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Diminished Capacity
Diminished Capacity by Leighton Rockafellow is a riveting legal thriller that picks up at the start of a murder trial. Tom Rogers finds himself in a position of self-defense when his partner, Arturo Mendoza, attacks him with an intent to kill. The reader might guess that Tom should be free because it was a case of self-defense, but from a legal perspective, it is not that simple. Between the murder weapon, witness testimony and lawyers, Tom’s life is in the hands of hardworking layer, Larry Ross. Larry has a business to run and clients to attend to and Tom’s case is proving to be a handful. Can Larry balance his work, two tough cases, and the harsh light of the new publicity he’s getting?
Larry Ross is a refreshing character. Many legal thrillers will setup their protagonists as altruistic lawyers; I’m not saying Larry isn’t, but he is a much more grounded character that worries about his business and takes on work for money, as many people needing to pay the bills would. I found that many of his decisions throughout the book were influenced by money, in a good way, even if he didn’t like to think about it. Larry is a realist and his character shows that.
What also sets this novel apart from other legal thrillers is how Larry takes on two big cases at once. Again, many other legal dramas will focus on one case, and while the murder trial is certainly intriguing all on its own, readers are also treated to another compelling civil suit. This sets up the novel to deliver two fascinating legal cases in one book.
With a civil suit and a criminal trial handled by one lawyer, Larry rightly feels the stress of his work. Juggling between the two, he truly became an excellent lawyer by the end of the book. The author does an excellent job of juggling these story lines while ensuring readers don’t feel as overwhelmed as Larry does. We get a glimpse into the lives of some interesting character as well.
The legal procedures throughout the story felt authentic, getting a bit technical at times, but readers who enjoy a good legal drama will find plenty to enjoy here. The story is still easy to follow, and at times the author explains both legal, mechanical and medical topics in detail so that the reader understands the gravity of the situations the characters are in.
Diminished Capacity is a rousing courtroom drama that pulls readers in right from the beginning. A very impressive debut novel that is easily recommended.
Pages: 256 | ASIN: B08LB4L35G
A Life Changed Forever
Dry Heat follows a high school jock who is arrested for attempted murder while the real criminal goes missing, and he must make choices that will alter the course of his future. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
Back in the 90s I had an engine rebuilding company in Phoenix. The son of one of my employees was arrested and charged with shooting at an off-duty police officer during a highway altercation. The actual shooter escaped and despite having no record, the boy was facing a trial where he could be sentenced to jail for ten years. His family had to make an instant decision to take a plea deal for three years. So instead of college he went to prison.
The agony for the boy and his parents of having to make that kind of instant decision was something that stuck with me. A stupid mistake and bad luck and a life is changed forever.
Joey has a really bad day that only gets worse as the story goes on. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
Joey is a good person and he’s trying to do the right thing, but he’s facing pressures he’s never faced before and he keeps making bad decisions. I wanted the story to be a cautionary tale, but also a hopeful one. Joseph (the adult Joey) makes a new life for himself. He finds redemption and has not given up on love.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Loyalty. Family ties. Friendship. The enduring power of love.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I am about 2/3 through the first draft of a novel titled, “Freedom’s Just Another Word…” It takes place in 2018 and is the story of fictional Chicago Tribune columnist, Jake Doyle, who fell from grace years ago (had an affair and a child with his twenty-year- old intern) and is struggling to survive in the newspaper world of the 21st century. When the new billionaire owner of the Tribune recruits Jake to help him with his campaign to run for president, Jake must decide whether to go along or get out.
I am hoping it will be available by the end of 2023.
Author Links: Website | Facebook | Indeed | Twitter | Instagram
The high school bonfire is supposed to be the kickoff to a great night: Joey has just won a football scholarship and he’s hoping for a sex breakthrough with his new girlfriend. Then his true love–but ex-girlfriend–Mallory tells his she’s pregnant. He’s reeling from that news when the bonfire explodes.
Joey, his new girlfriend and her drug dealer friend TJ, flee in her truck. When the police pursue, TJ shoots at the cop’s car. It crashes and in the ensuing chaos TJ slips away undetected. Joey, the only adult in the truck, is hauled off to jail.
Joey is charged with attempted murder and released on bail. TJ is nowhere to be found. When Joey discovers that Mallory’s father is pressuring her to terminate the pregnancy, Joey has to remain free to prevent that from happening. In desperation, he reaches out to notorious gang leader, Chico Torres, whom he met in jail, for help locating TJ.
When Joey is offered a deal–his freedom in exchange for his cooperation in nailing Chico–he faces a decision that will change the course of his life and Mallory’s.
FETCH ME A HANGMAN
Fetch Me a Hangman by R. G. Ashcroft is a legal thriller that presents readers with an eerie, vicious crime, a slew of intriguingly suspicious characters, and a wholesome lawyer that has been given the unpleasant task of representing the lead suspect. This legal thriller opens with a bang, giving readers a teaser of the crime. As a non-lawyer reading this gripping novel, I particularly enjoyed the moral challenge that Ashcroft presents – what is a lawyer obligated to do if there is reason to believe his client is guilty, or, at a minimum, not telling the whole truth? I believe that both lawyers and non-lawyers alike will enjoy this legal thriller which contains a creative and multifaceted story.
The novel centers on Brandeis Fields, an upstanding lawyer in the small village of Clifton Springs. Brandeis lives a relatively simple and pleasant life, one that many would dream of. A well-paying and consistent career, a doting wife, and two teenage children who are exceptionally pleasant. Brandeis’s peaceful life is turned upside down when he is selected to represent Aaron Tait, the young man accused of committing a brutal murder in this otherwise idyllic town. Aaron, resentful of Brandeis for thinking he might be guilty, is less than a forthcoming client and seems hellbent on doing everything he can to not help Brandeis defend him. As Brandeis and Aaron move through the legal process together, other intriguing characters are introduced to the mix, including fellow lawyer Bill Williams, whose methods are questionable, to say the least; the seductive and mysterious lawyer Jenna Hines, whose surprise appearances are not entirely welcome; and the tight-lipped Maria St. Rosa, nurse to one of Brandeis’s clients who may know more than she lets on.
Ashcroft excels in his presentation of the legal process and the intricacies that it involves. Readers will learn so many interesting facts about different components of the law in this book – from the rules surrounding bail to jury selection to sentencing. Ashcroft explains these concepts in relatively simple terms through the eyes and voice of his protagonist, Brandeis, whose fatherly and lawyerly characteristics make him a good teacher.
Fetch Me a Hangman is a fast-paced legal thriller. There were a number of loose ends that were not tied up by the end of the book, possibly setting readers up for a sequel. Ashcroft has created an intriguing cast of characters and the plot had many twists and turns. This is a brilliant crime novel filled with suspense.
Pages: 316 | ASIN : B09MZKBFC9
Dry Heat
Things are not going so well for Joey Blade. On the night of his birthday, the girl he lost his virginity to, Mallory, tells him she’s pregnant. While at the high school bonfire, there is an explosion. Joey flees with his current girlfriend Wendy and her drug-dealing friend TJ. In their race to escape the explosion, they wind up in a police chase where TJ shoots at the police cars. The ensuing crash leads to Joey being arrested while Wendy goes free and TJ has disappeared. Once getting out of jail, Joey enlists the help of notorious gang leader Chico Torres to find TJ and – ultimately – redemption.
Len Joy’s chaotic novel Dry Heat doesn’t hold back when it comes to colorful terms and edgy commentary. Joy accurately portrays the stereotypical teenager from the late nineties that you find in cult classic films of that period. There is a feeling of nostalgia that readers in their late 30’s and early 40’s will identify with. The early scenes of this action-packed novel offer a foreshadowing of the rest of the book. Excitement and drama fill the pages to come, and readers will have to hold on because it will be a wild ride.
This enthralling novel feels like a cautionary tale for teenagers. A story where every wrong decision imaginable is made. Readers may find it is all too real and relatable, encountering a situation that is too big for their age. At one point, author Len Joy describes Joey’s day as a disastrously mishandled situation, which is the perfect way to describe it. Reading this shocking at times novel will give readers the feeling of watching a car wreck in slow-motion. You are hooked; you know it will happen; you just have to read and see how it all plays out.
Joy took time and care to flesh out the characters and make readers develop an emotional attachment to them. They all have a bit of the classic high school stereotypes in them, something many readers will identify with. There’s Darville, the rich kid; Mallory, the tragically promiscuous girl; Wendy, the snotty prom queen; and of course, the hero Joey, the jock. Yet, throughout the story, they grow, change, and transcend what we have come to expect from their assigned stereotypes. We learn that they’re human, which every good novel should achieve.
Dry Heat is a coming-of-age novel that will attract readers interested in crime thrillers and suspenseful action drama. With edgy dialogue and action, readers will be turning the page of this riveting novel to see if Joey can get himself out of the mess he is in.
Pages: 313 | ASIN : B097TT97SQ
Judge Ed
![Judge Ed by [Ted Rose]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51Hw-4EJmjL.jpg)
Judge Ed by Ted Rose is an adventurous modern novella. It, as the name suggests, follows the story and life of Judge Ed who lives in paradise. Judge Ed is a fast paced, gripping tale of mystery, drama, and ambition that is sprinkled with dollops of romance. Small chapters, stunning character arcs and a tale of an almost celebrity like judge at the center is bound to urge readers to keep turning the pages. Once you begin reading, you’re certainly going to be hooked on this exciting adventure with Judge Ed which will eventually lead him and the readers to the exciting yet mysterious paradise land of South Florida.
The character of Judge Ed is charming, intelligent, certain, solid yet unpredictable and complex which provides this novella with strong roots for the story. He is a strong character who is really good at what he does, hence its easy to connect and root for him from the beginning of this riveting novel. You will cheer for his highs and certainly feel sad for the unfortunate things that will come to his path as he is riding the high horse of success. The language and the flow is impeccable and the descriptions are written in such a way that you can easily visualize the scenes. This novella is exciting and dramatic with a really good plot and certainly has all the qualities to turn into a mini television series which people will certainly binge watch.
The best part of the story personally for me was the glimpses of the landmark trials and how quickly the story unfolds in multiple layers, giving you enough to understand what is going on but at the same time keeping you guessing. Judge Ed by Ted Rose is a captivating legal thriller that slowly builds up tension in a story that has a satisfying conclusion.
Pages: 122 | ASIN: B085495ZGT
A Pastor’s Pit
Preston Curtis could not have predicted the hint of what awaited him in the name of the city when he accepted the pastorate at Grace Bible Church in Pitfall, Oregon. Being a passionate believer in the Bible’s truth, he has no inkling that he would be prosecuted for a religious hate crime for exercising his religious freedom in preaching the Bible’s words. Judge Roy Sparkman’s A Pastor’s Pit is Preston’s fight against what he considers false religions and politically charged circumstances for a Christian in the U.S., dismissing constitutionally protected religious liberties and, thus, the virtue of the Bible.
A Pastor’s Pit depicts the dilemmas a Pastor has to overcome as a minister and counselor to people as a representative of God. Pastor Curtis is shown to be revered and admired, but he is equally criticized for conduct infringing on the consciences of previous supporters and admirers. He is shown as a devoted husband and father, as well as a true friend, delighted in the love and companionship of friends and family as anyone would, while also determined not to compromise his teachings of word-for-word Bible translation regardless of what the court ultimately determines. On the other hand, R.T. Glassman, his attorney, and best friend, does not retreat when defending his friend from prison, showing a beautiful example of what a loyal friend should be.
With the author being a former judge and practicing attorney, the court hearing with all of the legal terms, rhetoric questions, and cross-examinations by attorneys come across as authentic, without overdramatic and unreal situations. As informative and rhetorical as they are intriguing, the court hearings in the fiction greatly captivated me.
The topic raised in the novel is deserving of attention and explains laws molded for political ends. The novel brings to light the type of interference there is in religious liberties, no matter what the religion is. The book contains three examples of religious liberties being exercised or dismissed: the exercise of religious liberty in Pastor’s teachings and Umran’s choice of faith; dismissal of liberty in the persecution of Pastor and the threat of hell on infidels.
The novel deftly implement legal terminology, court hearings, and political intrigue to great dramatic effect and emerges as an informative work of fiction. A Pastor’s Pit is a riveting legal thriller with provocative questions at its core and an intriguing protagonist that lures you into this riveting novel.
Pages: 237 | ASIN: B08SDYCQ6X
Betrayal at the Border
![Betrayal at the Border (A Zachary Blake Legal Thriller Book 7) by [Mark M. Bello]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51wNTaa115L.jpg)
Betrayal at the Border by Mark Bello is a fast paced legal thriller set predominantly in the United States. It is the seventh book in the Zachary Blake Series.
Bello addresses some important and timely issues in this book – namely the United States’ immigration policies and human rights issues. He raises awareness of these issues by telling the compelling story of two immigrant families, and their treatment at the hands of the US immigration system. These are interesting and pertinent themes and should appeal to a wide range of readers.
There are numerous characters in the book, including star lawyer Zachary Blake, the two immigrant families and a host of supporting characters. Zachary’s character is well developed and feels like an authentic portrayal of a lawyer, although a lot sharper. Miguel and Mary Gonzalez are authentic characters as well; their jobs, home and children are all well described and draw the reader into their heartbreaking story. The characters of Canan and Karim Izady are less developed and I would have enjoyed seeing more of them.
I really enjoyed the well developed scenes in the book. The story takes us to other countries, but the story is predominantly in the U.S. and I was absorbed in the scenery. The Gonzalez children find themselves in poor living situations and the descriptions draw the reader into the story and allow the reader to develop empathy for their plight. This is a legal drama novel, but I never felt overwhelmed or lost by the jargon thanks to excellent story telling that focuses on characters rather than technical aspects of law.
Betrayal at the Border is a fast-paced legal thriller that tackles contemporary issues with stunning legal drama. The authors experience as a lawyer really comes through as the law, as it is portrayed in the book, always felt real, which for a layman like me made the stakes feel palpable. Fans of John Grisham novels will find plenty to enjoy in Mark M. Bello’s enthralling legal thriller.
Pages: 334 | ASIN: B09FYJ6MWN
LITERARY TITAN 