and some that can’t stay hidden forever. No matter the risk.

A Killer’s Alibi (Philadelphia Legal #4) by William L. Myers Jr.

My thoughts:

Having read and loved the first two books in this series, I was delighted to read A Killer’s Alibi!

First off, I will say it would be helpful to have read the first two books because the characters are interwoven throughout the books. Secondly, just read the books because they are brilliant legal thrillers! 🙂

There are two plots in A Killer’s Alibi, one focusing on Mick McFarland and one focusing on his wife, Piper, as she tries prove the innocence of a woman convicted of killing her father.

Bill Myers is an exceptional plotter. The way he uses misdirection to throw the reader off the scent is brilliant. I always find myself trying to figure out where the story is going, and I am NEVER right. I love that, because it means I am engrossed from start to finish, eager to know how everything pans out in the end.

I liked the thread with Piper trying to prove the innocence of Darlene Dowd. I thought it was really interesting to see how she works, especially considering events in the previous books!

Also, we meet Jimmy Nunzio again, and this time he is found holding the knife over his daughter’s dead lover. Nunzio retains Mick for his defense, and it becomes one of the hardest cases because how can you get a not guilty verdict when the man is a known killer!?

I don’t want to go into any more detail because the joy of reading these books is the figuring out of the various plot points. I always look forward to these because I am always hooked straightaway and I end up devouring them as fast as I can!

A Killer’s Alibi is a thrilling, pacy and thoroughly engaging story, with some excellently shady characters and plenty to keep the reader turning those pages!

Highly recommended!

Previous reviews:

A Criminal Defense by William L. Myers Jr.

An Engineered Injustice by William L. Myers Jr.

An Engineered Injustice by William Myers. Jr

About the book:

What if the deadliest train wreck in the nation’s history was no accident?

When a passenger train derails in North Philadelphia with fatal results, idealistic criminal defense attorney Vaughn Coburn takes on the most personal case of his young career. The surviving engineer is his cousin Eddy, and when Eddy asks Vaughn to defend him, he can’t help but accept. Vaughn has a debt to repay, for he and his cousin share an old secret—one that changed both their lives forever.

As blame for the wreck zeros in on Eddy, Vaughn realizes there’s more to this case than meets the eye. Seeking the truth behind the crash, he finds himself the target of malicious attorneys, corrupt railroad men, and a mob boss whose son perished in the accident and wants nothing less than cold-blooded revenge. With the help of his ex-con private investigator and an old flame who works for the competition, Vaughn struggles to defeat powerful forces—and to escape his own past built on secrets and lies.

An Engineered Injustice by William L. Myers Jr.

My thoughts:

William L. Myers Jr. is a new author to me and having read and loved A Criminal Defense, I was delighted to be able to read this follow-up. I’m a big fan of legal thrillers and An Engineered Injustice is another excellent addition to the genre

A passenger train derails with fatal results, and Vaughn Coburn takes on the case. His cousin, Eddy, was the engineer driving the train when it derailed. Coburn sets out to defend Eddy against claims that he caused the crash.

This case is very personal to Coburn, not least because he and Eddy share a secret from their past that imapcted both of their lives. What follows is a completely engrossing story, with more twists and turns than I was expecting. I found it impossible to put down. I was eager to learn what happened that caused the train to derail.

An Engineered Injustice is a very clever thriller, with some seriously shady characters. I loved how the author wove the story together, feeding the reader little nuggets of information along the way.

If you are a fan of John Grisham, Steve Cavanagh etc, then you need to add this book to your TBR immediately.

Highly recommended!

Previous Reviews:

A Criminal Defense by William L. Myers Jr.

Thirteen (Eddie Flynn #4) by Steve Cavanagh

About the book:

‘To your knowledge, is there anything that would preclude you from serving on this jury?’

Murder wasn’t the hard part. It was just the start of the game.

Joshua Kane has been preparing for this moment his whole life. He’s done it before. But this is the big one.

This is the murder trial of the century. And Kane has killed to get the best seat in the house.

But there’s someone on his tail. Someone who suspects that the killer isn’t the man on trial.

Kane knows time is running out – he just needs to get to the conviction without being discovered.

