#BookReview: Justice Gone by N. Lombardi Jr

Justice Gone by N. Lombardi Jr.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

About the Book:

When a homeless war veteran is beaten to death by the police, stormy protests ensue, engulfing a small New Jersey town. Soon after, three cops are gunned down.
A multi-state manhunt is underway for a cop killer on the loose. And Dr. Tessa Thorpe, a veteran's counselor, is caught up in the chase.
Donald Darfield, an African-American Iraqi war vet, war-time buddy of the beaten man, and one of Tessa's patients, is holed up in a mountain cabin. Tessa, acting on instinct, sets off to find him, but the swarm of law enforcement officers gets there first, leading to Darfield's dramatic capture.
Now, the only people separating him from the lethal needle of state justice are Tessa and ageing blind lawyer, Nathaniel Bodine.

Review: The book is not just a thriller but it actually packs a lot of observation about American society and highlights a lot of issues that have no resolution currently but need understanding from everyone. The story actually starts once the cops are gunned down because that is the true polarising event for everyone. The author has not gone into defending any action but through a brilliant set of characters, he has shown how such events impact everyone.

The writing is really good and the book is fast-paced without losing the focus on people and their emotions. I had not expected to read a detailed discussion of the jurors but it surely works for the best as it engages the reader too to dissect all evidence and statements by all parties called in court.

Tessa is a strong lady with her heart and head at right places and too much reference to her past without much clues was intriguing. But I also felt that she was also too judgemental and suspicious of even her best friend and colleague.

The courtroom scenes were amazingly crafted, so much that I laughed loud two or three times reading that section. The combination of Nat Bodine and his daughter iis brilliantly executed in the scenes. I would want to read more stories that involve this pair and not just Tessa alone.

Book Links:
Goodreads * Amazon

  

Winner of Three Awards:
2019 American Fiction Award

National Indie Excellency Award - Best Legal Thriller of 2019
Silver Medal Winner 2019 - Readers' Favorites Awards
Chosen by Wiki.ezvid.com among their list of 10 Gripping and Intelligent Legal Thrillers

About the Author:

N. Lombardi Jr, the N for Nicholas, has spent over half his life in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, working as a groundwater geologist. In 1997, while visiting Lao People's Democratic Republic, he witnessed the remnants of a secret war that had been waged for nine years, among which were children wounded from leftover cluster bombs. Driven by what he saw, he worked on The Plain of Jars for the next eight years.
His second novel, Journey Towards a Falling Sun, is set in the wild frontier of northern Kenya.
His latest novel, Justice Gone was inspired by the fatal beating of a homeless man by police.
Nick now lives in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

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#Review: Unlawful Justice by Vish Dhamija

Unlawful Justice by Vish Dhamija
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I discovered Vish Dhamija books on Kindle Unlimited and I was intrigued by the blurb. The writing and the thrill of the stories made me read three of his books in succession. So when this book came out , I had already decided to buy the paperback. Luckily, writermelon sent this to me for review.

A quick , super engaging book that highlights a lot that goes unpunished and unnoticed in the society till some one stands up and say , enough. This is a book that start predictable but by the middle it just takes a turn that makes you sit straight and pay more attention. I wish the court scenes were a little more and the lawyers matched in capabilities. The drama leading to the court was done well though.  Typical Vish Dhamija book ! Enjoyed this one a lot as I raced to reach the climax.

Having said that , do check his previous works as I find them a little better than this one.

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The Racketeer - John Grisham

THE RACKETEER

ISBN - 978-1-444-75720-0

FIRST PUBLISHED - 2012

PAGES - 386

PUBLISHER - Hachette

GENRE - Legal Thriller

BINDING - Paperback

SOURCE - Publishers

AUTHOR - John Grisham

BEST-SELLERS - The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Confession

SYNOPSIS - [From the back cover]

Given the importance of what they do, and the controversies that often surround them, and the violent people they sometimes confront, it is remarkable that in the history of the USA only four active federal judges have been murdered.

Judge Raymond Fawcett just became number five.

His body was found in the small basement of a lakeside cabin he had built himself and frequently used on weekends. When he did not show up for a trial on Monday morning, his law clerks panicked, called the FBI, and in due course the agents found the crime scene. There was no forced entry, no struggle, just two dead bodies - Judge Fawcett and his young secretary.

I did not know Judge Fawcett, but I know who killed him, and why.

I am a lawyer, and I am in prison.

Its a long story.

FL Speak - Ever since the book arrived a couple of weeks ago, I've been itching to read it. Anyone would. I mean have you read the synopsis and did you see the gorgeous cover art? But as luck would have it, I was otherwise engaged with social life (which is surprisingly, still a part of me)

The Racketeer starts big and throughout the entire book it never drops a notch! When Malcolm Bannister finds himself in prison serving a ten year sentence for a crime he did not commit, he thought it was a mistake that would soon be rectified. Five years in prison later, Malcolm desperately wants to be free.

When a hotshot judge gets himself murdered, Malcolm knew his time for resurrection has arrived. He knows the killer and after reading about how inept the FBI was getting at finding the killer, Malcolm offers his services provided he is a freedom and gets witness protection.

And when two hundred odd pages into the book and you find the killer in custody, you realise that something's gotta give. C'mon, we are reading John Grisham. There is no way this is going to end the way it is heading. And know what? You're right. The story just took a whole new direction. When you've read Grisham before, you realise that nothing is over until the last pages. So, I knew that there was some real goose cooking and I also guessed what would happen next. But the 'why' of the story dragged me to the last page. That's his power. That's how he writes. And until Grisham decides, you move on. And when you realise what's happening, its like this! 

Malcolm Bannister is free, with a new name, a new face and a new life. And when the killer swears vengeance and Malcolm's cover at Witness Protection is blown, Mr. Bannister decides to flee from everyone. And from there onwards, the race is on. Its The Bourne Identity meets Ocean's Eleven. 

I swear I loved Bannister. Till the last chapter, I had no idea why he was doing what he was doing. I just knew that it was awesome. John Grisham just keeps getting better and better with each book.

Pick this up, if you're looking for an action-filled legal thriller. [There is very, very less courtroom action though] But its a helluva novel. You can't put it down and you've no idea where you're headed.

My Rating - 4/5 stars

PRICE - INR 350/-

The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly

Title: The Lincoln Lawyer
Author: Michael Connelly
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-4555-0023-9
First Published: 2005
Genre: Crime Fiction,Mystery
Pages: 505
Rating: 3.75/5


Summary (From Goodreads)


"The scariest client a lawyer will ever have is an innocent client. Because if you [screw] up and he goes to prison, it'll scar you for life."Louis Roulet, Mickey's "franchise client" (so-called becaue he's able and willing to pay whatever his defense costs) seems to be the one his father warned him against, as well as being a few rungs higher on the socio-economic ladder than the drug dealers, homeboys, and motorcycle thugs who comprise Mickey's regular case load. But as the holes in Roulet's story tear Mickey's theory of the case to shreds, his thoughts turn more to Jesus Menendez, a former client convicted of a similar crime who's now languishing in San Quentin. Connelly tellingly delineates the code of legal ethics Mickey lives by: "It didn't matter...whether the defendant 'did it' or not. What mattered was the evidence against him--the proof--and if and how it could be neutralized. My job was to bury the proof, to color the proof a shade of gray. Gray was the color of reasonable doubt." But by the time his client goes to trial, Mickey's feeling a few very reasonable doubts of his own.


What I feel :

'There is no client as scary as an innocent man'

I had seen the trailor of the movie version and I kinda got the idea.The plot in a nut shell would be sleazy/anti hero lawyer,an assault/rape,a victim-Reggie Campo,a suspect-Louis Roulet.The twist- the readers are unsure who is the victim and who is the suspect.
The protagonist,Mickey Haller, defense attorney is juggling with his professional life and personal life when he hits the jackpot, a franchise client Louis Roulet.Initially the case looks like a clear win for Mickey until he starts noticing glitches in the stories of both Louis Roulet and Reggie Campo.Add to the current mess,Mickey is haunted by an old case-similar in many grounds, in which he made his client(Jesus Menendez) plead guilty in order to avoid death sentence.Now he feels he is face to face with his biggest fear-not recognizing an innocent client about which his father had written in many of his books.From there its a roller coaster ride.By the middle of the book the readers would know who did what but the question remains how will Mickey escape from the trap which he himself set.
Even though Mickey is portrayed as a corrupt lawyer who defends just about anybody who is willing to pay him,the readers would more likely be drawn to him.His charm and his quick tongue is  almost irresistible!The fact that he buys 4 Lincoln cars with the money he got from winning some old case and thinking about using it as limo service,he still being cordial with both of his ex wives and finding time to mend ways with his daughter is quite endearing.
What particularly marveled me was the vast knowledge about legal affairs by the author(which obviously shows how good a researcher he is).Not just the rules and regulations but the shady deals too which makes the plot more realistic.Loads of twists and turns leaving the readers almost breathless.The book was aptly paced,suspense increasing by each page leaving me tempted to flip pages and read the ending.
I was a tad bit disappointed with the climax,it seemed a little filmy. Other than that, an impressive read.

Theodore Boone : The Accused - John Grisham

THEODORE BOONE : THE ACCUSED

A "Theodore Boone" novel

ISBN - 978-1-444-75719-4
FIRST PUBLISHED - May 2012
PAGES - 288
PUBLISHER - Hachette
BINDING - Paperback
GENRE - Legal Thriller/Under-18
SOURCE - Publishers

AUTHOR - John Grisham

BEST-SELLERS - The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Rainmaker

SYNOPSIS - [From the back cover]

Theodore Boone is the thirteen-year-old who knows more about the law than most adult lawyers. He certainly never expected to be a victim of crime himself. But then his bike is vandalized, he's attacked while doing his homework. and, worst of all, framed for robbery.

When stolen computer equipment turns up in Theo's school locker, the police start leaning on him hard. And he is the only suspect. What if he's found guilty? What about his dreams of becoming a lawyer?

In a race against time, aided by his renegade uncle, Ike, Theo must find the rel felon and reveal the true motivation behind the crimes of which he stands accused.

FL Speak - Oh my God! If I read another one of this "Theodore Boone" series, I'll kill myself!! Absolutely NOT what I expected from John Grisham, but lets be clear, this series is meant for those kids who haven't met Hardy Boys yet. I mean yes, its a legal thriller (it says it is), but actually, its more of a mystery novel that your friendly neighborhood Famous Five can solve in a couple of days.

Theodore Boone or Theo or even "cute Teddy" is a exceptionally bright kid who has lawyers as parents. And at 13, he already knows most of the law. So its no great secret that he dreams of becoming a lawyer himself. The book begins well, we have Theo in a court room where he is watching the trial of a murderer. The accused doesn't appear in court and is presumed to flee the cops.

Now normally, when you read such a beginning, you tend to get excited, knowing you are reading Grisham. Sadly, all hopes are dashed as you proceed. Suddenly Theo's bike is vandalized, someone throws a rock at his window, and stolen computer goods are found in his school locker. The police get an anonymous call and boom! Theo is suspect number 1. Okay, still good, I was waiting for classic Grisham to combine the court room drama and Theo's situation together. What I got instead was an immense headache!

The pages are filled with Theo worrying and having nightmares of being in jail to people calling him "jailbird" to losing respect in front of his friends. And the torture never ends. We find Theo asking his friends to do a bit of snooping, which turned to be completely crap. Nevertheless, they find the thieves, thanks to his uncle Ike.

John Grisham. I have immense respect for that guy. Few of his books are one of my all time favorites. But this, this is like reading a story to a 7-year old to put them to sleep. There is nothing legal in this so called legal thriller. The court room scenario made me wonder if I would be reading a child genius doing some J.A.G style lawyering. But sadly, a big NO. Also, it turns out the courtroom scene is just added to fill a couple of pages. There is no story there and there is no big twist that we all were waiting for. I get that this is meant for a newbie teenager, but how many 12 year olds would want to read this rather than Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew?

But, I repeat again, this may still be a good book for your child. No violence and justice prevails. Isn't that what we all want to teach our children?
 

My Rating - 2 stars [just for the sake that I like Grisham]

PRICE - INR 250/-

P.S| I should have researched more about this book before reading. The website says, it is for kids between ages 9-12. Now I feel like a moron as I'm double the age of the maximum recommended reading age limit.

So, if you're planning to buy this for your kid or anyone else's for that matter, you can. Although I still recommend Famous Five and the Five Find Outers.

The Colour of Law- Mark Gimenez

                                                    
Author: Mark Gimenez

Synopsis:
A. Scott Fenney is a Dallas corporate lawyer in the prime of his life. Raking in $ 750,000 a year, with a beautiful house, a beautiful wife and an adored daughter, life could not be better. But when a rich senator's son dies in mysterious circumstances, Fenney is asked by the federal judge to put his air-conditioned lifestyle on hold to defend the accused: a black, heroin-addicted prostitute.
Scott believes in justice- but is his belief strong enough to withstand the loss of everything he holds dear - his salary, his lifestyle, his wife, his child?

Excerpts:
"Now, that story(refering to "To kill a Mockingbird")  took place in Alabama in the thirties- in a different time and a different world, back when the color or law was black-and-white. But our story is taking place seventy years later, in Dallas, Texas. The world's a different place today, things have changed- not everything and not everywhere and not enough, but in our courts of law things have surely changed. Judges have changed. Juries have changed. The color or law has changed. It's no longer black-and-white. My former senior partner told me that the color or law is now green. Today, he said, the rule of law is money. Money rules. And he's right. Lawyers use the law to make money, politicians sell the law to special interests for money, people sue each other for money. Everywhere in the law, it's all about money- except one place. Right there where you are sitting, in that jury box. You're not here for money. You're here for the truth."

Maithili Speaks:
A Scott Fenney is too busy making money to live that perfect life. He was the poor child on the block while growing up. He went on to become a football star and then the star partner of his firm. He was a winner who left no stone unturned. From padding, to making clever negotiations, it was all about making money. But back home he is a faithful husband and adoring Daddy. 
When he makes a speech to impress the federal judge Buford, he has little idea of the hope he gave the judge. He is appointed as the lawyer of a black prostitute accused of murdering the Senator's son. The Senator is running to become the President and to make matter worse, Scott's senior partner- Dan is the Senator's lawyer!! 
To keep his clients, his beautiful house and his wife, Scott will have to take up the case and lose it. But Scott has never given up a game. But will he agree to give up on the life of a black prostitute just because she isn't a playing client? Is he ready to pay the cost of standing for the right with his perfect life and his wife?  


The book draws a parallel with my all time favorite- Harper Lee's To kill a Mockingbird. A. Scott has been inspired by his mother's narration of this book at bedtime. A.Scott has to stand up for all that Atticus did. A good read, not so much for the legal thrill but for that conscience pricking of a lawyer. Of a father. 


The book is also followed by another book "Accused", based on the events following 2 years after this book. The book Accused is reviewed HERE

Rating: 4/5

Price: Rs 295/-

Accused- Mark Gimenez

                                                  

A Scott Fenney novel

Author: Mark Gimenez
Best sellers: The colour of Law, The Abduction, The common Lawyer.

Synopsis:
After years of silence, Texan lawyer A.Scott Fenney receives a devastating phone call from his ex-wife. She has been accused of murdering her boyfriend, Trey- the man she left Scott for- and is being held in a police cell. Now she is begging Scott to defend her.
Scott is used to high-stake cases, but this one is bigger than anything he has handled before. If Rebecca is found guilty, she will be sentenced to life imprisonment. Her future is in his hands.
As he prepares to take the stand in the most dramatic courtroom appearance of his life, Scott is forced to question everything he believes to get to the truth- to save the life of the ex-wife he still loves.

Excerpts:
Scott stared at the bloody bed where his wife had had sex with another man.. and where that man had died. He thought he had long ago come to terms with the fact that his wife had lain with another man. He was wrong. He was just now coming to terms with that fact- with that image- of Rebecca and another man - in their bed- having sex.. and then someone stabbing that knife into his chest while he slept. Had Rebecca been that someone? His face flushed hot. He couldn't seem to get a breath in the stale air.

Maithili Speaks:
This is the first book on law that I have read other than John Grisham books and the book doesn't disappoint me.
The story is fresh and unputdownable. When Trey Rawlins- a pro athelete gets killed, all suspicions point to Rebecca Fenney whose fingerprints are found on the butcher knife and who was the only person with Trey when he was killed. Rebecca swears by the fact that she doesn't remember much from that night due to high alcohol and cocaine. Her lawyer and ex-husband is fighting her case for the simple reason that, she is his child's mother and he still hasn't got over her.
As Scott gets down to fight her case and starts his own investigation- lot of skeletons are out from the closet of the good boy Trey Rawlins. He was an addict and narcissist. There seems to be a long number of people willing to kill Trey and liable to benefit from his death whereas Rebecca got nothing from Trey's death.
Rebecca depended financially on Trey and is now bankrupt. If she is innocent then how does Scott explain her fingerprints and if she is guilty, then what was her motive?
The end leaves you shocked... No amount of guessing will help!

Rating: 4.5 on 5
Price: Rs 295/-

THE FIRM- John Grisham

AUTHOR: John Grisham

BEST SELLERS: The Runaway Jury, The Last Juror, The Painted House, The Broker, The Litigators; The Firm was his first widely recognized book, and in 1993, was made into a film starring Tom Cruise.

1st PUBLISHED: 1991

ISBN: 0-440-21145-X

GENRE: Legal Thriller

SYNOPSIS:

At the top of his class at Harvard Law, he had his choice of the best in America. He made a deadly mistake.

When Mitch McDeere signed on with Bendini, Lambert and Locke of Memphis, he thought he and his beautiful wife, Abby, were on their way. The firm leased him a BMW, paid off his school loans, arranged a mortgage, and hired him a decorator. Mitch McDeere should have remembered what his brother Ray- doing fifteen years in a Tennessee jail- already knew. You never get nothing for nothing. Now the FBI has the lowdown on Mitch’s firm and needs his help. Mitch is caught between a rock and a hard place, with no choice- if he wants to live.


EXCERPT:

“What type of work will I do initially?”

“You’ll do a lot of research and generally boring stuff. But you’ll be paid handsomely.”

“How much?”

Lamar looked at Royce McKnight, who eyed Mitch and said, “We’ll discuss the compensation and other benefits when you come to Memphis.”

“I want a ballpark figure or I may not come to Memphis.” He smiled, arrogant but cordial. He spoke like a man with three job offers.

The partners smiled at each other, and Mr. Lambert spoke first. “Okay. A base salary of eighty thousand the first year, plus bonuses. Eighty-five thousand the second year, plus bonuses. A low-interest mortgage so you can buy a home. Two country club memberships. And a new BMW. You pick the color, of course.”

They focused on his lips, and waited for the wrinkles to form on his cheeks and the teeth to break through. He tried to conceal a smile, but it was impossible. He chuckled.

“That’s incredible,” he mumbled. Eighty thousand in Memphis equaled a hundred and twenty thousand in New York. Did the man say BMW! His Mazda hatchback had a million miles on it and for the moment had to be jump-started while he saved for a rebuilt starter.

“Plus a few more fringes we’ll be glad to discuss in Memphis.”

Suddenly, he had a strong desire to visit Memphis. Wasn’t it by the river?


ARPITA SPEAKS:

I have two words for this book: MIND-BLOWING. This is a novel that I love flaunting on my bookshelf; a novel I never tire of reading again and again. As John Grisham brings together his own genius as well as a hint of Mario Puzo’s, we are introduced to Mitchell Y. McDeere- a highly ambitious young tax lawyer who joins a firm that makes him an offer he should have refused.

Just as Mitch finally gets used to the handsome pay, the car, and all the incredible perks that come with the job, he begins to notice strange and sinister events related to the firm’s lawyers. Not one to keep his head down and get on with his life, he carries out his own little investigation regarding the somewhat suspicious accidents in which two lawyers had died last year.

Soon after Mitch’s name appears in the paper when he passes the bar exam, he comes across an old friend who now works for the FBI- who just happens to have been (recently) transferred to Memphis. With a number of FBI agents tracking him down from time to time, Mitch gradually realizes that the firm is not exactly what it seems to be.

On one hand, there’s the FBI which threatens to take down the firm someday whether Mitch agrees to help them or not; on another, there’s the firm itself which has had his house and car bugged, phones tapped, desk and office wired. Caught between the Devil and the deep sea, Mitch and Abby decide to gamble with theirs lives… and hope that they will live to tell the tale.

The nail-biting suspense will keep you hooked until the very end, and the story will linger in your mind long after you have finished reading this book. Don’t lose time- go get your hands on it.

RATING: 4.5 on 5

PRICE: Rs.224/- (Flipkart)

Ira Trivedi's Great Indian Love Story

The Great Indian Love Story

Title : …Great Indian Love Story
Author : Ira Trivedi
Price : INR 295/-

Penguin India

Ira Trivedi's 'The Great Indian Love Story' tries to explore the darker side of Delhi and it's socialite class.Though her intention to tell a bold and provocative tale on the lives of rich and the mighty is noteworthy it's treatment is so bland that the story loses its track right after the first few chapters itself.The characters appear as if they are sleep walking through a Madhur Bhandarkar movie with almost everyone sleeping around with everyone else and there is too much talk about drugs,sex and lacy underwears!

The story: Though the story is narrated by Riya,a U.S. educated twenty something girl who befriends Sereena Sharma at a high end Delhi gym,'The Great Indian Love Story' is more of a story of Sereena and her sexual escapades.Sereena herself is having a troubled life,her father has died recently and his mother has happily married a guy who is half her age.There is also a sub plot involving Parmeet(Sereena's mother) and her extramarital affairs.The story goes and on with nothing really happening in the narrative except Sereena(who also gets pregnant in between) and her mother having sex with multiple partners!

The writing: The language is plain and quite simple.Ira has done away with long descriptions and un necessary detailing.But the basic problem with her writing is that though there are only a few characters in this book none of them have been etched out well and as a result the reader is not able to empathise with any of them.Neither has she justified the weird behaviour of Sereena or her various boyfriends. The character of S.P.Sharma also seems half baked.The pacing of the book is also a major drawback.As i said before ,a lot has been written(that too in a disspirited,un interesting manner) on the protagonists' sexual adventures which just turns you off.The saddest part is that though the book calls itself a 'love story',there is not even a trace of true love between any of the characters here!

The climax: This book has got the weakest climax among the books which i have read recently.Though it depicts the tragic fate of Sereena and her friend Amar khanna it neither touches nor shocks the reader.It only serves to remind you that you have come to the end of an un inspiring, wannabe 'society tale'.

Verdict: Stay away from this trash!Rating -1/10(wonder why Penguin India is publishing trash like this!)