“Rage of Angels” by Sidney Sheldon

“Rage of Angels” is an epic saga that revolves around Jennifer Parker’s journey from a nervous and amateur lawyer fresh out of law school to the most sought after defense attorney. The novel starts off with Jennifer being setup in an act of intimidation of the key witness in a trial against a ruthless mafia kingpin Mike Moretti. With the case being the talk of the town, Jennifer’s career comes crashing down before it even kicked off. 

The novel doesn’t waste time and plunges into a captivating narrative right from the first page. The state prosecutor in Mike Moretti’s case holds a grudge against her for blowing off an airtight case he had put up. Jennifer struggles to find her ground in the profession she wanted to shine in. 

From then on, the novel shifts into a series of tense courtroom episodes that are nothing short of brilliance. There is also a poignant love story in between involving Jennifer and Adam, an attorney who might run for senator and eventually the president of United States. Meanwhile, Moretti also watches the growing success of Jennifer, a fierce, street-smart and independent woman. 

Sidney Sheldon yet again proves that he is a master story teller. The novel stands out in not portraying the actions of the protagonists and key characters against any moral yardstick. The  characters have their own flaws and sometimes repent for their actions and Sidney never keeps them within moral boundaries which brings out the human nature. Though the novel has some redundant courtroom scenes that deviate from the main plot, the novel stays afloat with interesting twists even in the subplots. The climax falls flat in an otherwise engrossing thriller.

A tale of romance and betrayal, a tale of animosity and revenge, a tale of unimaginable power and authority - all three intertwine in this novel to make it a compelling page turner!

“Thirteen” by Steve Cavanagh

“Thirteen” by Steve Cavanagh is another legal thriller in the Eddie Flynn series. Bobby, a rising Hollywood star is accused of murdering his wife Ariella and his chief of security. Ariella, also being an actress, the murder trial is high-profile and has enough media attention. With all evidence stacked up against Bobby, a con-man turned lawyer Eddie Flynn is pulled in as the defense attorney. As Eddie starts investigating along with his ex-FBI friend, they uncover the possibility of a serial killer being linked to the murder. 

A serial killer infiltrating the jury in the murder trial to watch the proceedings against a man he framed - this is one hell of a premise!

The novel has consistent high points keeping the readers guessing. With genuine twists revealed at the right time, the novel is fast paced. The final twist about the serial killer’s connections is the only one that doesn’t fit well. The narration with dual perspectives from the protagonist and from the antagonist makes it even more gripping. 

Eddie’s character as a street smart lawyer who carries some burden of guilt from his past and at the same time yearns for a future with his wife and daughter is well etched. The serial killer’s motive behind the killings and his manipulative moves against FBI to be always one step ahead and eluding capture are brilliantly portrayed. 

Steve Cavanagh

An intriguing legal thriller with a novel premise that never dips in pace! Highly recommended!

"Misjudged" by James Chandler

In a small town of Wyoming... Emily, a divorce attorney is brutally murdered... Tommy, an ex- marine who was her client is charged with murder going by prima facie evidence... Polson, a honest detective who overlooks an evidence before making the arrest, later tries hard to get a fair trial for the defendant... Sam Johnstone, a disabled veteran suffering from PTSD decides to appear as the defense attorney... Ann Fulks, the prosecution attorney taking up her first murder trial, is desperate to get a conviction to boost up her career... Judge Daniels, at the verge of his retirement expects the case to be an open and shut one without any complications... A member of the jury is talking about the proceedings outside the court to a person who can be a suspect in this case too... 

With this interesting premise and well etched characters, does "Misjudged" manage to keep the readers hooked?

The novel introduces the primary characters with legal proceedings happening in the background. Though the idea is to introduce the nature of the characters and how the judiciary is run in the small town of Wyoming, the novel takes too much time dwelling into unrelated petty cases. But, once the stage is set for the murder trial, the novel picks up pace with some interesting courtroom moments and legal proceedings. The twists keep coming as the forensic evidence adds to more mysteries and some information is withheld from the defense due to the local politics. 

James Chandler

James Chandler builds up a brilliant legal thriller around the solid premise that is engaging for the most part. Though there are some loose ends, the novel is a decent thriller that has consistent high points and a convincing climax. 

“The Boys from Biloxi” by John Grisham

John Grisham’s “The Boys from Biloxi” is a riveting saga of friendship, betrayal, rivalry and justice that is set in world of crime. The novel is set in Biloxi, a happening city with pubs, casinos, gambling, prostitution and its connection with organized crime. 

Hugh Malco and Keith Rudy, two childhood friends who were once inseparable, part ways to follow the legacy of their fathers. Lance Malco, Hugh’s father makes money from vice whereas Jesse Rudy, Keith’s father is on the other side of the law as a honest lawyer turned district attorney. Over time, both families are often pitted against each other. With Keith and Hugh on the opposite sides of the law, how far will each one take things against the other?

The strength of the novel is the characterisation and attention to detail in staging a city of vice and violence. Despite the overwhelming list of characters, all the primary characters and protagonists have clear character arcs and get the much needed closure. In the first few parts,  there is everything happening in the novel - gambling, gang wars, murder, heist, drug trafficking, courtroom drama and at times the backstory and subplots diverge too much. However, the novel settles down as a tale of revenge at the later stage.

Though there are moments of brilliance in the courtroom showdown, most of the action happens outside the courtroom. The great detailing of the process of jury selection, choice of attire for the defendants, strategies employed inside the courtroom by the lawyers and jury tampering is John Grisham playing to his strengths. 

The novel is not a compelling page turner, but the staging and showcase of events makes it worth reading. The novel also touches upon the debate on death penalty but doesn’t make it preachy. The massive twist towards the end is a brave piece of writing.

The Boys from Biloxi has just enough to keep the readers engrossed!

“The Pelican Brief” by John Grisham

“The Pelican Brief” is a mystery novel that revolves around the murders of two Supreme Court justices who were either liberal or democratic or environmentalists. There are two possibilities behind the murders - a revenge for a case in the past that these judges were part of (or) a precautionary act to eliminate their voting on a case that is yet to be handled by the Supreme Court. Which one is it? 

A young law student Darby Shaw hunts all cases from the past that might link the two Supreme Court justices but fails to find a compelling case. She finds a case that is a long shot, writes a legal brief on it and almost decides to discard it. When the brief circulates around in the circles of FBI and the White House, she is in grave danger of getting killed and she is forced to run for her life. Her legal brief which was a shot in the dark had threatening implications in the inner sanctum of the White House.

While she is on the run, she calls up a reporter who goes to any extent and even resorts to sleazy ways to break a shocking news to the world. She dictates to him how she wants to approach the story and its verification before he breaks the story to the world. They both start digging the truth only to realise that there is an even bigger conspiracy. 

The novel is propulsive and page turning.  Though the plot solely rests on the suspense behind the legal brief, the novel is able to keep up the suspense until the very end without losing its steam. The overwhelming list of characters might need a track, despite that the novel is fairly engaging and easy to comprehend.

Another John Grisham masterpiece in the legal thriller genre!

Fifty-Fifty by Steve Cavanagh

Fifty-fifty starts off as a murder mystery with two sisters on trial, each accusing the other for the gruesome murder of their father, a millionaire. 

In a male dominated profession, a young female lawyer Kate Brooks who is part of an established firm is forced to stand against the firm after being subjected to harassment. She represents Alexandra, one of the sisters and is convinced that her client is innocent. An ex-con artist turned lawyer Eddie Flynn represents Sofia, the other sister and believes in her innocence. The prosecutor Dreyer convinces the judge to have a joint trial for both the sisters which means Eddie will be pitted against Kate with a possibility that either one or both the sisters will be convicted at the end of the trial. 

The novel starting off as a murder mystery is tense and has enough elements to sustain the suspense, but the brilliant courtroom drama that ensues is what makes this novel a compelling thriller. With a steady pace, the novel piques the reader’s interest with enough high points. The readers are kept guessing with their suspicion oscillating from one sister to another as events unfold in this taut legal thriller.

A plot that stands out from template murder mysteries, the intense courtroom drama and a convincing climax makes this novel gripping!

Sidney Sheldon's "Nothing Lasts Forever"

"Nothing Lasts Forever" is a novel with three women as central characters who fight to survive in the male dominant medical profession. The three doctors undergo rigorous on-call schedule at the hospital with no work-life balance. They encounter male dominance, sexual harassment, life threatening blackmails when they stand up against the male doctors and hospital management. With each of them having a backstory and a past that might catch up with them anytime, the novel has enough scope for drama and suspense.

The novel starts off with a gripping courtroom drama in its prologue. The lives of the three women had taken a wild turn with one of them accused of murder, one of them dead and one of them held responsible for the possibility of the hospital shutting down. This intriguing suspense in the prologue gives the novel a perfect start. 

But, once the novel shifts away from the courtroom to the hospital, it dips in pace. There are too many minor characters that pass-by and serve no purpose to the storyline. The novel takes too long to be back to where it started and it fails to sustain the intensity all along. Despite a decent detective-style investigative portion at the end, the novel fails to connect primarily due to too many subplots.

What could have been an engaging courtroom drama is let down by the predictable and wavering nature of the storyline. Considering the novel was written in 1994, it could have been accepted by the audience then. Sidney Sheldon's lacklustre outing which might test your patience.