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The Mental Case is a novel about law firm money and a law firm death. And about a missing child and a parent's frantic search.

Join Thaddeus Murfee, back in Chicago and around the world, in his strangest case yet—a man whose plastic character changes, comes and goes, like the proverbial will-o-the-wisp.

Ansel Largent has been a founder and managing partner of a large Chicago law firm for two decades. He is respected. Ferocious in the courtroom but a winner with the jury. Happy at home with wife Libby, a stroke victim. Happy at the office with Melinda, a married woman with a special interest in him. Ansel has fathered two sons and loves them both dearly.

Then Ansel’s law firm is horrified by two shocking crimes: the trust account has been embezzled. $2 hundred million has vanished. And full-partner Suzanne Fairmont has been found dead in her office. Whether her death is a homicide or suicide is immediately disputed. And an even greater shock: Ansel suspects his son David of the embezzlement and wonders if there might also be a connection to Suzanne’s sudden death.

Thaddeus meets Ansel inside a Mexico jail where both are lodged for crimes committed at the border. Will Thaddeus agree to defend Ansel? Does it matter that Ansel has a $50,000 retainer taped to his body?

It is the ultimate test for Ansel, who above all others in the firm wears the mantle of his partners’ trust. Do you cover up for your child when a crime has occurred? Do you risk your own freedom and reputation for your family, even when you believe deep down it is wrong?

Would you forsake it all for your loved one?

Thaddeus is struck speechless at the outcome of his trickiest murder trial yet. He is left with no sense of what comes next and where his client might expect to spend the rest of his life—and with whom.

The conclusion is shocking. The author respectfully asks that you reveal the ending to no one, so all may read and enjoy for themselves.

"If you like Reacher, the Lincoln Lawyer, Jake Brigance and Paul Madriani, you will love this Thaddeus Murfee crime thriller!” — Five-Star Review

“Already John Ellsworth’s name is mentioned with Lee Child, Michael Connelly, John Grisham, and Steve Martini when critics talk about legal/crime fiction.” --Five-Star Review

"Every bit as good as Grisham! Superb characterization, suspense, drama.” - Five-Star Review

Ansel Largent novel categories include:

- Legal Thrillers
- Crime Thrillers
- Legal Suspense
- Lawyer Mysteries
- Crime Fiction
- Mystery Series
- Romance Suspense

342 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 5, 2014

2993 people are currently reading
255 people want to read

About the author

John Ellsworth

141 books515 followers
Formerly a trial lawyer for 30 years, John Ellsworth is now a full-time writer of thrillers and historical fiction, with over millions of copies sold. He holds titles such as USA Today bestseller, an Amazon Bestseller and Featured Author, as well as a Kindle All-Star.

Official Website: www.ellsworthbooks.com
Official Twitter: @jellsworthbooks
Official Instagram: @johnellsworth_author
Official Facebook: facebook.com/johnellsworthauthor

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5 stars
1,522 (50%)
4 stars
1,008 (33%)
3 stars
351 (11%)
2 stars
80 (2%)
1 star
37 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
Profile Image for Page Turner .
120 reviews
August 21, 2020
I really enjoy this series and look forward to reading each book that comes next. Good character development and interesting plots are found in each book. All are very “good reads”!
Profile Image for Forgetfulone.
432 reviews1 follower
May 9, 2015
I had high hopes for this book, but they were dashed. I kept reading just to get it over since I have a hard time completely abandoning books. It sounded like it was right up my alley. The main character is an attorney, and he was going to defend another attorney. Sounds simple, but it was completely complicated. My one-word emotion - unimpressed.

On the plus side, and it's the only plus I can think of, is that although it is a series, it isn't necessary to have read the first five books to know what is going on. The back story has little, if any, bearing on this book aside from occasional references that readers of previous books might remember.

