Book Blurb:
A lawyer who was set-up, imprisoned, and disbarred, only to be vindicated and reinstated, is determined to find out who set her up and cover their tracks with a trail of dead bodies
Defense Attorney Karen Wyatt exposed corruption in the police force and the District Attorney’s office while getting her client exonerated in court. But in doing so, she put a target on her back and she was set-up on fake drug charge, imprisoned and disbarred until the conspiracy unraveled and her innocence was proven. Now reinstated to the bar, Wyatt is still interested in finding out who ordered her to be set-up – but the key figures were either killed or are in Witness Protection.
In the meantime, Wyatt is a practicing defense attorney, whose current client is either guilty of a heinous murder, or is a too-trusting patsy for an acquaintance set-up for a crime he didn’t commit. It will take all of Wyatt’s genius to defend her client successfully but that’s just one piece of an increasingly complex puzzle.
With a deadly criminal drug gang, a powerful, corrupt figure hiding in the D.A.’s office, and a Congressman who turned up with an unbelievable story after disappearing for days, False Witness is twisty, breathtaking, and unpredictable thriller.
My Review:
I do enjoy a good legal thriller from time to time. The last I read by this author, An Insignificant Case was a good standalone case in point. Unique main character and one I hoped would signal the beginning of a new series. Maybe not.
Defense Attorney Karen Wyatt definitely got herself in a pickle when she exposed corruption, not only in the police force, but the District Attorney’s office as well. She set herself up to take the fall, and fall she did, deep into prison. When she was finally exonerated, she came out with a bit of a chip on her shoulder and a burning desire to get some well-earned retribution.
The author keeps the tension ratcheted up as she goes about the business of practicing law and three years later taking pro bono cases. In the meantime, she continues to filter through her list of suspects, working to find the mole in the DA’s office. So much going on, the plot can get complex and there is a real mixed bag of characters from every spectrum.
All the twists and turns are there, moving the storyline along fairly briskly.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.
Rosepoint Rating: Four Stars 
Book Details:
Genre: Legal Thrillers, Murder Thrillers, Crime Thrillers
Publisher: Minotaur Books
ISBN: 978-1250356901
ASIN: B0DPTVQM58
Print Length: 304 pages
Publication Date: November 11, 2025
Source: Local Library
Title Link(s):
Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
The Author: PHILLIP MARGOLIN has written over twenty-five novels, most of them New York Times bestsellers, including Gone But Not Forgotten, Lost Lake, and Violent Crimes. In addition to being a novelist, he was a long time criminal defense attorney with decades of trial experience, including a large number of capital cases. Margolin lives in Portland, Oregon.
Website:
http://www.phillipmargolin.com/
©2025 V Williams
Rosepoint Publishing 