By: Phillip Margolin
Narrator: Peter Ganim
ISBN: 9781250354310
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Minotaur Books
Publication Date: 11/05/2024
Format: Audio
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)
A new standalone legal thriller from the international bestselling author of GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN.
Charlie Webb is a third rate lawyer who graduated from a third rate law-school and, because he couldn’t get hired by any of the major law firms, has opened his own law firm, where he gets by handling cases for dubious associates from his youth and some court appointed cases. Described as “a leaky boat floating down the stream of life,” Charlie has led unremarkable life, personally and professionally. Until he’s appointed to be the attorney for a decidedly crackpot artist who calls himself Guido Sabatini (born Lawrence Weiss). Sabatini has been arrested – again – for breaking into a restaurant and stealing back a painting he sold them because he was insulted by where it was displayed. But as Lawrence Weiss, he’s also an accomplished card shark and burglar and while he was there, he stole a thumb drive from the owner’s safe.
Not knowing what else Sabatani has stolen, Webb negotiates the return of the painting and “other items’ for the owner dropping charges against Sabatini. But the contents of the flash drive threatens very powerful figures who are determined to retrieve it, the restaurant owner (Gretchen Hall) and her driver (Yuri Makarov) are being investigated for the sex trafficking of minors, and there are others who have a violent grudge against Sabatini. When a minor theft case becomes a double homicide, and even more, Charlie Webb, an insignificant lawyer assigned to an insignificant case, is faced with the most important, and deadliest, case of his life. Going back to his long-time bestselling roots, Phillip Margolin returns with a brilliant standalone legal thriller in the tradition of John Grisham.
My Review
Bestselling NYT and international author Phillip Margolin returns with a tantalizing standalone legal thriller, AN INSIGNIFICANT CASE. An attorney gets caught up in a complex, multi-layered case with a web of secrets and lies in this twisty suspense whodunit.
About...
Charlie Webb has not always had it easy. He considers himself a third-rate lawyer, graduating from a third law school. His confidence is low. Both professionally and personally. When he could not get hired by the major law firms, he hung out his own shingle.
His cases are mostly minor, ranging from friends of his youth to court-appointed ones. He has led an unremarkable and insignificant life.
UNTIL... he is appointed the attorney for a crackpot artist known as Guido Sabatini (Lawrence Weiss).
Sabatini was arrested for breaking into a restaurant and stealing back his painting (he did not like where they hung it or its placement).
He is also an accomplished card shark and burglar, and while he is there, he steals a thumb drive from the owner's safe.
Not knowing what Sabatini has stolen, the attorney negotiates the return of the painting to drop the charges. But who knew what dark secrets were contained on the flash drive that would threaten some very powerful figures who would stop at nothing to retrieve it?
The restaurant owner and bodyguard are being investigated for the sex trafficking of minors. The plot thickens when a minor theft becomes a double homicide for Charlie, and a mysterious new woman steps into his life wanting to help. Can he trust her?
Charlie Webb's life soon becomes very intriguing... How are all the characters connected?
My thoughts...
AN INSIGNIFICANT CASE is a gripping legal thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat with unexpected twists and turns!
Readers will root for Charlie as he navigates a new adventure filled with twists and turns. The character development in this book is so strong that I wished for a new series featuring Charlie.
Fast-paced and intense, a riveting thriller featuring a mysterious, eccentric, and colorful client. He believes he is the reincarnation of a Renaissance painter who worked alongside Michelangelo and de Vinci.
What makes him even more interesting is that he was a brilliant mathemetician, a professional card shark, and a skilled burglar before becoming an artist.
As the bodies start piling up, the case turns into anything but insignificant! Someone is setting up Guido. Charlie is not confident he can handle this case, but Guido wants him, and bingo, he has his first murder trial!
AN INSIGNIFICANT CASE is highly entertaining — blending crime, legal, murder, and vigilante justice. One of my favorites by the author. (I am a huge legal thriller fan).
Audiobook...
The incredibly talented Peter Ganim narrates the audiobook, which brings the story to life with his engaging performance. I highly recommend it for an immersive reading experience.
Recs...
This book is for fans of the author, those who enjoy well-written, compelling legal thrillers with dramatic courtroom scenes, and fans of John Grisham, Robert Dugoni, David Baldacci, and John Lescroart.
Thanks...
Thanks to Minotaur Books, St Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and #MacAudio2024 for gifting an ARC and ALC via NetGalley and Google Play.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Nov 5, 2024
My Rating: 5 Stars
Praise
"Margolin deals out the complications as deftly as a card shark... An inventive legal thriller." ―Kirkus Reviews
"Another brilliant legal thriller from author Margolin."
―Red Carpet Crash
About the Author
PHILLIP MARGOLIN has written over twenty-five novels, most of them New York Times bestsellers, including Gone But Not Forgotten, Lost Lake, and Violent Crimes. In addition to being a novelist, he was a long time criminal defense attorney with decades of trial experience, including a large number of capital cases. Margolin lives in Portland, Oregon. WEBSITE