Stop reading here to avoid spoilers! The protagonist is attorney Thaddeus Murfee. He is attempting to cross the border into Mexico with a gun taped under his car in one of the first scenes. He gets thrown into jail, of course. The other attorney, Ansel Largent, happens to get thrown into the same jail along with a pimply kid who can supposedly guide them through Mexico. In my opinion, it is never fully explained WHY Murfee feels the need to go to Mexico to help a character the reader has never met. Also unexplained is how the money from Largent's law firm was embezzled the first time, although he blames it on his son who the reader soon finds out has been dead for some time. They are able to bribe their way out of jail with exorbitant amounts of money that each attorney just happens to have at his fingertips after making a simple phone call.

The embezzled money goes through several accounts where a man who is part of a drug cartel takes notice of it and steals it. Murfee gets the money back (like that would happen), then defends Largent on charges that he murdered a colleague who was running for political office and with whom he was having an affair, the affair that caused his wife's stroke. He was also having an affair with his secretary who is now pregnant.

Too much of what happens is unbelievable. Completely. The FBI would never let someone accused of murder and embezzlement leave the country for any reason, especially unaccompanied by law enforcement. The drug cartel would not be bamboozled by a lone American attorney. The cartels don't make deals with anyone. And if they want you dead, you're dead.

The characters are unlikable including Murfee, Largent, Largent's wife Libby, the detectives, the cartel men, and the pimply kid.

There are numerous grammatical and spelling errors.

While I like a book with substance, there was just too much going on in this book, too many confusing subplots. If it had all been tied together, and the characters' motivations had been clear, and had there been a character with whom I could identify, I would have been able to like it.

The saddest part of the story is that Largent is supposedly mentally ill, and this is designed to create sympathy for him, but at the end, the reader finds out he is faking it, that he never was on the anti-psychotic meds, that it was just an excuse that he somehow managed to maintain (and fool his doctor) for fifteen years. Why I find this sad is that mental health is largely misunderstood in our country (and probably others), and the author makes light of it by having a main character use mental illness as a scapegoat. Had he truly been psychotic, it would have been palatable.

I don't plan to read any other books in this series.
Profile Image for David Freas.
Author 2 books32 followers
December 10, 2015
Sadly, my enjoyment of Thad Murfee is fading fast. The prior novel in this series and this one haven’t measured up to the first four.

Like the prior two books in the series, this one jumps all over the place at the start, setting up several story lines. That hopping around made it hard to latch onto the flow of any of them. Also as in those earlier books, Thad gets less ‘face time’ than other characters in other storylines. Readers – especially this reader – want to see the main character front and center most of the time.

Thad does some monumentally stupid things, things no lawyer in his right mind would do. It may make for good drama and tension (“How will he get out of this mess?”) but it requires buying into a reality that is too far out there to be believable and it makes Murfee less likeable as a main character. And turning readers off to their main character is something authors generally don’t want to do.

This book, too, didn't really take off until almost halfway through. There were several chapters of backstory and background on minor characters that could have been eliminated, the information that filled them covered in a paragraph or two elsewhere, making for a tighter tauter story.

Several of the characters were right out of central casting – so much so that instead of being characters, they were caricatures.

Ellsworth also set up a potentially dangerous threat to Thad that disappeared, never to resurface again.

And one final small point: Brand names of drugs (Lamictal, Risperdal) are capitalized while the generic names (lamotrigine, risperidone) are not.

Because of these things, the best I can rate this book is 2 stars and demote books in the series from my ‘Must Read’ list to my ‘Will Read If They Come My Way’ list.

NOTE TO ALL AUTHORS: the Mexican drug cartel plot, like the terrorist plot, has been done to death. Stop flogging those dead donkeys.
446 reviews4 followers
August 12, 2024
Thaddeus at rescue again, the angel of freedom, must read

I can say, Thaddeus is definitely different. His life’s experienced is incredible. He’s truly an angel for many of his clients. He has a genuine heart. He puts his life on the line for others. What he did for Hermano and his family was amazing and heartfelt. Now, I don’t even know how to explain Ansi. I don’t know his true mentality but he played his best character being mentally unstable in this storyline. It is so many web to untangle in this book. I wonder whatever happened to Burton. Even though I like the new characters, I miss the old characters, like Christine, Bat, Albert, FBI Agent Pepper, Henry. So, we’re not gonna talk about Katy and Randy, again? Or who killed Randy? I’m not feeling Katy bc of what she did to Turquoise. Author your penmanship is extraordinary.
Profile Image for Anne Connolly Nelson.
20 reviews
October 13, 2019
Is there an editor?

