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Rachel Gold Mysteries #8
The Flinch Factor
Several years have passed since we last saw stunning, savvy attorney Rachel Gold. She was then engaged to be married. Since, she’s become a mother, then a widow, and now a reluctant participant in a lost cause: the Frankenstein Case. She represents a blue-collar neighborhood fighting a powerful developer intent on bulldozing their homes to erect a swanky gated community.
Rachel’s strategy will be based on the wild card that is the judge on the case—a judge so wacky he’s known to the St. Louis Bar as “The Flinch Factor.”
Then Rachel gains another new client: Susannah, sister of Nick Moran, the heartthrob of every woman whose kitchen he remodeled. Nick has been murdered, found slumped on the front seat of his pickup along an isolated lane known to the vice squad as Gay Way. His pants are unzipped, a coil of rubber tubing lies on the seat, an empty syringe on the floor. His female groupies are, to say the least, stunned. His sister is convinced that it is foul play.
Although Susannah seems the classic adoring younger sister, a skeptical Rachel agrees to check it out. To her surprise, she turns up facts suggesting that maybe, just maybe, Nick’s death was not an accident. Are NIck’s death and Rachel’s Frankenstein case somehow related?
Rachel’s strategy will be based on the wild card that is the judge on the case—a judge so wacky he’s known to the St. Louis Bar as “The Flinch Factor.”
Then Rachel gains another new client: Susannah, sister of Nick Moran, the heartthrob of every woman whose kitchen he remodeled. Nick has been murdered, found slumped on the front seat of his pickup along an isolated lane known to the vice squad as Gay Way. His pants are unzipped, a coil of rubber tubing lies on the seat, an empty syringe on the floor. His female groupies are, to say the least, stunned. His sister is convinced that it is foul play.
Although Susannah seems the classic adoring younger sister, a skeptical Rachel agrees to check it out. To her surprise, she turns up facts suggesting that maybe, just maybe, Nick’s death was not an accident. Are NIck’s death and Rachel’s Frankenstein case somehow related?
- GenresMysteryLegal Thriller
8 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 30, 2013
12 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
Michael A. Kahn
25 books44 followersPseudonym for Michael Baron.
Michael Kahn is a trial lawyer by day and an author at night. He wrote his first novel, GRAVE DESIGNS, on a challenge from his wife Margi, who got tired of listening to the same answer whenever she asked him about a book he was reading. "Not bad," he would say, "but I could write a better book than that." "Then write one," she finally said, "or please shut up." So he shut up for a few months--no easy task for an attorney--but finally wrote one.
Kahn is the award-winning author of 11 Rachel Gold novels, the most recent being BAD TRUST, and three stand-alone novels: the recently published PLAYED!, about which Library Journal wrote, "“Fans of quick reads . . . will be well served by this thriller’s fast pace"; THE SIRENA QUEST, which Publishers Weekly praised as “Equal parts rollicking adventure, existential and spiritual quest, and coming-of-(middle)-age tale”; and THE MOURNING SEXTON, a mystery novel under the pen name Michael Baron. His most recent Rachel Gold novel, THE DEAD HAND, was published last fall.
In addition to his day job as a lawyer, he is an adjunct professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis, where he teaches a class on censorship and free expression. Married to his high school sweetheart, he is the father of five and the grandfather of, so far, five.
Michael Kahn is a trial lawyer by day and an author at night. He wrote his first novel, GRAVE DESIGNS, on a challenge from his wife Margi, who got tired of listening to the same answer whenever she asked him about a book he was reading. "Not bad," he would say, "but I could write a better book than that." "Then write one," she finally said, "or please shut up." So he shut up for a few months--no easy task for an attorney--but finally wrote one.
