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Matt Royal Mystery #9
Chasing Justice
Best-Selling and Award-Winning Author After a multi-year absence, Matt Royal returns to the courtroom. Reluctantly. Matt Royal is going back to the courtroom. He has agreed to defend his good friend and wife of Longboat Key's Police Chief. Abby Lester has been charged with the murder of Nate Bannister, an unlikeable, shady character. He was found shot to death in his downtown Sarasota condo and the evidence points to Abby as the killer. Matt cannot refuse Abby's pleas for help, despite having retired from the practice of law several years earlier. Now, he must face a hotshot prosecuting attorney with a record of twenty-two wins and zero losses in murder trials. As he begins to investigate, Matt finds that nothing is what it seems. Police, politicians, academics, real estate moguls and other powerful forces are tied together in a cauldron of issues that Matt must untangle to get at the truth. Can he rekindle his legal skills and outwit the prosecution pitted against him? Matt knows he must, as the life of his friend hangs in the balance.Perfect for fans of Michael Connelly's Lincoln Lawyer While all of the novels in the Matt Royal Mystery Series stand on their own and can be read in any order, the publication sequence Island Wyatt's Revenge Bitter Legacy Collateral Damage Fatal Decree Found Chasing Justice Mortal Dilemma Vindication
402 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2015
84 people are currently reading
372 people want to read
About the author
H. Terrell Griffin
18 books91 followersAward-winning novelist H. Terrell Griffin is a board-certified trial lawyer who practiced in Orlando for thirty-eight years. He and his wife, Jean, divide their time between Longboat Key, Florida, and Maitland, Florida. Griffin is also the author of Blood Island, Murder Key, and Longboat Blues. Blood Island was named an award-winning finalist in the 2008 National Best Books Awards, Fiction & Literature: Mystery/Suspense category.
Series:
* Matt Royal Mystery
Series:
* Matt Royal Mystery
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
November 5, 2018
Another excellent book in the Matt Royal mystery series. A fast paced murder mystery and gripping trial set in a beautiful Florida location, Longboat Key.
August 5, 2015
Griffin has outdone himself. Matt Royal returns to the courtroom to defend his friend who also happens to be the wife of the Longboat Key Police Chief. Plenty of suspense and action in this, the ninth entry in the Matt Royal series of thrillers. No wonder he is always compared to John D. MacDonald!
September 13, 2018
I would like to give this book 4.5 stars. An author new to me but I look forward to reading more of his works.
Matt Royal is a retired attorney who likes his new life as a beach bum or enjoying time on his boat, Recess. When a friend is charged with murder he doesn't want to leave her fate to another attorney.
So when asked to come out of retirement by her husband he is determined to do everything possible to defend her. He is very sure she could not possibly have committed murder.
Meanwhile Matt's love interest, JD who is a detective, is wrapped up in another murder case. The two of them are good sounding boards for the other as they each pursue their cases.
If you like a good murder mystery and courtroom dramas, this fast paced book for you. The cases move along quickly. I found it interesting that the author makes several references to restaurant and public places that actually exist in or near Longboat Key, Florida.
Matt Royal is a retired attorney who likes his new life as a beach bum or enjoying time on his boat, Recess. When a friend is charged with murder he doesn't want to leave her fate to another attorney.
So when asked to come out of retirement by her husband he is determined to do everything possible to defend her. He is very sure she could not possibly have committed murder.
Meanwhile Matt's love interest, JD who is a detective, is wrapped up in another murder case. The two of them are good sounding boards for the other as they each pursue their cases.
If you like a good murder mystery and courtroom dramas, this fast paced book for you. The cases move along quickly. I found it interesting that the author makes several references to restaurant and public places that actually exist in or near Longboat Key, Florida.
February 22, 2018
When I recently met the author at a book discussion, he recommended Chasing Justice as a good book to introduce me to his Matt Royal character, and he was right! Two separate murder investigations lead recalled from retirement criminal lawyer Matt and his girlfriend Detective Jennifer Diane (J.D.) Duncan down a circuitous path to a resolution of both crimes that are uniquely intertwined. As an added benefit, the Sarasota area provides background with the setting that appeals especially to people familiar with the area but can be appreciated by all.
July 21, 2021
This book had a more complex plot that previous books. All of the main characters were included as well as a host of bad guys. Just as soon as you thought the story was wrapped, a new wrinkle appeared, adding more to the mystery. Even after a trial verdict, in the final moments of the novel another big surprise was revealed that added even more to the strings of the plot and how they all came together.
January 20, 2018
Great read.
I have been a fan of the Matt Royal series since it’s inception. Jock showing up every time Matt gets in a jam is something I look forward to. This book was kind of a departure in that Matt was back in the courtroom making it different and very enjoyable. A very good and page turning read.
