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The Last Innocent Man
Defense attorney David Nash has made a career out of setting monsters free -- and no one does it better. Now a case has come to "The Ice Man" that could help cleanse Nash of the guilt and doubts that torment him: that rarest of all defendants, an innocent man.
A fellow lawyer has been accused of a heinous crime -- the brutal murder of an undercover vice cop. But the case that is supposed to be Nash's redemption could prove to be his downfall, dragging him into a dark and sinister world where lies and the truth are interchangeable; where the manipulator becomes the manipulated; and where every answer spawns more complex and terrifying questions. And as the shadows close in around him, the final question that remains for David Nash concerns his own fate: life ... or death?
A fellow lawyer has been accused of a heinous crime -- the brutal murder of an undercover vice cop. But the case that is supposed to be Nash's redemption could prove to be his downfall, dragging him into a dark and sinister world where lies and the truth are interchangeable; where the manipulator becomes the manipulated; and where every answer spawns more complex and terrifying questions. And as the shadows close in around him, the final question that remains for David Nash concerns his own fate: life ... or death?
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
September 18, 2023
On a trip, review to follow.
I believe this was the 1981 debut work of the author. I was an easy & enjoyable legal suspense novel that I packed in my purse for an across the Atlantic plane trip and continued travel. I was kept engaged for the majority of the novel.
Highly sought after criminal defense attorney, David Nash, is starting to question his job defending mostly guilty clients when he takes on his latest case. He has been hired to defend an attorney who has been charged with murder of an undercover policewoman. Nash crosses ethical lines as he moves forward with the case. Is this truly an innocent man or just another guilty party who hopes to pull the wool over the jury's eyes with the help of a great high-profile lawyer.
Some of the characters are more fleshed out than others, and there is a one character who is pretty despicable who plays a big role in David Nash's rethinking of his life. I did have one big eye-rolling experience with an early in the story sexual encounter that becomes an important piece of the novel. Maybe I'm just a cynic.
I believe this was the 1981 debut work of the author. I was an easy & enjoyable legal suspense novel that I packed in my purse for an across the Atlantic plane trip and continued travel. I was kept engaged for the majority of the novel.
Highly sought after criminal defense attorney, David Nash, is starting to question his job defending mostly guilty clients when he takes on his latest case. He has been hired to defend an attorney who has been charged with murder of an undercover policewoman. Nash crosses ethical lines as he moves forward with the case. Is this truly an innocent man or just another guilty party who hopes to pull the wool over the jury's eyes with the help of a great high-profile lawyer.
Some of the characters are more fleshed out than others, and there is a one character who is pretty despicable who plays a big role in David Nash's rethinking of his life. I did have one big eye-rolling experience with an early in the story sexual encounter that becomes an important piece of the novel. Maybe I'm just a cynic.
April 6, 2018
Hotshot disillusioned defense lawyer starts to doubt his mission to provide the best possible defense...his angst boils over when a case involving an associate in his firm is charged with the murder of an undercover policewoman...so-so court room drama with enough twists to keep the pages turning!
August 15, 2010
This book was on the chronicles list of best ever thrillers... Inexplicably. It reads like it was written by a second grader and the only reason I finished it was because I was too lazy to get up off the beach.
This book is good.... FOR ME TO POOP ON.
This book is good.... FOR ME TO POOP ON.
November 30, 2025
An excellent plot with lots of twists and turns. A defense lawyer, known for his high success rate, is given the task of trying to get another lawyer off from a murder charge of killing an undercover police officer. However, a previous client and another person involved in all of this makes doing his job very difficult. How far can he bend the law and still keep his ethics and job aboveboard?
April 18, 2011
This is one of Philip Margolin's early novels. It has the protagonist, David Nash, beginning to doubt the legal system, after he has won several trials where the defendants were pretty amoral.
So, he is glad to get a case where he is almost certain the client is innocent--a fellow lawyer with a good reputation. Then he meets the client's wife--and finds out she is the woman he had a brief affair with. In an action which certainly would be considered questionable professional ethics, David continues to defend Larry Stafford, while sleeping with his wife on the side!
