Charles Webb is a not the flashy, top tier lawyer. Though he practices criminal defense, he has no experience with murder cases. Guido Sabatini is an artist who sales his paintings to restaurant owners a then will “liberate” the painting if he does not like where it is displayed. Sabatini steals his painting back from Gretch Hall’s restaurant, as well as a flash drive from the safe. He is eventually arrested and assigned Charles Webb as his lawyer. When Gretchen and her drive are found dead, Sabatini is charged with their murders and will only take Charles Webb as his lawyer.

This legal thriller will keep you guessing. There is a good cast of characters with twists and turns along the way to keep you interested.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Phillip Margolin for providing a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. The publication date is currently set for November 05, 2024.

I love legal thrillers and Philip Margolin never disappoints. In this stand-alone novel Charlie Webb is a third-rate lawyer from a third-rate law school who gets by representing old college friends in barroom brawls and court appointed clients. When he is appointed to represent a known mentally disturbed man on a simple robbery case everything changes. The man who stole back a painting he sold also stole something from a safe that could potentially put a lot of very prominent Oregonians in prison and Charlie soon finds himself and his client the target of some extremely dangerous men. Lots of twists and legal maneuvering make this a fast-paced legal thriller you won’t want to miss.

Excellent read! I loved the audio - great job holding my attention. Fast paced and just long enough.
Lawrence Weiss left his lucrative career to paint - taking on the identity of Guido Sabatini, struggling with some serious mental health issues.
After relinquishing a purchased painting placed in a restaurant owner's office, Guido also grabs a thumb drive for extra insurance to have charges dropped.
Two young women come forward to give testimony against very powerful people in their town with connections to Hollywood. Murders. Arrests. And this thumb drive become the focus of murder investigation - Guido charged, Charlie Webb his legal counsel.
Some coincidences seem too kind to Guido's case - Charlie begins to work with the prosecutor to get the truth and keep his client alive.

An Insignificant Case, Phillip Margolin’s newest suspenseful standalone legal thriller, is a captivating read. Lawyer Charlie Webb, the court-appointed attorney for a simple robbery involving painter Guido Sabatini and a stolen painting, is drawn into a capital case nightmare. The young lawyer's feelings of inexperience, being overmatched, and utterly unqualified add to the suspense. The investigation and the courtroom drama are well-executed, making it a quick and enjoyable read. However, the ending felt somewhat rushed.

The audiobook’s narrator, Peter Ganim, delivers a stellar performance, enhancing the overall experience. His narration brings the characters and the story to life, making it a great listen. I look forward to more from him in the future.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with the advanced audio copy of An Insignificant Case in exchange for an honest review. And thank you, Phillip Margolin, for writing another fantastic book!

This book is a thriller about a Mentally ill artist/theif that wound up with an item that would prove important to a large criminal case and a subpar lawyer representing him.

Phillip Margolin is an amazing writer, this thriller kept me on the edge of my seat with all of the twists and turns throughout it. Peter Ganim bringing the story alive with his perfect narration of the story.

That being said there where a few things that bothered me in the story, I had a lot of trouble with the writer going into detail about the SA and murder of minors, I get it’s an important part of the story I just wish the SA part wasn’t detailed .

My other issue with the audiobook is that there were a couple of comments the writer made about women in the book as the main character that came off as misogynistic.

All and all the book is amazing and I would highly recommend it, just be aware that the book contains SA and other abuse of minors so that you can make an informed decision on wether or not this is the right book for you .

This audiobook was a fast-paced, well-written thriller that hooked me from the start. The plot centers on an artist—a theme I’ve been drawn to lately—and the character’s creative side added a unique layer to the story. It’s rare to see art woven into a thriller like this, and it gave the story an extra spark.

The other main character, a lawyer trying to find his footing in his field, brought a contrasting perspective that made the dynamic even more compelling. The two characters' paths intertwine in such a way that it drives the story forward, adding layers of tension and curiosity.

The pacing was spot on, keeping the momentum alive as each twist unfolded. I was totally caught up in discovering what really happened, and it was an adventure to piece it all together with the characters

I went back and forth about requesting this book because it is outside of my typical reading. The description really sold me so I was very excited when my request my approved! I have worked at a district attorney's office for the last seven years so books surrounding lawyers and court cases always catch my eye, but I normally don't read them because they tend to let me down... not this one though!

