Talk about spooky and atmospheric reads. Murder at Black Oaks is the perfect book if you enjoy scary manors, strong female protagonist and mystery. The premise for this book sounded so appealing that I immediately requested it from Netgalley. We start our story in the past when District Attorney Francis Hardy is in the middle of a very important case involving the murder of a young woman. Fast forward into the present, our protagonist Robin Lockwood is summon by none other than Francis to his gothic manor called Black Oaks. This mysterious place is located deep into the mountains of Oregon and it is believed to be haunted.

Once there, she discusses very important aspect of the previous case with Francis. Giving her new evidence and trying to make up for lost time. This story had a little bit of everything, mystery, murder, atmosphere and a lot of whodunit. Absolutely loved the way the author combined superstition with reality and that ending was nothing short of clever. Even if the book is in a series, this is book number six, I was never lost and very much enjoyed all the characters and their mesmerizing development.

There is nothing I like better in a book than a closed room mystery in a scary house that is cursed and the weather adds to the atmosphere.

Phillip Margolin dedicates his book to the authors who gave him so much pleasure as her grew up: Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen, John Dickson Carr to name a few.

Phillip Margolin certainly lives up to his homage with Murder at Black Oaks.

The book is very atmospheric, the pages turn quickly and bodies are piling up.

Robin Lockwood is also on the scene.

What more could I ask for.

I cleverly followed the clues but did not guess the answer to who the murderer was.

A great book to spend an afternoon with and get lost in the story.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press , Minotaur Books for mystifying read.

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# This book is a classic locked-door, who dunnit type of mystery/thriller, so if this is your thing then I think you’d enjoy this one!

# It’s the sixth installment in the Robin Lockwood series, but I haven’t read 1-5 and had no issues reading this and keeping up or feeling like I was missing out on background info

# This book kept a pretty good pace throughout and kept me guessing as it went on, however I was getting annoyed by the frequent large jumps in time and I also felt like there was too much that was trying to fit into one book. The plot easily could have spanned over 2 novels.

Frank Melville was a prosecuting attorney for Multnomah county in Oregon and very successful. But when he put Jose Alvarez away for murdering his girlfriend Margo Prescott it nagged at him. He grew tired of putting so many people away he decided to start working for a private practice. As he was working there Archie Stallings hired him to represent him in a rape case. Archie had previously testified that he saw Jose leaving Margo’s apartment with blood on his clothes.

Frank won the rape case and then Archie confesses to him that he had killed Margo. Frank was so distraught over this news. A tragic accident had happened that let Frank in a wheelchair and he needed assistance. Down the road after years he decided to help free the wrongly convicted. Black Oaks was a mansion that was supposedly haunted and cursed and Frank was a believer in that tale. He decided to hire a lawyer named Robin Lockwood to help him get Jose free from prison.

I could go on and on about this book but I don’t want to give anything away. The twists and turns keep you guessing right up until the end. Great book and I definitely want more from this author.

I received this ARC from Netgalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Phillip Margolin, St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

A long-time fan of Phillip Margolin and his work, I was eager to read this latest in the Robin Lockwood series. Margolin uses his strong ability with legal thriller and mixes in a murder mystery to create a doubly impressive piece for everyone. Full of great drama and some strong storytelling, Margolin impresses while never losing the momentum that this series appears to have with each new novel.

Frank Hardy was a stellar part of the DA’s office, able to push for convictions on many crimes. He even went so far as to put a man on death row for a heinous crime. After leaving for private practice, Hardy discovers that one of his clients was actually behind the murder, but knows the rules of attorney-client privilege keep anyone from being the wiser.

Years later, Hardy summons up-and-coming defence attorney, Robin Lockwood, to his palatial estate in the Oregon mountains. Hardy reveals what he knows and pushes Lockwood to see that justice is done, allowing an innocent man to go free. Lockwood does all she can, while also baffled about Hardy’s residence, the Black Oaks manor. Many a mysterious thing happened at the original manor, in the heart of England.

After Lockwood is successful in getting Jose Alvarez free from prison, they make their way to Black Oaks for a celebratory meal. Alvarez has made it clear that he holds a grudge towards Hardy for the delay in acting to set him free, even over the rational arguments made by his attorney. When Frank Hardy and others are murdered during the party, many wonder if the curse of Black Oaks has reared its ugly head. Robin finds herself scrambling to find a killer and try to piece it all together before too many others fall victim to a murderer and the curse of Black Oaks. Margolin dazzles with this piece and proves his versatile nature.

