Reviewed By Trudi LoPreto for Readers' Favorite

In Over the Borderline by Leanna Floyd, Brooke is studying criminal profiling and is soon to testify in her first case. Jacob, her childhood friend, has recently gotten a legal job and is put on the same case Brooke is working on, except they are on opposite sides and cannot talk about it. Jacob is involved in a very confusing online romance and is unsure about who the woman really is and what her intentions are. Brooke also meets a new romantic interest, but she too has questions about who he really is. In the meantime, there is a serial killer who is targeting young women and leaving their bodies on different beaches. We only know him through his thoughts and him telling us about his next victim. All of these events blend together and form a riveting crime/mystery thriller.

Over the Borderline by Leanna Floyd is a thriller right up until the very last word of the book. It centers around Jacob and Brooke - their friendship, their jobs, their love lives - with vivid details that made them feel like they were old friends of mine. I found it hard to put down this book because there were many questions that needed answering so that I was forced to wait until the very last page with a twisted ending. I am anxiously awaiting a sequel so more of the answers will be revealed. I am also hoping for a TV movie. Over the Borderline is a psychological thriller with a big touch of mystery, friendship, romance, and court cases. Please add this book to the top of your reading list – you will not be disappointed.

Reviewed By Viga Boland for Readers' Favorite

If you’re a fan of courtroom procedurals, you can always count on Mark M. Bello to provide you with a detailed look at what usually only the lawyers, the judges, the accused, the jurors, and the immediate families witness. In Betrayal in Black, Bello brings us face to face with one of today’s hottest topics: the racial divide in America, when a white cop pulls over a car with a law-abiding black family inside and in a moment of panic shoots and kills the father in front of his wife and children. What follows is a step-by-step accounting of the hours following the shooting i.e. local police procuring details of the incident, the heartbreaking reactions of the victim’s wife, the media frenzy to be the first to scoop the story, and as in the recent real-life case of the horrific and unnecessary death of George Floyd, the subsequent protests.

In Betrayal in Black, the devastated widow hires a high-profile trial lawyer, Zachary Blake, to represent her in a civil suit. While awaiting the Grand Jury’s decision on whether to indict him, the suspended cop agonizes over his personal culpability while his fellow police officers deal with their own conflicting feelings regarding the shooting. Readers are enlightened on the legal implications and are emotionally moved by what all the key players, including Zachary Blake, are feeling and thinking. Once the case hits the courtroom, we see in precise detail how lawyers win and lose cases. That, for me, is one of the best things about reading a novel by Mark Bello. In typical Bello fashion, apart from an interesting story, expect to also get Bello’s own thoughts on racism through the words and actions of his characters. It’s a clever way to give readers more to think about than just the plot. Bello uses dialogue, for the most part, to move his story along, resulting in a quick read that comes to a satisfying close. Mark Bello’s legal fiction fans will no doubt enjoy Betrayal in Black as much as his several previous books. Indulge yourselves!

Reviewed By Michelle Stanley for Readers' Favorite

Maximillian’s Treasure is an exciting legal drama tale by James D. Bell. Law partners John Brooks and Jackson Bradley assumed saving the farm for their Choctaw Indian client, Frank Dalton, would be easy. That was before they realized how desperate and dangerous some people were to get the farm for its ancient treasure. While attending a Dalton function, shooters kill Frank’s uncle. Dalton seeks revenge and is later arrested for the shooters' murders. A painting of hummingbirds found in Frank’s home by Karen, John’s secretary, holds the secret to the treasure. Jackson takes a vacation in the Caribbean, unaware that he’s being followed by ruthless killers and a beautiful vixen who always gets what she desires. John wonders how the defense team always knows what he’s doing and is surprised when he learns how.

“It’s legal because I wish it.” Attorney-at-law and author, James D. Bell will keep you enthralled with his novel, Maximillian’s Treasure. It is steeped in romance, never-ending action, and exciting adventures looking for the treasure of Emperor Maximillian 1 of Mexico, as well as being a very entertaining courtroom drama. Readers will be flipping from one main drama to another without being confused since the author is an expert at intertwining the stories with satisfying outcomes. There were times I thought John was too trusting and gullible, but he proved me wrong, especially in the courtroom. There are light Christian undertones in the plot that made reading it even more pleasant. The book cover is also amazing, just like Maximillian’s Treasure.

Reviewed By K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

Ready For The People is a mystery set in the world of law, penned by author Mike Langan. Forming another episode in the Hank Fisher Mysteries series, the story finds the central character recovering from the chaos and destruction which his last case caused him. Now, Hank makes a decision to turn his talents to white-collar crime, sniffing out corruption and scandal. As he’s trying to figure out this new direction in his life, however, an opportunity presents itself from a very unlikely source, and Hank’s situation means that he can hardly refuse ... even if terror, secrecy and his very life may be at stake if he fails.

Author Mike Langan crafts an excellent mystery which combines many enjoyable elements and crosses different action and adventure genres to add to the experience for the reader. Fans of standard crime fiction, terrorism thrillers, mysteries of all kinds and intense personal dramas are all sure to find something in the excellent wordplay and close narration which Langan exhibits throughout his tale. The plot is fast-paced, racing through exciting discoveries and dangerous moments, but also skilfully pausing to build tension and give exposition just at the moments it is most needed. Another thing I particularly enjoyed was Langan’s close attention to his central character, Hank, who feels fully realized by the novel’s end and becomes a hero you have really connected with deeply. Overall, Ready For The People is a fantastic multi-layered mystery with lots to offer fans looking for their next investigation.

Reviewed By Lucinda E Clarke for Readers' Favorite

The Advocate’s Illusion by Teresa Burrell is the ninth in a series featuring the feisty and loveable Sabre Brown together with her long-suffering boyfriend JP, who doubles up as her private investigator. Ron, her brother, is also a part time member of the team. An interesting twist on the more common legal thriller, Sabre’s speciality is working for juveniles often when Social Services are involved, and in this book there are three such cases. Nine-year-old Sarah Parker is reported as being in danger living with her drug-addicted mother. In the Lynch case, the father, Tod, whose ex-wife with full custody moved away, cannot visit them and is incensed when he hears she is back on the drugs. He blames Sabre for the situation and threatens her. In the third case, the head of a small church marries his 12-year-old daughter to a forty-year-old member of his congregation. Does he have the legal right under the First Amendment? The stage is set for some interesting reading as Sabre attempts to get to the truth and argue in court for the best interests of the children she represents.

I can give no better praise for The Advocate’s Illusion by Teresa Burrell than to say I shall be looking out for the earlier books in the series, as I would like to read all of them. This was an easy read which kept me turning the pages. The characters – the heroine has a rather unbelievable name – come to life and I was particularly impressed with the natural dialogue which flowed seamlessly. I admit to guessing the end a little early but I had to read on to see if I was right. All the loose ends were neatly tied up with a satisfactory ending. A great book with a twist on the usual court room drama genre and recommended. I loved this book.

Reviewed By Keyla Damaer for Readers' Favorite

This classic legal thriller by N. Lombardi Jr. takes place between New Jersey and New York. Justice Gone shows from the start the huge flaws in the American legal system, based on politics, which most of the time doesn’t care about justice. And as we see from the first meeting of the city council, after the opening episode of Jay’s beating and death by law enforcement, most members of the council have only one goal. To hush up everything before it explodes in their faces and they have to pay the consequences. Not once do they seem to be interested in finding out the truth. They hide an important piece of evidence from the jury and choose the best way to save their position. And even after the murder of the three police officers, during the trial we are shown by the behaviour of the jury that having common people deciding on the life of an individual leads to absurd results when there is not a single piece of evidence against the defendant.

N. Lombardi Jr.’s excellent prose leads the leader through a breathtaking thriller and even though there are little clues along the way about who’s the killer, I didn’t know until the end. My favourite character is Nathaniel Bodine, the defendant’s lawyer. He’s not the main character. The way he explains how the trial works clearly shows the State is not looking after the truth and the jury, being sequestered, only wants to end the trial as soon as possible. It’s understandable: they can’t go home, they can’t read the newspapers, they can’t use the internet. They can’t use their phones. It’s like they’re in prison too. And Bodine says it all in a few words: it is all about blame. I recommend Justice Gone to readers who like a thought-provoking legal thriller.

Reviewed By Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Tropical Doubts is a legal thriller novel written by David Myles Robinson. Pancho had lost three criminal trials in a row and was starting to doubt himself. He had known this last client was guilty, but he had taken on the case for his best friend and private eye, Drew Tulafono, as a personal favor. On top of that, his girlfriend, Paula Mizono, had decided to take a job in Hong Kong, citing her concerns that they never seemed to have time to spend together. Things were about to get even worse for him, however, when he received the awful news that Giselle Delacruz was in a coma following a surgical procedure and would be brain-dead even if she did wake up. Manny and Giselle were like family to Pancho and had been so for the twenty years he had known them. Manny needed answers and wanted Pancho to find them for him. And while Pancho was not versed in the practice and procedure for medical malpractice cases, he was determined to do his best for his two friends.

Tropical Doubts is a fast-paced and well-written crime fiction novel that takes the reader through every step of the investigation, pre-trial and trial aspects of both medical malpractice and criminal law. I loved how carefully Robinson manages to do this while also keeping the story fresh, compelling and original. An added bonus with this book is the marvelous attention Robinson pays to sharing the Hawaiian environment and culture with the reader. I loved experiencing, if vicariously, Pancho’s time on his surfboard and his beach time in the tropical paradise he calls home. Robinson’s characters are finely delineated and credible, and his plot is solid and well crafted. Tropical Doubts: A Pancho McMartin Legal Thriller is most highly recommended.

Reviewed By Viga Boland for Readers' Favorite

How far would you go to protect a beloved family member from the truth? When Kyle Cameron, protagonist of Blood Relations, discovers that his well-respected and prominent lawyer father, Jake, is having an affair with one of the beautiful female lawyers in the firm, he comes up with a radical plan to protect his fragile mother from learning the truth. But when that beautiful lawyer is found brutally murdered, and Jake is the primary suspect, Kyle now has the daunting task of defending a father who has little faith in his legal skills.

Blood Relations by Edward Cohen and Kathy Cohen offers a complex, but not unrealistic plot that grips readers from beginning to end, and just when readers think they know who actually killed the beautiful Laura ... surprise, surprise! But as engaging as the plot and trying to figure out who did the deed are the personalities of the key characters. Kyle is forever trying to meet his father’s expectations, to earn his respect, not to mention his love. There is ongoing competition between father and son, and what Kyle lacks in legal skills, he makes up for by bedding as many women as he can. So expect some scenes steamier and stickier than the New Orleans humidity.

Being a legally based story, there are some interesting insights into how the justice system works, along with how much is not as it seems, or should be. This is the world of the wealthy: money, power and reputations are always at stake and murderers aren’t the only criminals. If Blood Relations sounds like your kind of reading, don’t hesitate to pick up this novel: you won’t be able to put it down.

Reviewed By K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

Fountain of Revenge is a work of dramatic thriller fiction in a legal setting and was penned by author Richard Dodge Davidson. Combining cultural mysteries with high powered firms and shady dealers who will stop at nothing to make a discovery, the central plot revolves around a mysterious formula that, in the Cherokee Nation’s belief system, is purported to extend natural life. Our heroes are Mixie Cooper and Rod Larren, two green attorneys from New York who are sent to procure this formula by their firm. But they soon learn that they are not the only ones in the fight for the formula for extended life, and the danger around them sets in fast.

What begins as a legal and pharmacological mystery develops into an interpersonal drama between the central pair, as well as a dangerous action and adventure romp. The combination of these many genres works well and keeps the interest of the reader, whilst the fight for the formula stays central and consistent in the plot. I enjoyed the Georgia based setting and the inclusion of Cherokee beliefs and practices, which were intelligently and sensitively depicted to add atmosphere and cultural variance to the tale. Mixie and Rod are a cute pair to lead the action, whose involvement with one another both helps and hinders them as they learn the ropes the hard way when the case does not go as planned. Overall, author Richard Dodge Davidson has done a fine job with Fountain of Revenge, producing an engaging and dramatic work of legal thriller fiction.

Reviewed By Caitlyn Lynch for Readers' Favorite

Do Not Ask is Elaine Williams Crockett’s second book about former FBI agent turned federal judge Warren Alexander. Now the Supreme Court’s newest judge, Justice Alexander is drawn into the investigation when the President’s twin daughters go missing after visiting Alexander’s playboy son-in-law’s estate. A scandal threatens when it emerges that the twins may have been blackmailing prominent married men with sex tapes, and Alexander must team up with his former FBI partner to find out what happened. The twins aren’t the only missing women in DC, though, and when one of Alexander’s law clerks is the next to disappear, he finds himself under suspicion and must race against time to clear his name and discover the true culprit… before his own daughter becomes the killer’s next victim.

This is a brilliantly written and researched whodunit with so many twists and turns I never knew what was coming next. The author has done her research superbly, with knowledge of the inner workings of DC’s political system as well as a thorough understanding of the law and its procedures. There is a small section (during a murder trial in which Alexander is defending the accused) where the descriptions of how exactly DNA analysis and comparisons work where things got a little esoteric for the layperson to understand, but it was detail that was actually pivotal to the plot and the author took the time to break it down carefully for the reader. I thoroughly enjoyed the explanations, and the expert ‘court testimony’ in which they were presented. I must also congratulate the author on the quality of editing and proofreading which has been applied to this novel.

Elaine Williams Crockett has a deep understanding of the culture in which she chooses to set her stories, and this shows through in that no part of the narrative ever feels far-fetched or unlikely. Even the most unexpected twists are still completely logical within the wider context of the story, though nothing was so predictable that I lost interest. As a political/crime thriller, this was one of the most intriguing and well-written I’ve ever had the privilege of reading. If you love a good whodunit full of salacious details and clever twists, you really shouldn’t miss this one. Thoroughly enjoyable.