What do you think?
Rate this book
Good Lawyer #2
The Criminal Lawyer
Inspired by real crimes. From the author of the number-one best-seller, The Good Lawyer.
A serial killer is littering the south shore beach of Long Island with the bones of his female victims stuffed into burlap bags. Nick Mannino, The Good Lawyer and former South Bronx Legal Aid Attorney born into a mobster dominated family, is a complex and compelling character--his constant court battles nothing more than a futile effort to hide and deny a haunting truth about himself and worse--a sinewy bloodline marred by unspeakable crimes. Then this brutal serial killer turns on him, and worse, his family. As much a thriller as it is a mystery, with an ending as riveting as that in Silence of the Lambs, The Criminal Lawyer is also a love story, a novel of family secrets, and crimes beyond forgiveness.
A serial killer is littering the south shore beach of Long Island with the bones of his female victims stuffed into burlap bags. Nick Mannino, The Good Lawyer and former South Bronx Legal Aid Attorney born into a mobster dominated family, is a complex and compelling character--his constant court battles nothing more than a futile effort to hide and deny a haunting truth about himself and worse--a sinewy bloodline marred by unspeakable crimes. Then this brutal serial killer turns on him, and worse, his family. As much a thriller as it is a mystery, with an ending as riveting as that in Silence of the Lambs, The Criminal Lawyer is also a love story, a novel of family secrets, and crimes beyond forgiveness.
440 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 30, 2016
3555 people are currently reading
567 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Benigno
9 books133 followersThomas Benigno is a practicing attorney in Long Island, N. Y. After graduating Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in Manhattan in 1979, at the behest of his Criminal Law Clinic Professor, Barry Scheck (who later obtained fame for representing O. J. Simpson) he was fast-tracked to a position as Associate Attorney with the New York City Legal Aid Society in the Bronx. While there he sought out and tackled the grittiest of cases, even representing the infamous Spiderman Rapist. If you ask him why he repeatedly took on the defense of child molesters and rapists, he'll sound off two reasons: 1) no other attorney would take these cases, and 2) he was young and out to prove himself. The year before he left Legal Aid to go into private practice he was featured in a two page spread in the New York City Legal Aid Society's Annual Report for his success in winning what seemed like an unwinnable case-a teacher's aide charged with molesting three of his students. At a party held in his honor he was handed a beautiful plaque commemorating his court victory-a plaque he never hung or put on display ever. Three years after he left Legal Aid, after never losing a trial, he left the practice of criminal law behind forever. He currently practices real estate and business law, enjoys acting in staged productions on Long Island, appeared as an actor in two movies, one an award winning short film, and even produced (along with others) a Broadway show (Burn the Floor and its U.S. tour). He is married to the same "beautiful woman" since shortly after graduating law school and has three adult children. His first novel, THE GOOD LAWYER, is inspired by real events while he was working as a Legal Aid Attorney in the South Bronx.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 216 reviews
January 22, 2023
4 Stars
June 24, 2017
Good, gripping story.
Don't expect any courtroom drama, lawyer in this story quite practicing law years ago. And don't even try to guess who the killer is. Ending was truly shocking. Interesting family dynamics, also a love story. Gruesome murders, be prepared to read these parts.
Don't expect any courtroom drama, lawyer in this story quite practicing law years ago. And don't even try to guess who the killer is. Ending was truly shocking. Interesting family dynamics, also a love story. Gruesome murders, be prepared to read these parts.
April 3, 2018
This is a pretty good book. The story builds slowly but moves well. I enjoyed it.
June 12, 2021
an exciting story, well told ... lots of emotional human interchange between mature people, as they struggle in the wake of horrible serial murders
October 19, 2016
Kept me reading
I pick 5 stars. This made me tear up, smile, and even had me on edge. When a book causes emotion in yourself it has done it's job. Kudos Thomas Benigno
I pick 5 stars. This made me tear up, smile, and even had me on edge. When a book causes emotion in yourself it has done it's job. Kudos Thomas Benigno
July 10, 2019
For the sake of not being totally negative, I'll grant this book a 2-star rating, although at times it felt like it only deserved a one star. Without a doubt, for me this author was totally amateurish in his characterization. Who would be persuaded that the main character, Nicholas Mannini, was a lawyer? I mean, his thought process was that of an eighteen year old, I'm sorry to say. There was something fundamentally missing to the narrative - it didn't feel thought through, didn't feel developed. It hadn't matured - or simply it hadn't been edited. I don't know. But for me, it was amateur hour.
