The TimeKeepers
by Jenn Bregman
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Pub Date May 04 2017 | Archive Date May 26 2017
Description
Big Law, Big Money, and a Tangled Web of Conspiracy & Murder…
ENTER THE SEXY, SEEDY UNDERBELLY OF LOS ANGELES IN 2017’S MOST NAIL-BITING DEBUT THRILLER
The fault lines that run through Los Angeles aren’t only literal. The epicenter of A-list stars and coulda-been-someone’s, glittering privilege and gritty desperation are inextricably linked in the City of Angels. In The TimeKeepers, the nail-biting debut crime thriller by Jenn Bregman, the sexiness, seediness, and simmering tension of the city are brought to life – culminating in an unforgettable tale of big money, big law, conspiracy, and murder.
The TimeKeepers centers on a young, idealistic, naïve lawyer named Sarah Brockman. Having left Big Law in search of work that will make a difference, Sarah finds herself barely scraping by, running her own personal injury firm working for clients who can’t pay and pursuing causes she can’t win.
Then, a random horrific car crash changes everything.
Brimming with corrupt judges, dirty cops, offshore banking, massive fraud, and countless twists and turns through the highways and byways of southern California, Mexico, and the Cook Islands, The TimeKeepers follows Sarah as invisible strings pull her closer and closer to the core of a shocking conspiracy. Facing off against a cunning and deranged adversary, Sarah must navigate a kaleidoscopic landscape of characters including a sharp-witted socialite, a felon and occasional crackhead, and a shameless Mexican raconteur – all while kindling a tender romance with her boyishly handsome new love, Sam, who’s been following the same trail… but from the other end, and the wrong side of the law.
A heart-pounding page-turner, The TimeKeepers upholds Los Angeles’ great ‘noir’ literary tradition and breaths new energy into it – and heralds Jenn Bregman’s arrival as a notable new voice in the contemporary crime thriller arena.
A Note From the Publisher
Jenn Bregman is a white-collar criminal defense lawyer who has practiced in both Los Angeles and New York City, where she worked on some of the most notorious cases of our time. A veteran of Big Law and a graduate of the University of Denver and UCLA Law School, her writing has been published in the UCLA Law Review and Los Angeles Lawyer magazine. A marathoner who loves pugs and hiking giant mountains, Bregman lives in Los Angeles and is a member of the California Women’s Bar Association, Los Angeles Women’s Bar Association, Gamma Phi Beta, and Mensa. The TimeKeepers is her first novel, with a sequel planned for release in 2018.
Advance Praise
"Bregman’s legal thriller featuring a plucky solo practitioner fighting for the little guy should appeal to John Grisham fans. Sarah Brockman spent two years as a litigation associate at a large California firm before her lack of job satisfaction led her to set up her own practice focusing on representing plaintiffs in personal injury cases. Her compassion trumps her business sense when she gets involved in another time-intensive, not particularly lucrative lawsuit after she witnesses a truck strike a pedestrian in a hit-and-run. Six months later, the victim’s son turns to her for help; the truck driver, Paul Rodriguez, was sentenced to just a $200 fine, and the victim, who suffered grievous facial injuries, wants to sue. Sarah’s investigator soon finds evidence undercutting the ostensible basis for the lenient sentence Rodriguez received, his indigence. That proves to be just the first bread crumb that puts Sarah and her allies on the trail of a complex conspiracy. Romance fans will enjoy a subplot involving a male attorney whose message that he’d call Sarah “lingered in the air like an overstuffed mosquito.” " -- Publishers Weekly / Booklife
Marketing Plan
Please contact sarah.miniaci@smithpublicity.com if you are interested in participating in the May 2017 blog tour for The TimeKeepers, would like to pursue an interview with author Jenn Bregman, or have any other questions or requests!
Featured Reviews
Maureen C, Reviewer
I'm going to be kinder to a first time author, because frankly I am in awe of anyone who manages to write a book.
Sarah Brockman is a former Big Law attorney who has decided to become a plaintiff's attorney for personal injury cases. She wants to help the little guy. She witnesses a terrible hit and run accident. Brockman becomes the victim's attorney because of the almost non-prosecution of the case (the driver turned himself in).
About the same time she runs into and old law school acquaintance, Sam, who is now working for Big Law. A love story ensues, but this is where the book loses a star. The love story is just not well written. Too sugary sweet. Need some hot pepper thrown in.
Sarah makes some startling discoveries concerning the case she has taken on, not least that Sam is working on the same case from the other side and there are terrible things going on. Both of them have allies they aren't aware of. In Sam's case they are practically tap dancing in front of him. A bit of a plot hole. Why didn't they join up? Just tell Sam. Especially since these are people who love him.
Okay. The good. Clever and exciting plot. Clear explanations of life in Big Law, off-shore banking, and life in the plaintiff's lane. Characters I invested in. Fabulous and satisfying ending.
I would definitely read this and the next books Bregman writes.
sue w, Reviewer
The TimeKeepers by Jenn Bregman.
The TimeKeepers centers on a young, idealistic, naïve lawyer named Sarah Brockman. Having left Big Law in search of work that will make a difference, Sarah finds herself barely scraping by, running her own personal injury firm working for clients who can’t pay and pursuing causes she can’t win.
Then, a random horrific car crash changes everything.
Brimming with corrupt judges, dirty cops, offshore banking, massive fraud, and countless twists and turns through the highways and byways of southern California, Mexico, and the Cook Islands, The TimeKeepers follows Sarah as invisible strings pull her closer and closer to the core of a shocking conspiracy. Facing off against a cunning and deranged adversary, Sarah must navigate a kaleidoscopic landscape of characters including a sharp-witted socialite, a felon and occasional crackhead, and a shameless Mexican raconteur – all while kindling a tender romance with her boyishly handsome new love, Sam, who’s been following the same trail… but from the other end, and the wrong side of the law.
Good read with good characters. I liked the story and the characters. Little slow in places but still a good read. 4*. Netgalley and Smith publicity.
Rachel D, Reviewer
The Good:
- I really appreciated that the sex scene in this was so PG
- Every scene contributed to the story as a whole. There wasn't any fluff, which made it a decently quick read.
- Good story line. It was more thriller than mystery. You know pretty early on who the culprit is, so it's just a matter of the protagonists figuring out a way to conquer the situation. Not bad for a first book.
The Bad/Not Amazing:
- Story flow: Transitions between events could be a bit hasty and sudden, which caused confusion at times. The character POV shifted by the paragraph quite often, which was odd at the beginning. But it didn't take away from the experience once I got used to it.
- Character development: Not much of it at all, which made the characters seem shallow so I didn't really care about them. Sam seemed intelligent in some scenes and then a total airhead in others. I also was a bit nauseous over some of the interactions between Sam and Sarah ("your Royal Lusciousness"...gag me).
- Lack of detail: I usually feel like authors give way too much detail. I am all about dialogue and fast-paced stories (so many books, so little time). But I could have used more detail in this book (might have assisted with the transitions).
- Some scenes were a bit unrealistic: e.g. when Simon could supposedly see exactly what Sam was typing on Simon's computer, from behind some bins in the hall, which has to be at least 10 feet away, so the font on Simon's computer must be big enough for my grandma to see from a mile away...
- Lots of F-word. It was either the F-word or nothing. I realize that word has become normal daily speech, but I still hate it and I admire an author who can tell a story without it.
<i> Thank you to NetGalley and Triborough Publishing for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.<i>
Gloria G, Educator
The Timekeepers is a witty, page turner with love, greed, intrigue and mystery. While the story progresses at an unrealistic pace the characters are likable and interesting. Jenn Bregman has written a great story
samantha l, Reviewer
Enjoyed the book would recommend there was so much going on
Abbie E, Reviewer
This book is not at all what I expected. Based on the title and the cover, I expected some fantasy elements (my bad!) but this is a fabulous engrossing mystery. Fast-paced with plenty of suspense and twists and turns, There's just enough romance to keep me happy! Sarah (the heroine) is strong, independent, and fighting to hold on to her morals in what seems like a immoral world (sorry lawyers!) The characters are complex and engaging, the setting is woven intricately into the story, and the story-telling itself is phenomenal. We're shown instead of told which draws the helpless reader into the immersive mystery. Fabulous job!
Jenny A, Reviewer
This is a perfectly good book, but the only reason I didn't give it the fifth star is that there was nothing particularly 'special' about this book. If you like thrillers with a bit of romance, some twists and turns in the story and would like a book based on a female lawyer, then this is the book for you.
I received a review copy and was happy to read to the end. I did find the title of the book a bit strange and really wasn't sure why it was called that.
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