The Unsealing by Robert Brighton is a riveting story that takes place from the 1880s to the early 1900s, around the earliest part of the twentieth century, in northern New York. It’s a quickly evolving period that involves coal mining, labor unrest, widespread protests, and a significantly different legal system that includes the electric chair. It’s an intense era that centers around an attorney, Arthur R. Pendle, and Terry Penrose, a district attorney. Together, they face a mounting level of criminal activity, corruption, shady practices by wealthy individuals, and many other challenging cases in court.

I found the story to be exciting, quick-paced, intriguing, but not too complex. The characters are unique and well-developed, with strong personalities that I could relate to. The further Terry and Arthur delve into their surroundings and the wealthy, upper-class society, the more they encounter corruption and a stark contrast between various members of society. Despite the dreary state of legal work, the author brings the fascinating world of hidden gambling dens, brothels, and shady building developers into vivid reality.

I really enjoyed the plot development, society, and how the characters’ lives adapt to unexpected changes around the turn of the twentieth century. The narration and dialogue are impressive, realistic, and colorful. It felt like I was present, in the room or scene with the characters, experiencing the intensity and stress of a situation. The author’s ambitious writing style captivated me, and I found the book easy to read and follow.

The Unsealing is a thrilling story that will keep you turning one page after the other from start to finish. I highly recommend this excellent book for the historical legal drama that weaves a bit of film noir into the theme. With a fantastic atmosphere and strong characters, this is a sensational story that fans of thrillers and well-drawn mysteries will surely enjoy.

Pages: 416 | ASIN: B0BQP4K93G