David Nash is a clever lawyer, but not very admirable, and he really gets psychologically hung up on the varying degress of guilt or innocence.
The ending does have a neat little twist. Originally published in 1981, this isnot as developed as Margolin's later novels. Nevertheless,Margolin is still a cut above many other writers, and this novel would please most fans of mysteries and courtroom thrillers.
So, he is glad to get a case where he is almost certain the client is innocent--a fellow lawyer with a good reputation. Then he meets the client's wife--and finds out she is the woman he had a brief affair with. In an action which certainly would be considered questionable professional ethics, David continues to defend Larry Stafford, while sleeping with his wife on the side!
David Nash is a clever lawyer, but not very admirable, and he really gets psychologically hung up on the varying degress of guilt or innocence.
The ending does have a neat little twist. Originally published in 1981, this isnot as developed as Margolin's later novels. Nevertheless,Margolin is still a cut above many other writers, and this novel would please most fans of mysteries and courtroom thrillers.
August 2, 2019
THE LAST INNOCENT MAN By Phillip Margolin
MY REVIEW 2.5 STARS***
I read one of this author's more recent novels this March, notably THE THIRD VICTIM [2018] (Robin Lockwood Book 1). I have been a fan of this prolific, best selling author since reading a sampling from what would necessarily be classified as his early works. I remember picking up THE BURNING MAN (1996) and later on really liking SLEEPING BEAUTY (2004). However, it is accurate to say that it was his widely acclaimed tour de force GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN (1993) that truly "sealed the deal" for me. I have mentioned in a few of my reviews that I was largely limited to "reading" books on tape for a good many years, and the library system didn't necessarily carry that wide of a selection.
Most of us who are familiar with Margolin know that he is certainly a respected and well known veteran of the legal thriller genre. However, it is a bit troubling that critics refer to the author's more current works as "returning" to the level of excellence that underscored his early novels in the '90s (and I am guessing into the early part of the next decade). Therefore I was excited to read THE THIRD VICTIM (2018) which would satisfactorily demonstrate what Margolin has been doing lately to cement his legacy as an author who is deserving of what is not just lavish praise but a veritable host of accolades. I rated the book with a middle of the road three stars, and would add that I have no desire to read the second installment (THE PERFECT ALIBI). I felt that it was an entertaining quick read but lacked the depth and the intensity of his early works.
This left me interested enough to set a goal to go back and read his first two books, namely HEARTSTONE [1978] and THE LAST INNOCENT MAN [Originally Published 1981 or 1982]. I also thought It might be worthwhile to read the novel he followed up with after his sensational book GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN, specifically AFTER DARK [1995].
I read HEARTSTONE in April, but not to be deterred, I tackled his second novel, namely THE LAST INNOCENT MAN. I finished reading it this week in the heat of July.
Margolin demonstrated a surprisingly effective knack for creating unsympathetic characters, beginning with his debut book HEARTSTONE [1978] and this dubious talent did not fail him in his second novel THE LAST INNOCENT MAN [Reprint 1988]. Early on, the reflections of veteran vice detective Bert Ortiz while on assignment with a rookie female partner were chauvinistic and disrespectful at best, and misogynistic at worst. In this second novel , the author's protagonist is embodied by the likes of "the ice man" David Nash, a handsome member of the Defense Bar who has achieved both wealth and fame by the ripe old age of 35. He has successfully defended a number of clients who were guilty of heinous crimes, including but not limited to a sadistic pedophile who raped and tortured the children before brutally murdering them, and in his most recent case involving famous writer Thomas Gault, successfully delivered a "Not Guilty" verdict for the crime of butchering his wife.
The reader learns that initially David was idealistic and passionate, fighting for each and every despicable client with all of his considerable gifts as a brilliant defense attorney. He viewed each victory with pride and a sense of accomplishment, and each loss as a personal failure. This was, of course, unrelated to the client's obvious guilt in the preponderance of cases.
