This book was..interesting.

First of all I hated the way the author portrayed people with disabilities and disabilities sure did come up a lot in this book. I truly did not expect to read the word cr*pple multiple times in the year of our lord 2022 but here we are. Aside from specific offensive language, the man who used a wheelchair had never considered that someone like him could find love AND (SPOILER!!) the woman he fell in love with didn't actually love him but considered him an easy mark due to his disability. There were other disabled people in the book and other issues with the way it was handled but these were the ones that really stuck out to me and broke my immersion the most.

Plot-wise this book had the seeds to be good but had a lot going on (whilst seemingly not having a solid plot?). At the beginning I was interested to see what Mr. Melville would do about his guilty client and then the main character of the story changed to a new woman. 50% in the story finally had a murder and became a locked room mystery..that was pretty low-stakes because it was "resolved" (no arrests but the locked room element was over) by 75%. The last quarter of the book was focused on a subplot hinted at before the murder then finally unmasking the killer. I really enjoy locked room mysteries or thrillers with multiple seemingly distinct subplots that come together in the end, but this one felt more like a story that didn't know which one was the plot.

I did enjoy a couple of subplots because I was able to predict them, and I thought the story could have been really good, but I think this book would've been great if someone had given a different (not ableist) author the outline. I wish this had been a 5-star book and want to imagine how it could have been with a longer locked room element, more cohesiveness, and less problematic writing.

Plot- 3.5 stars
Characters- 3.5 stars
Writing- 1 star

Overall- 2.75 stars

To have a MURDER AT BLACK OAKS, Phillip Margolin first takes us into the legal world where the victim worked for so many years. This is book #6 in the Robin Lockwood series but could easily be a stand alone, maybe two as there are definitely two parts to this mystery.

Part 1
Robin Lockwood has been tasked to investigate with an eye to exonerate a murder conviction that a retired DA now believes was wrong. She is successful in her efforts, All involved gather to celebrate....you guessed it.....at Black Oaks, a suppossed haunted mansion on the Oregon coast.

Part 2
The retired DA has been murdered. Now Robin must use all of her skills to find which of the many suspects used the cursed dagger to kill. A locked room mystery that Margolin is famous for, the story moves quickly leaving few clues for the reader to see. When the killer is identified, it's worth the race to the end. 5 stars easily given....

What's it about (in a nutshell):
Murder at Black Oaks by Phillip Margolin is the sixth book in the Robin Lockwood series and works well as a stand-alone novel. This story is a locked room mystery in the cursed home of Blackwood Oaks in the Oregon mountains.

Initial Expectations (before beginning the book):
I love the setting described in the blurb and can't wait to read more about it. I also enjoy a locked room mystery and its challenges, so I'm excited about that aspect of the novel. However, I wonder if this will work well as a stand-alone since I haven't read the other five books in the series.

Actual Reading Experience:
I loved the setting, which I talk about more below and the solution to the mystery. The murderer was a complete surprise, and I thought the manner was ingenious but plausible. I do like to be wowed by creative locked-room murders!

I also love the Agatha Christie-ness of this story. The way the murder is solved, the reveal, and the writing technique are very reminiscent of my memory of an Agatha Christie novel. And who better to emulate in a murder mystery than the queen of murder mysteries.

However, I struggled with this story because of the odd side plots…yes, plural. I followed the story as Robin fought to get a man named Alvarez out of prison at the behest of Hardy. I even transitioned okay through the abrupt change to the locked room mystery plot. Where the story lost me was with the second wrongful imprisonment plot change before the murder was even solved. I felt I had missed something important in the story until I realized that the second wrongful imprisonment case was like a poorly timed interlude from the main plot. I love focused plots, and this definitely was not that.

Characters:
Robin Lockwood is a female attorney who likes to compete in cage fights. Physically, she is undeniably strong. I would always bet on her in a physical battle, and she is very book-smart. However, I scratched my head at her lack of perception skills regarding those around her. She doesn't always seem like the best judge of people, and I couldn't figure out if that was a ploy or a genuine part of her character.