Phillip Margolin has proven his ability time and time again, luring me in with a well-developed story and a cast of characters well worth the reading time. This story moves things away from being strictly legal and into the realm of mystery, as if Robin Lockwood must temporarily resurrect a character from an Agatha Christie novel. Working on building a strong connection to the story and characters alike, Margolin proves he has what it takes to entertain the reader throughout.

Margolin develops a strong narrative and uses this to propel the story forward. With a strong foundation, the story clips along at a rapid pace, helped by short chapters and a handful of strong characters. The plot twists move the story from a legal thriller to a mystery, taking the reader along for an exciting ride. Building on a series that has already garnered a great deal of positive feedback by fans, Margolin is set to keep things flowing with ease, well into the future. I cannot wait to see what’s next for Robin and her legal team!

Kudos, Mr. Margolin, for a great piece that had me binge reading and enjoying every moment.

What a fun book. Innocent men I mail, a creepy mansion full of house guests and a stormy night. Murder in a locked room. Shades of Agatha Christie. I recommend this book.

What a mixed up mess. Any reference to Agatha Christie either in or about this book is complete heresy.
It is a mashup of a gothic novel, something like the Hound of the Baskervilles (escapee on the moors), old Lon Chaney movies (lots of talk about wolves/werewolves), and the Hellfire Club (satanic practices by the original owner of the gothic manor). All topped off with a Nancy Drew vibe. Plus for a lawyer to believe in a curse on his home is ridiculous. Besides, if he believed that, why was he living there in the first place?
I can only thank the gods that it was short and yet it took two separate murders mysteries to make it more than a novella.
I also did not like the unethical behavior of both Robin and her new investigator.
I really liked the first four books in this series but the last two have gotten worse and worse. Hate to give up on this series but think I have no other choice

Murder at Black Oaks by Phillip Margolin

Oregon Attorney Robin Lockwood is hired by Frank Melville to try to right a wrong. José Álvarez has been on death row 30 years for a murder he says he didn’t commit. Frank has information which may set him free.

There are at least 24 characters introduced by the halfway point of the story. Some of these end up at Melville’s cursed Black Oaks estate on a stormy night. Things progress as the reader may imagine with a handful of these people spending the night at Black Oaks. Murder ensues and a good whodunit is on its way.

With a slow start, but strong finish, this book will intrigue any mystery lover and earns a four star review from me. My thanks to #StMartinsPress and #NetGalley got this ARC for my review.

I've read many books by Phillip Margolin and have enjoyed them all. This one was no different. Fast paced, and easy to follow along with characters I've come to know and love. His books grab you and keep you wanting to read more. I highly recommend this book.

Phillip Margolin does it again in the sixth book in the Robin Lockwood series. This book can actually be read as a stand-alone with no problem. There is something of a departure from the norm in that the story is set in a “haunted mansion”. Black Oaks is a replica of a 17th century mansion that appears to suffer from the same curse as the original mansion. Robin is hired by Frank Melville, the owner of Black Oaks, to determine the innocence or guilt of Jose Alvarez who was convicted of murder back in the 1990s. This simple action kicks off a chain reaction of events. Tossed in is an atmosphere of hauntings and curses along with the legal question of guilt and innocence. Great read! Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher. Looking forward to the next book in the series!

Attorney Robin Lockwood goes to creepy Black Oaks Manor to help ex criminal defense attorney Frank Melville get an innocent man he convicted 30 years ago out of prison. While there murders arise and secrets come out in this eerie backwoods Manor.
Loved this book and couldn’t hardly put it down.
Thanks NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this ARC!

This book differs from his other but all in all still a good read. Entertaining and twisty. Started strong and wavered in the middle but in the end it all came together.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc

Robin Lockwood book # 6

In this latest Mr. Margolin tells us that he wanted to write a story in the style of Agatha Christie and to personalized the experience give it his own twists. I think he did a great job, “Murder at the Black Oaks” harkens back to some of the great mystery writers Agatha Christie would be happy with this one.

Attorney Robin Lockwood finds herself at an isolated retreat in the Oregon Mountains, one with a tragic past and a legendary curse now own by a retired and eccentric lawyer. Lockwood is needed by Frank Melville in a legal matter: righting a wrongful conviction of Jose Alvarez in the murder of his girlfriend. Melville wants her to help in getting that conviction overturned.

