#TheMediator – Rosepoint Publishing

Max Ringo Book 1

Book Blurb:

From the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Rich Justice and The Boomerang comes a gripping thriller about a disgraced lawyer facing the legal battle of her life as she tries to redeem herself—and save her son.

Max Ringo was once a courtroom star at an elite law firm. Then a car accident left her addicted to painkillers, and her life dissolved into shambles. Now fresh out of rehab and making a comeback as a mediator, she gets her shot at redemption when she is appointed to handle a high-stakes divorce.

But as Max begins negotiations between the two notorious power players, the trap is already sprung. The husband kidnaps her teenage son, Nathan, and gives her a chilling ultimatum: settle the case on his terms…or the boy dies.

Over three relentless days, Max must resolve a cutthroat legal battle while pursuing a covert mission to rescue Nathan. She’ll risk everything—her career, her freedom, her life—to beat a ruthless adversary at his own game. Even when a shadowy syndicate enters the fray and bodies start to drop, only one thing matters. She must bring her son home, whatever the cost.

His Review:

Max Ringo has been a top negotiator while working with litigators and others to settle estates and other businesses. This story points out the difficulty of settlement as the estates become larger and the stakes for the parties’ life-changing outcomes are impacted. The amounts are enormous and those who have the largest stake are the ones least willing to give up their position.

A multi-billion-dollar estate is the key issue in this story. Drugs and crime take center stage as the participants balance personal problems with financial greed. Winning and losing may mean a castle or a shack. None of the litigants in this conflict is willing to concede! The most recalcitrant is Dagger Richardson who helped to take a fledgling company into a multi-billion-dollar concern. Can there be a meeting of the minds and a resolution to this issue?

My last novel by this author, Rich Justice, is the third in the Jason Rich series read and reviewed last year. This book kicks off the new Max Ringo series and is well-paced action with a somewhat lower body count. The story is a prime example of how the wealthy keep their wealth. Read and try to understand the dynamics of the situation. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. Any opinion expressed here is my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Legal Thrillers, Conspiracy Thrillers
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Publication Date: May 12, 2026
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Robert Bailey is the bestselling author of the McMurtrie and Drake Legal Thrillers series, which includes The Final Reckoning, The Last Trial, Between Black and White, and The Professor. The first two novels in the series were Beverly Hills Book Awards legal thriller of the year winners, and Between Black and White was a finalist for the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year.

For the past nineteen years, Bailey has been a civil defense trial lawyer in his hometown of Huntsville, Alabama, where he lives with his wife and three children. For more information, please visit http://www.robertbaileybooks.com.