Narration & Pacing:
The narration is in the third person POV focusing on Robin Lockwood. It works very well for the style of writing the story is told using. The style reminded me of Agatha Christie's novels, though I must admit I haven't read one in many years. It did jog my memory of the different Christie novels I have read.

The pace stays remarkably quick, which surprised me due to the lack of thrills. The quickness is achieved through loads of suspense and short chapters, and I was thrilled with the pace.

Setting:
The aspect I enjoyed the most in this story is the setting. It's perfect! I cannot imagine a setting that sparks the imagination more than this one, especially for the genre.

Black Oaks, a manor built in England in 1628, ended up razed due to a history of murder, supernatural events, and legendary curses. That did not stop Katherine Hardy from recreating it in the Oregon mountains, and it's said the curse followed it. It's a large home with all the secrets and mysteries often found in homes as old and as large as this one.

Read if you like:
• A locked room mystery
• legendary curses and supernatural notes
• an incredible setting

I just finished Murder at Black Oaks by Phillip Margolin A Robin Lockwood Novel (Book 6)

Robin, a brilliant lawyer and still reeling from the death of her fiance, is called to a meeting at the isolated home of Francis Melville, a former D.A with an impeccable record.
Black oaks is not without its tragedy and there are rumors that spiral around the manor, about a legendary curse.

Melville is in need of legal help he thinks Robin can help with. He once put a man, Jose, on death row for the murder of his girlfriend… Years later he finds out through attorney client privilege that the man he was representing actually killed Jose’s girlfriend and the guilt is enough to eat any man alive. Once the man dies, Frank realizes he can work now to try and get Jose freed, but he needs Robin's help.

After getting Jose released, Melville invites the team and Jose up to black oaks to celebrate. When he is then found murdered with a knife, linked to the original curse, Robin has a mismatched group of suspects and limited time to find out whodunnit.

I actually didn’t know this book was part of a series but it really didn’t matter. It holds up exceptionally well as a standalone in my opinion. The book was a little on the busy side, a lot going on but it didn’t take away from the enjoyability of the book. It has made me want to go back to the beginning and learn more about Robin because obviously the character building has been going on over a lot of books and I felt I did miss that a little bit.

I loved the location of the book and the little curse mixed in there was a lot of fun but it did seem a little incohesive with the storyline. I get what the author was trying to do but it didn’t really mesh so well for me.

Great twisty turny book was with solid writing but it wasn’t earth shattering. It was consistent and very entertaining.
I can see why it’s a popular series and I will definitely read more from Robin Lockwood's continuing series.

4 stars. I would have given one more star had the book been more intense.

If you love a solid mystery that is excellently written, give this series a shot.

Thank you #netgalley and #StMartinsPress, #MinotaurBooks for my review copy

I've been a fan of the Robin Lockwood series since day one and I have never been disappointed. #6 has an added element, an homage to the classic locked room mystery and the stately home setting. It checks all the boxes for me.
Robin is a partner in the firm of Barrister, Berman and Lockwood, a well respected law firm. She, too, has a sterling reputation. When she is asked to meet a former DA, Frank Melville, who needs her help getting a man off of death row, she journeys into the mountains outside of Portland to his secluded mansion, Black Oaks. The prime witness at the trial lied, big time but Melville had no way of changing the outcome. Now things have changed and he is asking Robin to find a way to free Jose Alverez, after 30 years on death row. That's the first part. She meets him at his home on top of Solitude mountain, an exact copy of a manor house dating to the 1600's complete with a very spooky vibe and a curse. His late wife loved the place but Frank, not so much but it keeps his wife's memory alive for him so he stays.
The rest of the mystery revolves around the celebration at Black Oaks for Jose Alverez, now a free man and the murder of Frank Melville. Was there a curse? I won't say any more for fear of spoilers. If you have never read any of the rest of the series, this works fine as a stand alone.
My thanks to the publisher Minotaur and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Book 6 will not disappoint…it’s fast paced and full of mystery…..when Robin is asked to help free an innocent man from prison. It has a spooky mansion, a curse and so much more. This author has a way of spinning a story to keep you hooked and coming back for more.

This is a very light mystery that moves along at an okay pace. I liked the storyline concept and the focus on righting wrongs. The atmospheric backdrop didn’t bother me too much either. But I felt the book was very much a surface read with little depth or complexity and the characters were pretty flat. I was struck by references to the main character wearing suits during her visits to Black Oaks with “a white satin blouse” in one instance and a “man tailored white shirt” in another. It didn’t sync with Oregon’s casual culture, especially up in the mountains. There were other references that felt off and bit dated. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy the book much and it wasn’t for me. Hopefully, other readers will appreciate it more. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for an advance readers copy in return for an honest review.

In Phillip Margolin's Murder at Black Oaks, Attorney Robin Lockwood finds herself at an isolated retreat in the Oregon mountains, one with a tragic past and a legendary curse, and surrounded by many suspects and confronted with an impossible crime.

Defense Attorney Robin Lockwood is summoned by retired District Attorney Francis Melville to meet with him at Black Oaks, the manor he owns up in the Oregon mountains. The manor has an interesting history - originally built in 1628 in England, there's a murderous legend and curse attached to the mansion. Melville, however, wants Lockwood's help in a legal matter - righting a wrongful conviction from his days as a DA. A young man, Jose Alvarez, was convicted of murdering his girlfriend only for Melville, years later when in private practice, to have a client of his admit to the murder and to framing the man Melville convicted. Unable to reveal what he knew due to attorney client confidence, Melville now wants Lockwood's help in getting that conviction overturned.

Successful in their efforts, Melville invites Lockwood up to Black Oaks for a celebration. Lockwood finds herself among an odd group of invitees - including the bitter, newly released, Alvarez. When Melville is found murdered, with a knife connected to the original curse, Lockwood finds herself faced with a conundrum - who is the murder among them and how to stop them before there's another victim.

A good read, but very straight forward and has the feeling of being rehashed. Will give another book in this series a try but didn't stand out to me.

I love a closed door mystery that is dark and spooky. If you are a fan of that kind of novel this book is for you. You will fall down a rabbit hole trying to figure out who is killing at the guests at black oaks. Is it part of the curse ?

I love the main character Robin and the story of the convicted felon on death row. Jose. Will robin be able to help him on behalf of her client? Can she get him off death row?

This book is a mix of a Scott Turow and a bit Agatha Christie. I will be reading more from this author from now on

Thanks to netgalley and st martins press for this arc! I'll be sure to read more from this author

While Murder at Black Oaks is the 6th book in the Robin Lockwood series, you don’t have to have read the previous books to be able to enjoy it, though I definitely recommend reading the entire series. (Heck, I recommend checking out all of Margolin’s work.) Robin Lockwood is definitely one of Margolin’s most unique characters to date: a former MMA champion turned lawyer, though this is not a straight up court room novel, more a haunted murder mystery. Without giving too much away I have to say the story of Murder at Black Oaks is wild and twisted. It features a wonderful setting— mostly taking place in a mansion in the mountains in Oregon—some wonderful tropes: a curse, an escapee from a state mental hospital, and of course murder, just to name a few. Seriously, there is a lot going on in the story. This is a great book to curl up with on the couch and escape reality for a while. Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Murder at Black Oaks.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R3O0RV08FTXDD8/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

I picked this book up because Phillip Margolin is an author I enjoy. Then I found that it is part of the Robin Lockwood series and I have read several others in the series and like the character and the situations she becomes involved in with her legal practice.

In this one, Robin is an attorney and she goes to meet a retired District Attorney, Frank Melville, at his home. He wants Robin to look into finding a way to free Jose Alvarez, who was convicted of killing his girlfriend. Melville had been the prosecutor in the case and later found out one of his clients was the killer - but he was bound by attorney/client privilege and could not ethically reveal his knowledge.

This is an intense situation and there's some courtroom drama. Then things turn dangerous when Melville is murdered in his home - a kind of spooky mansion with a curse. This is a fast paced mystery with good tension buildup. A good read!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on November 8, 2022.