Kahn is the award-winning author of 11 Rachel Gold novels, the most recent being BAD TRUST, and three stand-alone novels: the recently published PLAYED!, about which Library Journal wrote, "“Fans of quick reads . . . will be well served by this thriller’s fast pace"; THE SIRENA QUEST, which Publishers Weekly praised as “Equal parts rollicking adventure, existential and spiritual quest, and coming-of-(middle)-age tale”; and THE MOURNING SEXTON, a mystery novel under the pen name Michael Baron. His most recent Rachel Gold novel, THE DEAD HAND, was published last fall.
In addition to his day job as a lawyer, he is an adjunct professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis, where he teaches a class on censorship and free expression. Married to his high school sweetheart, he is the father of five and the grandfather of, so far, five.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 20, 2013
First Sentence: The year People magazine selected George Clooney as its Sexiest Man in the World, women in that part of the world known as St. Louis shook their heads.
Attorney Rachel Gold is in the midst of a case representing residents of a community in threat of losing their homes to a wealthy and powerful developer. However, a contractor, Nick Moran, who had done beautiful work on Rachel’s home has been found dead in a scene suggesting gay sex and a heroin overdose. Nick’s sister doesn’t believe any of it and asks Rachel to investigate. The further Rachel investigates the more complicated and intertwined the two cases become.
There seems to be some confusion as to the title of this book. The e-galley I received from NetGalley lists it as "Zero Sum". However, the galley itself shows it as "The Flinch Factor."
No matter the title, Mr. Kahn has made me a very happy reader by bringing back Rachel Gold and her friends. Better still is the fact that new readers, those who have no idea that this last book in this very good series came out 11 years ago, will have no problem making this their first Rachel Gold read.
The characters are wonderful, smart, interesting, and just quirky enough to completely enthrall the reader. Rachel, a widow with a son and two step-daughters, is smart and capable but has her mom there to help her. Benny, long time friend and brilliant professor of law with no fashion sense, is the friend everyone would like to have. Add to the cast Jacqui Brand, partner in Rachel’s law firm, and Detective Tomaso, and these are characters you feel you could know and about whom you would care. Even the unique, and often troublesome, Judge Howard Flinch, becomes someone you rather hope to see again.
Kahn’s voice is a pleasure to read. I hate to say that men don’t often write female protagonists well. Kahn does. His dialogue is quick, sharp, natural and often very funny. There are times you do laugh out loud. At one point, Rachel is thinking about her widowed mother and the number of suitors she could have, were she so inclined. “She has gone on record that the developer of Viagra deserves a special place in Hell. I try my best not to think about the implications of that statement.”
The plot has very good twists. The legal aspects of the cases are clearly explained and never overwhelm the reader. The courtroom scenes were very well done and very visual. The pacing of the story has realistic ebb and flow. I even forgive the one portent which could have been left out.
“The Flinch Factor” is a true legal mystery and a very good read.
THE FLINCH FACTOR (Leg. Mys-Rachel Gold-St. Louis, MO-Contemp)-VG
Kahn, Michael A. – 9th in series
Poisoned Pen Press, 2013
Attorney Rachel Gold is in the midst of a case representing residents of a community in threat of losing their homes to a wealthy and powerful developer. However, a contractor, Nick Moran, who had done beautiful work on Rachel’s home has been found dead in a scene suggesting gay sex and a heroin overdose. Nick’s sister doesn’t believe any of it and asks Rachel to investigate. The further Rachel investigates the more complicated and intertwined the two cases become.
There seems to be some confusion as to the title of this book. The e-galley I received from NetGalley lists it as "Zero Sum". However, the galley itself shows it as "The Flinch Factor."
No matter the title, Mr. Kahn has made me a very happy reader by bringing back Rachel Gold and her friends. Better still is the fact that new readers, those who have no idea that this last book in this very good series came out 11 years ago, will have no problem making this their first Rachel Gold read.
The characters are wonderful, smart, interesting, and just quirky enough to completely enthrall the reader. Rachel, a widow with a son and two step-daughters, is smart and capable but has her mom there to help her. Benny, long time friend and brilliant professor of law with no fashion sense, is the friend everyone would like to have. Add to the cast Jacqui Brand, partner in Rachel’s law firm, and Detective Tomaso, and these are characters you feel you could know and about whom you would care. Even the unique, and often troublesome, Judge Howard Flinch, becomes someone you rather hope to see again.