I have been a fan of the Matt Royal series since it’s inception. Jock showing up every time Matt gets in a jam is something I look forward to. This book was kind of a departure in that Matt was back in the courtroom making it different and very enjoyable. A very good and page turning read.
June 19, 2017
Chasing justice
Typical Matt Royal with a good exercise into his former life. Interesting twist to the relationship of the good and bad plus others in between. I enjoy the cast of characters that m
Typical Matt Royal with a good exercise into his former life. Interesting twist to the relationship of the good and bad plus others in between. I enjoy the cast of characters that m
January 7, 2018
Great read. A fresh new character to read about l enjoyed the story. I will read more from his books.
Great read. A fresh new character t read about. I enjoyed the story an I will find more of the authors books to read.
Great read. A fresh new character t read about. I enjoyed the story an I will find more of the authors books to read.
July 15, 2018
A 4 star except for a section that tried to make almost every character to be a suspect. This plot reinforced my decision to read the series, and definitely showed the improvement of the author as the series progresses.
July 12, 2020
Interesting insights to the lives of beach bums and lawyers.
I really enjoyed the story and meeting all the characters. I especially liked that it’s placed in Florida and can relate to many of the places.
I really enjoyed the story and meeting all the characters. I especially liked that it’s placed in Florida and can relate to many of the places.
July 31, 2020
Legal mystery which overcomes legal information.
I found this mystery overly descriptive of courtroom procedures. The plot was convoluted and at the end the author seemed to be trying to the up loose ends.
I found this mystery overly descriptive of courtroom procedures. The plot was convoluted and at the end the author seemed to be trying to the up loose ends.
February 18, 2025
What A Great Story!!
Once again, Mr. Griffin has written an incredible story that is a must read and another book that once you start, you will find it very hard to put down! I am already getting sad that I only have two more books in his well-written Matt Royal series!
Once again, Mr. Griffin has written an incredible story that is a must read and another book that once you start, you will find it very hard to put down! I am already getting sad that I only have two more books in his well-written Matt Royal series!
May 25, 2020
Lynnie
So so good. Each one gets better and better. So many twist and turns. So many people and things tie in together. Love the series.
So so good. Each one gets better and better. So many twist and turns. So many people and things tie in together. Love the series.
December 27, 2020
Great book for a trial lawyer wanta be. Great description of a trial from the perspective of a criminal defense lawyer.
August 15, 2021
Another good, complex legal thriller
October 18, 2021
Excellent readl,enough twist s and turns to keep you guessing.
May 17, 2022
I have enjoyed this series and am so bummed that Mr. Griffin has died!
September 6, 2022
Didn't realize I was jumping into a series, but I really enjoyed this book. First and third person narrative always takes me a bit to accept, but separate mysteries made it work. Good stuff.
January 23, 2023
Interesting book with lots of twists and turns. I thought the large number of characters got a bit confuseing.
August 25, 2025
great Story
Loved the twists and turns and of course I’m a huge Matt Royal fan. Recommend all his books to mystery fans.
Loved the twists and turns and of course I’m a huge Matt Royal fan. Recommend all his books to mystery fans.
March 14, 2018
I enjoy H. Terrell Griffin's Matt Royal novels a great deal. It's always fun to come back to Longboat Key, hang out with the natives and see what trouble Matt gets himself into. Chasing Justice is no exception but it felt a little flat to me. The plot, settings and characters were good as usual but I didn't feel a spark out of this one for whatever reason. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood. Don't let that turn you off; even an average Matt Royal book is pretty darn good.
September 24, 2015
Chasing Justice by H Terrell Griffin
4 out of 5 stars
Good thriller involving murders, drugs and high-level interference.
Detective Jennifer Diane Duncan – ‘JD’ to her friends – is called to a murder scene in the laid-back town of Longboat Keys. Little does she know how quickly things are going to escalate. Longboat Keys lies off the south-west coast of Florida, and is unused to anything other than your average petty crime and domestics. The victim is Linda Favereaux, the young wife of monied Jim Favereux, who is unable to be traced. When doubt emerges over the true identity of Linda, JD realises that this is not your ‘ordinary’ murder.
The plot escalates when Nate Bannister, a nasty piece of work and ex-Longboat Key resident, is also murdered in nearby Sarasota. Very quickly, Abby Lester, the wife of the Longboat Key Police Department Chief Bill Lester is arrested. Abby entreats Matt Royal, ex-trial lawyer from Orlando, (now resident beach bum and JD’s ‘partner’) to come out of retirement and defend her.
As JD’s and Matt’s relative cases proceed, people connected to them are murdered, and we are drawn into a web of deceit involving drugs and National Homeland Security.