This was a really gripping, interesting, and faced paced story. The beginning was a bit confusing because this story follows multiple POVs and you get all of their names up front, however after a bit of reading it all sorted out in my brain. The characters were witty and really fun. It was exciting with lots of twists and suspenseful scenes. I will definitely be adding Phillip Margolin's other books to my tbr!

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan audio for this arc.

An Insignificant Case by Phillip Margolin
Narrated by Peter Ganim

Charlie Webb spent his entire academic life being a C student which has led him to see himself as ranking a C as a lawyer. Not able to get hired on by a law firm, Charlie opened his own law practice and he gets work, has successes, and seems pretty settled into his mediocre life. This makes Charlie sound like a loser but the reality of the situation is that he has some very loyal, although somewhat shady friends, who will always have his back. He, also, for all his insecurities when it comes to women, really does seem to attract them, both beautiful and successful women at that. It seems that Charlie might be his own worst enemy, with much more value than he gives himself credit for, since others see him for more than he sees himself.

Charlie is appointed to be the attorney for a nutty artist who calls himself Guido Sabatini although the man's name is really Lawrence Weiss. Guido/Lawrence wants Charlie to represent him, no one else really wants the job with this loose cannon of a crackpot, although Charlie does get a big surprise when a high powered lawyer joins his team once Guido/Lawrence all the sudden needs a lawyer with much more expertise that Charlie possesses. Charlie, Guido/Lawrence, and his ragtag and glamorous friends are heading to court.

Two attractive women enter Charlie's life at this time. One is a woman who wants to work as his assistant for "experience" and the other is a woman who is on the opposite side of the courtroom than Charlie until she's not. Oh Charlie, you do downplay your talents and attraction in so many ways. Charlie and company are up against a tough crowd and the danger is great for anyone bucking that touch crowd that is willing to kill off those who show resistance to their greatness.

This author is new to me and I enjoyed this story. It felt shorter than it really is because the audiobook narrator is so good, so fitting as Charlie. While this is a standalone story, I may try one of the series by this author. I also wouldn't mind seeing Charlie again.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.

A stolen flash drive. What does the flash drive contain? Someone is willing to commit murder to keep the contents from going public. When a local artist is upset that his painting is not on public display, he decides to break in an retrieve his painting, he also helps himself to a flash drive he finds in the owners safe. This leads to a game of cat and mouse with the owner and her driver attempting to get the flash drive back. This book gives off vibes of several court cases in recent news. The courtroom drama is top notch. Multiple twists to keep you guessing.

There were some pretty significant issues in "An Insignificant Case".

TW: Child trafficking.

A significant portion of this book was eerily similar to the Harvey Weinstein case.

Underaged girls were not cast in productions without producing sexual favors.

I listened to the audiobook.

Even though the book was well-written and Peter Ganim's narration was superb, I had zero interest in listening to a rehash of Harvey Weinstein-type allegations.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was the wrong reader for this book.

This was a great, easy to listen to lawyer down on his luck getting a case that kicked him into the limelight. The characters were approachable and the story easy to follow. The narrator did a good job telling the story, although the voice for the main character, Charlie Webb, seemed a bit forced.

My favorite character had to be the eccentric Guido Sabatini, also known as Lawrence Weiss. A man of gifted intelligence who was also a talented painter who left his "real life" behind after getting caught card counting while gambling to live the life of the reincarnated artist. He sold his art to restaurant owners and if they did not hang the piece in the dining room of the restaurant, he "liberated" it from where it hung, only to try and convince the owner to hang the art in a more public place for all to see when he gave it back to them. With his latest liberation, he also took a thumb drive, hoping it would give him information to blackmail the owner into seeing it his way. Unfortunately he ended up finding evidence in a child kidnapping, sex and murder ring, and people kept getting killed trying to find the thumb drive. Eventually Guido was arrested and Charlie was assigned to his case.

I appreciated the fact that although the premise of the case was an ugly topic, the author did not expound on this and the description of a video shown in court was minimal. There was little profanity in the book and no sex scenes between characters.

The story continued in typical courtroom drama and ended with an ending that made me think, what would I think if I had been the lawyer. I recommend this to people who enjoy reading or listening to legal thrillers.

Thanks to NetGalley and McMillian audio for allowing me to review this audiobook.

2.5/5
This was fine? I wasn’t super interested one way or another. Suspected the twists to an extent. Probably the only reason I finished was because it was a short and quick audiobook.