Review by Booklist Review
In the twentieth Jack Swyteck novel, the criminal defense lawyer from Florida is having trouble with his most recent client. Elliott Stafford, who stands accused of murder, has clammed up. He won't talk to anybody--not his girlfriend, not his lawyer, not anyone. Since he can't rely on his client to participate in his own defense, Jack's work just got a lot harder. But, as fans of this long-running series know, he's not the kind of guy to let a bump in the road derail him, and as he keeps digging, Jack gets a very unpleasant surprise--one that sends the whole case spinning off in a new direction. Grippando, who spent 12 years as a trial lawyer in Florida, knows whereof he writes: the Swyteck novels have a sense of realism to them, a sense of truth, that legal fiction written by non-lawyers often lacks. You don't need to have read any of the earlier Swyteck novels to enjoy this one (they all function nicely as standalones), but be warned: once you've finished this one, you will want to read more.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Grippando's 20th Jack Swyteck legal thriller (following Grave Danger) also makes a good stand-alone for those new to the series. Defense attorney Swyteck is living comfortably in Miami with his FBI agent wife and their young daughter while working cases with his investigator and friend Theo Knight. Jack's newest client, Elliot Stafford, is subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury investigating the suicide of his boss, a former federal agent turned gun destruction contractor. Elliott quickly proves to be a difficult client, who withholds information, ignores legal advice, and eventually stops talking altogether, leaving Jack to build a defense against what is shaping up to be a murder case. Evidence is piling up faster than Jack can refute it, and his personal life also begins to unravel as his wife challenges their longstanding agreement to keep their work lives separate. Meanwhile, it seems that Theo has been keeping secrets of his own. VERDICT Readers will feel the Miami heat in this fast-paced legal thriller that delivers high-stakes courtroom drama and rich character development while unraveling a deadly conspiracy that touches on timely issues: gun trafficking, private adoption, and identity. Will appeal to fans of Phillip Margolin, Stacey Abrams, and John Grisham.--George Lichman
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Miami lawyer Jack Swyteck's latest client refuses to take the Fifth despite the advice of his counsel--and then takes it to a perilous extreme. When retired FBI agent Owen Pollard, a partner in VanPoll firearms disposal, is shot dead in his home, Patricia Dubrow, the attorney who represents the company and Cornelius J. Vandermeer, Owen's eccentric and anarchic partner, recommends that Elliott Stafford, a member of VanPoll's finance team who's been subpoenaed by a grand jury, retain Jack. The reason why is unsettling: Patricia has agreed to represent Owen's widow, Helena Pollard, and fears a potential conflict of interest may arise if she accepts Elliott as a client. The connection between Elliott and the Pollards turns out to be rooted in the couple's attempt years ago to adopt the newborn son of Elle Carpenter, a teenager who'd agreed to turn the son she was expecting over to the Pollards if they covered her expenses and then, according to her mother, Serena Carpenter, refused to give them the newborn unless they added a huge additional payment. The more details Jack hears about the case, the more he urges Elliott to assert his right to remain silent when questioned, but Elliott refuses--until the moment when, overcome with the weight of the legal forces his testimony has unleashed against him, Elliott shuts down completely and refuses to say a word to Jack or anyone else. Jack finds that defending a client who won't talk is even harder than defending a client who talks too much, and Grippando makes the most of every complication that emerges from Jack's dilemma. To say more would spoil the surprises the author has planted. But there are lots of them, and they land with explosive power. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