However, although the metamorphosis was suggested to be insidious, David started having qualms about his actions and the manner in which he had earned his impressive fortune and widespread fame. Essentially we find our hero experiencing a "crisis of conscience", a "moral dilemma", and asking himself a lot of difficult and painful questions about both his past and future.
Amidst such trials (no pun intended) and tribulations, David meets a mystery woman and finds himself feeling instant lust for her. She decides to accompany him to his magnificent home with a view, where the two not unsurprisingly find themselves entwined and having passionate sex. She disappears afterwards and the smitten David fails to find out her whereabouts. His friend and partner is justifiably concerned about his mental state.
The cure for what ails David is suggested to be defending a genuinely innocent man. Such a rare case is suddenly dropped into our anguished hero's lap. It is a fellow attorney Larry Stafford who is charged with the vicious beating and slashing of an undercover female vice cop. The attorney's wife has been told to secure the services of David Nash to represent her husband who has been arrested for murder. David is drawn to Stafford's case like a man in hell to a frosted mug of Draft Beer. He is then shocked to learn that his new client's wife is none other than his mystery woman "Valerie". He pays lip service to the ethical dilemma this situation poses, but the reader is hardly surprised when he takes the man's case despite this blatant conflict of interest. The need to turn away from serving as Stafford's lawyer because of his strong sense of integrity is outweighed by his naked desire for his client's wife. This is a more than a little similar to his debut book HEARTSTONE wherein the client arrested for murder is represented in court by a novice attorney who is so obsessed with the client's girlfriend who hired him that he is unable to pay attention in court because he's too busy daydreaming about what the woman would look like lying naked in his bed.
David Nash, however, is hardly the novice attorney depicted in HEARTSTONE. He is a legal genius whose reputation in the courtroom precedes him. He finds himself intermittently questioning if not doubting the innocence of his client. This is in large part I think because he has become so familiar with the glib lies of thieves and killers that it is difficult for him to grasp that his client may really be an innocent man. David goes all out to provide a strong and credible, scientifically sound, stellar, if not sensational defense. Then something happens. He realizes that "the woman of his dreams" lied to him about his client's alibi. Stafford has no alibi for the time of the murder. David is transformed into a shell of his former self at this point, feeling betrayed by the lies of his client and the perjured testimony delivered on the stand by Valerie. The case for the defense was essentially a given "Not Guilty" when David opted to conceal the couple's perjury. The plot then made a radical turn when the desperate DA (Monica, David's Ex) opted to put a known pimp and drug dealer on the stand as a rebuttal witness. Stafford just hung his head and David just folded like an improperly erected tent that a strong breeze had hit. He essentially threw the case away because his moral compass was in freefall. His motive was (through his passive non-action) to prevent another killer from being set free but it constituted flagrantly inept counsel, and if his relationship with Valerie was made public, could be viewed in an even more disgusting light.
David reflected that:
"In the course of representing Larry Stafford, he had betrayed the trust of the court, sold out his principles, and given up on himself."
Stafford is predictably convicted, and David walks away from Valerie and everything else in his life for that matter. Margolin also has perfected the ability to describe a man who is both emotionally and intellectually bankrupt, one who has the capacity to engender disgust and elicit no sympathy from the reader. He can construct characters that repel the reader as effectively as skunk spray. Nash drowns his sorrows in booze, becomes a recluse who drinks and passes out, loses track of time, and ultimately presents to the reader as a pathetic caricature of the once great lawyer, one who is a bloated, stinking, self-loathing shell of a man who doesn't deserve our time or our sympathy.
The fact is, Nash saw himself as a man of substance, strong ethics, honesty and respect for the legalities of his profession. However, he accepted a case that clearly presented conflict of interest. It was downhill from there. He subsequently turned his head and didn't perform his duty and report perjury. Later he convicted his own client by allowing testimony from a criminal that could have been easily averted. It was my opinion that the convicted client's wife would not have felt anything for David but disgust in the end, but then she toyed with David "throwing the case" to pave the way for the two of them to ride off into the sunset with no cares earlier in the story when David could still walk upright.