Published by Orion, you can grab your copy by clicking the link below:

Thirteen: The serial killer isn’t on trial. He’s on the jury

About the author:

Steve Cavanagh was born and raised in Belfast and is a practicing lawyer and holds a certificate in Advanced Advocacy. He is married with two young children. The Defence was chosen as one of Amazon’s great debuts for 2015, as part of their Amazon Rising Stars programme. In 2015 Steve received the ACES award for Literature from the Northern Ireland Arts Council. The Defence was longlisted for the Crime Writer’s Association Ian Fleming Steel Dagger, and shortlisted for two Dead Good Readers Awards.

Steve writes fast-paced legal thrillers set in New York City featuring series character Eddie Flynn.

Steve also hosts the weekly Two Crime Writers and a Microphone podcast along with Luca Veste.
Find out more at http://www.stevecavanagh.com or follow Steve on Twitter @SSCav

My thoughts:

There are a handful of authors whose books I will go out and buy without fail, and Steve Cavanagh is one such author. I hadn’t really read legal thrillers until I picked up The Defence a few years ago, and basically fell in love with Eddie Flynn as a character. I’ve been following him ever since, and I was beyond THRILLED to hear Thirteen was available yesterday. Needless to say, I hightailed it to my local bookshop to grab a copy. I started it yesterday morning, and I finished it last night. It was THAT good!

You may have seen the #thatbookthathook hashtag on twitter in the run up to publication, and it is pretty apt. That hook is unreal. I mean, a serial killer, ON THE JURY for god’s sake!!!!

In Thirteen, Eddie is called to help represent Bobby Solomon, a high-profile movie star who is up on a murder charge. His wife and head of Security were found dead in their NY brownstone, and it doesn’t look good for Bobby. Eddie is hoping that this case can give him the stability he so craves to save his marriage, which is hanging by a thread following events in previous books (Go and read them to find out what I mean!). But life is never easy for Eddie Flynn, and things soon take a dark turn.

Maaaaaaaaaaaan, can Steve Cavanagh write. Every damn time I thought I had twigged something, he smashed my theory by throwing in something else. Pretty sure I could have had whiplash with the amount of times I had to go back and re-read a line or a paragraph to see what nugget I missed. That is what I love about his writing style. Aside from the fact that it is oh so clever, Steve has the ability to grab the reader by the liathróidi (it’s an Irish word, google it!) with the shocks he delivers. Thirteen is a prime example of that!

Thirteen has an excellent cast of characters. From Eddie, to Art Pryor (lawyer and showman extraordinaire), to Judge Harry Ford (YAY) and Harper, an investigator that Eddie uses! Now, I know I said I love Eddie Flynn, and I do, but I think Joshua Kane may have stolen my black heart just a bit. Yes, he’s pure dodge, but my god is he a wily character. I don’t want to say too much, I don’t, but he is one of the most clever guys I’ve read in terms of an antagonist. Jeeeeeez, I really want to go into details here, but I know I can’t!!!! Aaaaaaaaargh!!!!!

I feel like I need to read Thirteen again because I read it so fast. I just had to see it through. And it was so worth waiting for. I probably say this with every one of these (LOL), but Thirteen is the best Eddie Flynn book so far. THE BEST! It is so damned clever, it has got real heart at its core, and more action than any blockbuster movie. These books are so cinematic, they would be amazing on the big screen. Thirteen, especially.

So yeah, safe to say I absolutely loved this one. LOVED IT!!!!

Ingenious plot, superb characters and a killer hook, Thirteen will take you on a wild ride, so buckle up…

HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

FOREVER.

ALL THE STARS.

#TEAMEDDIE

Previous posts:

The Defence by Steve Cavanagh

The Plea by Steve Cavanagh

The Liar by Steve Cavanagh

I don’t always match my tattoos to books, but this one was too easy… 🙂

A Criminal Defense by William L. Myers Jr.

About the book:

Losing the trial of his life could mean losing everything.

When a young reporter is found dead and a prominent Philadelphia businessman is accused of her murder, Mick McFarland finds himself involved in the case of his life. The defendant, David Hanson, was Mick’s close friend in law school, and the victim, a TV news reporter, had reached out to Mick for legal help only hours before her death.

Mick’s played both sides of Philadelphia’s courtrooms. As a top-shelf defense attorney and former prosecutor, he knows all the tricks of the trade. And he’ll need every one of them to win.