Kahn’s voice is a pleasure to read. I hate to say that men don’t often write female protagonists well. Kahn does. His dialogue is quick, sharp, natural and often very funny. There are times you do laugh out loud. At one point, Rachel is thinking about her widowed mother and the number of suitors she could have, were she so inclined. “She has gone on record that the developer of Viagra deserves a special place in Hell. I try my best not to think about the implications of that statement.”
The plot has very good twists. The legal aspects of the cases are clearly explained and never overwhelm the reader. The courtroom scenes were very well done and very visual. The pacing of the story has realistic ebb and flow. I even forgive the one portent which could have been left out.
“The Flinch Factor” is a true legal mystery and a very good read.
THE FLINCH FACTOR (Leg. Mys-Rachel Gold-St. Louis, MO-Contemp)-VG
Kahn, Michael A. – 9th in series
Poisoned Pen Press, 2013
December 22, 2017
I enjoyment this. While not really relevant to others' experience of the book, part of what I liked so much was that the book is set in Saint Louis, where I live. I alway love seeing characters going to familiar places and enacting local quirks. Kahn did right by our fair city.
More widely relevant is how diverse the cast is. I always appreciate this. Rachel is Jewish (and fully adult, no 24-year-old heroine with a miraculous law degree here), her best friend is fat and successful in both his professional and romantic life, her legal partner is transgendered and hit on repeatedly (as well as being like 6' 2" and about 250lbs), the main police detective is old, one of her friends is gay, and the individuals Rachel encounters through the book came in a rainbow of races.
The mystery isn't hard to figure out. In fact, it's pretty obvious. But being a legal thriller, not a mystery, the fun is in Rachel figuring out how to prove it. I did think she took too long to put the pieces together, considering how smart she's obviously supposed to be. But all in all, a good read.
An additional note: This is book eight in a series. I've not read 1-7, but had no problem picking this one up and following it.
More widely relevant is how diverse the cast is. I always appreciate this. Rachel is Jewish (and fully adult, no 24-year-old heroine with a miraculous law degree here), her best friend is fat and successful in both his professional and romantic life, her legal partner is transgendered and hit on repeatedly (as well as being like 6' 2" and about 250lbs), the main police detective is old, one of her friends is gay, and the individuals Rachel encounters through the book came in a rainbow of races.
The mystery isn't hard to figure out. In fact, it's pretty obvious. But being a legal thriller, not a mystery, the fun is in Rachel figuring out how to prove it. I did think she took too long to put the pieces together, considering how smart she's obviously supposed to be. But all in all, a good read.
An additional note: This is book eight in a series. I've not read 1-7, but had no problem picking this one up and following it.
June 7, 2013
“The Flinch Factor” is the latest in the long-running Rachel Gold legal series. Rachel is now widowed and raising her young son and two step-daughters on her own. She and her legal partner Jacki Brand are dealing with two difficult cases. The first case deals with a neighborhood fighting the purchase of their homes for a new development and the other involves the sister of a man found dead in a car who is convinced her brother was murdered. The two partners, along with help from Rachel’s best friend Benny Goldberg, do some sleuthing to get information to help their clients and are shocked at the direction the cases take.
I have been reading this series since the beginning and was excited to see a new installment had been written. I was not disappointed in this suspenseful, but fun novel. Longtime readers of the series will be pleased, but it’s accessible to new readers as well. The book is a great mixture of mystery, courtroom drama, and humor filled with quirky, but believable and likeable characters – some to root for and some to root against! Jacki and Benny are “characters” in every sense of the word. Rachel is more serious and more conventional than her two friends but all three are smart, loyal, and make a great team.
The courtroom scenes are excellent and it’s great seeing Rachel use her wits to turn the assignment of an unpredictable and sometimes incompetent judge to her advantage. The case involving unscrupulous developers was thought-provoking. There is depth to the book and yet it is fun to read, partly because of the balance between Rachel, the attorney, and Rachel the woman. The parts of the book showing Rachel’s relationship with her high school and college-aged step-daughters are also excellent. It’s touching to see the three help each other deal with their grief over the death of Rachel’s husband.
This is a fun, interesting book and it’s great seeing Rachel in action again. The St. Louis setting is a bonus for me and makes the book even better. Readers who don’t know Rachel, but enjoy the “Ben Kincaid” series by William Bernhardt will enjoy the latest by Michael A. Kahn.
I received this book from NetGalley, through the courtesy of Poisoned Pen Press, in exchange for an honest review.
I have been reading this series since the beginning and was excited to see a new installment had been written. I was not disappointed in this suspenseful, but fun novel. Longtime readers of the series will be pleased, but it’s accessible to new readers as well. The book is a great mixture of mystery, courtroom drama, and humor filled with quirky, but believable and likeable characters – some to root for and some to root against! Jacki and Benny are “characters” in every sense of the word. Rachel is more serious and more conventional than her two friends but all three are smart, loyal, and make a great team.
The courtroom scenes are excellent and it’s great seeing Rachel use her wits to turn the assignment of an unpredictable and sometimes incompetent judge to her advantage. The case involving unscrupulous developers was thought-provoking. There is depth to the book and yet it is fun to read, partly because of the balance between Rachel, the attorney, and Rachel the woman. The parts of the book showing Rachel’s relationship with her high school and college-aged step-daughters are also excellent. It’s touching to see the three help each other deal with their grief over the death of Rachel’s husband.
This is a fun, interesting book and it’s great seeing Rachel in action again. The St. Louis setting is a bonus for me and makes the book even better. Readers who don’t know Rachel, but enjoy the “Ben Kincaid” series by William Bernhardt will enjoy the latest by Michael A. Kahn.
I received this book from NetGalley, through the courtesy of Poisoned Pen Press, in exchange for an honest review.
March 19, 2014
Oh, Rachel Gold--I've missed you and STL!
July 20, 2018
Good but the mystery isn't very mysterious
July 28, 2019
Entertaining, especially for those of us who live in St. Louis.
October 5, 2020
This is one of my favorite mystery/legal series. Rachel is a terrific heroine and it was nice to catch up with her after a long absence. I love the humor and the courtroom shenanigans. Do yourself a favor and read the series in order from the beginning.
February 18, 2013
I received a free download of Zero Sum: A Rachel Gold Mystery through the NetGalley book review program, in exchange for an honest review.I really enjoyed reading this mystery novel,and I was glued to my seat to see what would happen next.
Rachel Gold is a Saint Louis attorney, who lost her husband, Jonathan, four years ago who died in a plane crash.She is now left to raise their son, Sam, who was two at the time of the accident, along with her two stepdaughters.
At work, Rachel is involved in the "Frankenstein Case",in a settlement representing the homeowners against some powerful developers, that want to bulldoze their homes, exploiting the situation, by tapping into public funds to construct shopping malls etc.
Nick Moran (Moran Renovations), renovated kitchens and bathrooms in upscale neighborhoods in St. Louis.He was very hot, and all his women clients ran after him...for further service.Then the police found Nick's pickup truck,in a isolated lane known as "Gay Way" shortly after nine in the morning, with Nick's corpse inside.The medical examiner determined cause of death to be lethal overdose.
Nick's sister, Susannah, seeks out Rachel, convinced that her brother wasn't gay or involved in drugs...and that his death was not an accident. Rachel agrees to see what she can find out.
But then Rachel starts to believe that Nick's death was not an accidental overdose. And how could there be a connection to her Frankenstein lawsuit? Rachel must push on to solve the mystery.
A fast paced novel with believable characters. A very enjoyable read.
Rachel Gold is a Saint Louis attorney, who lost her husband, Jonathan, four years ago who died in a plane crash.She is now left to raise their son, Sam, who was two at the time of the accident, along with her two stepdaughters.
At work, Rachel is involved in the "Frankenstein Case",in a settlement representing the homeowners against some powerful developers, that want to bulldoze their homes, exploiting the situation, by tapping into public funds to construct shopping malls etc.
Nick Moran (Moran Renovations), renovated kitchens and bathrooms in upscale neighborhoods in St. Louis.He was very hot, and all his women clients ran after him...for further service.Then the police found Nick's pickup truck,in a isolated lane known as "Gay Way" shortly after nine in the morning, with Nick's corpse inside.The medical examiner determined cause of death to be lethal overdose.
Nick's sister, Susannah, seeks out Rachel, convinced that her brother wasn't gay or involved in drugs...and that his death was not an accident. Rachel agrees to see what she can find out.
But then Rachel starts to believe that Nick's death was not an accidental overdose. And how could there be a connection to her Frankenstein lawsuit? Rachel must push on to solve the mystery.
A fast paced novel with believable characters. A very enjoyable read.
January 5, 2016
If I ever get in a jam and need a lawyer, I want someone like Rachel Gold. She's the attorney at the heart of a series of books by Michael A. Kahn. Rachel has her own practice; she tried the corporate law firm structure and decided it wasn't for her. She moved back to St. Louis to be near her mother following her father's unexpected death. If you enjoy unraveling clues, then sit back and enjoy the ride. Each book has its own journey, but I highly recommend starting with the first in the series.
The Flinch Factor is a term the attorneys in her fictional St. Louis have named after Judge Flinch (read the book for the explanation). Rachel has sued a large building mogul on behalf of a group of homeowners who are fighting to keep their homes being being purchased and the land turned into another McMansion community.
She's also been asked by the sister of a small contractor who did some renovations at her home to investigate his death. He was found in his truck in an area frequented by men who want anonymous sex and with rubber tubing and a syringe in his arm. The police have declared the death an accidental heroin overdose. His sister insists he was not gay and did not use drugs. Rachel did not believe it either, since she admitted to herself he was hot.
Legal maneuvers, a dead body, lots of inappropriate comments and help from her best friend (a law professor at a local college), unexplained comments from the defendant in what could become an eminent domain case, and plenty of hard work researching old files all lead to a courtroom ending.
The Flinch Factor is a term the attorneys in her fictional St. Louis have named after Judge Flinch (read the book for the explanation). Rachel has sued a large building mogul on behalf of a group of homeowners who are fighting to keep their homes being being purchased and the land turned into another McMansion community.
She's also been asked by the sister of a small contractor who did some renovations at her home to investigate his death. He was found in his truck in an area frequented by men who want anonymous sex and with rubber tubing and a syringe in his arm. The police have declared the death an accidental heroin overdose. His sister insists he was not gay and did not use drugs. Rachel did not believe it either, since she admitted to herself he was hot.
Legal maneuvers, a dead body, lots of inappropriate comments and help from her best friend (a law professor at a local college), unexplained comments from the defendant in what could become an eminent domain case, and plenty of hard work researching old files all lead to a courtroom ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 28, 2013
Another book my wife brought home. This one is by a St. Louis author, who manages to incorporate a lot of St. Louis factoids, foibles, legends and landmarks into a fairly predictable but fun read.
If you are from St. Louis, and read the Post-Dispatch, you will recognize some of the characters, even though the names have been changed; in some cases, the characters are an amalgamation of several people in the news in the past few years.
I'd definitely recommend it for people that like to identify strongly with the story setting, like a spunky, resourceful heroine and don't mind if they figure out whodunit two-thirds of the way through the book. The chapters are short, which makes it great for bedstand or bathroom reading, and compelling enough that you don't feel the need to put the book down.
