Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: The Extraditionist by Todd Merer

I bought the electronic version of The Extraditionist (Thomas & Mercer, 2017) days before it was officially released. That I just got around to reading it a few days ago speaks volumes about the state of my Kindle and my TBR list. The author Todd Merer is a career criminal defense attorney whose clients were cartel chiefs extradited to the United States for prosecution. His protagonist Benn (two Ns) Bluestone is also a criminal defense attorney who defends drug cartel kingpins who have been arrested and deported to the United States.

Bluestone earns a lot of money that he spends almost as fast as it comes in. He is tired of the life he’s leading and the people with whom he’s associating and wants to retire. All he wants is one last major-league crook with deep pockets to defend. While he searches for him, he undertakes three separate cases, one of which he hopes will turn into Mr. Big.

This is far from the traditional sort of legal thriller that takes place largely in front of a judge. Bluestone’s work involves flying back and forth to Miami, Central America, and South America; visiting the New York jails where his extradited clients are held pending plea bargains with the Federal district attorney; and juggling incredibly large cash payments, all of which come from tainted drug money. He actually spends very little time in a courtroom. His goal is to keep his clients out of a trial they can’t possibly win and to minimize their jail sentences while staying out of legal trouble himself.

The characters are the worst sort of criminals. Bluestone’s willingness to deal with them speaks volumes for his own sense of morality. Typical for organized crime, the body count in this story is easily in double digits and no one can trust anyone for a minute. Despite the overriding themes of corruption and deceit, this book is mesmerizing. The author’s experience gives every scenario credibility and realism. He clearly knows of what he writes. I do wish an editor had taken a sharp red pencil to it, as it’s too long, but fans of cartel crime fiction and legal thrillers will love it.

 

·                     ASIN: ‎ B01N7RWWW4

·                     Publisher: ‎ Thomas & Mercer (November 1, 2017)

·                     Publication Date: ‎ November 1, 2017

·                     Language: ‎ English

·                     File size: ‎ 3680 KB

 

 

Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2022

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