'The Confession' by Robert Dugoni Book Review

          The jury is back and the verdict is unanimous. Robert Dugoni is not the ‘next’ anyone in legal thrillers, he’s the new standard against which others will now be judged. If Murder One was his Master’s thesis, then his latest David Sloane thriller, The Conviction, is his PhD; a dissertation in deception.

Sloane, the lawyer that never loses, finds himself reliving a horror from his recent past through the behavior of his step-son, who is suffering his own crisis of self-destruction brought on by witnessing his mother’s brutal murder and coming perilously close to his own. In a last ditch effort to reconnect—and keep Jake out of jail—Sloane accepts an invitation to go camping with an old friend and his son.

Jake, reluctantly followed by the younger boy, runs afoul of local law enforcement in a small town in California’s Gold Country. Whisked away, tried and convicted in a kangaroo court, the boys find themselves on the way to a juvenile detention center from Hell before the dads fully realize they are missing.

          Now, the law Sloane has manipulated to his advantage for so long, becomes a ponderous impediment, and he must decide if he can do whatever it takes—legal or not—to rescue the boys before time runs out.

          The Conviction, due out June 12^th from Touchstone, is a taut, riveting Tilt-A-Wheel ride that builds to a white-knuckle climax for readers. Dugoni is fully in command of his craft and does not disappoint. This book makes a compelling case that Robert Dugoni deserves a place atop the bestseller throne. All hail the new King of legal thrillers!

Robert Dugoni

The Conviction   ISBN: 978-1-4516-0672-0

Touchstone  Due for release June 12, 2012

R L Pace received an advance copy of this book, gratis, for review purposes, but purchased a pre-release copy at full price before reading ‘The Confession’ or writing this review.

'Deed To Death' a novel by D.B. Henson--Book Review

With the launch of my own first novel, 'Island Dawn' on the electronic horizon for August 1st, it seemed appropriate to review a debut novel that became a national bestseller electronically before a publisher came calling and offered a contract to the author.

D.B. Henson first released her novel 'Deed to Death' in April 2010, and by word-of-mouth alone sold 100,000 e-copies, becoming one of the few self-published authors to make Amazon's "Best of 2010 Customer's Favorites" list.  The release date for this edition is July 5.

Her principal character, Toni Matthews is a top-end real estate agent in Nashville about to be married to the man of her dreams, a successful architect partnered in a thriving practice.

Inexplicably, her fiance' throws himself to his death from the top floor of a hotel he is building.  Toni, grief-stricken, finds herself graveside burying her beloved Scott on what would have been their wedding day.

Toni is convinced that all is not what is seems, and despite what the police rule as a clear case of suicide after a perfunctory investigation, she believes it wasn't suicide or an accident--it was murder.  And she has a suspect in mind; Scott's brother, Brian.

Her friends think she is in denial, but Toni presses on, launching her own investigation which peels back layers like an onion, revealing Scott may not have been everything she thought he was and puts her own life at risk as she begins opening doors wherein skeletons are becoming restless.

This is a great way to introduce yourself to a new genre of fiction with which you might be unfamiliar.  If you have concentrated on romance, fantasy or even non-fiction and want to try your hand at figuring out who-dunnits this is a good place to start.  It has all the thrills, plot twists and unexpected u-turns necessary to keep a novice mystery reader fully engaged.

Written with a decidedly feminine voice, this first-time author should find great success with first time readers in the genre.

If you would like a free copy of this book send an email to robert@rlpace.com.  Put 'Deed to Death Giveaway' in the subject line.  I will select two names at random and contact them for shipping information.

This caveat for veteran readers of murder mysteries is in order:  Choose a book from a more experienced writer.  Some of my recent reviews would suggest authors you might consider if unfamiliar with their work.  You'll think you have this one mostly figured out at the halfway mark, and you'll be mostly correct.

Trade paperback, order from most sources.  Use a local independent bookseller, help keep them alive and well.

Deed to Death
Touchstone (Simon & Schuster)
ISBN 978-1-4516-4960-4

Disclaimer--This book was provided to me in advance of publication at no charge by Simon & Schuster for review purposes.

Murder One-Robert Dugoni Book Review

"Time may heal all wounds--but it leaves deep scars.  Just ask David Sloane, the doesn't lose lawyer in Robert Dugoni's latest legal thriller, Murder One, set for wide release June 7th.  (Yes, I actually have a review done in advance of a book's release!)

More than a year after the murder of his wife, Sloane is finally, reluctantly, re-emerging into the land of the living.  Tragedy hangs heavy in his heart, but he manages a good effort at a black-tie dinner as a featured speaker, where he unexpectedly runs into the opposing counsel in the case which brought so much grief  to his life.  Barclay Reid has also suffered; the cruel loss of her only child to a drug overdose.  As a result, she has become a crusader against the Russian drug-trafficker she holds responsible.

Despite being adversaries in the past, Sloane is attracted to Reid and her zeal for justice.  When the Russian drug dealer is found murdered, Sloane is inexorably drawn into defending his first criminally accused client:  Barclay Reid.

Dugoni is at his screw-tightening best here, weaving a plot that is intricate and as tightly wound as a tiger about to pounce. It is also fair to the readers.  All the evidence is in play and we gets to try to figure things out right along with David Sloane.  It's an E-ticket roller-coaster ride sure to keep you turning the pages.  I read it in a single sitting, I just couldn't wait to match wits with the famous lawyer and see if I was right.  I wasn't, completely, but it made the journey all the more enjoyable.

Murder One treads a path between Presumed Innocent and Basic Instinct with shocking twists and armchair gripping tension right to the stunning climax that, for me, make this an overall better read.  With his attention to detail, and keen sense of mood, timing and language, there is no question Dugoni is the new king of legal thrillers, and one day soon I can well imagine a banner across one of his books that says:  Soon to be a Major Motion Picture.

I can dream, can't I?



 Murder One by Robert Dugoni

Touchstone

ISBN: 978-1-4516-0669-0


I threw in the E-ticket ride for the benefit of us snow-capped readers that can actually remember what that meant. 

For Blood or Money and Law of Attraction, Book Reviews

The landscape is littered with new literary voices waiting to find an audience, mine among them.  The industry is in the throes of reinvention and the distinction between being 'published' and being a truly bright talent has become blurred.

While access to being published has grown exponentially, there has not been a correspondingly satisfactory increase in material worth reading.  The gatekeepers of the old dominion of traditional publishing, and their editing and proofreading expertise has been swamped by a boatload of self-published manure, some of which would make a fourth-grader cringe.  Finding a good read by an unknown self-published author has become akin to reading tea leaves in a flood.  Having said that, there are definitely pearls amongst the swine and Nathan Everett is worth a read.

Everett deserves a shout-out.  His quirky private detective yarn For Blood or Money deftly combines the hard-boiled gumshoe prototypes like Sam Spade and Nero Wolfe with a cutting edge cyber-tech sleuth.

Dag Hamar is a detective with a problem, and while I won't spoil the fun with a recitation of the plot points, this book has everything a mystery-thriller needs.  Plot twists, trusty sidekicks, beautiful dames, unexpected complications and a nice mix of old-school P.I. melded with high-tech gadgets, dead bodies and a race to the finish line make this very readable and highly recommended.

He honors language and ends with a graceful poignancy that has me thinking about it weeks later.  Given how many books I read, one that lingers as his does is a rare and special treat.

Self-published under his brand Long Tail Press, it is available in print and as an ebook.
eBook
ISBN: 978-0-9817249-6-6
Book
ISBN: 978-0-9817249-9-7


Another new author--published through traditional means--is Alison Leotta, whose real-life job is as a federal prosecutor in Washington D.C. specializing in felony sex crimes and domestic violence.  Leotta has found a compelling niche in the crime thriller category, and she doesn't stray far from her roots by introducing us to Assistant U.S. Attorney, Anna Curtis in her debut novel Means of Attraction.  Curtis is a wide-eyed rookie serving to find justice for what society often ignores as just another battered woman.  Something about one of her clients resonates with her own past though, and complications follow when our heroine's boyfriend--an attorney himself--defends the assailant who now stands accused of murder, just days following his release based on recanted testimony by the victim.  Sadly, fiction here reflects real-life all to often.

Torn between her legal duties and her personal life, Anna makes career threatening choices that jeopardizes everything--including her life.  She uncovers the shocking truth behind the crime in a compelling and dramatic conclusion.

It is an excellent debut novel in a crowded field.  It twists through the gritty alleys, both real and metaphorical of our nations Capitol to the polished glass and steel enclaves of Washington's most elite Ivy League lawyers.  Pick it up and read it, highly recommended.


Touchstone
ISBN: 978-1-4391-9384-6