If this book were food, it would be Prairie Farms Raspberry Sherbet. Not very heavy, not very complex, but refreshing. I'll probably see if the library has a couple more of these.
If you are from St. Louis, and read the Post-Dispatch, you will recognize some of the characters, even though the names have been changed; in some cases, the characters are an amalgamation of several people in the news in the past few years.
I'd definitely recommend it for people that like to identify strongly with the story setting, like a spunky, resourceful heroine and don't mind if they figure out whodunit two-thirds of the way through the book. The chapters are short, which makes it great for bedstand or bathroom reading, and compelling enough that you don't feel the need to put the book down.
If this book were food, it would be Prairie Farms Raspberry Sherbet. Not very heavy, not very complex, but refreshing. I'll probably see if the library has a couple more of these.
July 22, 2013
Although I'm a fan of this series, there's something about legal mysteries that just doesn't appeal to me, from Perry Mason right on up. (Another exception is Michael Bowen's wonderfully quirky writing.) Series heroine widowed Rachel Gold agrees to look into the death of remodeler Nick Moran. He'd done some work for her, and like all his customers, she'd found him attractive as well as efficient. But she's mostly concentrating on preventing a developer from using eminent domain to raze a small, happy neighborhood where her mother's friend lives. St. Louis must be a nicer place than some of the places I've lived, because I was able to figure out what was going on with a mysterious construction company before Rachel, her transsexual partner Jacki, or their cynical law professor friend did.
January 11, 2015
While the cover pointed to this as a Rachel Gold Mystery, this was my first exposure to the series. Gold is an attorney who is working on a case defending homeowners fighting to keep their homes despite a wealthy developer's efforts to raze their houses in order to build a luxury development on the site. The one advantage that may possibly help is that the judge hearing it is seen as unreliable, known to the local lawyers as "The Flinch Factor.
As a favor to her sister who suspects foul play as the cause, Gold also investigates the death of a man found dead of an apparent drug overdose. The deeper Gold gets in both cases, the more she wonders if the two are not related. (287 p.)
February 11, 2013
This is a spellbinding courtroom drama/mystery beginning innocently
with attorney Rachel Gold working on a seemingly lost cause case involving a contractor’s scheme to destroy a neighborhood to build an exclusive gated community.
But her lost cause quickly becomes wrapped up in her attempt to find the real cause of a popular house rehab guy’s death. Was he really gay, despite his many affairs with many wives? Or was he murdered?
Rich in humor and intrigue, this one terrific read you won’t want to miss.
with attorney Rachel Gold working on a seemingly lost cause case involving a contractor’s scheme to destroy a neighborhood to build an exclusive gated community.
But her lost cause quickly becomes wrapped up in her attempt to find the real cause of a popular house rehab guy’s death. Was he really gay, despite his many affairs with many wives? Or was he murdered?
Rich in humor and intrigue, this one terrific read you won’t want to miss.
January 2, 2014
I really enjoy the Rachel Gold mysteries but this one was a disappointment. Unlike the earlier ones, I figured out the plot twist early. Plus, it seems like the author doesn't want Rachel to ever be happy (and after all she had been through in previous books I thought her personal life might get a little easier). Still love the characters and the St. Louis details but I would recommend other books in the series over this one.
October 22, 2016
A mystery novel set in St.Louis, this latest in the "Rachel Gold" series kept my attention throughout and I grew to like the main character as she set about solving the murder mystery. I look forward to reading the earlier books in this series.
September 6, 2014
A very fun read(listen, actually); another audio book on our vacation. It's a local mystery with good characters and twists and turns. The St. Louis references have good substance and are not just thrown in to make locals feel good. Both Norm and I laughed out loud and enjoyed.
August 6, 2013
He hasn't written a book in a few years. I like his writing and especially all his references about St. Louis. Made me homesick!!
June 26, 2014
My first time to read a book by this author. The book was engaging with plenty of laughs along with a tidying plot. I'll look for more books by this writer!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews