The Local is a debut thriller that crackles with memorable characters. The novel is set in Marshall, Texas, the site of the Federal courthouse of the Eastern District of Texas (EDTX) known as the “rocket docket“—noted for its speedy disposition of cases and controversies that come before it.

Big time patent lawyers from national firms flock to Marshall, but their slick citified associates are the worst people to argue in front of a local jury. Local lawyers serve as the public face of patent lawsuits. The most effective local is Marshall native and small-town lawyer James Euchre. He knows how to shake the money tree and get his clients extraordinary payouts, like Marta Sexton, a home economics teacher with arthritis who hails from Skokie, Illinois. Over the years her arthritis got worse and her doctors prescribed more meds until one day she couldn’t open the childproofed bottle.

Frustrated but not defeated, she conceived of a new design for a medicine container that didn’t take much force or a strong grip to open but was still impenetrable to a young person’s inquisitive paws. Inspired by a combination lock on a high school locker, she sketched a design that required a person to line up three designated spots on the pill bottle with three corresponding points on its twisting cap.

Smart lady. And thankfully, Mrs. Sexton filed for a patent. Imagine her shock and fury, when she purchases a bottle of aspirin at an airport kiosk and sees that the bottle was childproofed with her specific design. Off she goes to a capable law firm where her most important decision is where to file suit.

With all the kiosks in all the airports in all the country, the options were almost limitless. The best option though, at least for the past twenty years, has been the Eastern District of Texas. The reason is Judge Gardner.

James does internal fist pumps when he hears the verdict of Mrs. Sexton’s suit: “We hereby award the defendant to pay damages in the amount of $23.5 million.” Another happy client in Judge Gardner’s courtroom—a man who invoked the Bible to justify his tight court schedule: “If God can create the universe in six days, surely we can finish a patent trial in less time.”

Sometimes James is hired to defend companies that are accused of patent or software infringement. Amir Zawar, the CEO and creator of Medallion, found a way to fold taxi drivers into the drive-share economy. Success breeds lawsuits; out of the woodwork come companies claiming that Medallion’s software infringed on their proprietary software. James tries to reassure Amir.

“I understand that no one likes being party to a lawsuit, and it compounds your resentment when it takes you away from home. But patent litigation is our specialty,” I said, referring to the collection of lawyers at the table, “so you should take some comfort in knowing that you’re in good hands.”



“Medallion has a pilot program in eight cities right now. By Q3 of next year, we will have doubled that. I should be tending to the demands of my business, not wasting away here in Mayberry getting sued by every rideshare company and navigation software developer from Silicon Valley,” Amir said. “My father busted his ass to try to get ahead. He did everything that was ever asked of him, and then the system screwed him over. I won’t allow that to happen to me.”

Amir Zawar is a complicated client. He created a business empire beyond his father’s wildest dreams. He’s also a resentful, angry defendant. His attitude works out very badly in court, where he calls the EDTX corrupt.

“If you think I’m going to display even the slightest amount of deference to this court while it threatens to destroy everything I’ve built, then, respectfully, Your Honor, you are out of your fucking mind.”



The judge’s face was like stone.

The rancor escalates, Judge Gardner fines Amir, and Amir tosses hundreds at the bench “as if the judge had just given Amir a private lap dance.” Gardner sends James a pleading glance for him to get his angry client under control. But when James lays hands on Amir and tries to push him towards his chair, Amir explodes again and knocks James to the ground. The bailiffs handcuffs Amir while he screams at the judge, threatening to kill him. Gardner orders his bailiff to lock up Amir, who is promptly arrested and sent to to jail. But his lawyers get him sprung.

That night the traditional Christmas party is held at the courthouse. James, slightly the worse for wear, makes his way home, only to be woken up in the middle of the night. Amir has been accused of murder. The victim is Judge Gardner. No way, James is not going to defend him. Amir is wealthy, he’s a visible minority and he stands accused of killing a beloved hometown hero. The police arrest Amir because he meets the three biggies: motive; opportunity; and no alibi.

Somehow James is persuaded to take the case. Amir’s law firm fleshes out James’ team by assigning a new associate, a former prosecutor, to help him. James is not a criminal defense lawyer but Amir insists he wants him. James vacillates between believing Amir and thinking he his client might be a killer. Does James get extra time to prepare for a high profile murder trial? No such luck, as Gardner’s replacement is determined to follow in Gardner’s footsteps. It’s not called the rocket docket for nothing.

The plot summation says it all: “A freewheeling, small-town attorney takes on a national murder trial when an out-of-town client is accused of killing a federal judge in Texas.” It gets even better when you flesh out the details, like the fact that the murdered federal judge was a mentor and father-figure to James Euchre, an occasionally erratic and temperamental local lawyer. The Local is a brilliant, cinematic story as big as Texas.

Great book and enjoyed the characters . loved the slight romance and the how well the group worked together. Overall a great book . I would read this author again.

In his novel, The Local Hearthstone sets the stage for why a small Texas town in on the national legal map by describing and demonstrating the legal and practical implications of a big money patent infringement lawsuits and also the special considerations of representing clients in a small town in Texas. Those of us who are from or litigated in small towns anywhere at all know that jurors resonate to their home folks, not to some big wig out of town lawyer, so cases handled by out of town lawyers frequently include a local attorney. Jimmy Euchre is a patent attorney in Marshall, Texas, his home town. His deceased father was known throughout the state as an exceptional criminal defense lawyer.

