Barnes & NobleThe Jailhouse Lawyer by James Patterson

Two in one

3.5 When my book arrived, I thought oh my gosh - 560 pages! But....it's two books in one. The Jailhouse Lawyer and Power of Attorney are both co-authored by James Patterson and Nancy Allen. Lawyer Martha Foster takes a job as the new Public Defender in Erva, Alabama. She and her young son are welcomed with open arms by not just her work colleagues, but by the townsfolk as well. Oddly, Judge Pickens seems to the final word in not just the courtroom, but in the town as well. There are some sketchy things going down in Erva - and Martha wants no part of it all. Instead she wants to shut it down - if they don't shut her down first. You won't believe what happens to Martha - Pickens plays dirty. Personally I would have turned tail and run right outa Erva. I did question some of Martha's actions, given that she has a medically fragile child with her. But that's the best part of legal thrillers - the protagonist that won't back down, the courtroom battles - and a satisfying ending. See for yourself - read an excerpt of The Jailhouse Lawyer. The second book, Power of Attorney, is also a legal thriller. Leah Randall is a lawyer who heads back home to her hometown when her father is diagnosed with dementia. She steps to take over his practice - and her first case is a doozy. Amber Lynn Travis is the only survivor of a house fire that killed her two cousins. When suspicion falls on Amber, Leah steps in to help her. But she's stymied by Amber's lack of cooperation. Could she be guilty? As readers, we're privy to some of Amber's thoughts. I did find some the plot to be more than a little off-putting as more of the deliberately salacious details of Amber's life are brought to light. Gentle readers, there are triggers in this book. I didn't enjoy Leah as a lead as much I liked Martha from the first book. For me, Leah was abrasive and kind of full of herself. I wasn't totally sold on her interactions with Amber. Patterson has picked a good co-author for these two books. Allen is a lawyer herself.