The courtroom drama is superb, and Margolin arranges for some plot twists of course, but they lacked the element of surprise. Frankly most of the action in the end I could have done without, such as the fate that befell David's good friend who happened to be perhaps one of the only two sympathetic characters in the novel (the other being David's former wife Monica).
I said it about Margolin's first outing with HEARTSTONE, and it bears repeating. If the book had been the first Margolin novel I had ever picked up, I would never have read another thing he had written. I was left with a bad taste in my mouth due to Ortiz's attitude toward women, the unsympathetic characters who populated the book, and the utter disdain I felt for the hero or main protagonist David Nash.
MY REVIEW 2.5 STARS***
I read one of this author's more recent novels this March, notably THE THIRD VICTIM [2018] (Robin Lockwood Book 1). I have been a fan of this prolific, best selling author since reading a sampling from what would necessarily be classified as his early works. I remember picking up THE BURNING MAN (1996) and later on really liking SLEEPING BEAUTY (2004). However, it is accurate to say that it was his widely acclaimed tour de force GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN (1993) that truly "sealed the deal" for me. I have mentioned in a few of my reviews that I was largely limited to "reading" books on tape for a good many years, and the library system didn't necessarily carry that wide of a selection.
Most of us who are familiar with Margolin know that he is certainly a respected and well known veteran of the legal thriller genre. However, it is a bit troubling that critics refer to the author's more current works as "returning" to the level of excellence that underscored his early novels in the '90s (and I am guessing into the early part of the next decade). Therefore I was excited to read THE THIRD VICTIM (2018) which would satisfactorily demonstrate what Margolin has been doing lately to cement his legacy as an author who is deserving of what is not just lavish praise but a veritable host of accolades. I rated the book with a middle of the road three stars, and would add that I have no desire to read the second installment (THE PERFECT ALIBI). I felt that it was an entertaining quick read but lacked the depth and the intensity of his early works.
This left me interested enough to set a goal to go back and read his first two books, namely HEARTSTONE [1978] and THE LAST INNOCENT MAN [Originally Published 1981 or 1982]. I also thought It might be worthwhile to read the novel he followed up with after his sensational book GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN, specifically AFTER DARK [1995].
I read HEARTSTONE in April, but not to be deterred, I tackled his second novel, namely THE LAST INNOCENT MAN. I finished reading it this week in the heat of July.
Margolin demonstrated a surprisingly effective knack for creating unsympathetic characters, beginning with his debut book HEARTSTONE [1978] and this dubious talent did not fail him in his second novel THE LAST INNOCENT MAN [Reprint 1988]. Early on, the reflections of veteran vice detective Bert Ortiz while on assignment with a rookie female partner were chauvinistic and disrespectful at best, and misogynistic at worst. In this second novel , the author's protagonist is embodied by the likes of "the ice man" David Nash, a handsome member of the Defense Bar who has achieved both wealth and fame by the ripe old age of 35. He has successfully defended a number of clients who were guilty of heinous crimes, including but not limited to a sadistic pedophile who raped and tortured the children before brutally murdering them, and in his most recent case involving famous writer Thomas Gault, successfully delivered a "Not Guilty" verdict for the crime of butchering his wife.
The reader learns that initially David was idealistic and passionate, fighting for each and every despicable client with all of his considerable gifts as a brilliant defense attorney. He viewed each victory with pride and a sense of accomplishment, and each loss as a personal failure. This was, of course, unrelated to the client's obvious guilt in the preponderance of cases.
However, although the metamorphosis was suggested to be insidious, David started having qualms about his actions and the manner in which he had earned his impressive fortune and widespread fame. Essentially we find our hero experiencing a "crisis of conscience", a "moral dilemma", and asking himself a lot of difficult and painful questions about both his past and future.