Murder at Black Oaks by Phillip Margolin is the sixth installment of the Robin Lockwood series. I have never read any of this authors books, and I have not read any of this series either. Hopefully the previous books were better than this one.
The premise of the story was what captured my attention to read this story, and it had a lot of potential to be great. Retired attorney Francis Melville learned that a previous client was falsely convicted of a murder by another client he represented. Knowing his hands were tied in trying to help Jose Alverez he hires Robin Lockwood to set him free. If this was the only plot in the story that she was solving and how she got there it would have made sense. When she meets up with Melville, and he turns up dead with a knife from a past curse, the story seems to go off the rails. It became confusing on the different plots and characters that were added to draw out the story. There were twists and turns, but not enough to keep me interested.
It wasn't a bad read since I do not know how the previous books were written. I would only give it a chance if you have tried this author before than it would probably make more sense with the lead character Robin Lockwood. I would only recommend if wanting a lighthearted read
Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the early copy.

#NetGalley
#MinotaurBooks

This was my first book by Phillip Margolin. I went into it without having any idea about the author's style of writing. It is also part of a series, but I was able to pick up this story without reading the other books. I was hooked immediately & enjoyed the mystery immensely. I loved Robin Lockwood. She is a fantastic character. I liked the setup of this murder mystery. There were plenty of suspects & enough twists to keep you guessing. The story had a satisfying ending. I am now a fan & will definitely be reading the other books by this author. I received an advance copy from NetGalley & am voluntarily leaving a review.

Readers who are following The Robin Lockwood series by bestselling author Phillip Margolin will welcome the 6th installment, Murder at Black Oaks . Robin is asked to meet a retired District Attorney, Francis Melville at his manor in the mountains of Oregon to help him overturn a case where he wrongfully convicted a young man and essentially ruined his life. The manor has a long interesting history of strange happenings, and there is a spooky ambience as Robin interacts with Mr. Melville. During Robin’s visit, Melville is murdered, and Robin must keep herself safe while trying to solve the murder.

Phillip Margolin is a master of the legal thriller. This novel is well-organized and flows with dozens of twists and turns. Robin is a likeable and relatable protagonist, and it is easy to imagine that she is a real person similar to someone we all know. She has problems and has gone through some horrible life experiences, including seeing her fiancé murdered. Robin is also an excellent attorney, and her skills are the catalyst to solving the murder and keeping herself and the other supporting characters alive.

Margolin does a good job of capturing an almost gothic ambiance, giving the novel a bit of darkness. It adds to the suspense that builds during the entire novel. This may not be the best of the Robin Lockwood novels, but it is a good read and Lockwood fans will enjoy it.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Murder at Black Oaks is really two plots locked haphazardly together in one book.

First, there is Frank, a former prosecutor who discovers the man he sent to prison for life, Jose, is innocent. Unfortunately, his evidence cannot be used in court, so he uses his considerable wealth to get the man released with the help of his own attorney, Robin. He invites Robin, Jose, and a group of other people to his mansion. Frank is killed. Jose is suspected. Robin tries to find the killer. This part was terrific. I liked the whole Agatha Christie vibe of the “impossible” murder scene.

Unfortunately, the plot veered off quickly into the weeds with an escaped mental patient, an ancient curse, and a long-ago murder. It felt like it was added for length rather than to enhance the story. Finally, there was a rather quick resolution to the original plot.

I usually look forward to this author’s books, but Murder at Black Oaks was a disappointment. A swing and a miss at a Christiesque tale. 3 stars.

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

It has been a long time since I have read a Margolin book. I enjoyed the breeziness of this mystery. It was light and an easy read. However, I thought the author spread himself too thin and tried to cover too many cases in the book. There were several mysteries in this but I didn’t feel like I could really get entrenched in any of them because the knowledge and character development were fairly shallow. Additionally the author broke a rule from my perspective, he used a fictitious book to call out a real former President and his political policies. I don’t want to read the author’s crossover into the real world in a fictitious book whether I agree with his perspective or not. Overall, it was still a good read.

Robin Lockwood is back! The hard hitting attorney/former MMA fighter has a new case. She takes on an "innocence project", hoping to free a man who had been convicted of murder. As she prepares to defend her client, someone else is murdered. This book gave me Clue vibes. I was kept guessing on who the murderer was. . There were multiple interesting characters and plenty of twists. This fast paced story was a good sequel in the Abby Lockwood series.