Jimmy has great relationships with his large, out of town law firms, who have come to trust him to do more than sign off on a few motions. Early on in The Local, he delivers a closing argument in a major patent case before Judge Gardner, his mentor and friend. He takes lunch with a patent lawyer client, Abe, who is in town with a massively wealthy new client, Amir Zawar, a guy who resents being sued in Marshall because it's the middle of nowhere and he "needs" to run his business. Amir has a very short fuse. Along with Abe is a new partner, Layla, whose background so far has been as a U.S. Prosecutor. Abe knows he will bring Jimmy into Amir's case and wants them to meet so Amir can assess Jimmy. It's Christmas season, the annual Christmas party at the County Courthouse is that night and Sam Whelan approaches Jimmy for a favor. He is before the state bar disciplinary board because he "cold cocked" Jimmy in court a couple months back and he wants Jimmy to help him save his law license.

While Jimmy is juggling his daily life in Marshall, he ups his drinking and starts smoking because a major trial is completed and he can let loose. And then he wakes up to news of a murder in town, that small town where he knows everyone. The accused is an out of towner. And Jimmy is asked to defend the accused. Layla, the experienced criminal lawyer gets in on the game and this legal thriller takes off with nice twists and turns, more development of the small town practice experience, new friendships and Jimmy's own reputation on the skids at some points in the case.

I enjoyed this novel and thought Hartstone portrayed the legal system and courtroom scenes accurately and entertainingly. Jimmy is a well drawn character. Others were a little stereotyped, but still well-written and worth a read.

The following review, which includes The Local, appears in multiple newspapers including The Cullman Times, The News Aegis and The News Courier in Alabama; and the Mountain Times news group centered on Boone, N.C. URL for Cullman attached.

International Standard Book Numbers, or ISBNs — those ubiquitous barcodes responsible for making books one of the earliest online commodities (and gifting Amazon an auspicious beginning) — are also useful in quantifying how many books a particular country the publishing world releases each year.

Recent statistics indicate that that number was nearly 3.5 million in the United States alone, and about 3.3 million more than its nearest competitor, the United Kingdom, which issued less than 200,000 ISBNs during a comparable time frame.

However you page through that data, that’s a lot of books — and enough that you might have missed some of the best from the past few months.

From Alabamian nonfiction to North Carolinian poetry; from thrillers, sci-fi, fantasy and old-fashioned storytelling, the following is a curated and publication-dated list of 15 books — including a notable work of poetry from the High Country — that might have missed your literary calendar. Now, as we move into high summer, it’s worth noting that any of these would be a welcome addition to your beach bag — ISBN, sand and all, which is timely, since a few have a next installment blooming this season, or as soon as fireplace weather begins to kick in.

‘When Light Waits For Us’ (Main Street Rag Publishing Company) by Hilda Downer, $14, softcover, 69 pages, May 6, 2021

Hilda Downer, a member of the Southern Appalachian Writers Cooperative, completed her master’s work at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C., and earned a MFA in poetry from Vermont College — all factors she weaves into deeply interior vignettes in “When Light Waits For Us.”

Like the best poetry, those scraps of life speak to each of us as individuals. “I know what it is / about the rain’s hard knuckles on the roof / before leaking down the chalky wall / that chills me more / than the risk of hypothermia: / It is the poverty of childhood,” she writes in “The Scamp.”

Accessible and touching, “When Light Waits For Us” began as a collaborative effort with a photographer — a relationship that fell into free verse. The aftermath, this solitary release, is better for that experience.

‘Miss Molly’s Final Mission,’ by Rick DeStefanis, $23.95, hardcover, 234 pages, Aug. 24, 2021

The subtitle of Rick DeStefanis’ most recent novel might read, “A Vietnam War veteran flies into Central American Revolution and finds love in the jungle” — and that puts it squarely in the writer's wheelhouse.

The author of three series — The Rawlins Trilogy, Southern Fiction Series and The Vietnam War Series — DeStefanis is a gifted storyteller who offers here a standalone military adventure, even as long-time readers will be rewarded with some familiar characters, such as Buddy Rider from the “Valley of the Purple Hearts.”

As always, the story is heavy on adventure and light on romance, as in this book, with echoes of DeStefanis’ “The Birdhouse Man.” As in that novel, Buddy is a lone Vietnam veteran and pilot who is pulled into a mercy mission to help save several Maryknoll Sister missionaries embroiled in revolution-torn El Salvador in the 1980s.

Meticulous research and credibility are hallmarks of "Miss Molly," and the author’s Vietnam series overall. A satisfying novel based on a war that reverberates through America today.

'Gated Prey (Eve Ronin Book 3)' (Thomas & Mercer) by Lee Goldberg, $9.99, paperback, 267 pages, Oct. 26, 2021

Lee Goldberg’s third Eve Ronin book almost didn’t make this list — but only because the fourth installment in the series, “Movie Land,” was recently released. Goldberg is a gifted television writer who knows how to keep the pages turning in his novels, and turn out bestsellers, which he does to myriad acclaims in his Eve Ronin series.