Amidst such trials (no pun intended) and tribulations, David meets a mystery woman and finds himself feeling instant lust for her. She decides to accompany him to his magnificent home with a view, where the two not unsurprisingly find themselves entwined and having passionate sex. She disappears afterwards and the smitten David fails to find out her whereabouts. His friend and partner is justifiably concerned about his mental state.
The cure for what ails David is suggested to be defending a genuinely innocent man. Such a rare case is suddenly dropped into our anguished hero's lap. It is a fellow attorney Larry Stafford who is charged with the vicious beating and slashing of an undercover female vice cop. The attorney's wife has been told to secure the services of David Nash to represent her husband who has been arrested for murder. David is drawn to Stafford's case like a man in hell to a frosted mug of Draft Beer. He is then shocked to learn that his new client's wife is none other than his mystery woman "Valerie". He pays lip service to the ethical dilemma this situation poses, but the reader is hardly surprised when he takes the man's case despite this blatant conflict of interest. The need to turn away from serving as Stafford's lawyer because of his strong sense of integrity is outweighed by his naked desire for his client's wife. This is a more than a little similar to his debut book HEARTSTONE wherein the client arrested for murder is represented in court by a novice attorney who is so obsessed with the client's girlfriend who hired him that he is unable to pay attention in court because he's too busy daydreaming about what the woman would look like lying naked in his bed.
David Nash, however, is hardly the novice attorney depicted in HEARTSTONE. He is a legal genius whose reputation in the courtroom precedes him. He finds himself intermittently questioning if not doubting the innocence of his client. This is in large part I think because he has become so familiar with the glib lies of thieves and killers that it is difficult for him to grasp that his client may really be an innocent man. David goes all out to provide a strong and credible, scientifically sound, stellar, if not sensational defense. Then something happens. He realizes that "the woman of his dreams" lied to him about his client's alibi. Stafford has no alibi for the time of the murder. David is transformed into a shell of his former self at this point, feeling betrayed by the lies of his client and the perjured testimony delivered on the stand by Valerie. The case for the defense was essentially a given "Not Guilty" when David opted to conceal the couple's perjury. The plot then made a radical turn when the desperate DA (Monica, David's Ex) opted to put a known pimp and drug dealer on the stand as a rebuttal witness. Stafford just hung his head and David just folded like an improperly erected tent that a strong breeze had hit. He essentially threw the case away because his moral compass was in freefall. His motive was (through his passive non-action) to prevent another killer from being set free but it constituted flagrantly inept counsel, and if his relationship with Valerie was made public, could be viewed in an even more disgusting light.
David reflected that:
"In the course of representing Larry Stafford, he had betrayed the trust of the court, sold out his principles, and given up on himself."
Stafford is predictably convicted, and David walks away from Valerie and everything else in his life for that matter. Margolin also has perfected the ability to describe a man who is both emotionally and intellectually bankrupt, one who has the capacity to engender disgust and elicit no sympathy from the reader. He can construct characters that repel the reader as effectively as skunk spray. Nash drowns his sorrows in booze, becomes a recluse who drinks and passes out, loses track of time, and ultimately presents to the reader as a pathetic caricature of the once great lawyer, one who is a bloated, stinking, self-loathing shell of a man who doesn't deserve our time or our sympathy.
The fact is, Nash saw himself as a man of substance, strong ethics, honesty and respect for the legalities of his profession. However, he accepted a case that clearly presented conflict of interest. It was downhill from there. He subsequently turned his head and didn't perform his duty and report perjury. Later he convicted his own client by allowing testimony from a criminal that could have been easily averted. It was my opinion that the convicted client's wife would not have felt anything for David but disgust in the end, but then she toyed with David "throwing the case" to pave the way for the two of them to ride off into the sunset with no cares earlier in the story when David could still walk upright.
The courtroom drama is superb, and Margolin arranges for some plot twists of course, but they lacked the element of surprise. Frankly most of the action in the end I could have done without, such as the fate that befell David's good friend who happened to be perhaps one of the only two sympathetic characters in the novel (the other being David's former wife Monica).
I said it about Margolin's first outing with HEARTSTONE, and it bears repeating. If the book had been the first Margolin novel I had ever picked up, I would never have read another thing he had written. I was left with a bad taste in my mouth due to Ortiz's attitude toward women, the unsympathetic characters who populated the book, and the utter disdain I felt for the hero or main protagonist David Nash.
January 1, 2020
Like always, the Portland, Oregon Author does it again!!! Very fast paced and the Trial of the crime, always so Awesome!!!
April 23, 2025
very unexpected ending. tied in too neat of a bow.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2021
An easy uncomplicated read.
November 11, 2018
This is my second book by Philip Margolin. His books are always about crimes supposedly committed by high profile personalities. In After dark, it was a prosecutor accused of murder. Here, it is an attorney who practices commercial law firm who is accused of murder. The ethical dilemmas are always glaring. Here the defence counsel appearing on behalf of Larry Stafford has an inappropriate relationship with his clients wife. At some point there is a suggestion from her to deliberately loose the trial so that her husband can go to jail and have a chance of being with the defence attorney.
Perjury is also another issue. His (Philip Margolin) are very well poised for being used in schools to explain to students the do's and don'ts when it comes to the practice of law. But, the world is changing very fast and ethical rules are changing as fast as our generations. A very interesting book
Perjury is also another issue. His (Philip Margolin) are very well poised for being used in schools to explain to students the do's and don'ts when it comes to the practice of law. But, the world is changing very fast and ethical rules are changing as fast as our generations. A very interesting book
January 29, 2015
Everyone accused of a crime is guaranteed a legal defense, the question here is when does attorney/client privilege cross the line of an objective legal defense! Loved the plot, some of the characters were questionable. This was a page turner for me, I could not put this book down. Liked this book better than Gone But Not Forgotten. I have four more of Phillip Margolin's books to read, hope they live up to this one. I liked the suspense and twists in the plot. Phillip Margolin moved up on my list of favorite authors. I work in an attorney's office, not criminal defense but the inner workings of the legal profession are interesting.
March 21, 2020
Easy To Read ~ Entertaining ~ Haunting - Page-Turner ~ Realistic ~ Twisted ~ Unpredictable ~ Wonderful Characters
A very interesting, entertaining and easy to read book with enough twists and turns along the way to keep you guessing. Margolin is one of the best at these type of books and this was one of the early books of his writing career that made me fall in love with his writing. He's gotten better over the years but you can't go wrong with this one if you are a fan of legal dramas.
A very interesting, entertaining and easy to read book with enough twists and turns along the way to keep you guessing. Margolin is one of the best at these type of books and this was one of the early books of his writing career that made me fall in love with his writing. He's gotten better over the years but you can't go wrong with this one if you are a fan of legal dramas.
November 21, 2017
A defense lawyer is getting pangs of guilt when he thinks about all the criminals he keeps out of prison. He gets involved with a case that gets complicated because he's messing around with his clients wife. A murderer that he got off gets involved and all hell breaks loose.
March 6, 2019
More twists and turns than a NASCAR race. Couldn't lay it down!
Just when you think book is predictable you are proven wrong. A real page turner. Involves multiple scenarios with an unpredictable cast of characters.
Just when you think book is predictable you are proven wrong. A real page turner. Involves multiple scenarios with an unpredictable cast of characters.
July 18, 2009
It was ok. Nothing special. Lawyers, a murder, trials, blah blah blah.
November 1, 2018
It had lots of twist and turns and kept me intrigued. I'd highly recommend to someone who loves to read realistic crime fiction.
October 11, 2025
finished 11th october 2025 good read three stars i liked it no less no more kindle library loaner have read more than a handful of stories from margolin phillip this one marks the second in a row and i wonder how many have similar storylines? maybe more than a few. nothing wrong with that thhe storyline does work call it gut-wrenching, heart-breaking, the last innocent man and from 1981 no less only 110 reviews here at goodreads unlikely to change probably when fashionable ideology dictates readers flock to stories with a lot of butt-fucking and cock-sucking, stories with all those letters applied to them, stories the faithful can call out "hateful" to anyone who disagrees with them.
goodreads had one of those stories as a recommendation to me, something i might like, and how the fuck they came to that conclusion is beyond me...other than fashionable ideology and the old methodology of calling anyone "haters" who disagrees.
hi fucking ho.
so yeah, good read, story about a lawyer, story one is likely to call our so-called justice system to account. when all it ultimately is a win/lose column while polite people talk about standing firm, innocent until proven guilty, blah de blah, and ignore the two-tier justice system that attacks trump for this that the other fucking thing and then calls foul when the same justice system is applied to fat ass james. yeah, that justice system. elevated by the same fucking media that calls an assassination attempt a "loud noise" so forth so on.
do they expect a different outcome?
where the hell was i? yeah, lawyer, wrestling with defending people, learning he freed up some asshole to kill again. eager investigators locked and loaded. another death. more from our justice system. the machine rolls on. so fort so on. i have another margolin phillip story lined up and ready to go.
note to goodreads: i'd prefer not to read a story about some retarded male dressed as a girl who many argue should be allowed to pee in the girls' room so that others can feel good about how diverse they are while calling anyone who disagrees a hater. leave me out.
goodreads had one of those stories as a recommendation to me, something i might like, and how the fuck they came to that conclusion is beyond me...other than fashionable ideology and the old methodology of calling anyone "haters" who disagrees.
hi fucking ho.
so yeah, good read, story about a lawyer, story one is likely to call our so-called justice system to account. when all it ultimately is a win/lose column while polite people talk about standing firm, innocent until proven guilty, blah de blah, and ignore the two-tier justice system that attacks trump for this that the other fucking thing and then calls foul when the same justice system is applied to fat ass james. yeah, that justice system. elevated by the same fucking media that calls an assassination attempt a "loud noise" so forth so on.
do they expect a different outcome?
where the hell was i? yeah, lawyer, wrestling with defending people, learning he freed up some asshole to kill again. eager investigators locked and loaded. another death. more from our justice system. the machine rolls on. so fort so on. i have another margolin phillip story lined up and ready to go.
note to goodreads: i'd prefer not to read a story about some retarded male dressed as a girl who many argue should be allowed to pee in the girls' room so that others can feel good about how diverse they are while calling anyone who disagrees a hater. leave me out.
January 26, 2021
OMG He's done it again. At first I was falling a sleep a bit only because I haven't read in a long time & am usually tired but then closer to the middle of the book I became wide awake once I got deeper into the story & was able to focus. He draws you in like no other! I love how this author paints a vivid picture so it's as if you're watching a movie as you read. My favourite author of all time. I thought I read the book before only because there's a part slightly similar to another of his books however I remember which book I actually read & it was the 1st time ever reading this book. This and 1 other author so far have been the only ones to catch my attention & force me to read the entire book from start to finish because it's so entertaining. Legal thrillers has to be one of my favourite genres!
Read
April 15, 2021From Follett: Defense attorney David Nash has made a career out of setting monsters free and no one does it better. Now a case has come to "the Ice Man" that could help cleanse Nash of the guilt and doubts that torment him: that rarest of all defendants, an innocent man.
A family man, a rising star in the legal profession, this new client has been accused of a heinous crime the brutal murder of an undercover vice cop. But the case that is supposed to be Nash's redemption could prove to be his downfall, dragging him into a dark and sinister world where lies and the truth are interchangeable; where the manipulator becomes the manipulated, and every answer spawns more complex and terrifying questions. And as the shadows close in around him, the final question that remains for David Nash concerns his own fate: life . . . or death?
A family man, a rising star in the legal profession, this new client has been accused of a heinous crime the brutal murder of an undercover vice cop. But the case that is supposed to be Nash's redemption could prove to be his downfall, dragging him into a dark and sinister world where lies and the truth are interchangeable; where the manipulator becomes the manipulated, and every answer spawns more complex and terrifying questions. And as the shadows close in around him, the final question that remains for David Nash concerns his own fate: life . . . or death?
