I snagged From the Grave because I wanted more books like the Eddie Flynn books by Steve Cavanagh. I love a legal thriller/suspense. The plot was solid and it kept me interested. I think the biggest downfall for this book is that I kept comparing it to Eddie Flynn and Edward Hall didn't come close. I think the book is solid and many readers will really get into it, however. It is an interesting moral quandary that Edward has to face, plus actually attempting to solve the crime. While I didn't care much for the main character, I did enjoy the story.

I love finding a new, to me, legal thriller. When it involves a bad boy lawyer who is willing to work on the shady side of the law to prove his client is innocent, go away and don't interrupt my reading time. I was hooked from the start. Edward Hall is no choir boy but he is a very good lawyer - one who ran afoul of the legal system and did his time behind bars. That's grounds for disbarment - a no brainer. When he's made an offer that, they say, will get him back to practicing law, he's in. The client seems to be guilty and Hall is supposed to fail. Just one thing - the client is the one person who protected Hall in prison and that changes everything. This is a case he wants to win.
With the help of his girlfriend who also likes to work outside of the lines, they work to untangle the case and find out who is setting up both Hall and his client. It soon includes murder. I stayed up way past my bedtime enjoying the puzzle and the pace of this one. As I had not read the previous book in the series, Against the Law, I now have that to add to my huge to be read list and that's a very good thing.
My thanks to the publisher Severn House and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

From the Grave is Texas author Jay Brandon’s second Edward Hall novel. It follows 2018’s Against the Law, the novel that introduced the impulsive ex-con, (disbarred) lawyer who never expected to practice law again but soon enough finds himself defending his own sister against a charge of murdering her husband.

Now, this time around, Edward is back in the courtroom at the specific request of a Houston district attorney who wants him to defend the black man accused of kidnapping and terrorizing the D.A.’s sister. If he accepts the case, Edward will be facing a judge who justifiably despises him and a ruthlessly aggressive court-appointed prosecutor who wants to put his client away for the rest of his life. If it doesn’t sound like Edward has much of a chance of keeping his client a free man, that’s because he doesn’t. But Edward has been assured that if he impresses the District Attorney and her cronies enough with his handling of this case, the state board will consider reinstating his law license on a probationary basis.

Edward Hall is no fool. He understands that the only way he is going to impress the D.A. is to lose the case in spectacular fashion. They are making it easy for him to let that happen, but Edward is not even certain that he wants to practice law again in the first place – and losing a case that will cost his client the rest of his life behind bars, is most certainly not the way he wants to get reinstated. It doesn’t hurt that the accused kidnapper happens to be the only friend that Edward made during his years in prison, the man who protected Edward from all-comers and made it possible for him to walk away from the Texas prison system in one piece. It’s a no-brainer; Edward is taking the case - and he plans to win it.

Bottom Line: From the Grave allows Jay Brandon to expand nicely upon his Edward Hall character. Hall has a good sense of right and wrong, but he is not a man who plays by the rules if that means that the bad guys are going to come out on top. He considers burglary to be a useful evidence-gathering tool despite having been caught both times he’s previously tried that tactic. And now he has a girlfriend who is even more enthusiastic about the potentials of burglary than he is – so what could possibly go wrong? This one may be a bit farfetched, but that’s what makes it so much fun.

Legal thrillers are right at the top of my wish list. I love to see lawyers outwit each other. And in the past, Brandon’s books have helped fill that void in my reading, since I don’t run across an abundance of legal mysteries.

But in this case, I was pretty disappointed. It seems that Edward Hall, the lawyer, spends his time either not believing his client or throwing up his hands and pretty much handling the case like a novice. Even I could have figured out several things to investigate that might possibly have helped his client’s case.

But with Edward’s girlfriend’s help, they do begin to investigate the possibility that there is some connection between a local artist’s death and the current case.

Now we’re talking about a lawyer who is having trouble investigating simple things like whether calls were coming in or going out on cell phones. And looking over text messages. Things that seem to have escaped Edward’s notice. Yet now he is able to search another case and his current case to see if anything ties them together. Hmmm . . .

And no spoilers, but the courtroom scenes were somewhat repetitive and not exciting. I really enjoy the battle of legal wits. In my opinion, the method of attempting to prove someone innocent should never happen the way it did in this book. That alone caused my rating to drop.

What Concerned Me
The legal scenes and the tactics didn’t work at all for me.

What I Liked Most
I like Jay Brandon’s writing and I won't hesitate to pick up another of his books.

Another excellent read

This is the second book I have read and reviewed by Jay Brandon and once again it was an entertaining read from start to finish. Edward Hall is the bad boy of the Houston legal system with a string of bad marks against him, including a stint in prison and a disbarment. Despite these seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Edward somehow always seems to be the comeback kid.

In this book, he is tasked with defending an ex-con, somebody he encountered in prison, on a kidnapping charge. He is offered a deal that appears too good to be true if he defends Donald Willis, he will have his disbarment rescinded and he will be given probation to try this one case with a view to extending the probation which will allow him to practise law again. Edward and Donald have history, as Edward has represented him in a previous case, also for kidnapping. In theory the case is a slam dunk and Edward suspects that he is a pawn in a chess game, with the odds stacked against him.

However, the chance to practise law and to feel the thrill of going to trial is like honey to a bee and Edward accepts the case.

As in the previous book, all is not what it seems, and Edward soon uncovers a web lies and holes in the story surrounding the alleged kidnapping. The pace is fast and as Edward and his girlfriend Linda race to uncover the truth and hence prove that Donald is innocent of the charge, there is plenty of action. I like the way Edward has little regard for the letter of the law but firmly believes in the innocence of his client and that his client deserves a decent defence and a chance to redeem himself.

Gillian

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review

Reading this book made me want to go back and read all the previous books again too and I happily realise I’ve missed a few so I shall have to track them down..

As far as legal thrillers go Jay Brandon is at the top of my list with John Lescroart and the further into From The Grave I went the more I realised why…

This is tautly plotted and absolutely addictive, with a genuinely compelling mystery at the heart of it, tense and engaging courtroom scenes plus unexpected outcomes and strong central characters.

Pacy and utterly gripping throughout From The Grave comes highly recommend from me. As does any other novel by this author. I absolutely loved it.

From The Grave is another sure fire legal thriller involving disbarred attorney Eddie Hall.
Eddie is given a case he can’t possibly win but the District Attorney makes him a offer he can’t refuse, defend this case and she will reinstate him to the bar. The man he is to defend, Donald, is accused of kidnapping the DA’s sister. Eddie spent some time with Donald when he was in prison, Donald had kidnapped a young boy and as a fellow prisoner Eddie had helped him out and Donald had protected Eddie from any prison attacks.
It appears to be an open and shut case, but Donald refuses to take a plea bargain insisting he never kidnapped this woman. Eddie soon realises that he’s been set up and goes all out to discover the truth. In a loving and stable relationship with Linda who now works in the courts they both work together to get to the truth.
As usual with this author the legal arguments in court are superb and riveting, and the revelations at the end amazingly well written. I love this authors style he has a real gift with the written word, and I hope for many more Eddie Hall stories. A great read.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

Edward (not Ed) Hall is a disbarred attorney due to having spent time in jail and becoming a convicted felon has gone back to his home town of Houston, Texas where he works at any job he can get. He has also been successful in moving in with Linda, a girl he has fallen in love with. His world looks brighter but he certainly misses practicing law. Out of the blue an opportunity presents itself to him in the form of an offer from the District Attorney. A man that was in jail at the same time as Edward stands accused of kidnapping a lady and extorting a ransom from her husband. The D.A. tells him that if he takes the case and goes to court with it his legal license will be returned. It is insinuated that he must handle the case the "right" way - losing and allowing the defendant to be put back in jail.
Edward takes the case and realizes that the lady kidnapped is the District Attorney's sister and the man he is representing had helped him out several times while they were both incarcerated. He gets help from Linda who proves herself very resourceful. The trial, the preparations of both parties: the D.A. and Edward as the defense attorney is told very well with all the bumps and maneuvers that probably would occur in any real trial.
The story lays the groundwork for continuing Edward and Linda's appearances in court, and it doesn't hurt the story line that Linda receives her court reporter's license as the events proceed. Mr Brandon has written previous books featuring Edward Hall and the present novel probably represents a new beginning for him with the added help his girlfriend.