Legal Mystery

The irrepressible, audacious defence barrister Horace Rumpole whose court scenes are proverbial, and whose home is ruled by Mrs Rumpole, is back in these short stories by John Mortimer. The much loved stories were adapted from his scripts for the hugely popular TV series of the same name.

“Patterson and Lupica make a great team” (Carl Hiaasen) who get “deep into the lives of strong women” (Louise Penny) and Jane Smith is their greatest creation—a badass lawyer with a year to live. “Jane Smith is the best character we’ve ever created. Bar none.” —James Patterson...

Homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite has returned to the police force after the sensational retrial of her sister’s killer. Still scarred from that ordeal, Tracy is pulled into an investigation that threatens to end her career, if not her life. A serial killer known as the Cowboy is killing young women in cheap motels in North Seattle.

Cass Leary thought she was done defending shady mobsters. But when the boss calls in a favor, she realizes her debt has yet to be paid. And if she wants to keep her family safe, she must find a way to let a known hit man walk free.... As the ones she loves question her decision, Cass must mount an incredible defense to acquit her ruthless client. With the pressure on, the ace attorney discovers that while Ghost Man is a cold-blooded killer, he's got an even bigger secret to protect. Can Cass secure the right verdict without becoming the next victim?

Attorney Nate Shepherd doesn’t want to take on an attempted murder case. But when people he trusts ask him to get involved, Nate agrees to represent the hard-working farmer who’s been accused of trying to kill his brother’s fiancée. By the time Nate steps in, law enforcement has already gathered a mass of evidence to bury his client. With the help of a diligent associate, a dogged investigator, and a dangerous bail bondsman, Nate unearths a web of money and motives that only raises more questions.

When former prosecutor Penn Cage returns to his hometown of Natchez, Mississippi, he doesn't find the peace he desperately craves. He finds that his own father is being blackmailed by a corrupt ex-cop. And when Penn investigates, he uncovers a murderous secret and the small town's violent...

She said…all three men got her drunk, led her to a hotel room, and took advantage of her. Three said…she was a willing participant and consented to sex with each of them. But after five weeks of listening to all of the evidence and all of the arguments in a celebrity rape trial that has gripped an entire nation, the jury sits down to begin their deliberations. Only they don’t know who to believe…will you?

Assistant District Attorney Lettie Portman charges a US senator with the murder of his wife. The wife was found dead, sitting in her Mercedes with a garden hose from the exhaust into her window. Suicide? Maybe, except the detectives learn the wife's fingerprints are nowhere on the hose. She appears to reach from the grave and point an accusing finger at her husband. And there's another twist: The senator's million-dollar lawyer is involved in a deadly conspiracy against Lettie.

A boating accident has left one teenager dead and three others traumatized. Charleston attorney Leland Munroe is determined to prove his client wasn’t responsible, but prosecutor Patrick Ludlow will stop at nothing to keep his own son out of trouble. Even if it means sending an innocent person to jail….

From the blockbuster bestselling author of the Eve Duncan novels comes a new, stand alone thriller about a woman with a photographic memory who has lived her life in the Witness Protection Program. What she once put her entire family in jeopardy and now, years later, her cover is blown. She’s on the run, and the lives of those she holds dear hang in the balance. As only Iris Johansen can do, you won’t see the twists coming.

Hunting Jack Reacher is a dangerous business, as FBI Special Agents Kim Otto and Carlos Gaspar are about to find out. Otto and Gaspar are by-the-book hunters who know when to break the rules; Reacher is a wanted man, and a stone cold killer when things get personal. But is he friend or enemy? Armed with disinformation, they intend to find out. Only the secrets hidden in Margrave, Georgia, will tell them.

Vicious felons are going free. Can one determined attorney stop them from slaughtering more innocents? Sharp small-town prosecutor Mara Brent has a heart as big as it is tough. Smack in the middle of a scandal surrounding her corrupt ex-boss, she works relentlessly to put things back in order. But when past gross negligence threatens to free convicted criminals, Mara fears her tight-knit community will be plagued by sadistic serial killers. Will Mara put the brutal murderers back behind bars before she has innocent blood on her hands?

In these witty and comic stories, Horace Rumpole takes on a variety of clients and activities. He, of course, brings each case to a successful end, all the while quoting poetry and drinking claret.

In Oklahoma where Sooner football is almost a religion, what could be worse than defending a wife accused of murdering a former pro-football star? For Jenna Miller, that's just a typical Monday morning. After seven years in the Public Defender's Office and many personal betrayals, she believes no one can be trusted. But her latest client, Claire, penetrates her tough exterior. As Jenna digs further, she finds forces are conspiring against Claire, who may have done the world a favor when she killed the monster in her home.

Detective Max Rupert's and attorney Boady Sanden's friendship is being pushed to the breaking point. Max is convinced that Jennavieve Pruitt was killed by her husband, Ben. Boady is equally convinced that Ben, his client, is innocent. As the case unfolds, the two are forced to confront their own personal demons.

When a cop's body is found burned and decapitated, the last thing Andy Carpenter expected is for a stranger to waltz into his office and admit to the crime. For the wise-cracking millionaire defense attorney suffering from "lawyer's block", the case looks like a no-brainer...until the cops pick up another suspect: Andy's lead P.I., Laurie Collins, who happens to be the love of his life.

Retiring prosecutor Jessica Yardley can’t turn down one last investigation. This time, it’s a set of murders inspired by a series of grisly paintings called The Night Things. She’s the only one who can catch the killer, who’s left a trail of bodies in a rural community outside of Las Vegas. But the more Jessica finds out, the less clear her case becomes. Out of options, she’s forced to consult her serial killer ex-husband - to gain additional insight into the crimes and the killer’s motivations.

In a case based on a lie, only one man knows the truth. Attorney Dan Stidham breaks his self-imposed 30-year silence to expose details only he knows about the infamous West Memphis Three murders. Exposing what happened will allow him to close the door on a case that tormented him for years and to help exonerate the three innocent young men who spent decades in prison because of the malevolence of the police, prosecution, and judge.

A wealthy couple is brutally murdered in their kitchen. The only witness, their six-year-old daughter, goes missing. The child’s birth mother is charged with the crime. Small town lawyer Cass Leary takes the case that could rip her family apart. Her sister Vangie stands accused in the double homicide of an affluent Ann Arbor couple. All the physical evidence points to Vangie’s guilt, and Cass knows she’s been keeping secrets. But, is she truly capable of murder?

Known to locals as the “Christmas Guy,” Nick Whittaker has delighted his neighbors with an elaborate holiday light show and his uncanny resemblance to Santa Claus. A bit of a loner, Nick has found his place and his calling as a mall Santa in the quaint Northern Michigan town of Helene. He’s the last person anyone would have suspected in the brutal beating of a local politician. But when the bloodied murder weapon turns up in his trash and surveillance video puts him at the crime scene, Nick finds himself on trial for his freedom.