I'm not sure why I keep reading this series, but I suspect that action keeps me coming back for more, and outweighs the terrible editing. In this book, the story line made less sense than the other books. I expected the ending to say the story was in the mind of the mental patient. In the instance of a family who traveled with the mental patient and his wife, and who seemed to disappear from one chapter to the next, I started going back and forth to see if my reading comprehension was defective. After many, many of the same occurrences, I just decided to enjoy whatever it is that makes these stories enjoyable. And I decided to write this review.
94 reviews
March 13, 2020
Compelling Crime Thriller

Somehow I started reading these out of order,something my OCD will not forgive me for.
Enjoyed how the characters stories intertwined with how they meet. Plot kept me reading until the end. I don't want to spoil the story, however this is not one of those that you guess the ending before you're half thru. Will be adding to my must read list , always a good thing when a new author can be added to your list. I will start in order so my OCD will be put in it's proper place.☺
411 reviews6 followers
December 30, 2018
This was the 2and best book in the series. Thaddeus was trying to help an old client again, the first time he lost his license helping this client. The most interesting part of this book was learning about money laundering and also remind people that Judges are Human Beings and hold grudges . The other interesting part was learning that the FBI could go overseas and arrest people. The ending was awesome and I wanted the story to keep going
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
368 reviews
May 17, 2020
Alrighty then! Thaddeus Murfee is back!

After, "Defending Turquoise", I thought I'd stop with this series. Thaddeus had gone whacko. Well, he's all better now. This story has it all. I'm learning so much about the law. I'm uncertain how I feel about the wife, Libby. What does she contribute to the story? The surprise ending left me with questions, so I'm wondering if some of the characters will make future appearances?
All in all, an excellent book.
34 reviews
August 14, 2021
One of Ellsworth's best tales for his Thad Murfee character!

I really enjoyed this novel courtroom story. It kept me turning the pages with engrossed anticipation till its twisted end! I don't wish to add any kind of spoiler, anymore than I may have alluded to.
John Ellsworth can certainly "spin a yarn" as they say, when it comes to a courtroom drama. I especially enjoy his Thaddeus Murfee series. This particular story would make a great movie.
Profile Image for Nancy Silk.
Author 5 books82 followers
June 26, 2017
"A Fast And Furious Thriller"

This is another winning novel for John Ellsworth. This story is dynamic with a shocking ending. There is always something to learn about court maneuvers. Here you also learn about mental disorders. If you enjoy legal thrillers, The Mental Case will not disappoint you. Highly recommend.
31 reviews
December 5, 2018
Mental Case

Great book, really holds your attention. Hard to put down. Hard to wait from one night to the next evening, so that I can get back to this book. I am searching for more of John's books. I have read so many they are getting a little hard to find. Get the computer keyboard cleaned up and get to writing.
13 reviews
January 25, 2019
Love this guy

I love John"s books. This one keeps you guessing. Love the premise. Don"t want to give too much away as that always ruins the book for me. You get the legal information without having to read a boring law text or something. Always keeps you involved and interested in continuing reading.
Profile Image for Gary Webster.
336 reviews
August 12, 2019
A Fun Read

I find myself going back-and-forth on these books. They are a fun read no doubt. There are times when I scratch my head and wonder, how realistic is this? But if I move beyond that question and simply let the story and for all, then it’s a very fun read. I especially like the ending of this one.
661 reviews
August 16, 2019
A Completely Enjoyable Read

One of my favorites in this series. Although it deals with the serious subject of mental illness, there are moments that made me laugh out loud.
The novel covers lots of geography free m Arizona to Chicago to Mexico and points beyond.
The convergence of characters who appear to be part of two separate plot lines is very clever and entertaining.
Profile Image for Don.
1,027 reviews5 followers
January 19, 2020
This story has too many fronts and doesn’t get that interesting until way into it. Twenty percent in and it starts to pick up. Just so all you readers know. The further in you go now the pace and understanding increase proportionally. It is now a wild ride all the way through the ending. Very engaging even though it took a little fortitude to get here. 5
10 reviews
October 7, 2020
The Mental Case

I love this author . He is so clever in his writing that I can't put the book down and am amazed in the ending. He writes with so much knowledge on each topic! I always look forward to the next story and I always read the entire series. He Is an amazing author and is my favorite! A.W.E.S.O.M.E. !!!
796 reviews5 followers
October 27, 2020
The best one yet!

This case that Thaddeus takes on of a murder and it looks like his client Andsel Largent is guilty, not only of murder, but also of absconding $200 million from his own law firm. This book has so many twists and turns that keep you reading to the totally unexpected end.




796 reviews10 followers
November 16, 2020
suspenseful, thrilling!

definitely a psychological/thriller/suspense filled book! definitely will not be disappointed by reading this book. You will be on the edge of your seat from page 1! there will be times when you were trying to definitely figure out what is going on, and you might really need to pay close attention to everything!
Profile Image for tonia marralle.
33 reviews
March 12, 2021
A “whack job or not” that is the question

Ellsworth really weaves a story that defines the characters well. It has many twists and turns as the hero Thaddeus Murfee starts out to do a good deed and gets involved with a client who he successfully defends. Truly a surprise ending which the author leaves the reader to decide.
112 reviews1 follower
July 8, 2021
The first six books in this series have been spectacular! However, when I began #7 I was not feeling my usual "this is a great book" reaction. It took awhile, but the suspense began to build to an outstanding finish. What a surprise! Don't lose heart at first - it seems to ramble and not be very cohesive, but stick with it because the end is well worth it.
3 reviews
October 29, 2024
I loved this story

Great read. Suspense and good twists. The only thing I would have liked to seen more is some why questions answered. Such as why did he steal the money in the first place. Why not just get out in the beginning. But it was a great story line. It sucks you in and keeps the pages turning.
20 reviews
February 8, 2017
Appropriate title!

Makes one wonder if there are any ethical people left in the justice system on either side of the border. Still an interesting story . Fast paced and a plot with surprises.
8 reviews1 follower
May 27, 2017
The book seemed to be about 2 different stories, but they were beautifully connected. The ending was a total surprise, I won't tell you more. Murfee did his usual legal tricks and saved the day, even surviving his client's trickery.
77 reviews1 follower
April 4, 2018
Not up to par

This "Thaddeus Murphy" book was quite a stretch - nowhere near believable. Also an increasing number of editing errors (just because it passes spell check it doesn't mean it's the correct word). Hopefully the next book in the series is up to the usual standards.
Profile Image for Judith  Wong.
142 reviews1 follower
April 20, 2018
Super story about embezzlement, murder, mental illness and misdirection.

Since I lost the description of my review again (where did they go?) I will only say this book is my favorite Thaddeus Murfee book to date. Try it!!
46 reviews
June 17, 2018
By far the most intriguing book

I thought I had it figured out as to who the murderer was. Not. This book had me guessing one way then another and back all the to the end and to be honest I’m not quite sure what the real answer was or is. That’s how good this story was.
352 reviews1 follower
September 15, 2018
An interesting novel

This novel was interesting from both a criminal and medical basis. I felt the novel started a little slowly at first, but later became very very readable. Still I felt it wasn’t quite up to the standards of previous novels by the author. Recommend
Profile Image for Ruth Tillery.
98 reviews1 follower
December 19, 2018
Another great thriller!

I am hooked. I thought the Gresham series was great and with only one mis-step, in my opinion, Thaddeus Murfee Is a strong contender. John Ellsworth really knows how to make you want more.
3 reviews
March 27, 2019
Not surprising

Not to say that I wasn't engrossed with the writing...well written book but I felt that I saw that ending coming so, unfortunately, I wasn't surprised. This isn't my first Ellsworth novel but it definitely was my least favorite.
46 reviews1 follower
May 21, 2019
Good Book

He really surprised me with this one. What a great read there were some editing mistakes but other that great storyline and ending. I definitely will read more of his books!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews

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