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Jersey Girl #6
Good Lieutenant
LA lawyer Sandy Moss comes to falsely accused lieutenant Trench's aid in this final instalment of the critically acclaimed legal cozy mystery series.
While settling into her new home in Los Angeles together with her boyfriend and TV star Patrick McNabb, attorney Sandy Moss receives a phone call from the LA Men’s Detention Center. It’s a new client accused of the near-stoic Lt. K.C. Trench!
Being good at his job but not well-liked in his department, Trench is accused of killing a fellow LA police officer whom he openly despised and threatened. With the odds against her, Sandy takes on the case of her sometime nemesis/sometime ally. She is certain that Trench can’t be the killer. It seems like someone is trying to pin the murder on him, but who and why? And what isn’t Trench telling her?
Sandy has a tricky case on her hands with all the evidence pointing at Trench as the murderer, but one thing is clear, she will help the stoic lieutenant, even if it puts her in unimaginable danger . . .
Think Suits with a touch of This witty cozy mystery is perfect for fans of classic courtroom Loveable, streetwise heroine Sandy “could give Perry Mason a run for his money” ( Kirkus Reviews ).
While settling into her new home in Los Angeles together with her boyfriend and TV star Patrick McNabb, attorney Sandy Moss receives a phone call from the LA Men’s Detention Center. It’s a new client accused of the near-stoic Lt. K.C. Trench!
Being good at his job but not well-liked in his department, Trench is accused of killing a fellow LA police officer whom he openly despised and threatened. With the odds against her, Sandy takes on the case of her sometime nemesis/sometime ally. She is certain that Trench can’t be the killer. It seems like someone is trying to pin the murder on him, but who and why? And what isn’t Trench telling her?
Sandy has a tricky case on her hands with all the evidence pointing at Trench as the murderer, but one thing is clear, she will help the stoic lieutenant, even if it puts her in unimaginable danger . . .
Think Suits with a touch of This witty cozy mystery is perfect for fans of classic courtroom Loveable, streetwise heroine Sandy “could give Perry Mason a run for his money” ( Kirkus Reviews ).
297 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 3, 2024
10 people are currently reading
40 people want to read
About the author
E.J. Copperman
34 books840 followersLibrarian note: E.J. Copperman is the pen name for author
Jeff Cohen
E.J. Copperman is a mysterious figure, or has a mysterious figure, or writes figuratively in mysteries. In any event, a New Jersey native, E.J. has written for such publications as The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, American Baby and USA Weekend. Night of the Living Deed is the first E.J. Copperman novel. It will be followed in 2011 by An Uninvited Ghost, the second in the Haunted Guesthouse mystery series.
E.J., having worked as a newspaper reporter, teacher, magazine editor, and screenwriter, writes stories that combine humor and mystery with just the right amount of spooky supernatural happenings and a large doses of Jersey attitude.
Sound like we’re being evasive? Well, the fact is that E.J. Copperman is the pseudonym of a well-known mystery novelist, now embarking on a new type of story that includes some elements of the supernatural as well as a fair number of laughs. And the Copperman novels will have a different attitude, a different setting and completely different characters than anything that has come before, so E.J. really is a new author.
E.J. Copperman is a mysterious figure, or has a mysterious figure, or writes figuratively in mysteries. In any event, a New Jersey native, E.J. has written for such publications as The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, American Baby and USA Weekend. Night of the Living Deed is the first E.J. Copperman novel. It will be followed in 2011 by An Uninvited Ghost, the second in the Haunted Guesthouse mystery series.
E.J., having worked as a newspaper reporter, teacher, magazine editor, and screenwriter, writes stories that combine humor and mystery with just the right amount of spooky supernatural happenings and a large doses of Jersey attitude.
Sound like we’re being evasive? Well, the fact is that E.J. Copperman is the pseudonym of a well-known mystery novelist, now embarking on a new type of story that includes some elements of the supernatural as well as a fair number of laughs. And the Copperman novels will have a different attitude, a different setting and completely different characters than anything that has come before, so E.J. really is a new author.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
December 4, 2024
I love this series because of the legal aspect and I am sad that this is the last one. Sandy is smart and I enjoy the way the investigations are conducted with more of a leaning towards getting the accused cleared rather than finding the guilty party, though that inevitably happens in the end. There’s tons of humor in these so if you’re looking for a funny, legal mystery, this is perfect for you. My only complaint is that, as the last of the series, it doesn’t really tie anything up so I am hoping it will one day be picked up and continued.
I received a copy from #NetGalley and #SevernHouseImprint for an honest review.
I received a copy from #NetGalley and #SevernHouseImprint for an honest review.
January 9, 2025
This is the last one in the series and it was a good one to go out on. Would have loved to stay for the wedding between Sandy and Patrick, so a longer epilogue might have been nice, but everyone was left in a great place.
November 30, 2024
This was a good cozy. I enjoy the Jersey Girl series because even though I am not from New Jersey, I absolutely love the snark and sarcasm from the main character, Sandy. I can relate to that. I often find myself chuckling at the author's humor and sidebar comments.
Sandy is tasked with defending her favorite Lt. Trench from LAPD, who has the emotional range of a potato (and she makes frequent references to said emotional range). While Trench does not wear his heart on his unwrinkled sleeve, he is nothing if not truthful and loyal to his profession and he would never, ever shoot another police officer in cold-blooded murder. Unfortunately for Trench, the blue wall is not on his side because he outperforms many of his fellow officers/detectives and has the emotional range of a potato. When Sandy learns that the deceased is responsible for the death of Trench's wife AND the only person Trench hates, along with the bullet allegedly matching Trench's service weapon, she has her work cut out for her.
Given the glaring evidence, albeit circumstantial, Sandy has to find the real killer to exonerate Trench. The last third of the book is the day-by-day trial and, while not typical of trials, was very amusing. If you are a fan of funny legal shows, this book series is for you.
Copperman has a real talent for engaging the reader when some of the subject matter can be quite dry. I enjoyed every bit of this book and laughed at several different scenes.
My thanks to Severn House and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Sandy is tasked with defending her favorite Lt. Trench from LAPD, who has the emotional range of a potato (and she makes frequent references to said emotional range). While Trench does not wear his heart on his unwrinkled sleeve, he is nothing if not truthful and loyal to his profession and he would never, ever shoot another police officer in cold-blooded murder. Unfortunately for Trench, the blue wall is not on his side because he outperforms many of his fellow officers/detectives and has the emotional range of a potato. When Sandy learns that the deceased is responsible for the death of Trench's wife AND the only person Trench hates, along with the bullet allegedly matching Trench's service weapon, she has her work cut out for her.
Given the glaring evidence, albeit circumstantial, Sandy has to find the real killer to exonerate Trench. The last third of the book is the day-by-day trial and, while not typical of trials, was very amusing. If you are a fan of funny legal shows, this book series is for you.
Copperman has a real talent for engaging the reader when some of the subject matter can be quite dry. I enjoyed every bit of this book and laughed at several different scenes.
My thanks to Severn House and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 10, 2024
It was with real sadness I learnt that this was to be Sandy’s last foray into the courtroom. I’ve become very fond of the quirky, funny lawyer with her investigative team and loyal, loving boyfriend. That said, this one lacked some of the humorous sparkle I’ve come to love – her rants about the huge house and asides about Patrick’s very supportive nature ended up sounding either too smug or a tad sour at times. But humour is very subjective and it might well be me being a tad sour – it’s been a really tough year and I’m not at my shiny best.
To be honest, I wanted to love this one more than I did. Lt Trench is a highly controlled person who barely emotes on any level. Not only are such people difficult to negotiate in reality, they are also extremely difficult to portray on the page. As one of the policemen Sandy had to work around while advocating for her client, he worked well. But as the actual client – I found he was something of a black hole. His lack of response to almost any situation managed to suck most of the tension out of the scenes in which he was the focus.
Meanwhile the investigation kept running into a brick wall – and while Sandy is threatened and there is clearly something afoot within the LAPD, it didn’t stop the middle part of the book becoming a bit of a trudge. That said, I was never tempted to stop reading. And while I guessed the denouement before it was revealed, there were aspects that needed to be sorted out, which Copperman does successfully. I thought the ending worked really well and while this finale isn’t the best of the series, it’s certainly worth reading if you enjoyed any of the other books. While I obtained an arc of Good Lieutenant from the publishers via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
7/10
To be honest, I wanted to love this one more than I did. Lt Trench is a highly controlled person who barely emotes on any level. Not only are such people difficult to negotiate in reality, they are also extremely difficult to portray on the page. As one of the policemen Sandy had to work around while advocating for her client, he worked well. But as the actual client – I found he was something of a black hole. His lack of response to almost any situation managed to suck most of the tension out of the scenes in which he was the focus.
Meanwhile the investigation kept running into a brick wall – and while Sandy is threatened and there is clearly something afoot within the LAPD, it didn’t stop the middle part of the book becoming a bit of a trudge. That said, I was never tempted to stop reading. And while I guessed the denouement before it was revealed, there were aspects that needed to be sorted out, which Copperman does successfully. I thought the ending worked really well and while this finale isn’t the best of the series, it’s certainly worth reading if you enjoyed any of the other books. While I obtained an arc of Good Lieutenant from the publishers via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
7/10
December 3, 2024
Good Lieutenant is the last book in the Jersey Girl Legal Mystery series by E.J. Copperman. Sandy is unexpectedly hired to defend Lieutenant Trench, a highly competent detective accused of murdering a fellow officer. While the circumstantial evidence seems insurmountable, Sandy has faith in the Lieutenant’s innocence.
This series has been entertaining but, for me, this final book was just a little over the top. There were too many aside comments and quips that rapidly became distracting. It could have worked but a little goes a long way. The story moved slowly and it seemed that the actual investigation and development of the murder case took too long to come (somewhat) to the forefront. The characters are, by and large, not very appealing. Sandy is somewhat of a smart-aleck and the reason given is that she’s from Jersey. Not good enough for me. She’s supposed to be a professional but much of her behavior says otherwise. Patrick is depicted as a bit of a narcissistic buffoon and the true professionals in the story are ridiculed for their behavior.
I understand this is supposed to be a humorous, tongue-in-cheek mystery but the repetition and continual snarky comments were more irritating than entertaining, while the mystery seemed to fade into the background more than once. Obviously, many readers like this book, but I found it to be lacking in so many ways. In the end I’ll bump it up to 3 *s but it really should be 2.5. NetGalley provided an advance reader copy.
This series has been entertaining but, for me, this final book was just a little over the top. There were too many aside comments and quips that rapidly became distracting. It could have worked but a little goes a long way. The story moved slowly and it seemed that the actual investigation and development of the murder case took too long to come (somewhat) to the forefront. The characters are, by and large, not very appealing. Sandy is somewhat of a smart-aleck and the reason given is that she’s from Jersey. Not good enough for me. She’s supposed to be a professional but much of her behavior says otherwise. Patrick is depicted as a bit of a narcissistic buffoon and the true professionals in the story are ridiculed for their behavior.
I understand this is supposed to be a humorous, tongue-in-cheek mystery but the repetition and continual snarky comments were more irritating than entertaining, while the mystery seemed to fade into the background more than once. Obviously, many readers like this book, but I found it to be lacking in so many ways. In the end I’ll bump it up to 3 *s but it really should be 2.5. NetGalley provided an advance reader copy.
October 9, 2024
I just love this series! It's so fun - silly and entertaining and snarky and surprisingly clever. Copperman's Jersey Girl has a character for everyone to relate to, from the perpetually self-doubting (yet incredibly competent) protagonist to the snarky-but-wise best friend and delightful actor boyfriend, from the uber-competent boss to the straightlaced detective. Speaking of which, said straightlaced detective is the one with the legal troubles this time around, and that drama unfolds pretty much as you'd expect it to - with hijinks, bad behavior and plenty of surprises.
Copperman announces at the end of this one that it will most likely be the last novel in the series, due
to publishing issues, which makes me very sad as I've truly enjoyed getting to know Sandy, her family and friends, and a series of deliciously villainous antagonists!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.
Copperman announces at the end of this one that it will most likely be the last novel in the series, due
to publishing issues, which makes me very sad as I've truly enjoyed getting to know Sandy, her family and friends, and a series of deliciously villainous antagonists!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.
November 30, 2024
It seems fitting that the last Jersey Girl Legal Mystery finds Attorney Sandy Moss defending Lieutenant Trench. Trench is accused of killing fellow police detective Wallace Schaeffer. Schaeffer was shot in the back of his head in his apartment. Trench made it known that he disliked the man. Lucky for Sandy she has help to defend Trench, boyfriend TV star Patrick McNabb, and her best friend and Patrick's assistant, Angela. Could this possibly be someone framing Trench? Why isn't Trench being cooperative in his defense, after all, he did call Sandy from jail? What secrets could he be keeping?
This is a quick read with humor and engaging characters. I highly recommend reading the previous books in order to get to know Sandy, Patrick, Angela and Trench. I will miss this series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Severn House, for an ARC. The review is my own.
This is a quick read with humor and engaging characters. I highly recommend reading the previous books in order to get to know Sandy, Patrick, Angela and Trench. I will miss this series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Severn House, for an ARC. The review is my own.
September 11, 2024
I was very interested in the premise of this book. If Suits meets anything, sign me up! I went into this book without reading the previous series and didn't feel lost. A few of my issues with this book are that a few times throughout, it felt like the author was going into more detail than needed about law technicalities. At times, the characters and their dialogue seemed immature for their age, and Sandy could come off as a little naive about how far along she should be in her profession as a lawyer. Other than that, the storyline was good, the pacing was great, and it was a quick read that would be good for a vacation or a cozy weekend at home.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
November 22, 2024
Atty Sandy Moss recently moved to Los Angeles together with her boyfriend and TV star Patrick McNabb when she receives a phone call from the LA Men’s Detention Center. She now has a new client accused of murder: LAPD Lt. K.C. Trench accused of killing the cop who killed Trench's wife and more. Incredible gathering of fascinating characters parade through this twisty investigation with diabolical red herrings and full of great giggles.
I requested and received a free temporary uncorrected proof copy from Severn House
Avail Dec 03, 2024 #GoodLieutenant by E.J. Copperman #JerseyGirlLegalMysteriesBk6 #NetGalley
#SevernHouse #CozyMystery #CourtroomDrama ***** #GreatGiggles #TwistyInvestigation
I requested and received a free temporary uncorrected proof copy from Severn House
Avail Dec 03, 2024 #GoodLieutenant by E.J. Copperman #JerseyGirlLegalMysteriesBk6 #NetGalley
#SevernHouse #CozyMystery #CourtroomDrama ***** #GreatGiggles #TwistyInvestigation
May 5, 2025
This book is billed as a humorous legal mystery. That doesn’t seem to fit, but I have no other explanation for what it is except very light reading. I don’t think the author has any legal knowledge so the whole courtroom thing seemed bogus. He should stick to humor. This is the sixth book in the series. I won’t be reading 1-5.
February 6, 2025
A little different than Copperman's usual work - a bit less humor, though still more than most mysteries. This is more than made up for by some additional concern for the characters. A fitting end to an enjoyable series.
May 29, 2025
A court room drama that was everything it should be. It was the last of a series but the first one that I have read. Its was simple and fun. The Patrick Sandy romance was nicely understated. The lawyer actor combination was fun.
August 23, 2025
It's amazing how someone (Lieutenant Trench) with so few overt emotions can bring out so many emotions in the reader. Brilliantly plotted and executed, the Good Lieutenant is, sadly, the last in this series. I will miss Sandy's smart irreverence.
December 27, 2024
Sad to say that this is going to be the last of the Jersey girl series. That being said, I liked it, but it didn't seem like a serious wrap up.
July 11, 2025
omg so sorry to see sandy go
August 5, 2025
I was slow to read this book but I really really enjoyed it. And I'm so sad this is the last of the Jersey Girl series. This time Det. Trench finds himself accused of murdering a fellow police officer. He's just as emotionless as always but he does put his trust in the crazy team.
December 23, 2024
Sadly this is the final book in this legal cozy mystery series. But it was a great send off for Sandy and her boyfriend Patrick, and the rest of the characters including Lieutenant Trench. He was the center of mystery I needed Sandy's help after he's accused of murdered a fellow officer and detective on the force. It was a great and fitting adventure for the last in the series
September 19, 2024
Good Lieutenant, the sixth, and final, book in the Jersey Girl Legal Mystery series by E. J. Cooperman will not only have you smiling…and many times even laughing out loud because this author is well gifted in the language of “snark”.…but also takes you on an entwined ride of “Who Done It”. As with his previous books in this series, E. J. Cooperman kept me guessing until the unexpected conclusion.
Sandy et al return to defend Lt Trench…who is more Spock (Star Trek) like than Spock himself…who she seems to understand and have a soft spot for. With Sandy’s trademark snarkily hilarious inner monologue, a whip-smart dialogue, and charming/captivating characters, the story is quick-paced and engaging. Being the last installment in Sandy’s series, made this story even more poignant…and it was tied up quite nicely, leaving everyone in the best places possible.
This ARC book was complimentary…provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.
Sandy et al return to defend Lt Trench…who is more Spock (Star Trek) like than Spock himself…who she seems to understand and have a soft spot for. With Sandy’s trademark snarkily hilarious inner monologue, a whip-smart dialogue, and charming/captivating characters, the story is quick-paced and engaging. Being the last installment in Sandy’s series, made this story even more poignant…and it was tied up quite nicely, leaving everyone in the best places possible.
This ARC book was complimentary…provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.
September 22, 2024
Sandy receives a call from Detective Lieutenant Trench requesting that she defend him against a charge of murder. As the victim himself was one of Trench's co-workers, Sandy faces hostile behavior from some members of the department. The more Sandy learns about Trench's and the victim's pasts, the more questions arise. Will sufficient evidence be uncovered to clear Trench?
Sad to say this is the last book in the series as I have enjoyed meeting the interesting characters.
#GoodLieutenant #SevernHouse #NetGalley
Sad to say this is the last book in the series as I have enjoyed meeting the interesting characters.
#GoodLieutenant #SevernHouse #NetGalley
May 2, 2025
I've enjoyed this series and hate to see it end.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews