4 stars out of 5
I've read and thoroughly enjoyed a couple of the author's books featuring former MMA fighter and current attorney Robin Lockwood, so when I got the chance to read this standalone book, I jumped at it. The lawyer here is Charlie Webb, an "average" guy who through no fault of his own got accepted into law school and passed the Bar. Living in Oregon, most of Charlie's clients are in the local Barbarian Motorcycle Club, just because he treats them right (and for the most part wins their court cases).Charlie is also an old friend of sorts of a man who calls himself Guido Sabatini, a painter by profession. He recently sold one of his paintings to a woman named Gretchen Hall, who hung it on the wall in the office at the restaurant she owns. That, alas, really annoyed Guido, who was mightily offended that it wasn't on display where diners could see it. To rectify the situation, he broke into the office and stole the painting - along with at least one item from Gretchen's office safe.
That, of course, is a big no-no from a legal standpoint; Guido definitely will find himself in a court of law (as he's done in the past) - but not before he convinces Charlie to defend him. Unbeknownst to both of them, though, Gretchen is a suspected ringleader in a group of rather nasty folks who traffic young girls. And as luck would have it, the item Guido stole from that safe is a flash drive showing living proof that the police suspicions are right on the money.
That, needless to say, puts Guido - and everyone associated with him - in the crosshairs of those who are desperate to keep that video from ever being seen, even if murder is involved. So Charlie and his friends must be vigilant to the nines if they even hope to make it to Guido's trial, much less get him acquitted. More than that I can't reveal except to say it's quite an adventure. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for giving me a pre-release copy to read and review.
An Insignificant Case by Phillip Margolin (Minotaur Books, November 2024); 304 pp.