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One of my favorite genres is courtroom dramas, and this one fulfills it superbly for this debut author. And, with his experience as a successful trial and appellate litigator, I am not surprised. Unfortunately, the author passed away one month after the book was published (RIP: November 2, 2024), so we will not ever have the opportunity to experience his writing again.

For the sake of this story, consider this scenario.

What happens when your best friend is accused of murder? And, he asks you as an attorney, to represent him? And, what happens when that best friend happens to be the former President of the United States? And, what happens when the victim is someone that was close to you? Do you still believe your best friend is innocent? And, do you still want to represent him? What dilemma do you find yourself in?

This is that circumstance for attorney, Rob Jacobson. And, as it turns out, this will be the case for him, too. And, with many twists and turns, it appears to be the same, for readers, as well. What do we as readers want to believe?

But to understand this case, we also have to understand Rob. His feelings about the victim, his client �� the ex-President �� best-friend, as well as Rob’s past. How does this past affect the present? And, who can we trust to tell us, the readers, the truth? To understand all of it, will Rob, our narrator, give readers everything we need to know?

Especially those in-between chapters where someone is talking to a therapist, trying to curb those violent behaviors. Did we figure out who that was? Want to bet on whether we figure it out before the end? I’ll take that bet.

There are many moving parts �� many different characters who play a role, and interact and have a part in this story, which makes readers wanting to quickly turn pages to find out why Rob would take on this case. And, nothing appears as it seems. And, all we can do as readers is wonder…why? What is going on here? So, we keep turning those pages until we get to the very last page…where then the truth is finally revealed. And when it finally is, what will we feel as readers?

This story is…Spell-binding. Page-turning. Complex. With…those twists and turns, I mentioned. It is thought-provoking. Immersive. Character-driven. Engrossing. It is well-paced, well-crafted, with an intricate plot that is memorable, with unpredictable characters, that are multi-layered. Stay with it. Readers, you won’t be disappointed.