An unusual mix of legal thriller and Golden Age atmosphere…

I hadn’t read any books by Phillip Margolin before receiving a review copy of Murder at Black Oaks, and I was surprised to find that he is the author of several mystery series, including this one, which features Robin Lockwood as the protagonist. But my lack of familiarity didn’t hamper my enjoyment of Margolin’s somewhat unusual combination of a Golden Age mystery with a modern legal thriller.

First off, when thinking of a legal thriller, one usually isn’t expecting an isolated house in the country, with a hospital for the criminally insane nearby, a good dose of nasty weather, and no cell phone service. And one definitely isn’t expecting rumors of werewolves and curses. But that’s what Margolin dishes up, all wrapped around the main story of a young man, Jose Alvarez, who was wrongfully convicted of the murder of his college girlfriend. And in what turns out to be almost two separate stories, the lead prosecutor in that trial, Frank Melville, finds out later that Jose is innocent, but can’t act on his knowledge, since this would violate the requirements of attorney-client privilege. So, years later, he hires Robin to figure out how to exonerate Jose, which she capably – and legally - does. But, then Frank himself is murdered…

It can sometimes be difficult to come into a series several books in. And I occasionally did feel as if I were missing a few pieces of the story, especially around the rather recent death of Robin’s fiancé. But those bits weren’t central to the current tale, and overall, Margolin does a good job of filling in the necessary background without sounding as if he’s lecturing his readers. And I also occasionally felt that the mixing of the creepy atmosphere with the more modern legal case was a bit forced. But overall, Murder at Black Oaks pulled me in and kept me reading as I tried to figure out whodunnit. Which I wasn’t able to do until nearly at the end – and that’s what a mystery should do.

Please keep in mind that I try to fight star-flation a little bit, and so for me, a four-star review is a solid recommendation to read this book. And finally, my thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the review copy!

This book is an awesome legal thriller. I give it 3 1/2 stars. I read it as a stand alone novel since I did not read any of the the other Robin Lockwood books. Frank Melville a brilliant attorney who put Jose Alvarez on death row for the murder of his college sweetheart. There was an eye witness and case closed. Down the road Frank comes face to face with the real killer and his whole life turns around. Because of the client attorney confidentiality, there is nothing he can do. After an accident leaves his wife dead and him confined to a wheelchair, Frank is on a mission to set death row prisoners free if there is the slightest bit of evidence that they were not guilty. He hires Robin Lockwood, another brilliant attorney to help him free Jose Alvarez. Then the story sort of takes a turn and goes into the house that is "haunted" by a curse of the werewolves. It is Frank's house now that his wife passed and he lives there with his daughter and the help. Of course it gets wild and creepy in the house with guests there to celebrate Jose and weird things happen. This book reminded me of an Agatha Christy novel. It did keep my attention and I would recommend it. Thanks to #netgalley, #minotaurbooks for an ARC of this book

“We’ve got a spooky mansion, an escaped madman, and a locked-room mystery.”

So says the detective investigating the Murder at Black Oaks, a creepy reproduction of an English mansion full of death and Devil worship. The remote manor house is located at the top of Solitude Mountain and is where retired attorney Frank Melville asks to meet attorney Robin Lockwood. He has lived in the house, his late wife’s passion, tended by his daughter since the accident that left him paralyzed. He tells her a chilling story. Early in his career, he prosecuted a Jose Alvarez, accused of killing his college girlfriend. The young man was convicted and sentenced to death. Then Frank defended the star witness from that case on a rape charge. After that man was found innocent, he told Frank he murdered that college girl and lied under oath. Bound by attorney/client privilege, Frank waits until the man dies and asks Robin to help free Jose. She is successful and then brings him to Black Oaks for a celebration dinner. The celebration ends with murder and a violent storm. Robin knows that one or more of the guests is a killer and another may have escaped from a nearby asylum. And only a few guests are the people they pretend to be.

Murder at Black Oaks is another fast-paced thriller in the Robin Lockwood series by Phillip Margolin. This is a quick, satisfying read combining strong, well-described characters with a macabre location and a touch of horror. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Phillip Margolin for this ARC.