This is a very enjoyable novel and the plot is cleverly constructed to throw in a couple of ‘red herrings’. The characters are well-fleshed-out, believable, and in most cases, likeable.
As well as being a very readable book, the writer, H Terrell Griffin, expresses his dissatisfaction with the way justice is going in the USA – the dumbing-down of the facilities for the judges, which inevitably leads to lawyers not taking up places on the bench but continuing with their much more lucrative practices. This in turn results in a lowering of the standards both of intelligence and experience on the bench, and therefore of justice itself.
Thoroughly recommended.
Sméagol
4 out of 5 stars
Good thriller involving murders, drugs and high-level interference.
Detective Jennifer Diane Duncan – ‘JD’ to her friends – is called to a murder scene in the laid-back town of Longboat Keys. Little does she know how quickly things are going to escalate. Longboat Keys lies off the south-west coast of Florida, and is unused to anything other than your average petty crime and domestics. The victim is Linda Favereaux, the young wife of monied Jim Favereux, who is unable to be traced. When doubt emerges over the true identity of Linda, JD realises that this is not your ‘ordinary’ murder.
The plot escalates when Nate Bannister, a nasty piece of work and ex-Longboat Key resident, is also murdered in nearby Sarasota. Very quickly, Abby Lester, the wife of the Longboat Key Police Department Chief Bill Lester is arrested. Abby entreats Matt Royal, ex-trial lawyer from Orlando, (now resident beach bum and JD’s ‘partner’) to come out of retirement and defend her.
As JD’s and Matt’s relative cases proceed, people connected to them are murdered, and we are drawn into a web of deceit involving drugs and National Homeland Security.
This is a very enjoyable novel and the plot is cleverly constructed to throw in a couple of ‘red herrings’. The characters are well-fleshed-out, believable, and in most cases, likeable.
As well as being a very readable book, the writer, H Terrell Griffin, expresses his dissatisfaction with the way justice is going in the USA – the dumbing-down of the facilities for the judges, which inevitably leads to lawyers not taking up places on the bench but continuing with their much more lucrative practices. This in turn results in a lowering of the standards both of intelligence and experience on the bench, and therefore of justice itself.
Thoroughly recommended.
Sméagol
August 30, 2015
4 STARS
I like Matt Royal. Chasing Justice has Matt going back to defend his good friend Police chief Bill Lester's wife Abby Lester from a murder charge. It reminds me of the Longboat Blues. Where is more a legal mystery case.
I loved the trial part of the book. I wanted to be there and watch him work and cheer him on. Wanted to boo the prosecutor too.
The suspense was good. Did not know who to trust till revealed. Matt tried to prove Abby innocent and try and figure out who the real murder was. Was Abby and Bill cheating on each other like some people believe.
J.D. also had a murder case working as a police detective. J.D. is a strong female character and has a good sense of humor. She hear
Some of the police and lawyers I found sad. There was also ones that I admired. Like any organization some good and others bad.
As other Matt Royal books there is lots of drinking and lots of bars that everyone goes to.
There is a lot of murder and attempted murder.
There are some good twists to the plot most came as a surprise and some you could guess were coming. I read it in one setting because I did not want to stop reading till I was down.
I will continue to look for more H. Terrell Griffin novels in the future.
I was given this ebook to read from Net Galley and Oceanview Publishing. In return I agreed to give a honest review of Chasing Justice.
I like Matt Royal. Chasing Justice has Matt going back to defend his good friend Police chief Bill Lester's wife Abby Lester from a murder charge. It reminds me of the Longboat Blues. Where is more a legal mystery case.
I loved the trial part of the book. I wanted to be there and watch him work and cheer him on. Wanted to boo the prosecutor too.
The suspense was good. Did not know who to trust till revealed. Matt tried to prove Abby innocent and try and figure out who the real murder was. Was Abby and Bill cheating on each other like some people believe.
J.D. also had a murder case working as a police detective. J.D. is a strong female character and has a good sense of humor. She hear
Some of the police and lawyers I found sad. There was also ones that I admired. Like any organization some good and others bad.
As other Matt Royal books there is lots of drinking and lots of bars that everyone goes to.
There is a lot of murder and attempted murder.
There are some good twists to the plot most came as a surprise and some you could guess were coming. I read it in one setting because I did not want to stop reading till I was down.
I will continue to look for more H. Terrell Griffin novels in the future.
I was given this ebook to read from Net Galley and Oceanview Publishing. In return I agreed to give a honest review of Chasing Justice.
October 7, 2015
Very Interesting book.
Matt Royal who is supposedly retired on Longboat Key in Florida always seems to be able to quit sitting on his duff long enough to star in one of Griffin's legal thrillers. In this one he takes on the defense of Abby Lester the wife of Longboat key's Police chief.