Ronin is a Los Angeles County sheriff’s detective who, in this third edition, is embroiled in high-dollar thefts and murder in gated communities with a $10 million wrongful death lawsuit hanging over her.

True to form, Goldberg neatly ties up multitudinous loose ends before setting up the next in the series. “Gated Prey” works as a series starter, but if you begin here, the recommendation is that you consume one and two before four. Continuity really isn’t the concern — Goldberg is fluent enough to drop enough details to make each a standalone — but series readers are rewarded with subtle Easter eggs as one novel builds into the next. "Movieland (Eve Ronin Book 4)," continues the suspense with a series of sniper attacks in California that echo real-life events from the past.

‘The Dangers of an Ordinary Night,’ (Crooked Lane Books) by Lynne Reeves, $17.49, hardcover, 288 pages, Nov. 9, 2021

Dark secrets propel the mystery of two 17-year-olds kidnapped and left to die. When one of the teens is found, dazed and disoriented, the story moves into a web of truth, half-truths and buried pasts that threaten family members and a detective scouring for clues in an affluent community. Personal redemption by that detective is possible, and needed on personally visceral levels, but only if all is revealed before the denouement.

Cinematic in scope, Reeves notes that “The Dangers of an Ordinary Night” is my love letter to the theater … (with a) setting central to both the way the story is conceived and in the dramatic themes the novel explores.” Those dramatic themes? Mental illness and addiction top the list — two dangers found in an “ordinary night.”

A self-assured novel, Reeves, a veteran school and family counselor, builds relationship upon relationship with a deft touch in constructing characters and story that will linger after the last page.

The author's next novel, “Dark Rivers to Cross” (Crooked Lane), is an origin story involving a mother and her two sheltered sons — and the past family connections she has sought to erase. “Dark Rivers” is scheduled to release Nov. 8, in plenty of time to first safeguard a bit of reading time for “Dangers.”

‘The Dark Hours: (A Renee Ballard and Harry Bosch novel, 4),’ (Little, Brown and Company) by Michael Connelly, $29, hardcover, 400 pages, Nov. 9, 2021

Another in a series on this list with a next installment in the works (“Desert Star,” Nov. 8), Connelly’s Ballard series are books that could be consumed alone, but most savored when read in order for the nuances of character development the author so ably constructs. Unlike his Bosch series, which runs now to more than two dozen books, now is a good time to get on the four-book and counting Ballard-Bosch bandwagon.

In “The Dark Hours,’ Connelly neatly twines a single bullet from a New Year’s Eve shooting-death case of LAPD Detective Ballard’s with an ancient case of Detective Harry Bosch’s. Tying in a pair of serial rapists, the Midnight Men, the story moves quickly toward plot connections only a master such as Connelly could devise. Set in near-real time, the global pandemic has altered the makeup and resources of the department, leaving Ballard and Bosch to recognize that the only way to solve both crimes is by again joining forces.

‘The Becoming: The Dragon Heart Legacy (Book 2)’ (St. Martins Press) by Nora Roberts, $28.99, hardcover, 448 pages, Nov. 23, 2021

After eons, the worlds of man and magic have been split and divided, but some, including Breen Siobhan Kelly, can move between both. Reading the second offering in Nora Roberts’ fantasy series, “The Becoming: The Dragon Heart Legacy,” gives you just enough time to get caught up on the series (“The Choice: The Dragon Heart Legacy,” book three is due Nov. 22), and if you do, you’ll find why November’s cliff-hanger resolution (the publisher isn’t quiet about labeling the series both fantasy and suspense) is so highly anticipated.

Perhaps more known for her romance novels — Roberts has published more than 220 of those — the author’s talents for fantasy are well-recognized and deservedly earned with the Dragon Heart series, a world-building series destined for the big screen.

‘Struggles of the Soul: Where to Now, Lord?’ (Legaia Books) by Hollis Arban, $7.95, paperback, 181 pages, Jan. 11, 2022

This touching, coming-of-age story, ‘Struggles of the Soul,’ by Hollis Arban, formerly of Athens in North Alabama, will appeal to teens — especially as the author adds a note of realism by inserting himself both into the story as the middle-aged Hal, and into the lives of a young family he befriends during a friendly game in the park.

As Hal’s life is revealed through stories, meals and outings, bonds deepen, boys learn to become men and a special young girl learns the value of friendship. Written from personal experiences, this short novel takes us to simpler times when learned life lessons lasted a lifetime.

And also on the subject of those simpler times, look also for Arban’s most recent book, “Short Stories for my Students” ($9.95, paperback, 175 pages, July 15, 2022). Written with middle- and high schoolers in mind, the 10 stories in this volume similarly come from the experience and imagination of earlier times — such as the story told to the author by his father, narrating the tale of a panther roaming the family’s Alabama farm in the early 1900s.

‘The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections’ (Poisoned Pen Press) by Eva Jurczyk, $26.99, hardcover, 336 pages, Jan. 25, 2022

An accomplished debut, “The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections” by Eva Jurczyk takes us with an expert’s pen into the world of rare books in a large university. Part mystery — and, as the title promises, one which centers on an irreplaceable ancient tome — and part relationship storytelling, the tale of a priceless book and the curator who’s told to keep the theft quiet is much more than it appears on the surface.

Look beyond the cover, Jurczyk tells us, and we’ll find the substance of a woman struggling to move past the shadows of the powerful men who loom over her. A heartbreaking twist infiltrates this story in a novel that teaches us about the transformational power of books in our lives.

‘The Silent Sisters’ (Charles Jenkins Book 3)' (Thomas & Mercer) by Robert Dugoni, $24.95, hardcover, 400 pages, Feb. 22, 2022

Those who have read Robert Dugoni’s past books would purchase anything, sight unseen, with the author’s name on it. Were he to publish his grocery list we’d still press “buy” because readers know even that would be laced with suspense and story.

And so we come to the third book in Dugoni’s Charles Jenkins series — a story we desperately need today.

Set in Russia, Jenkins is a master spy who thinks he’s done with his craft until the final two of seven sleeping American assets, women under decades of deep cover and dubbed “the sisters,” drop all communications from their contacts.

By this point in the series (preceded by “The Eighth Sister” and “The Last Agent"), Jenkins is on a Russian kill list, leaving him what he believes no moral option other than infiltrating the country in disguise — made harder since Jenkins is a Black man in a sea of white — to either save the Russian counter spies or determine if they’ve been turned against America as double agents.

Layering Russian organized crime into the story, Dugoni weaves a Russian spy story where, beyond all odds, the underdogs might just have a chance to win. Begin with the first two books in the series to capture shades of story, or dive into No. 3 for a solid summer read.

‘Girl In Ice’ (Gallery/Scout) by Erica Ferencik, $27.99, hardcover, 304 pages, March 1, 2022

A most strange novel, the setting of Erica Ferencik’s “Girl In Ice,” the Arctic Circle, is beautifully drawn and rendered, painting with words what is perhaps the most rural and inhospitable place in the world — making it, of course, the idea setting for a thriller that is at once both physical and psychological.

Linguist Valerie Chesterfield is trained in dead languages, which is fortunate as she travels to a remote science station off the barren coast of Greenland in search for answers to what appeared to be her scientist twin brother’s suicide. At the station, the discovery of a young girl frozen in both ice and time — the reason why the small team there wanted Valerie to join them — is a seemingly medical impossibility: the girl has been unfrozen, thawed out alive and speaks a language no one understands. Strange indeed, but as Valerie gets closer to comprehending the language of the girl, in addition to unraveling the circumstances behind her brother’s death, the ending comes with answers that are just as unexpected.

Ferencik works hard to put a lot of moving pieces together in this novel, but too hard in places. There’s an awful lot going on in terms of text and subtext and those, mixed with the austere climate, at times trip over one another. Still, the author earns high points for crafting a credible world inside an incredible story. You won’t soon read another book such as this.

‘The New Neighbor’ (Poisoned Pen Press) by Carter Wilson, $16.99, paperback, 400 pages, April 12, 2022

Carter Wilson writes tough, muscular novels and his particular brand of psychological thrillers grab you by the throat from page 1. To wit, the opening of his latest, “The New Neighbor”:

“I thought I couldn’t handle another minute in the funeral home, but this church is worse.

“My wife doesn’t belong here.

“Thirty-four years old and and the count stops there. Her biological clock runs backward now, ticking decomposition. ...

“‘Daddy, your tie,’ … Maggie points at my neck, her fierce, blue eyes gift-wrapped with streaks of red. Easy to tell when she’s been crying.”

Tough indeed. And it gets worse, much worse, way before the story even hints at getting better.

On the day of his wife’s funeral, Aidan Marlowe learns he’s holding the winning Powerball numbers — he’s superstitious to a fault and his same weekly numbers are on autoplay — manufacturing phenomenal wealth and unbearable loss at the same time.

But while the loss is inconsolable, the wealth can buy Marlowe and his two children a fresh start, which they do by purchasing a mansion in Bury, N.H. (a crossover town from Wilson’s “The Dead Husband” in this standalone story).

Because he’s won in one of the few states that allows lottery winners to remain anonymous, Marlowe is hoping for a complete, fresh start. And this he has — until mysterious notes appear, letting him know that someone is watching his family, very, very carefully.

Building toward a denouement that is both solid and satisfying, “The New Neighbor” constructs collective consciousness fears made fresh under Wilson’s pen. The author has eight standalone thrillers in his canon to date, with each one a worthy successor.

’Strangers We Know’ (Thomas & Mercer) by Elle Marr, $15.95, paperback, 283 pages, May 1, 2022

Suspense and thrills in one package, Elle Marr’s “Strangers We Know” offers a fresh approach to the “FBI needs my help in tracking down a serial killer” motif.

Ivy Hon was adopted as an infant and so knows little of her family history. When a mysterious illness necessitates a genetic test, the results are unexpected. According the her DNA, she’s related to the Full Moon Killer, a serial murderer who has been stalking the Pacific Northwest for decades.

A fast, engaging read with well-drawn characters and credible story, Marr is showing herself to be a true working author, offering here a strong complement to her previous offerings, “Lies We Bury” (April 2021) and “The Missing Sister” (April 2020).

‘Our Little World’ (Dutton) by Karen Winn, $26, hardcover, 352 pages, May 3, 2022

Karen Winn’s “Our Little World” is poised to be the sleeper hit novel of 2022. To date, the attention it’s earned — despite strong critical reviews — pales with the depth of emotion and gravitas of the story.

Bee Kocsis has come of age. Encapsulating the story that is to unfold, she says as much in the first pages of this masterfully precise debut — a remembrance tale of two sisters growing up in Hammond, N.J., on the cusp of first love, loss and depths of turmoil that belie their young ages.

The remembrance year is 1985 and Bee’s sister, Audrina, is alive. It’s no secret that Audrina is dead when the novel opens — “My sister isn’t the only dead girl I’ve known, and not the first either,” Bee tells us — but it is a poignant set-up for secrets to come and the soul-crushing actions that will define not only the sisters, their friends and their families, but a community.

Bee and Audrina live in the type of upper middle-class block where moms take turns on summer days carpooling and chaperoning the neighborhood children from one activity to another. At Deer Chase Lake on one such outing, Sally, the preschool sister of a young, teen friend, Max, goes missing. Max unfairly takes responsibility after a community search proves futile, and so sets up one of the prominent parallels throughout the novel. Max’s misguided ownership of his sister’s disappearance will echo the responsibility Bee will ultimately feel for Audrina — although the sisters’ narrative is much more complicated.

Winn chronicles well the growing distance between the siblings even as Bee longs for a deeper relationship with the younger, but more socially adept Audrina: “Our fights were Cold War epic. When she hugged me, it was a Supreme Court ruling. We were hot and cold, and both at once. Sin and virtue, virtue and sin. An entire world occurred within our small, confined existence. Sisters were we.”

What comes of this wonderfully drawn period piece is this: the most self-assured kids can be the most self-tortured, teenage angst is not the sole privilege of teens and secrets will eventually out.

“Our Little World” is an encompassing look at small town American, circa mid-1980s, when the world felt different because it was. With a technological revolution still on the horizon — the first commercial mobile phone had launched two years earlier, but the iPhone and social media were a brief generation away — the pure unconnectedness of society parallels the impending unconnectedness of family relationships. Winn captures this beautifully.

‘The Local: A legal thriller’ (Doubleday) by Joey Hartstone, $28, hardcover, 320 pages, June 14, 2022

Joey Hartstone is a gifted screen- and television writer (“LBJ,” “Shock and Awe,” “The Good Fight,” “Your Honor”) and offers in “The Local” a fast-paced, well-executed legal thriller on par with anyone writing such fare today (looking at you, John Grisham).

James Euchre is a patent lawyer living in patent lawyer Mecca, the town of Marshall, Texas, when a beloved mentor and judge is murdered. The person accused of the crime turns out to be the man Euchre is already representing in a patent lawsuit. That the client is wealthy and arrogant adds to building a deep internal conflict over Euchre’s defense of a man who could be the killer of a man he considered a father. Second chances factor deeply into this narrative, but Hartstone tangles those well with grief and addiction before unraveling the final mystery.

‘The Force of Such Beauty’ (Dutton) by Barbara Borland, $27, hardcover, 383 pages, July 19, 2022

Barbara Borland has been more than once in serious contention for major writing awards — an Edgar best novel finalist, a peer contest, among those — and her most recent novel, “The Force of Such Beauty,” is a case in point. Her third novel, a “phantasmagorical fable of love and marriage,” tells the story of Caroline, a princess who longs to break the confines of royal isolation — and attempts to do so, more than once.

Turning upside down the typical girl-prince dichotomy, Caroline is certainly no passive princess in this thriller masquerading none-to-subtly as a deep introspective on our notions of privilege, station, womanhood and marriage. The messages are not lost, but enhanced in this haunting, smart satire.

Tom Mayer can be reached at tmayer@cullmantimes.com.

SO MUCH LOVE FOR THIS BOOK!
I am a huge fan of the legal thriller and this one does not disappoint.
Eucher is patent attorney in Marshall, TX. When his new, angry client Amir Zawar comes to town he ends up being thrown in jail for threatening the Federal judge in the case. That night the judge ends up dead and Zawar is the main suspect. Suddenly Eucher is involved in a criminal trial.

The story takes many twists and turns, and I definitely didn't know who done it until the big reveal.

DIscussed on Episode 159 of the Book Cougars podcast:
https://www.bookcougars.com/blog-1/2022/episode159

James Euchre is a patent attorney in the small town of Marshall, Texas. which just happens to be the home of the Eastern District of Texas and where patent cases reign supreme. It’s not a bad life and James is just happy that he isn’t like his father who is a well-known Texas attorney. All is good until his former father-in-law is murdered and everything goes sideways.

The Local is filled with a variety of characters (Lisa “the Leg” Morgan is one of my favorites) and it’s an interesting mystery as well. The dialogue and descriptions are also well-done. The Local a true legal thriller and there are a lot of court room scenes and legal strategizing. If you like a book that has these elements, then you’ll definitely enjoy Joey Hartstone’s novel. I certainly did! Now, Mr Hartstone, when will your next book be available?

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

THE LOCAL by Joey Hartstone is an impressive courtroom drama set in East Texas in a small town called Marshall. The narrator and main character of this debut murder mystery has the absolutely fabulous name of Jimmy Euchre. He's a practicing patent attorney, the "local" in a federal district which according to The Dallas News was indeed the busiest in the country for patent law, although that may be changing. Euchre has been hired by the New York based firm of Gordon & Greene to work with Abe Rabinowitz and Layla Stills on an infringement case involving a high tech and transport company called Medallion, headed by Amir Zawar. The chapters introducing all of these characters were fun and quick moving, reminiscent of the Netflix series The Lincoln Lawyer. Shortly after their initial time in court a prominent local official is murdered and Euchre shifts to criminal law, acting as defense attorney. He and Layla are aided by a private investigator, Lisa 'the Leg' Morgan. The middle section drags a bit, but the ending offers a nice surprise and potential for future cases. Hartstone is an accomplished writer for film (two features directed by Rob Reiner) and television (The Good Fight; Your Honor) so Grisham and Turow readers will certainly enjoy this legal thriller. I also recommend THE LOCAL to fans of S.J. Rozan's Lydia Chin and Bill Smith series; there's plenty of feisty-ness on display.

REVIEW OF THE LOCAL
I really love a good courtroom drama. I like the wrangling between the prosecution and the defense, the storytelling aspect of opening and closing statements, the crafting of a case.

The Local takes that familiar John Grisham formula: scrappy small-time lawyer in a small town who finds himself in the center of a case with huge stakes. It’s a formula that works.

James Euchre, or “Euchre” as everyone calls him, has a nice niche for himself. He serves as local counsel when big city lawyers come to the small East Texas town of Marshall to file and defend patent lawsuits.

But suddenly, one of Euchre’s new clients is accused of murder. The man is an outsider who seems doomed to be convicted. Instead of hiring an experienced criminal defense lawyer, he wants Euchre to defend him.

All of this is a bit unrealistic, but it works. Zawar and Euchre are two underdogs you can’t help but root for. Euchre has a plan to defend Zawar: just figure out who DID commit the murder.

I really enjoyed this. Euchre, the narrator, has a wry and interesting voice, and he was a character I enjoyed spending time with. I don’t know if this is the first in a series, but it could be!

Really liked this! Lots of legal jargon but this felt authentic. I was really rooting for the MC to win and I liked the turns this one too. We’ll written, too!

Published by Doubleday on June 14, 2022

The Local is a courtroom drama that stars a patent lawyer. Patent law offers little drama to anyone other than inventors who believe their inventions have been stolen. Since patent infringement trials are snoozeworthy, fans of courtroom dramas will be pleased to learn that patent disputes give way to a murder trial early in the novel.

James Euchre has a patent law practice in the Eastern District of Texas. Judge Gardner has earned a reputation that makes him favored by lawyers who want to file patent infringement lawsuits. Big firms from all around the country file suits in Marshall, Texas and some of them hire Euchre as their local counsel. Euchre often delivers the closing statement because jurors relate to him. He also gets along well with Gardner. The judge has been Euchre’s mentor.

Euchre is hired as local counsel to represent an American of Pakistani ancestry. The client, Amir Zawar, has a negative experience with Gardner at their first court appearance. Zawar scuffles with Euchre (who is trying to stop Zawar from confronting the judge) and says “I’ll kill you,” perhaps to the Marshal who is twisting his arm but perhaps to the judge. In any event, someone murders the judge in the courthouse parking lot and circumstantial evidence points the finger of guilt at Zawar.

Euchre ends up agreeing to represent Zawar in a state murder prosecution. It seems like terrible judgment for a patent lawyer to take on a murder prosecution as his first criminal case, but that’s the premise so the reader needs to roll with it to enjoy the story. I understand Zawar’s desire to be represented by local talent, but one wonders why he didn’t ask about local lawyers who might be familiar with criminal law. Euchre is at least second chaired by a patent lawyer who used to be a federal prosecutor.

Most of the novel is devoted to trial theater. Euchre develops a couple of alternative suspects, including a Magistrate who benefits from Gardner’s death by gaining a nomination to replace him on the bench. In the tradition of courtroom dramas, the reader wonders who actually committed the murder. The reveal is surprising and tolerably credible, making the novel a success from the perspective of plot development, which is generally the most important element of a courtroom drama. There’s also enough action at the end to justify classifying the novel as a thriller. To his credit, Joey Hartstone underplays the action. Euchre might have played cornerback in high school, but patent lawyers aren’t credible action heroes.

Some of the novel’s characterization is based on Euchre’s connection to Marshall, the town where he grew up and where he played high school football (on a team that was a rival of the prosecutor’s). That works because it’s Texas, where high school football reigns supreme. Euchre lives in the shadow of his father, a successful criminal defense lawyer. Euchre’s guilt about his relationship with his bipoplar dead wife is a bit forced but it isn’t overplayed. Hartstone gives Euchre the psychological burdens that make characters interesting. A female private detective who used to be a star high school field goal kicker is a bit sassy, making her the best collateral character.

At times, Euchre becomes philosophical. The novel’s interest comes from the plot, not from Euchre’s musings about life. Still, the plot is sufficiently strong to make The Local a novel that fans of courtroom thrillers should enjoy.

RECOMMENDED

The easiest 5 stars to give. If you love legal thrillers or heck, just good books - this has to be put on your reading list.

I like to think that I have good book instincts. Sometimes I read a book summary and I think to myself, this is going to be a good one. I'm not quite sure why this book is so under the radar. I haven't seen it around much, but am I glad I requested this from Netgalley and from my local library. I am definitely going to buy this book and put it on my shelves. In what I hope will become a new series, Mr. Hartstone writes as near as perfect as you can get - debut legal thriller. This book had it all. Small town vibes with characters that all know each other's business - including rivalries, grudges and hopes and dreams. James Euchre is our narrator and he is a fascinating character that Mr. Hartstone only scratched the surface on. This book was smart, exciting, educational and featured everything I want in a legal thriller. I really had no idea where the author planned to take me as the story progressed and it definitely kept me guessing. I was extremely happy with the resolution and I'm glad I followed my instincts! Now it will be my job to get as many people as possible to read this amazing story. I really hope there is a next book - and soon!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Doubleday Books for the egalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review Date: 06/20/2022
Publication Date: 06/14/2022

The Local by Joey Hartstone is a thrilling small-town mystery that kept me guessing from the start. What an astonishing conclusion.

Will James and his team prove Amir guilty or innocent?

James Euchre
Mr. Euchre is a patent lawyer in Marshall, Texas. James is a widow with basically no life. He exists, except for his friendship with Judge Gardner. James hasn't wanted to leave Marshall. He isn't happy, but this is his home. Then one night, a new client, Amir Zawar, with a chip on his shoulder, decides that James is the attorney to defend him against the charge of murder. James doesn't know what to do. Criminal isn't his law of choice, but Amir is pushing, and he owes it to Judge Gardner.

I like Jimmy. His character grows so much throughout the story. He faces his demons and finds happiness in little things. Jimmy is intelligent, and I am sure that he will go farther than patent law now.

The Mystery
Judge Gardner is killed after the local Christmas party and left for dead. The police respond to a break-in at the house that Amir is staying at and then find the body of the judge nearby. Amir doesn't help himself at all. He is just one of those people that can't keep their mouth shut for anything. He is constantly crying prejudice. The local police see him as an outsider, but he doesn't help himself. Amir constantly lies about most everything. He doesn't want to use the truth because it could hurt his business when the truth comes out. Honestly, I did not like him. It felt like he was constantly playing with everyone around him. I don't think he will find happiness.

This mystery kept at me. I was constantly trying to figure out who did it and why. I didn't think that Amir did it, although sometimes I wanted him to go down for it. When Jimmy revealed whodunit. Oh, my goodness, what a shock. The culprit wasn't even on my radar. Mr. Hartstone is a master of mystery.

Five Stars
I love the whole premise of the mystery, the setting, the characters (flaws and all), and the way the story flowed. There is the perfect amount of romance and legal jargon to pique my interest without overwhelming me. My rating for The Local by Joey Hartstone is five stars. I recommend this book to all you legal thriller readers out there. Mr. Hartstone, please keep writing. You are doing an excellent job. I hope to see your next book soon.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of The Local by Joey Hartstone.

Until the next time,
~Jen

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.

While vacationing in Mackinac Island, I was in the mood for a legal thriller and THE LOCAL certainly delivered. In all fairness, I think it would be nearly impossible not to enjoy my reading experience as I sat on the library’s back deck in an Adirondack chair overlooking the straits of Mackinac.

This gritty debut set in East Texas follows James Euchre and his career as a well-established patent attorney turned criminal defense attorney. When a prominent judge is murdered, Euchre is left to sift through the murky motivations and potential suspects in his small town.

With its cinematic feel, the story played out like a movie in my mind. Given the author’s background as a screenwriter, this isn’t surprising. I found the patent law aspects of the story fascinating! The courtroom is the primary setting and the criminal investigation unfolds largely behind the scenes, which I also really enjoyed.

If you’re looking for a slow-burn legal suspense, THE LOCAL will be a great fit.


RATING: 4/5 stars
PUB DATE: 6/14/22 (available now!)

A big thank you to Doubleday books and NetGalley for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun little legal thriller that was light and quick to read! A crime is committed and we mostly stay in the courtroom to figure out who actually did it!

We follow "The Local" patent attorney, James Euchre, who haphazardly falls from a patent case into a criminal case! Can it be done? Can a patent attorney actually know how to be the lead in a criminal case? What Euchre has going for him is he has grown up in Marshall, TX and is familiar with the small town of locals and the system in general. His out of towner client has too much money and pride to help himself one bit. James has his work cut out for him!

We don't follow much of the investigation, we are basically taken from the crime and plopped back down into the courtroom to try the case. It's hard not to compare this to a John Grisham novel, they are similar because of the lawyer aspect, but I'd say this is lighter, less law and not tied up so perfectly.

A good one for a dad for Father's Day, and a great summer read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the advance e-copy of this book.

Amir Zawar might be impetuous and have anger issues but murder? James Euchre (great name) was hired as local counsel in Marshall, Texas by Chicago firm in a major patent law case that Zawar is losing. When Zawar is arrested for the brutal murder of Judge Gardner, a man who was a father figure to Euchre, he finds himself in a more than awkward spot. It seems obvious that Zawar didn't do it- the evidence doesn't support that- but who did? Euchre isn't a criminal attorney but Layla, from the Chicago office, had worked as an AUSA. And then there's Legs, an intrepid young woman who works for them as an investigator. This might be a bit heavy on the patent law up front (don't worry) but then it settles into the murder mystery. Amir is incredibly unlikable and his over the top courtroom tantrum, well, really? Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Fans of the genre will realize early on that Hartstone owes a lot to Grisham- the small town setting, the characters (and their back stories), even the tone and tempo of the novel. That's not a bad thing because it's a very plot driven tale with a twist you might not see coming.

This is not my usual genre, but the premise was so intriguing I had to read it. I’m so glad I did! This book has it all, high stakes, drama, mystery and murder.

I really liked the way it was written. I was kept guessing right up to the end! This was definitely a page turner for me.

The characters are interesting and relatable. I enjoyed learning more about the criminal justice system, small towns and the good ol’ boy system that seems to be common in Texas where I live. Having served on a few juries it was interesting seeing things from another perspective.

Content: Some profanity sprinkled throughout. Closed door romance with sexual situations implied, but no descriptions given.

If you like crime stories or mysteries you will definitely like this one. The author is a genius at creating an atmosphere of thrills and suspense.

I give it 4 1/2 stars with a half star taken off for language only.

When author Joey Hartstone learned that the small East Texas town of Marshall is improbably one of the most popular places in the United States to argue patent cases, he knew he needed to set a legal thriller there. The Local follows attorney James Euchre who serves as local counsel to the patent attorneys who file hundreds of cases a year in Marshall. When Amir Zawar, one of his patent clients, ends up charged with the murder of the local judge, the client demands that Euchre defend him. With the help of a former prosecutor, he agrees to defend Zawar and gets dragged into the world of criminal defense. This unique and fast-paced legal thriller kept me on the edge of my seat, and I particularly loved the patent law aspects of the story. I had no idea that Marshall, Texas was such a hotbed of patent law and loved learning about that and how it impacts both the town and the surrounding area. Hopefully this is the start to a new series!

The very definition of a page turning novel, The Local combines the intensity of a murder trial with the fresh and unique angle of patent law to craft a marvelous and intense entry into the legal thriller genre. It’s a cracking debut by Joey Hartstone, who like Chris Hauty is making the transition from Hollywood screenwriter to thriller novelist look way too easy.

Welcome to Marshall, Texas, the patent lawsuit capital of the United States. And here in the Eastern District of Texas, when you file or face a patent lawsuit, you need local council to give you an edge with the local jury. James Euchre is the finest patent lawyer in town and the guy you want on your side when millions of dollars are at risk. Euchre’s new client is Amir Zawar, a west coast tech genius who is facing a suit he believes is fruitless, which leads him to lose his cool at the preliminary hearing and threaten the judge while being restrained by the bailiffs. So when that judge is murdered later that night, all signs point to this outsider as the clear suspect. Amir is steadfast in his innocence and persuades Euchre to defend him despite his lack of experience with criminal law. Euchre agrees because the Judge was his mentor and he wants to be a part of finding the truth behind who killed his friend, even if it’s his client. The stakes are high and emotions are running hot with the truth hard to pin down. It’s up to Euchre and his small but mighty legal team to get to the truth and ensure the right murderer is brought to justice.

The Local is a top-notch legal thriller with a similar feel to some of the big names in the genre - Michael Connelly’s Lincoln Lawyer, John Grisham’s Jake Brigance and John Lescroart’s Dismas Hardy series. It’s engaging, suspenseful and full of twists and turns. It has a driven, intelligent, underestimated lawyer who doesn’t shy away from taking risks or letting the case become personal. He also has a brilliant and funny investigator with a great nickname based on her former athletic prowess. And lastly, it has wonderfully crafted courtroom drama with a prosecutor for whom there’s no love lost for Euchre. Put it all together with the unique spin of patent law and it’s one of the most entertaining legal novels I’ve read in recent years.

I’m not sure if this is the start of a new series or if Hartstone will write standalone novels. But what I do know is that this guy tells a hell of a story and you can sign me up right now to read whatever he writes next. Don’t miss this book. I expect it to be mentioned among the best debut thrillers of the year.

Solid mystery, and pretty good for a first-time author. Good plot and decent dialog kept me mostly engaged. Recommended.

Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!

The murder of a beloved and famous federal judge and the trial of his accused murderer, an obnoxious, arrogant, and violent outsider are made even more interesting when the accused insists that The Local, James Euchre, defends him. Euchre is a patent lawyer who large out of state corporations use when they have to argue a trial in Marshall. Not only is he the protégé of the murdered judge, but he has also never practiced criminal law. You are in for a treat with this intriguing mystery and a look at how and why patent law is King in the small East Texas town of Marshall. Small town bias, old time grudges, and tricks and games lawyers use to try and win all contribute to one of the best legal thrillers I have read in a long time.