Spooky indeed, a Manor at the end of a remote location, a dark and stormy night, a washed up road, a faulty elevator, strange happenings, a mansion packed with guests, corridors behind walls and murders, etc....many more surprises awaits the guests.... Brrrr. Throughout the plot line, we are led to false trails and impossible outcomes. When body count mounted I tried to figure out who may be behind...when motive and the obvious clues surfaced I had no troubles guessing the whodunit ...although the reveal came at the last minute...yippee, I had guess right. I admit, Mr. Margolin created an atmosphere of the haunted, the curse with werewolves and boogie men...

I loved how I was taken on an eerie journey from start to finish and I enjoyed every minutes of it. Well-done.

The author continues his Robin Lockwood series. This is a case involves the classic who done it about a large mansion based on an old English one that had a curse and it appears that the curse continues in the new one. It is well written and an engaging, quick read although I was able to determine the killer in the first half of the book. A definite for fans of the series or author.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog.

This book differs from his usual legal thrillers which was a bit of a disappointment for me. It still had a little legal action, but not at the level as his previous books. Overall, I would still recommend this book.

2.5/5⭐️

My first Phillip Margolin book and 6th in the Robin Lockwood series, and unfortunately it missed the boat for me.

Attorney Robin Lockwood is hired by Frank Melville, a wealthy retired Oregon DA, to free an innocent man who has been on death row for 30 years for a murder he didn’t commit. While visiting Melville (with the freed former inmate) at Black Oaks, his gothic-like isolated mansion, the bodies start piling up, and she works to solve who among the household is the villain.

This has all the promise of a good old-fashion locked-door classic. Gothic, enormous, cursed, isolated manor house…nearby insane asylum…freakish thunderstorm…it’s all there. But the writing itself (other than the description of the manor) was more expository (telling), and more amateurish than it should have been. It felt rushed, choppy and lacking in character depth.

As I haven’t read the previous books, I’m hoping that they were more polished than this one.

My thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing the free early arc of Murder at Black Oaks for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

This is part of the Robin Lockwood series but could be read as a stand alone. Robin has been summoned to an isolated mansion to meet with a man who has a case he wants her help with. Just when you think you have it figured out there is another twist. This book will definitely keep you turning the pages to see what happens next. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

This is a quick, entertaining read that you may appreciate most if you have not read other fiction by Phillip Margolin. I fit that category, having plunged into the story knowing of the author only by name and genre, legal thrillers. I chose the book partially for its settings, Portland and a secluded mansion deep in the forested Oregon mountains. Thankfully, the author gave the reader a sense of what to expect with a prologue promising a mystery paying homage to the plots and authors of the Golden Age of mystery such as Agatha Christie and Earl Stanley Gardner. So, I accepted some clumsy plotting and dialogue but enjoyed the foray into a skilled attorney’s experiences with innocent clients, cons, and killers— set mostly in a creepy Gothic mansion.

A legal thriller master, Phillip Margolin, creates a complex story as a retired prosecutor/defense attorney requests Robin Lockwood’s expertise to help save an innocent man on death row. Not only does retired District Attorney Francis Melville seek Robin’s counsel on his error in convicting Jose Alvarez, but he also invites her to a weekend he is checking out another potential suspect in the mistaken murder conviction of someone else.

Unfortunately, Melville is murdered in his home, and searching for his killer occupies everyone’s attention. Then a young lawyer seeing Melville’s daughter, is found murdered.
Margolin writes a suspense-driven story with Robin exploring suspects, motives, and alibis before finding the answers she needs. Robin Lockwood is a fascinating character to follow, and Margolin makes sure it’s always worth the read.

Margolin does a bit of change to his usual legal eagle Robin Lockwood's legal cases and mystery solving with the latest book in the series. First Robin is asked to take a case, by a retired DA, to help overturn the murder conviction of Jose Alvarez. Years before the DA was the lawyer that helped convict Alvarez and was later to find out the man was innocent but the manner in which he learned the truth prevented him from taking on the case. Once Jose's freedom is accomplished Robin, Jose, and associate Ken go to the spooky Black Oaks estate of the retired DA Melville for a celebration. Out in the middle of nowhere, supposedly cursed, and close to an insane asylum, the estate is the perfect place for incidents that will need Robin's lawyer skills to answer the questions arising about strange events and murder It's an interesting trip through the legal issues, the celebration, murders, and resolution. Definitely a different approach to Robin's usual legal activities but her lawyer skills and ability to walk through the issues made it an interesting read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.