I really enjoyed the idea of a legal thriller and this worked well with the story and the characters. The overall story worked with what I was hoping for and enjoyed about the genre. It left me wanting to read more from the author as I enjoyed the story and the characters. It had a great theme to it and I enjoyed what I read.

An excellent legal suspense novel! Rotstein is a master at courtroom suspense and this flows well. I wanted to get to know the legal team a bit more than I did because they are such a fascinating mix of a team. A great setting and a very interesting issue made this a winner in my book. I would like to read more from this author and see what the team might tackle next. Well done!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. I couldn't put it down and indeed did not want to put it down! More, please.

Well, the author has certainly written a book that will ruffle some feathers and cause some conversation (and consternation)!

When I began reading this, I really thought I was not going to like it – not because of the political nature, but because a couple of characters in the beginning have the tendency to lecture. It felt like the literary equivalent of a sledgehammer to the head.

Eventually, though, the author concentrates on the story and it’s very well done.

I do think the story is simply a vehicle to show how murky ANY political ideology becomes. The characters have complex reasoning behind everything they do, mixed with an absolute faith that their own view is correct. And the consequences? Devastating.

I’m not sure I adored how the book ended. It seemed an easy ending for a complicated story.

But in the end, I did very much enjoy the read.

• ARC via Publisher

“The courtroom scenes sizzle and plot twists abound in Robert Rotstein’s The Out-of-Town Lawyer, a smart and stylish legal thriller with sparkling dialogue and a fresh take on the conflict between government and personal autonomy. Is a young woman who refused a surgical procedure on religious grounds guilty of the murder of her unborn twins when the surgery could have saved their lives? The local populace of a small Alabama clamors for the death penalty. Then trial lawyer Elvis Henderson, with shoulder-length hair and a transexual paralegal, rolls into the burg in his camper van ready for battle. The closing courtroom sequences sparkle with fireworks reminiscent of Anatomy of a Murder and The Verdict, which is to say, electrifying, compelling, and authentic. Henderson is a unique new character in the world of legal thrillers, and I hope we’ll see more of him toting his briefcase into courtrooms from coast-to-coast.”
- Paul Levine, author of the "Jake Lassiter" series

This was a pleasant surprise as I hadn't come across this author before. It is a well written and well plotted legal thriller with excellently drawn characters and plenty of court room drama.

There is a good sense of time and place and the book feels authentic on terms of the locale in the deep south of the US.

The main character is a maverick with a fascinating backstory which is gently teased out as the story develops.

I really enjoyed this engrossing read.