May 11, 2018
Ah, I can't even haha. I love this book! My first Margolin. The legal terms were delivered well even if it was published 17 years ago. The ending was amazing and was my favorite part. One issue tho that I have with this is that for a thriller-action book, the suspect's identity was pretty obvious (for me).
P.S. This is my favorite thriller book at the moment.
P.P.S. I bought this after the USC Entrance Exams
P.P.P.S I BOUGHT IT FOR 15 PESOS AT BOOK SALE. 15 FRIGGING PESOS!!!!! AND BOOM WOW THIS. IS. OFFICIALLY. MY. FAVORITE. LEGAL-THRILLER. BOOK. [ASOFTHEMOMENT]
P.S. This is my favorite thriller book at the moment.
P.P.S. I bought this after the USC Entrance Exams
P.P.P.S I BOUGHT IT FOR 15 PESOS AT BOOK SALE. 15 FRIGGING PESOS!!!!! AND BOOM WOW THIS. IS. OFFICIALLY. MY. FAVORITE. LEGAL-THRILLER. BOOK. [ASOFTHEMOMENT]
January 1, 2023
Really easy to read! The suspense kept me going through and through. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole Criminal Law aspect of the book, probably from my Theodore Boone era I had. What was a little off for me was how it was a bit difficult for me to connect the dots ans break the mystery WITH the book and plot. Although the ending was very much climactic until the end, how it ended somehow didn't feel very satisfying. Overall it is a great easy read on the topic of Criminal Law with an entertaining plot.
April 8, 2023
This is an early stand alone story from Margolin. The story revolves around a high powered criminal attorney at the top of his game who is suddenly faced with a serous ethical and moral question. What is truth and what is the greater good come to play. Curious as to how his decision plays out later in his life. Good read, some of the police/suspect interactions would not play today with the advent of technology but this did not distract from the storyline.
July 17, 2025
If you ever wondered how a lawyer can defend someone who committed a heinous crime, this novel digs in deep. David Nash is a successful criminal lawyer who is having a crisis just about this dilemma. After winning a case for someone who, after his acquittal, tells Nash he did commit the crime. The next case that comes his way is someone who Nash believes is innocent of murdering an undercover police woman. Twists, turns and moral dilemmas abound. Well done.
November 8, 2021
Predictably Margolin writes about a lawyer who finds himself in a legal and moral dilemma that seems impossible to escape. I felt that in this one the main character, David Nash, wasn’t as sympathetic as in some of his other books. Nevertheless the plot twists were engaging enough to keep my attention and to keep reading.
June 16, 2022
An improbable story development. A sudden reversal of a persona (character - strong, decisive, intent, ambitious, well groomed to a whimpering, slovenly, overweight she'll of a person), pivotal coincidence (blond hair, flowery shirt, tan slacks, beige Mercedes, athletic build), an unexplained but important finding by the defense, key to its argument (photo reconstitution)...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 28, 2017
Margolin has a way of twisting the plot in an unexpected way. The novel was inticing all the way through, but I felt like the events in the end of the book werent fully developed. That and the annoyance of the characters theirselves kept this book from getting a higher rating.
January 13, 2023
I read this book because it was a mystery. However, the book had ethical implications which interested and intrigued me. As usual, the story came to a good conclusion and the twists and turns were unexpected.
February 27, 2023
Attorney David Nash is a criminal defense lawyer and has had a great career in setting some criminals free. His conscious is kicking in and he has a case that has become to personal. It's a great adventure and a super read.
November 26, 2017
Worth every penny I didn't pay grabbing this book from a Little Free Library down the block.
March 23, 2018
Ok
Pedestrian ok read maybe another will be ok yeah just filling up the 7 more words on the review done
Pedestrian ok read maybe another will be ok yeah just filling up the 7 more words on the review done
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