I am so sorry, but I cannot turn off my brain for this book. Most of the time with a romantic suspense, I can just pretend I'm not a lawyer, but that gets harder when it's a murder investigation and they're talking about ignoring conflicts of interest while trying to prove this man's brother innocent. Nope. Sorry. No can do.

That said, if you're not a lawyer, I'm sure this book is a delight! Go forth and have a great time.

When his brother is accused of murder, attorney Ellington Black vows to prove his innocence, even as he comes up against investigator Angela Stanfield, who suspects there's more to the story. But Ellington needs evidence, so they team up to find out the truth. Can new love survive their investigation?
This was a great contemporary romantic suspense. The plot kept me at the edge of my seat wondering how the story would end. The Black family is full of interesting characters, and I want to read the rest of their stories. It was a pleasurable, easy read. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for this advanced reader’s copy. This review is my unbiased opinion.

For what it's worth, it was a good romance book with a nice mystery and suspense elements. I liked it.

This is a Romantic Suspense, and this is the 5th book in the To Serve and Seduce series. I have read and reviewed one other book in this series before picking this book up, but I feel that this book can be read as a standalone without any problems. This book is full of action, suspense, romance, and steamy times. I enjoyed the mix of romance and action in this book. I really liked the characters in this book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Harlequin Romantic Suspense) or author (Deborah Fletcher Mello) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

Terrific book that kept me hooked from beginning to end. The intensity and urgency are apparent as defense attorney Ellington is called to the home of his brother Parker. Parker, a Chicago police officer, is accused of murdering his partner and lover, DA Jonathan Wyler. The scene there is intense, with Parker devastated and in shock, the violence of the murder, and the attitudes of the responding officers. Ellington is determined to prove Parker's innocence.

Because Parker is part of the Chicago police department, headed by Jerome Black, Parker and Ellington's father, the mayor assigns a special investigator to the case. Angela is a take-no-prisoners kind of investigator. She is unbiased, intelligent, and doesn't suffer fools gladly.

The book was a terrific mixture of suspense and romance. Ellington and Angela connected the first time they met and quickly realized that both wanted to find the truth. Thanks to Angela's attention to detail, I enjoyed the deeper-than-usual look at the investigative process. I loved that she was suspicious of the accusation from the beginning, and watching her tear a strip off the lead detective in the case was a pleasure to see. The realization that something is fishy is reinforced when the mayor turns around and fires Angela when she refuses to go along with his preferred scenario. Determined to see the truth exposed, Angela joins Ellington, and they combine forces on their investigation.

The story intensified with each new piece of information they uncovered. There is evidence of corruption and cover-ups; the closer they get to the truth, the more danger they are in. They also discover that there is a personal element to the setup that comes as a shock to everyone. I loved seeing the unquestioning support of all family members for Parker. Their brother Mingus, the private investigator, plays a significant role in uncovering vital information. When the person behind it all makes his move, Ellington's mother and Angela are in extreme danger. The twists and turns of the resolution had me glued to the pages until it was all over. The stunning end was not what I expected, and it will be interesting to see its long-term effects in the next book.

I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Ellington and Angela. They are alike in their pursuit of the truth, and working together allows them to get to know each other. I like how well they connected and how easily they talked about anything. Their attraction is evident from the start and continues to grow throughout the book. I liked that neither one fought their feelings and that they were able to express them. I also loved that Angela had such a realistic view of what it takes to have a good relationship. I have no that she and Ellington will stay together, but she is determined to take it slowly enough to be sure. Her conversation with Ellington at the end was great.

I loved seeing more of Ellington's family. The relationship between his parents is an excellent example for the entire family. The teasing and snarkiness among the siblings were hilarious to watch, but it all stops when it comes to supporting a brother or sister in trouble. I can't wait to see what is in store for sister Vaughan.

Ellington's brother is being blamed for the murder of his lover and the police this is a simple case no further looking around needed. Angela is a investigator who believe there is more then that and on a mission to find the truth.

I love mystery suspense novels and this was perfect for that. I also enjoyed that romance that was going on between Ellington and Angela. I also appreciate that it wasn't too much, while there maybe a steamy scene or two it wasn't the main part of the book. I loved watching as the mystery unfolded. I mean there was the obvious look that there are crooked cops and wondering who was the person behind everything I mean Angela kept finding evidence after evidence helping clear the brothers name but someone clearly wanted him to be blamed. Overall this was a pretty good book I really enjoyed it.

In the Arms of the Law is an engrossing read. Ellington Black and Angela Stanfield meet as he serves as his brother Parker's attorney and she is an outside investigator brought in to work on his brother's case by the Mayor. Things continually shift in this story and you are constantly trying to figure out who is good and who is bad. A lot of the players in the story have ulterior motives behind their actions and are not happy when Angela keeps digging for the truth and doesn't take their preferred solution to who killed the first murder victim as the answer to the murder. Things become really interesting as Angela ends up working with Ellington to prove Parker's innocence. Secrets come out as Angela and Ellington get closer to solving the crime. I highly recommend this book.

This is the 5th book in the “To Serve And Seduce Series”. The last book in this series that the readers received was March 2021 “Stalked By Secrets”. So glad that Deborah was able to give the readers another book in the Black Series. I have been a fan of Deborah’s since the Stallion Series. Deborah has an awesome style of writing; she holds the reader's attention and never lets them go. I am loving the romance suspense writing style of Deborah. I am so loving the mystery, suspense, drama, corruption, secrets, mayhem, romance and surrounding the Black family with such awesome plots. Ellington is a defense attorney, and his brother Parker has been accused of murder and he is defending him. Angela is a special investigator, and she knows that there is so much more going on with the murder charges against Parker. Angela and Ellington team up together to get to the bottom of what is actually going on. The chemistry and attraction between Angela and Ellington is oh so good.

This is an awesome series, and I am waiting patiently for the book in the Black series.
Did someone frame Parker, was it a setup, who killed Wyler, is there more going on than Ellington and Angela know about, will the two find themselves needing representation?

I received an ARC via NetGalley HARLEQUIN - Romance (U.S. & Canada), Harlequin Romantic Suspense and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Talented storyteller, Deborah Fletcher Mello has penned another intriguing and entertaining story about the prominent Black family of Chicago. This story features Defense Attorney, Ellington Black and Special Investigator Angela Stanfield.. This is the fifth book of the To Serve and Seduce Miniseries that highlights members of the Black family, This book is a wonderful mix of suspense and romance. The chemistry between Ellington and Angela is off-the-charts!
Ellington and the Black family are knee deep in a crime that has them closing ranks to protect their brother, Parker who seems to be the #1 suspect in tge murder of his partner and lover, DA Jonathan Wyler. Thus story has it all: bad actors, family drama, murder, mayhem, corruption in high places, and last but not least, romance. Ellington and Angela hit it off from the very beginning when she us hired to investigate Wyler’s murder. This is such a well-written story that will make it hard to put down. The Black family, with all their flaws, is one of the premier book families. I like them, and I believe you will too.
Although each book of the series can be read as a stand-alone, I highly recommend that you read them all. In the meantime, IN THE ARMS OF THE LAW is a winner! You can thank me later.

In the Arms of the Law is the 5th book in Deborah’s To Serve and Seduce Series. It follows Attorney Ellington Black who’s brother is accused of murder. He comes up against a force of nature by the name of Special Agent Angela Stanford who thinks there’s more than meets the eye. The attraction between them is palpable so when they team up to clear his brothers name sparks start to fly.

As per my normal I’m great at selecting Books and then realizing they are a part of a series….which leads to endless additions to my ever growing TBR and this series is no different. I’m really enjoying the romantic suspense that harlequin has been publishing I love that it combines my two favorite genres. I will be going back and reading the first 4 books prior to this. I highly recommend checking out his book.