But as the trial progresses, he’s disturbed by developments that confirm his deepest fears. This trial, one that already hits too close to home, may jeopardize his firm, his family—everything. Now Mick’s only way out is to mastermind the most brilliant defense he’s ever spun, one that will cross every legal and moral boundary.

Click the link below to get your copy:

A Criminal Defense by William L. Myers Jr.

My thoughts:

A Criminal Defense was a book I had on my TBR since March last year, so I figure it was high time I read it and I am so glad I did. It is one of the most clever legal thrillers I’ve had the pleasure of reading in a long time.

I’m mindful of not giving away too much with this review, because the book is packed with nuggets of information along the way, and I would hate to mention any of them for fear that it gives away something, no matter how small.

Mick McFarland is a defense attorney, and he becomes involved in a case dealing with the murder of a young reporter, which turns out to be the case of his life. Mick is contacted by his old friend David Hanson only hours before the murder, and Hanson is in a world of trouble.

What follows is honestly one of the most riveting trials I have read in a book. There is so much going on that your jaw will be on the floor for most of it. Diversion tactics, supposition and deflection are all in play here. I love legal thrillers, and this one is definitely one of the best I’ve read.

Great characterisation, an excellent plot and thrilling place make A Criminal Defense the perfect read. The author has such skill with how he crafted this book that I found myself flummoxed on more than one occasion. I LOVE that!

Highly recommended!

~Mini Review~ Little Boy Lost by J. D. Trafford

*Many thanks to the publishers for my review copy*

About the book:

In a city divided and broken, this revelation will set it on fire…

Attorney Justin Glass’s practice, housed in a shabby office on the north side of Saint Louis, isn’t doing so well that he can afford to work for free. But when eight-year-old Tanisha Walker offers him a jar full of change to find her missing brother, he doesn’t have the heart to turn her away.

Justin had hoped to find the boy alive and well. But all that was found of Devon Walker was his brutally murdered body—and the bodies of twelve other African American teenagers, all discarded like trash in a mass grave. Each had been reported missing. And none had been investigated.

As simmering racial tensions explode into violence, Justin finds himself caught in the tide. And as he gives voice to the discontent plaguing the city’s forgotten and ignored, he vows to search for the killer who preys upon them.

Little Boy Lost by J. D. Trafford

My thoughts:

I really enjoyed Little Boy Lost. Its short chapters make it very easy to speed through half the book without realising it. I am a fan of legal thrillers, and this one was no exception.

There is so much more going on with Little Boy Lost though. Racism, politics, bullying and murder can be found in this book, and the author handles every theme quite sensitively.

I found that at times the flow of the book felt a bit off, in that there was time skipped and I wondered what was missing, but it didn’t stop me from enjoying the book. Packed with great characters, and with some very current themes, it’s a very good read!

Recommended!

The Plea by Steve Cavanagh

TP3

This year I have maybe 4 books that i am SO EXCITED to read, so imagine my excitement when not only Steve Cavanagh himself contacted me, but the lovely Angela McMahon from Orion too, and sent me a proof copy of The Plea AND i got some lovely goodies from Steve and Tracy! I am just SO lucky and SO grateful!

Incidentally, before I start the review, I read and loved The Defence earlier this year and ICYMI you can catch that review here:

The Defence by Steve Cavanagh

I honestly think these two books will end up in my Top Books of the Year come December, they are just that good!!! 😊

About the book (via Goodreads):

Fraud. Blackmail. Murder. It’s all in a day’s work for Eddie Flynn.

For years, major New York law firm Harland & Sinton has operated a massive global fraud. The FBI are on to them, but they need witnesses to secure their case. When a major client of the firm, David Child, is arrested for murder, the FBI ask con-artist-turned-lawyer Eddie Flynn to secure Child as his client and force him to testify against the firm.

Eddie’s not a man to be forced into representing a guilty client, but the FBI have incriminating files on Eddie’s wife, Christine, and if Eddie won’t play ball, she’ll pay the price.

When Eddie meets David Child he knows Child is innocent, despite the overwhelming evidence against him. With the FBI putting pressure on him to secure the plea, Eddie must find a way to prove Child’s innocence while keeping his wife out of danger – not just from the FBI, but from the firm itself.

My thoughts:

The Plea’s opening chapter is bang on!!! I started reading it as soon as it arrived in the door, and I honestly couldn’t put it down! I read it at every opportunity, which included reading it aloud to my 16 month old daughter because I had gotten to another great bit and didn’t want to stop reading it! 😂

Eddie Flynn is fast becoming one of my favourite characters in books, he’s just, I don’t know, so hangdog yet loveable 😍

The Plea is an utterly brilliant thriller! I’m a sucker for a good courtroom drama, which The Plea has in spades, as well as plenty of danger from outside forces. There are also plenty of characters from The Defence getting name checked too. The Lizard has to be my favourite though! Kate likes The Lizard! (Please tell me someone will get that reference, Steve? Liz? 😂)

Tasked with representing young billionaire David Child, who is accused of murder, Eddie has his work cut out for him as all the evidence points to Child being the killer. Mixed up in all of this thanks to Harland & Sinton, Christine, Eddie’s wife, becomes an unwitting pawn in the game between the FBI and Flynn. This makes the tension skyrocket as you find yourself invested in the entire story, willing the good guys to win, but who are the good guys?

Every so often, a book comes along that makes me giddy! I get all fidgety and excited about it, The Plea is one such book! After I finished it last night, I was just all eeeeeeeks and squeeeeeeees 😂 I just cannot get the words out to accurately describe just how much I loved this book!

Everything about The Plea works! The plot, the characters, the legal and courtroom struggles and triumphs, it all just fits. From the first page, the reader is sucked right into Eddie Flynn’s world and everything that goes with it! There are some excellently shady characters, that make you grit your teeth and want to smack them about the head as they are just awful human beings!

Deception, fraud, murder. The Plea has it all, and as usual, Steve Cavanagh has written an absolute ripper of a novel! 😊👏🏻📖

I gave it 5⭐️ but I would have given it 100⭐️ if I could!!! 😍

The Plea is out on May 19th and you can preorder a copy by clicking on the link below:

The Plea by Steve Cavanagh

Happy reading! 😊📖

The Defence by Steve Cavanagh

I got my copy of The Defence from Netgalley. I’ve had it on my kindle for too long so dived into it this week!

About the book (via Goodreads):

Eddie Flynn used to be a con artist. Then he became a lawyer. Turned out the two weren’t that different.
It’s been over a year since Eddie vowed never to set foot in a courtroom again. But now he doesn’t have a choice. Olek Volchek, the infamous head of the Russian mafia in New York, has strapped a bomb to Eddie’s back and kidnapped his ten-year-old daughter, Amy.
Eddie only has forty-eight hours to defend Volchek in an impossible murder trial – and win – if he wants to save his daughter.
Under the scrutiny of the media and the FBI, Eddie must use his razor-sharp wit and every con-artist trick in the book to defend his ‘client’ and ensure Amy’s safety. With the timer on his back ticking away, can Eddie convince the jury of the impossible?

My thoughts:

Wow!!!! I’m on a roll with great books this year and The Defence is another one that’s blown me away!!!

I love manly books. You know, the kinds of books that are full of action, conspiracies, violence and so on (Jack Reacher and the like basically)! The Defence was definitely up there as regards a thrill-a-minute read!

I start books at night when I go to bed as it’s the longest uninterrupted reading time for me so I know when I get to some 30-odd percent that I’m well hooked by a book. I went to sleep thinking ‘I can’t wait to pick this up again tomorrow!’ which is definitely a good sign.

The Defence is character-driven and I found myself instantly rooting for Eddie and this didn’t waver at any stage throughout the book.

Flynn is a brilliant character. Intelligent and cocky, but full of the street smarts needed when his daughter is kidnapped by the Russian Mafia. I really enjoyed the parts in the book when Flynn is in the courtroom, as his presence is commanding enough to jump off the page.

I loved this book and as usual I’m struggling to get my thoughts out of my brain and into this review!!! 😁

The Defence is a brilliant thriller! Superbly plotted with excellent characters and an engaging story. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Steve Cavanagh has gained a new fan, and I can’t wait to read the next installment in the Eddie Flynn series!

I gave The Defence an easy 5⭐️ rating on Goodreads!

It’s released today and you can purchase a copy HERE