Monday, June 13, 2011

Flesh & Bones - Paul Levine - Blog Tour Review

“I was sitting at the end of the bar sipping single-malt Scotch when I spotted the tall blond woman with the large green eyes and the small gray gun.”

The next thing Jake Lassiter knows, the woman pumps three bullets into the man on the next barstool.

And Jake, the linebacker-turned-lawyer, has a new client.

She’s stunning model Chrissy Bernhardt, and the dead man is her wealthy father. The defense? Chrissy claims that she’s recently recovered repressed memories of having been sexually abused by her father. Jake wants to believe her but suspects that the memories were either implanted by a shady psychiatrist or fabricated by Chrissy herself. Complicating the situation, Jake falls for his client, clouding his judgment. Is she an anguished victim or a cold-blooded killer? And what about her brother, who stands to inherit a fortune if Chrissy goes to prison? Jake wades into a quagmire of dirty water deals, big money, and family corruption, all leading to an explosive finale.
Synopsis taken from goodreads.

Title: Flesh & Bones (The Jake Lassiter Series #7)
Author: Paul Levine
Genre: Adult Fiction, Legal Thriller, Crime Fiction
Publication Date: April 11, 2011 (Re-issued)
Format: E-book
Source: Received from author courtesy of Tracee at Pump Up Your Book. Many thanks goes to Paul and Tracee for sending me a copy of this book for review. I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
Look for it: Amazon. All proceeds from this book are being donated to the Four Diamonds Fund, an organization that helps children with childhood cancer. 
My rating: 4/5

Jake is out at a bar just relaxing, sipping a drink after a long day at work, when in walks gorgeous model, Chrissy Bernhardt. Chrissy immediately shoots the man sitting beside Jake, and Jake catches her as she falls. She immediately retains him as her lawyer, and he, knowing that this would be a hard case to take on and win, says yes. When Jake starts to wade through Chrissy's past, more questions arise. Her case is intricate and complicated, as Jake learns more about her past, her family members and her psychiatrist. Things aren't adding up, and to make matters worse, Jake is falling for his client. He needs to get to the bottom of things to find out if she really is the victim as she claims, or if she is a heartless killer. 
Though this is the seventh book in the Lassiter series, you do not need to read them in order. Having never read a novel by Levine before, I was surprised to find out that this was the seventh in a series. I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything as everyone was identified and their roles were explained early on in the read. 
I really enjoyed this read, it was captivating from the start, and Jake's voice is full of humour. I was giggling throughout at some of the comments that he made, or thought. His interactions with his family had me laughing out loud because they really took him to task sometimes, and it looked like the poor man had no leg to stand on at times. 
I like how certain details connected everything, as some were just laid out there seemingly at random. This was a twisting, shocking and intense legal thriller. I absolutely loved it. The courtroom theatrics are reminiscent of those in JAG, which comes as no surprise as Levine wrote episodes for the show. The show is one of my favourites so it should come as no surprise that I would love Levine's books as well. 
All in all, an engaging, complicated, and intricate read. Jake is a humorous character, one who believes in the truth, and justice, and he'll do anything to represent his client to the best of his ability. I had part of the story pegged, but not all of it. I know I'll be going back to read more from this series, as well as any other books that Levine has written. I'd highly recommend adding this one to your collection, and as Levine is donating the proceeds from this book to a worthy cause, it is well worth it!

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