Betrayal in the South: A Legal Thriller

by Jack Abrahams

When tech visionary Julian Yates is arrested for the brutal murder of his business rival, the evidence seems airtight—a damning video, financial motive, and a public feud gone too far. But defense lawyer Ryan Noble knows something’s off. The pieces don’t fit. It all seems too clean.

As Noble digs deeper, he uncovers a web of deceit stretching from the heart of Georgia’s legal system to the dark corners of the internet. Behind the scenes, powerful interests are manipulating the truth—and Yates may be just another pawn in a far deadlier game.

With corporate espionage, digital forgeries, and a government contract worth millions, Noble must race to untangle a dangerous truth that reaches the highest levels of power. But the deeper he goes, the more dangerous it gets—and when one of his own is targeted, the fight for justice becomes personal.

Some lies are coded into the system.
To break them, you have to risk everything.

349 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2025

Reviews

[Clifton Rankin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack Abrahams has written three installments of his Ryan Noble Series, and “Betrayal in the South,” is his third and latest. Ryan Noble is a defense attorney in a southeast Georgia town, and he draws a murder case in which everything seems to shout “guilty” concerning his client. This story has it all: a “whodunit,” characters that you love (and hate), twists and turns, a bit of a surprise ending (although I pegged the bad guy very early), a look at AI and what it might mean in the legal system, and it reads very quickly. One reason I enjoy his works is because of paragraphs such as this:

“There was something about the way his father stood—not puffed up, not performative, but rooted. His weight was balanced, his smile quiet and sure. Confidence without arrogance. Strength without need for approval. A man who didn’t have to prove anything to anyone.”

I am looking forward to his next installment. (349 pages)

[lynn redding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anxiously waiting for more!

I've really enjoyed this series & like Abrahams style. I'm hoping he has more to come in this series very soon.
In the meantime I'll be checking out some of his other books!

[Rita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing twists throughout the story!

Loved the character development as well as the emotional
drama throughout. Leaves you guessing til the end and questioning modern technology!

[Addison B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Et tu, Brute?

This one was a master thriller. So many twists and turns from so many directions, it'll keep your head spinning. Hold on to it or it'll fly off somewhere.

[David R. Svetcov · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very grisham-like story. The depth of each of the character portrayals, the legalese, the who-done-it outcome was just masterful. Well written and thank you

[randy bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Legal thiller

These three books are a good read. Looking forward to reading more. I will be checking.for more by this author.

[Marcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

terrific courtroom drama

Well done. Ryan does a great job finding the truth. Abby is on spot with her research and support. Enjoy