The Judge's List - John Grisham

John Grisham brings back Investigator Lucy Stolz in his newest release, The Judge's List.

Lucy works for the Florida Board on Judicial Conduct, investigating complaints involving judges. A woman who hides behind a number of aliases brings a case to Lucy's attention regarding a sitting judge and some heinous crimes. Jeri has been looking into this judge for over twenty years. She is terrified of the man and wants Lucy to take it from there. 

What a neat concept. I had no idea there was such an overseer of judicial conduct - but there is. Who better than John Grisham to write about a legal process?

You'll be astounded at the perpetrator's motives and methods and fascinated with how he has covered his track for so many years. Quite chilling. Jeri was difficult to like for me - she's pushy, single minded and at first I thought she was overreacting with her precautions. (She's not) I liked Lucy in The Whistler and was quite happy to see her in another book. Her team is an eclectic bunch and add to the story. 

Though mostly told through Lucy's viewpoint, Jeri and the judge also have chapters of their own.

We do know who the culprit is, but it's the race to capture him before he commits additional crimes that is the story. I'm not sure if I was 100% on board with the judge's actions at the end, but I quite enjoyed the journey. And I'd be very happy to see Lucy again.

I chose to listen to The Judge's List. Grisham has an author's note in the beginning and it's a nice opener to the book. The narrator was Mary-Louise Parker. She speaks clearly, is easy to understand. Her speaking speed is at measured pace. The voices for Lucy and Jeri are very similar and you'll have to keep track of who is speaking. A great tale and a good listen. Hear for yourself - listen to an excerpt The Judge's List.

Downfall - Robert Rotenberg

I was quite happy to see that Robert Rotenberg had a new entry in his Greene and Kennicott series. The sixth book is the newly released Downfall.

Ari Greene is the head of homicide in Toronto, Ontario. Greene has a calm, measured way of speaking and thinking and often knows and sees more than he lets on, playing his cards close to his chest. Detective Kennicott has learned from Greene and is also a keen investigator. Greene's daughter is a news reporter and gives another viewpoint on things. I'm not totally sold on her yet, but her appearance in the books adds to Greene's personal story line. I am quite fond of Greene's elderly father. The rest of the supporting players in Downfall include some familiar faces and some new characters. The homeless were given dignity and real voices in their character building.

The crime at the heart of this novel is not imagining on Rotenberg's part. Instead, homelessness and the killing of homeless people is fact. In this case, Ari has more than one murder on his plate. 'Toronto is now the fourth largest municipality in North America and there are over 10,000 people in Toronto who are homeless on any given night.' Encampments, gatherings and tent cities are part of every large city's make up. In Downfall, one such tent city has drawn the ire of an elite Toronto golf club. The tensions between the wealthy and the homeless is at the heart of the story. 

Rotenberg has been called Canada's John Grisham. This is an apt descriptor as Rotenberg himself is a criminal lawyer. That expertise brings much to his writing and his plotting. Rotenberg also makes his home in T.O. Actual streets, places and more make up the setting. Having been to some of them, it was easy to envision places as I read. 

Rotenberg keeps things moving along at a good clip, with no down time for our investigators. I had my suspicions as to the whodunit as the book progressed, but this certainly didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. I was right to a certain degree, but hadn't sussed out the details. 

A really good addition to this series. And the plot lends itself to food for thought in regards to homelessness. I will be happily looking for the next entry in this series. Here's an excerpt of Downfall.

The Law of Innocence - Michael Connelly

I couldn't wait to read Michael Connelly's newest book - The Law of Innocence. It's a fantastic read (as I knew it would be) and one I finished far too quickly.

The Law of Innocence is the latest in the 'Lincoln Lawyer' series. Mickey Haller is headed home one night after celebrating his latest 'not guilty'. He's stone cold sober when he's pulled over, but cooperates - to a point. Then the cop pops the trunk - and discovers the body inside. Haller is innocent of course, but just like that, he's the one in jail and headed to trial. Mickey elects to represent himself - with some help from his regular team - and some additions. Fans of Connolly will be happy to see Harry Bosch as well. (Another fantastic series!)

And the title? "The law of innocence is unwritten. It will not be found in a leather bound codebook. It will never be argued in a courtroom....In the law of innocence, for every man not guilty of a crime, there is a man out there who is. And the prove true innocence, the guilty man must be found and exposed to the world." That's what Haller wants for himself. They've got to figure out who the real killer is.

Connelly is simply brilliant at plotting. The reader is along for the ride as Haller and team try to piece together the 'why' of the body in his trunk. They are hampered not just by Mickey being locked up, but also by the prosecutor, who is determined to make her mark by taking down the famed 'Lincoln Lawyer.' The courtroom and the machinations of a trial are eye opening. I was fascinated by the behind the scenes look.

I love the characters in this series as well. Mickey is such a strong personality and force of nature. But Connelly also gives him a human side, often shown through his daughter. Faithful readers will be surprised by some of the turns Haller's personal life takes.  The reappearance of a past player is very welcome. I look forward to the next book to see where things go. And being in jail gives Mickey a look at the other side of the bars...

The dialogue is so sharp and focused. The prose flow so easily and make for truly addictive reading. Connelly's background and skill are a big part of why his crime and legal thrillers ring so true. 

Who, or should I say what, also makes an appearance? Yup, Covid 19. And I loved the brief political opinion one character voices.

So very, very good on so many levels! See for yourself - here's an excerpt of The Law of Innocence.

The Holdout- Graham Moore

I like a good legal thriller so The Holdout by Graham Moore caught my eye. It ended up being more than that....

Maya Seale was the foreman on a contentious case - the murder of fifteen year old Jessica - by her teacher. The others jurors initially said guilty. But Maya swayed them - and he was found not guilty. Maya's experience  with the court cemented her decision to become a lawyer. Another of jurors has been investigating the case  since the 'not guilty' verdict. He's finally convinced a true crime series to make a documentary. A big part of it will be a reunion of  the twelve. All well and good - until one of them turns up dead - and Maya is the prime suspect.

Every one of those jurors has secrets, both then and now. Moore deliciously ekes them out, flipping from present to past and back again. Each of the jurors is given page time. Though Maya is the lead character, I found I enjoyed some of the supporting players more than I did her.

With some plot developments, you'll need to take a few grains of salt - which I happily did. The legal aspects of the case were interesting and underlined how truths - and lies - can be manipulated.

Moore provides lots of twists as the story progresses. I thought I had the ending figured out, but one last aha! was an unexpected surprise. You get two mysteries for the price of one in The Holdout. An entertaining, escapist read for me. Here's an excerpt of The Holdout.

The Better Sister - Alafair Burke

If Alafair Burke wrote it - I'm going to read it! Her latest novel The Better Sister has just released.

Chloe and Nicky are sisters, but they are estranged - until their husband brings them back together. Yes, their husband. Nicky was married to Adam, but the marriage disintegrated - much of it due to Nicky's substance abuse. That abuse left her unable to look after her young son Ethan. They divorced with Adam getting full custody. And...he reached out to sister Chloe for advice and help. And now? Chloe and Adam have been married for fifteen years, raising Ethan together. Until.....Adam is found murdered.....and the cops think Ethan did it.

I had a hard time connecting with the 'lead' sister Chloe. I found her to be just a little too full of herself. The drive that has made her a successful, businesswoman has also made her somewhat cold and dispassionate. Her need to control everything is off putting, but feeds into the plot. Instead I found myself drawn to the 'bad' sister Nicky. And this dichotomy makes for a charged dynamic. I quite liked Detective Guidry and would be happy to see her in a future book.

Burke's writing is so very easy to get caught up in. She is herself a lawyer and the legal machinations and courtroom scenes benefit greatly from her insider knowledge. I had the whodunit it figured out before the final pages, but appreciated the misdirection and possible outcomes that Burke presents.

Burke inserts a nice little bit of social commentary through online social posts throughout the book.

I didn't love this one as much as I did The Ex and The Wife, but this was still a four star read. The Better Sister is a domestic thriller wrapped in a mystery with a side of legal. Here's an excerpt.

Poison - John Lescroart

Poison is the 17th entry in John Lescroart's long running Dismas Hardy series.

A former client of Dismas has been charged with murder. Her employer has been poisoned - and she stands to benefit from the will. But, there are a myriad of other suspects. It's a family business and any of the man's relatives had an opportunity to kill him. And as Dismas digs into their lives, looking to clear his client, he discovers they all have secrets - and motives.

I've always enjoyed Dismas as a lead character - he's intelligent, cagey and driven to find answers. The supporting cast has always included now retired SFPD Lieutenant Abe Glitsky. They play well off of each other, with differing personalities and styles, but with an eye on the prize - catching the guilty. (Glitsky has a few novels where he is the lead character.) PI Wyatt Hunt is also a fave supporting player of mine.

The murder method in Poison was unusual and clever. Dismas's sussing out of the murderer was just as clever. The whodunit is somewhat revealed before the final aha, but the path to those final answers was enjoyable and entertaining.

I enjoyed the return to Hardy's roots - murder, defense and the courtroom. Some of the previous entries became too convoluted and a bit far fetched for my taste.

Lescroart has moved the series along in real time, with the players aging and evolving. The Hardy family life has figured into the plots over the years. Dismas is now looking at making a change as well and has been contemplating retirement. I will be curious to see where Lescroart takes him in the next book. Although Posion is part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone.

I chose to listen to Poison. The reader was Jacques Roy - a narrator I've quite enjoyed in other books. He has a calm, quiet voice that suits the character of Dismas. His speaking is well paced, well modulated and easy to understand with a slight gravelly tone. That measured pace draws the listener into the story. Listen to an excerpt of Poison.