J D Duncan, Royal's live-in (sometimes) girlfriend is top detective in the police department and she has taken on the murder of a very prominent lady on Longboat. So since Royal's client has been charged with the murder of a prominent person also the two begin working together to find out the answers.
The connection comes out when it appears that the man Abby is accused of murdering was somehow connected to the lad that J. D. had found murdered.
To complicate matters more the Florida Department of Law Enforcement was called into the case extremely early for some unknown reason.
However between J.D.'s investigating and Royal's courtroom prowess Griffin builds quite a story that holds the interest of the reader up to the final gavel!seem to work out for the best.
Read and see exactly what, when, why and how in a great storytelling adventure.
Matt Royal who is supposedly retired on Longboat Key in Florida always seems to be able to quit sitting on his duff long enough to star in one of Griffin's legal thrillers. In this one he takes on the defense of Abby Lester the wife of Longboat key's Police chief.
J D Duncan, Royal's live-in (sometimes) girlfriend is top detective in the police department and she has taken on the murder of a very prominent lady on Longboat. So since Royal's client has been charged with the murder of a prominent person also the two begin working together to find out the answers.
The connection comes out when it appears that the man Abby is accused of murdering was somehow connected to the lad that J. D. had found murdered.
To complicate matters more the Florida Department of Law Enforcement was called into the case extremely early for some unknown reason.
However between J.D.'s investigating and Royal's courtroom prowess Griffin builds quite a story that holds the interest of the reader up to the final gavel!seem to work out for the best.
Read and see exactly what, when, why and how in a great storytelling adventure.
February 9, 2017
Chasing Justice is a great investigative novel. I received a copy of Chasing Justice through a Goodreads giveaway. This is the first book the I have read by H. Terrell Griffin and I am going to be tracking down the rest of his books. I enjoyed meeting Matt Royal and the folks in Longboat Key. Being a Florida girl who has moved due to military service, I have traveled through these towns and it made me realize how much I miss Florida. Matt, a retired trial lawyer, is called back into action after a friend is arrested for murder. The twists and turns in this book had me wondering what was going to happen next. In the courtroom it is Matt versus a prosecutor that has never lost a case but he has never been against Matt Royal. For those that has never read a book by Mr. Griffin, you need to get one, you will not be disappointed.
April 14, 2016
another great book by h teerrell griffin! i love this series with the retired lawyer and his girlfriend lady cop. he represented the chief of police wife in a murder case. she didnt have a affair with the dead man, she was framed. the husband wasnt having a affair either, someone borrowed his car and it looked like it was him. matt got the wife found innocent, the other lawyer was no good and matt showed him up
i loved this book, so glad i got to read it, very enjoyable! i even got to go to the beach to finish the last few chapters, it was so nice and i pictured him there at his beach in fl!
i esp love JOCK, want more of him in the next book!
i loved this book, so glad i got to read it, very enjoyable! i even got to go to the beach to finish the last few chapters, it was so nice and i pictured him there at his beach in fl!
i esp love JOCK, want more of him in the next book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 17, 2015
I won this book on Goodreads!
Florida lawyer, Matt Royal, comes out of retirement to defend a friend against a murder charge. She's the wife of the police chief! Matt's girlfriend, Jennifer Duncan, is the only detective on Longboat Key. She's investigating another seemingly unrelated murder. Before long Homeland Security is involved and the twists and turns begin. Plenty of suspense. This is the 9th Matt Royal thriller and my first. I enjoyed it and will look for the other ones.
Florida lawyer, Matt Royal, comes out of retirement to defend a friend against a murder charge. She's the wife of the police chief! Matt's girlfriend, Jennifer Duncan, is the only detective on Longboat Key. She's investigating another seemingly unrelated murder. Before long Homeland Security is involved and the twists and turns begin. Plenty of suspense. This is the 9th Matt Royal thriller and my first. I enjoyed it and will look for the other ones.
October 3, 2015
I enjoyed reading CHASING JUSTICE; a great crime thriller. Matt Royal is a lawyer who became a beach bum. When a friends wife is accused of murder, he returns to the courtroom to help her out. This is an intriguing case with a lot of twists and turns, and there is a jerk for a DA. I loved the novel, and I highly recommend this to any crime novel reader. There are some things you will never see coming!
January 23, 2016
A thriller from start to finish! Easy to get into without having read previous books but I will definitely go back and follow this author. I love strong characters both male and female as it makes the story more real to me. I love the clues along the way that sometimes I caught and sometimes not but the all make sense it the end. A good read.
June 26, 2016
If you can make it through the convoluted and rather confusing and not terribly well-written Part I, The Investigation --55% of the book, and make it to Part II, the Trial, you'll be a happy reader. The trial section is sharp, surprising, solid and reveals slowly--it is skillful and fast-paced. And fascinating.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews