Sebastian Rudd is not your typical street lawyer. He works out of a customized bulletproof van, complete with Wi-Fi, a bar, a small fridge, fine leather chairs, a hidden gun compartment, and a heavily armed driver. He has no firm, no partners, no associates, and only one employee, his driver, who’s also his bodyguard, law clerk, confidant, and golf caddy. He lives alone in a small but extremely safe penthouse apartment, and his primary piece of furniture is a vintage pool table. He drinks small-batch bourbon and carries a gun.
Sebastian defends people other lawyers won’t go near: a drug-addled, tattooed kid rumored to be in a satanic cult, who is accused of molesting and murdering two little girls; a vicious crime lord on death row; a homeowner arrested for shooting at a SWAT team that mistakenly invaded his house. Why these clients? Because he believes everyone is entitled to a fair trial, even if he, Sebastian, has to cheat to secure one. He hates injustice, doesn’t like insurance companies, banks, or big corporations; he distrusts all levels of government and laughs at the justice system’s notions of ethical behavior.
If you enjoyed Grisham’s latest, check out these captivating indies…
Brothers and Bones by James Hankins
Charlie Beckham is a rising star among federal prosecutors until, on the morning of the most important court day of his career, a deranged homeless man calls him by a secret nickname known by only one other person in the world—Charlie’s brother Jake, who went missing thirteen years ago.
Could the homeless man have information about Jake’s whereabouts after all these years? Is it possible that the long-haired, bearded vagrant actually is Jake? Charlie has a hundred questions but the homeless man disappears before Charlie can ask a single one.
The Dead Room by Robert Ellis
A young woman is found, brutally murdered and left on gruesome display in the “safety” of her own home. The atrocity kicks off an investigation into a bizarre string of increasingly disturbing murders, all believed to be perpetrated by someone of unprecedented savagery and cunning.
As the city’s panic rises, civil attorney Teddy Mack is thrown headlong into the grisly homicide case—and into a world of dirty politics and corrupt justice, where deceptions are as deadly as a killer’s twisted secrets. Now, another woman is about to meet the same horrific fate as the others. To end a madman’s reign, Teddy must enter his maze—a place of unimaginable terror and shocking revelations.
The Boat Man by Dustin Stevens
Detective Reed Mattox, just three months removed from the death of his partner, has turned invisibility into an art form. Switching to the K-9, taking over the graveyard shift, moving to a farmhouse miles outside of Columbus, his every move has become predicated on putting as much distance between himself and the outside world as possible.
That distance is shattered though when bodies begin turning up in The Bottoms, the poverty-stricken section of town he is assigned to patrol. Grisly, horrific scenes start to pop up in the middle of the night and the overburdened precinct has no choice but to put Reed on it. Now operating far outside of his comfort zone with a Belgian Malinois for a partner that attracts attention wherever they go, Reed is forced to unravel the murders, taking him clear across the city and back years in time, to an event that some very influential people will do anything to keep buried…
Detective Jack Stratton Mystery Thriller Collection by Christopher Greyson
The Detective Jack Stratton Mystery Collection contains the first four novels (Girl Jacked, Jack Knifed, Jacks are Wild and Jack and the Giant Killer) in the bestselling mystery series.
Girl Jacked: Police Officer Jack Stratton is hiding from the memories of losing his best friend in Iraq. Suffering from PTSD, and isolated from those he cares about, the last thing Jack expects to hear is that his foster sister is gone. Now he must take action, find Michelle and bring her home… or die trying.
Jack Knifed: Constant nightmares have forced Jack Stratton to seek answers about his rough childhood, and the dark secrets that lay hidden there. With Replacement by his side, Jack travels to Hope Falls to solve a murder that occurred before he was born.
Jacks are Wild: When his sexy, old flame disappears, no one thinks it’s suspicious except Jack and one unbalanced witness. He and his young, feisty sidekick plunge ahead and start to track down leads hoping to find Marisa in time—landing them smack in the middle of an all-out Mob war between the Italian Mafia and the Japanese Yakuza.
Jack and the Giant Killer: While recovering from a gunshot wound and the loss of his job on the police force, Jack’s romance with feisty Replacement continues to develop.
Irreparable Harm (Sasha McCandless Legal Thriller Book 1) by Melissa F. Miller
After eight long years, attorney Sasha McCandless is about to make partner at a prestigious law firm. When a plane operated by her client slams into the side of a mountain, killing everyone aboard, Sasha gears up to defend the inevitable civil lawsuits. She soon realizes the crash was no accident: a developer has created an application that can control a commercial plane’s onboard computer from a smartphone.
Sasha joins forces with a federal air marshal, and they race to prevent another airline disaster. But when people close to the matter start turning up dead, Sasha must rely on both her legal skills and her Krav Maga training to stop the madman before he kills her.
If you enjoy this one you’re in luck, it is the first in a series of eight books (so far)!
If you can’t get enough Grisham, loved Rogue Lawyer and want to proceed directly to the next thriller, look no further…but make sure not to leave any prints on your Kindle…just in case!
Note: Many of the titles featured in this story are also available through IndieBound. Enjoy!