June 26, 2017
The sequel to The Good Lawyer is even better, and I loved Benigno's first novel. This book is so much richer in textured character development, Yet the mystery and its culmination left me literally breathless. The story is based on an actual serial killer but Benigno has created a fictionalized version of it with his idealistic and compulsive protagonist. Nick Mannino is so well crafted that the reader believes he knows this man-at least I did. ( absent his troubled parental history) I loved his vulnerability, his love of family, and his courage. He and his PI partner Paul Tarantino create a chilling investigation that equals any you will ever read. I just loved this book and I hated for it to end. Nick is now sixty and I hope there is still more excitement left for him unless Eleanor puts her foot down.
February 12, 2019
3.5 stars!! Nick Manino is older and not so wiser in this follow up to The Good Lawyer. Now retired from practicing law Nick is drawn into a serial killer case when it starts to affect his family. Joining a PI on the hunt for his son's girlfriend Nick puts his life on the line to solve the case and ultimately find the person responsible.
This was faster paced than The Good Lawyer and catching up with Nick and Eleanor was great. Seeing their relationship start in book one and to where they find themselves now was a personable touch by Thomas Benigno.
There is no courtroom action at all in this book and centres solely around solving the serial killer case and the progression of Nick's family life. Ending this book in his 60's I think this will be the last we see of him, now tucked safely in the blue grasses of Tennessee. However, I still feel if there is trouble around, Nicks hero complex will still jump up and try and save the day.
This was faster paced than The Good Lawyer and catching up with Nick and Eleanor was great. Seeing their relationship start in book one and to where they find themselves now was a personable touch by Thomas Benigno.
There is no courtroom action at all in this book and centres solely around solving the serial killer case and the progression of Nick's family life. Ending this book in his 60's I think this will be the last we see of him, now tucked safely in the blue grasses of Tennessee. However, I still feel if there is trouble around, Nicks hero complex will still jump up and try and save the day.
January 3, 2017
It's criminal to buy this book....
My chief complaint is that the darn thing went on an on..it's like he didn't know how or where to end it. I found the characters not believable. The main characters are never meant to fail. Our hero (anti hero?) is raised by a single mom. His stinker of a dad is out of the picture. Then mom marries again and along comes the best step dad ever. He struggles to go to law school, but inherits a zillion dollars from a mafia uncle. It seems to me that the author never really let the guy stand on his own two feet, come what may.
The Author often refers to a case he had many years ago, which just happens to be the plot in his first book. It's as if he hasn't had a career between these cases . Frankly I couldn't figure out the need for the frequent references. The book could have stood alone... unless he's just trying to sell more books.
Finally, I think this guy can write. No doubt about that. Maybe he needs better editing?
My chief complaint is that the darn thing went on an on..it's like he didn't know how or where to end it. I found the characters not believable. The main characters are never meant to fail. Our hero (anti hero?) is raised by a single mom. His stinker of a dad is out of the picture. Then mom marries again and along comes the best step dad ever. He struggles to go to law school, but inherits a zillion dollars from a mafia uncle. It seems to me that the author never really let the guy stand on his own two feet, come what may.
The Author often refers to a case he had many years ago, which just happens to be the plot in his first book. It's as if he hasn't had a career between these cases . Frankly I couldn't figure out the need for the frequent references. The book could have stood alone... unless he's just trying to sell more books.
Finally, I think this guy can write. No doubt about that. Maybe he needs better editing?
December 12, 2016
Can a Criminal Lawyer Commit Crimes to Solve a Case?
The main character has demons of his own to overcome, including those that he seemed to inherit. He becomes a detective of sorts when he realizes his own daughter may be the next deviant murderer's target. I liked that the storyline. Stuck with the lawyer and his family,, but am tiring of novels with a remote crime scene with the near soundproof torture room. I enjoyed the resolution and the Epilog, making the flawed characters seem more realistic than other crime scene novels.
The main character has demons of his own to overcome, including those that he seemed to inherit. He becomes a detective of sorts when he realizes his own daughter may be the next deviant murderer's target. I liked that the storyline. Stuck with the lawyer and his family,, but am tiring of novels with a remote crime scene with the near soundproof torture room. I enjoyed the resolution and the Epilog, making the flawed characters seem more realistic than other crime scene novels.
January 5, 2017
Suspenseful thriller .
I could not put this book down. I read it in one sitting. Exciting ending. Two awesome , incredibly smart heroes.
I could not put this book down. I read it in one sitting. Exciting ending. Two awesome , incredibly smart heroes.
February 16, 2017
I was disappointed. This was billed as a psychological thriller, but I had no understanding of any of the characters by the time I finished and the plot was highly implausible.
March 12, 2019
This book was mediocre at best. Although less predictable than others, the writing itself lacked excitement. The repetitiveness of some phrase usage was highly annoying.
August 8, 2018
Amazing, captivating, terrifying, rejuvenating...
I put this book down so many times thinking I just can’t finish it. Too tense, to confusing at times, no clear hero, no clear path to happily ever after...Yes I wanted a short mystery with a clear path and a good guy wins and no innocent victims important to me die. But after 20mins I was reading again. It’s gripping and more than just a genre serial novel. Recommend this to anyone who wants more depth in character development and more investment in the world of each character in the novel. And yes the bad guy is caught but that’s really not what I walked away with... a look into personal relationships and how we grow and change and ultimately heal was almost like a self help book.
I put this book down so many times thinking I just can’t finish it. Too tense, to confusing at times, no clear hero, no clear path to happily ever after...Yes I wanted a short mystery with a clear path and a good guy wins and no innocent victims important to me die. But after 20mins I was reading again. It’s gripping and more than just a genre serial novel. Recommend this to anyone who wants more depth in character development and more investment in the world of each character in the novel. And yes the bad guy is caught but that’s really not what I walked away with... a look into personal relationships and how we grow and change and ultimately heal was almost like a self help book.
May 6, 2021
I am so hooked!
After reading The Good Lawyer, I had to move right on to this one! I need to wait a bit before starting the next one because I can’t stop reading these books. I’m getting behind on the other things in life.
Keep up the writing, Mr. Benigno!
After reading The Good Lawyer, I had to move right on to this one! I need to wait a bit before starting the next one because I can’t stop reading these books. I’m getting behind on the other things in life.
Keep up the writing, Mr. Benigno!
October 19, 2016
Great Read
I had already read the Good Lawyer and wanted to savor this one, I finished it in 2 days ,
I had already read the Good Lawyer and wanted to savor this one, I finished it in 2 days ,
March 9, 2017
Benigno never Fails.
Having read several of his novels now, I can confidently purchase any of his new work, with confidence of satisfaction. His characters are much larger than mere Lawyers, going places usually expected of Cops, Private Eyes, or Spies, all the while using their legal skills and knowledge to serve their clients, and the public good, to just ends. I enjoy the ride, and you will too.
Having read several of his novels now, I can confidently purchase any of his new work, with confidence of satisfaction. His characters are much larger than mere Lawyers, going places usually expected of Cops, Private Eyes, or Spies, all the while using their legal skills and knowledge to serve their clients, and the public good, to just ends. I enjoy the ride, and you will too.
December 2, 2016
Personal, powerful, and scary....I enjoyed the entire book.
Tom Benigno may be another L.I. prodigy. This story will grab your attention and your emotions. The proficiency of a serial killer is matched by a modern day Sherlock, or maybe even another 007 ?
Tom Benigno may be another L.I. prodigy. This story will grab your attention and your emotions. The proficiency of a serial killer is matched by a modern day Sherlock, or maybe even another 007 ?
December 8, 2016
Excellent book
Great book. It was an easy read, very well written. You really got to know the characters, emotional as well as scary. A thriller with no end. I didn't read his first book, I would recommend reading it first. I am going to read it now.
Great book. It was an easy read, very well written. You really got to know the characters, emotional as well as scary. A thriller with no end. I didn't read his first book, I would recommend reading it first. I am going to read it now.
October 24, 2016
Intriguing!
This has been a real page turner that kept me up two nights past my bedtime to finish it. Looking for more from this author,
This has been a real page turner that kept me up two nights past my bedtime to finish it. Looking for more from this author,
November 8, 2016
Surprise after surprise
A well written mystery. A lot of twists and turns with a story of family loyalty and a mix of romance tossed into the mix.
A well written mystery. A lot of twists and turns with a story of family loyalty and a mix of romance tossed into the mix.
November 21, 2016
Great read!
Not sure how to describe this book, starts off slow but builds to non stop page turner. Great build up of plot and characters..
Not sure how to describe this book, starts off slow but builds to non stop page turner. Great build up of plot and characters..
November 25, 2016
Excellent thriller
This author has the gift of intrigue that keeps you so involved you can not put his book down until you complete it.
This author has the gift of intrigue that keeps you so involved you can not put his book down until you complete it.
January 12, 2017
A Book Of Horror and Love
I am deeply troubled about this story and cannot really grasp how some are so demented. Are there clues that provide answers?
I am deeply troubled about this story and cannot really grasp how some are so demented. Are there clues that provide answers?
October 6, 2018
Loved it
Great writing and captivating plot kept me turning the pages.
The Criminal Lawyer is very realistic in tone and in storyline because it was inspired by a true story. The author himself, Thomas Benigno, was a criminal defense lawyer who practiced in Long Island, NY.
The Criminal Lawyer's story is about wealthy attorney, Nick Mannino, who inherited his fortune from his mobster family. Nick is no mobster, and he abhors the blood money left to him. However, Nick has bigger worries than his ill-gotten gains: a serial killer is in the loose, and apparently both he and his family are targets.
In fact, one of the missing girls is his son's girlfriend, Sofia.
The Criminal Lawyer draws the reader in immediately and builds a tense, compelling, believable story right up to the conclusion.
While there is some "language" throughout the book, it isn't pervasive or out of place. There is no graphic sex either, whether other readers like that or not. With this subject matter, there is violence but it isn't overtly gruesome.
I never give away plot details in my reviews lest I spoil the read for someone else, so I'll just mention that there is one brief comment that's a significant clue if you catch it. Likewise, there's another brief comment that might throw you off track . . . . So how good a detective are you?
I liked this book for the author's writing style, the compelling plot, the exciting climax, and for the satisfying conclusion.
Another interesting thing about this book is the fact that the main character was a lawyer who represented the bad guys, not a detective or some other law enforcement official. As such, Nick Mannino had limited resources available to help protect himself and his family.
I will definitely read more Thomas Benigno books, and I highly recommend The Criminal Lawyer to others.
Great writing and captivating plot kept me turning the pages.
The Criminal Lawyer is very realistic in tone and in storyline because it was inspired by a true story. The author himself, Thomas Benigno, was a criminal defense lawyer who practiced in Long Island, NY.
The Criminal Lawyer's story is about wealthy attorney, Nick Mannino, who inherited his fortune from his mobster family. Nick is no mobster, and he abhors the blood money left to him. However, Nick has bigger worries than his ill-gotten gains: a serial killer is in the loose, and apparently both he and his family are targets.
In fact, one of the missing girls is his son's girlfriend, Sofia.
The Criminal Lawyer draws the reader in immediately and builds a tense, compelling, believable story right up to the conclusion.
While there is some "language" throughout the book, it isn't pervasive or out of place. There is no graphic sex either, whether other readers like that or not. With this subject matter, there is violence but it isn't overtly gruesome.
I never give away plot details in my reviews lest I spoil the read for someone else, so I'll just mention that there is one brief comment that's a significant clue if you catch it. Likewise, there's another brief comment that might throw you off track . . . . So how good a detective are you?
I liked this book for the author's writing style, the compelling plot, the exciting climax, and for the satisfying conclusion.
Another interesting thing about this book is the fact that the main character was a lawyer who represented the bad guys, not a detective or some other law enforcement official. As such, Nick Mannino had limited resources available to help protect himself and his family.
I will definitely read more Thomas Benigno books, and I highly recommend The Criminal Lawyer to others.
March 27, 2019
I rated the first book in this series as 4 stars, but I didn't like this one quite as much, so 3 stars it is. This one takes place decades later, with much water under the bridge in the interim. The plot follows our lawyer on the hunt for a vicious serial killer with much personal risk for himself and his loved ones. While the protagonist remains likeable and we want him to succeed, the buildup was slow and labored. When I read a mystery or a thriller, I like being on the edge of my chair, eagerly anticipating the next turn of events. With this book, I never felt that way. When I put the book down, it might be days before I picked it up again. If this book had grabbed my attention, I would have read it in a couple days - this one took eight looong days! I also found the many 'interior monologues' tiresome ans wished they were far shorter. I won't be rushing back to read more by Thomas Benigno.
January 31, 2020
Holy moly! Not reading this book is a disservice to oneself.
I have read numerous thriller and crime books of late and this one has been my favorite by a landslide. I enjoyed it even more than the first book in the series, titled "The Good Lawyer". I could not put this book down, reading until the wee hours of the morning.
I got so caught up in the action and thrill of the chase while reading this book that my 6'3 linebacker-framed husband, who just happened to walk in front of my path to use the bathroom late at night, made me scream bloody murder at the top of my lungs! I scared the living daylights out of him. He kindly asked me to please stop reading the book! It was hilarious.
I highly recommend this book to anyone with a good ticker who can tolerate the suspense. I loved every bit of it...and the love of family and good friendships had me in tears.
I sincerely hope there's a third book for the series in the works! Please, Mr. Benigno!!!
I have read numerous thriller and crime books of late and this one has been my favorite by a landslide. I enjoyed it even more than the first book in the series, titled "The Good Lawyer". I could not put this book down, reading until the wee hours of the morning.
I got so caught up in the action and thrill of the chase while reading this book that my 6'3 linebacker-framed husband, who just happened to walk in front of my path to use the bathroom late at night, made me scream bloody murder at the top of my lungs! I scared the living daylights out of him. He kindly asked me to please stop reading the book! It was hilarious.
I highly recommend this book to anyone with a good ticker who can tolerate the suspense. I loved every bit of it...and the love of family and good friendships had me in tears.
I sincerely hope there's a third book for the series in the works! Please, Mr. Benigno!!!
November 13, 2018
I enjoyed Thomas Benigno's first novel (5*), "The Good Lawyer," and found this second installment entertaining, but in a completely different way. This particular story lacks any legal drama whether in a courtroom or otherwise. It is a gruesome crime novel and, essentially, a whodunit orchestrated by Nick Mannino and his hired detective to identify and neutralize a serial killer. The characters are well developed, the plot sequence logical and easy to follow, and the action exciting and suspenseful once the culprit is and his lair are located. I wasn't too enthralled with the final chapters, in which Benigno wrapped up several relationships including the reunion of Nick and his ex-wife (Eleanor) whose character is not the least endearing and reminded me of a "NJ housewife." The ending saga took too long and felt a bit sappy for my tastes... (-1*).
Read
September 8, 2020Goodreads' description: A serial killer is littering the south shore beach of Long Island with the bones of his female victims stuffed into burlap bags. Nick Mannino, The Good Lawyer and former South Bronx Legal Aid Attorney born into a mobster dominated family, is a complex and compelling character--his constant court battles nothing more than a futile effort to hide and deny a haunting truth about himself and worse--a sinewy bloodline marred by unspeakable crimes. Then this brutal serial killer turns on him, and worse, his family. As much a thriller as it is a mystery, with an ending as riveting as that in Silence of the Lambs, The Criminal Lawyer is also a love story, a novel of family secrets, and crimes beyond forgiveness.
July 28, 2019
Book 2 of this two-book series picks up 28 years after the first. Criminal defense attorney, Nick Mannino, has relocated from the Bronx to Long Island, his wife has left him and he struggles to maintain a relationship with his two adult children... but he's rich thanks to an inheritance from his mafioso Uncle Rocco. So that helps a lot. This is most definitely not a legal thriller, the story instead centers on Nick hiring a private detective to locate his son's girlfriend, who is presumed to have been taken by a serial killer. There are a whole lot of relationship story lines, as well, which caused the book to drag at times for me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 216 reviews