Monday, June 01, 2020

Aubrey Hamilton Reviews: An Innocent Client by Scott Pratt


Scott Pratt (1957-2018) was a journalist and lawyer who moved to writing legal thrillers and mysteries. He has two series, one with Billy Beckett, a sports agent. Readers who miss Myron Bolitar would likely enjoy these books. The other features Joe Dillard, a lawyer in east Tennessee, whose adventures are based on some of Pratt’s experiences as a practicing attorney.

The first Joe Dillard book is An Innocent Client (Onyx Books, 2008). Set in Jonesborough, Tennessee, criminal defense lawyer Joe Dillard is celebrating his 40th birthday by seeing Johnny Wayne Neal, one of his clients, sentenced to life without parole. Dillard considers the man more than fortunate to escape the death penalty. He paid two other despicable men to brutally murder his wife in front of his 3-year-old son in order to cash in on several life insurance policies. Neal is quite justifiably despised by everyone in the criminal justice system, and Dillard comes in for some that hate by extension. Dillard is burned out on the practice of law and the kind of low-lifes he represents. He plans to change careers in a year as soon as his children are out of school. In the meantime he wants one client that he knows is innocent, just one.

Dillard gets his chance much quicker than he expected. As he leaves the courthouse, finally shed of Neal, he hears about a body in the local Budget Inn. The victim told the motel staff he was an evangelist attending a local revival. The initial outrage over the murder of a preacher rapidly fades when it’s learned he was at a local strip joint the night he died, where he spent the money he’d collected from the church congregation just a few hours previously. His harassment of the staff at the club was blatant; after multiple interviews of witnesses and collection of some circumstantial evidence, the waitress he’d pestered was arrested for the murder.

The owner of the club retains Dillard to defend the girl, who is so young and naïve Dillard doesn’t see how she could have committed such a violent act. He goes all out to obtain a verdict of not guilty while he copes with his failing mother and his drug-addled sister fresh out of prison.

Great characters, original plot, realistic dialogue. Recommended.

Publisher's Weekly Starred Review, Mystery Readers International finalist for "Best Debut Mystery," and Macavity Award Nominee for Best First Mystery Novel.



·         File Size: 463 KB
·         Print Length: 395 pages
·         Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
·         Publisher: Phoenix Flying LLC (December 13, 2013)
·         Publication Date: December 13, 2013
·         Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC
·         Language: English
·         ASIN: B009WQ9YMS



Aubrey Hamilton ©2020

Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.

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