A Killer’s Alibi by William L. Myers, Jr., a #BookReview

Five Stars

Title: A Killer’s Alibi (Philadelphia Legal) by William L. Myer Jr.

Genre: Thriller and Suspense, Crime Fiction, Legal, Organized Crime

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Publication Date: Happy Publication Day! February 19, 2019

Print Length: 426 pages

• ISBN-10:1503903338
• ISBN-13:978-1503903333
• ASIN: B078H6PXD5

Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title and Cover: A Killer’s Alibi – Yeah, disjointed

Book Blurb:

For attorney Mick McFarland, the evidence is damning. And so are the family secrets in this twisty legal thriller from the Amazon Charts bestselling author of A Criminal Defense.

When crime lord Jimmy Nunzio is caught, knife in hand, over the body of his daughter’s lover and his own archenemy, he turns to Mick McFarland to take up his defense. Usually the courtroom puppeteer, McFarland quickly finds himself at the end of Nunzio’s strings. Struggling to find grounds for a not-guilty verdict on behalf of a well-known killer, Mick is hamstrung by Nunzio’s refusal to tell him what really happened.

On the other side of the law, Mick’s wife, Piper, is working to free Darlene Dowd, a young woman sentenced to life in prison for her abusive father’s violent death. But the jury that convicted Darlene heard only part of the truth, and Piper will do anything to reveal the rest and prove Darlene’s innocence.

As Mick finds himself in the middle of a mob war, Piper delves deeper into Darlene’s past. Both will discover dark secrets that link these fathers and daughters—some that protect, some that destroy, and some that can’t stay hidden forever. No matter the risk. 

My Review:

I’m a big fan of William L. Myers, Jr., and his Philadelphia Legal series and jumped on this when I saw it offered on NetGalley.

Protagonist (attorney) Mick McFarland has been recruited to mount the defense when crime lord James (Nutzo) Nunzio is discovered at the scene of a vicious murder of an opposing “family” member. Jimmy is not real forthcoming into the circumstances of the scene, however, and Mick soon discovers himself dancing at the whims of Jimmy’s wife, Rachel and the jury selection expert (a sorta Bull, and she tries, but…).

In a dual plot, Mick’s wife Piper is involved with the Innocence Project and takes on the case of an abused daughter possibly wrongly convicted for the murder of her heinous father (who may have deserved what he got, but still, the law is the law). Piper enlists of the help of Mick’s associate Susan. Darlene has received the death bed letter of her mother which might overturn the conviction and free her after fifteen years in prison.

Mick and Piper appear to have a happy marriage together with their young daughter. They appear to work as well at the office as at home. He is intelligent and successful and has retained his brother, Tommy, to work with the firm as a private investigator.

Myers has crafted his characters with painstaking detail, honing in on the disturbing personality quirks that a powerful mob boss might possibly exhibit. Menacing when he wanted to be. But Mick is given very little to work with and is frustrated by a lack of information or what Jimmy and his people will allow him to have. In the meantime, Piper works diligently to find the missing pieces in her Innocence case and excited when she feels she is getting all the pieces to a very old puzzle when she tracks down the one person who might have been able to exonerate her client.

I greatly enjoyed the way the author weaves the two plots in and out of each other in synchronous timing. Piper’s case appears settled about the time Mick goes to court with Jimmy. The courtroom scenes reveal interesting tidbits about the judge, the prosecutor, and the different witnesses, alternately swaying the jurors their way or the opposite. Courtroom dialogue is riveting, hanging on to volleys only to have them backfire and Mick’s hidden thoughts about their success or failure. The drama gathers speed as it nears conclusion with red herrings blown in and little twists that have you scratching your head. But that “gotcha!” at the end? You did NOT see that coming!

You all know I’m a big fan of thriller and suspense novels. Add legal and crime to the mix and I’m a very happy camper! Yes! The third book in this series, my second (I also read and enjoyed An Engineered Injustice) and I’m a solid fan looking forward to the next in the series. I was allowed this ebook download by the publisher and NetGalley and greatly enjoyed the opportunity to read and review. Thank you, Mr. Myers!

The Author:

William L. Myers, Jr. is the No. 6 best-selling author for Amazon Kindle in 2017 for his debut novel, A Criminal Defense. That was the first in what has become the Philadelphia Legal Series. The third book in that series, A Killers Alibi debuts February 19, 2019.
A Killer’s Alibi has had rave early reviews including New York Times Bestselling author, Bill Lasher–

“William Myers’ riveting new novel is not just a crackerjack legal thriller, it is a wrenching portrayal of a whole range of father-daughter relations, showing how they can damage, how they can nourish, how they go dangerously off track. A story not to be missed.”

Born in 1958 into a blue-collar family, Mr. Myers inherited a work-ethic that propelled him through college and into the Ivy League at The University of Pennsylvania School of Law. From there, Mr. Myers started his legal career in a Philadelphia-based mega defense firm. After ten years defending corporate America, he realized his heart wasn’t in it. So, with his career on the fast track to success–he gave it all up and started his own firm. It was time to start fighting for the common guy.

That was twenty-five years ago and since then, he has focused on representing railroad employees and other honest, hard-working people who have been injured by others. He has represented thousands of clients in his tenure and has become a highly-regarded litigation attorney up and down the Eastern Seaboard.
For more information visit his author website at: http://www.williamlmyersjr.com

©2019 V Williams