Book Review: Two Lost Boys (L.F Robertson) @TitanBooks

When my good friend Janel over at Keeper of Pages read this Two Lost Boys, by L.F Robertson, a while back, I knew I had to add it to my TBR pile. I am a huge fan of legal mystery/thrillers and have a special interest to those plots surrounding death row.   I think it has something to do with how ominous and how severe these stories are; there are no second chances, it truly is life and death.   Also, there is something about a story that calls to question where you fall on the line. Would you support such a system? Are you against it?  What would you do if you were in this line of work. It is absolutely mind boggling to begin to think about it.

The story opens with the introduction of our protagonist, Janet Moodie, who is a death row appeals attorney. Her newest client, Andy Handy, was convicted (along with his brother, Emory) for the rape and murder of two women.   Emory, after a slick deal, received life in prison and Andy got the death penalty even though he has a lower IQ and lacks the dominant personality. Using missed mitigating evidence, Janet discovers a series of errors and learns there is potentially much more to the murders than what was first thought. Andy may be guilty of something, but does he deserve to die? 

Book Review: From the Shadows (Neil White) @neilwhite1965 @BonnierZaffre

From the Shadows, by Neil White, is the first novel in a new series that follows defense attorney Dan Grant and his investigator/will they or won’t they love interest Jayne Brett.   Part crime thriller and courtroom drama, White weaves a seriously addicting and dynamic plot with stellar characters.

When Dan and Jayne inherit a case defending a man accused of murdering a 24-year-old school teacher weeks before trial, everyone around them expects them to ride the case to an obvious guilty verdict. However, Dan is not that type of lawyer.   Going back to the evidence and re-interviewing the witnesses, Dan and Jayne find themselves following a path that becomes dangerous.

I really liked the original perspective of this one; it sort of reminded me a little bit of the television show Suits; smart dialogue, sassy characters, and intense plot lines. I loved the variation away from the typical police procedural and the fact that we were able to see an inside look into how an attorney prepares for trial. White, when he isn’t writing books, is a prosecutor and this very obviously shows throughout his narrative. Everything feels so realistic.

Overall, I feel like this was a brilliant start to a new series and will anxiously be awaiting the next novel. 4/5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for a digital copy of this book; it was my pleasure to provide an honest review.

Book Review: Quicksand (Malin Persson Giolito)

Quicksand, the upcoming courtroom thriller, by Malin Persson Giolito follows Maja Norberg; eighteen years old and on trial for her involvement in a mass shooting at a prep school where her best friend and boyfriend were killed.  I, for one, am a fan of any courtroom style thriller. I also really loved Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult and the synopsis of this title seemed similar. Needless to say, I was very eager to read this one and was thrilled when my friend, Danielle from The Blonde Likes Books, decided to buddy read this title with me!