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McMurtrie and Drake #3
The Last Trial
Former law professor Tom McMurtrie has brought killers to justice, and taken on some of the most infamous cases in Alabama’s history. Now he’s tackling his greatest challenge.
McMurtrie’s old nemesis, Jack Willistone, is found dead on the banks of the Black Warrior River. Willistone had his share of enemies, but all evidence points to a forgotten, broken woman as the killer. At the urging of the suspect’s desperate fourteen-year-old daughter, McMurtrie agrees to take the case.
But as seasoned as McMurtrie is, even he isn’t prepared for how personal and dangerous this case is going to get. With the trial drawing near and his sharp young partner, Rick Drake, dealing with a family tragedy, he recruits his best friend, Bocephus Haynes, to help investigate.
As key witnesses disappear and old demons return, time becomes McMurtrie’s most fearsome opponent. Soon loyalties will be tested and the boundaries of law will be broken as McMurtrie fights to save his legacy—and his client’s life—before the truth is buried forever in the muddy waters of the Black Warrior.
McMurtrie’s old nemesis, Jack Willistone, is found dead on the banks of the Black Warrior River. Willistone had his share of enemies, but all evidence points to a forgotten, broken woman as the killer. At the urging of the suspect’s desperate fourteen-year-old daughter, McMurtrie agrees to take the case.
But as seasoned as McMurtrie is, even he isn’t prepared for how personal and dangerous this case is going to get. With the trial drawing near and his sharp young partner, Rick Drake, dealing with a family tragedy, he recruits his best friend, Bocephus Haynes, to help investigate.
As key witnesses disappear and old demons return, time becomes McMurtrie’s most fearsome opponent. Soon loyalties will be tested and the boundaries of law will be broken as McMurtrie fights to save his legacy—and his client’s life—before the truth is buried forever in the muddy waters of the Black Warrior.
445 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 8, 2018
5321 people are currently reading
2000 people want to read
About the author
Robert Bailey
12 books1,305 followersRobert Bailey is the bestselling and award winning author of the McMurtrie and Drake Legal Thrillers series, which includes The Final Reckoning, The Last Trial, Between Black and White, and The Professor, as well as the Bocephus Haynes’ series, which debuted with Legacy of Lies. He is also the author of the inspirational novel, The Golfer’s Carol.
Robert was born in Huntsville, Alabama, the son of a builder and a schoolteacher. From the time he could walk, he’s loved stories, especially those about Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant and his beloved Alabama Crimson Tide football team.
Robert obtained a Bachelor of Arts in History from Davidson College in North Carolina. Law School at the University of Alabama followed, where Robert made Law Review, competed on the school’s trial team and managed to watch every home football game.
For the past twenty-one years, he’s been a civil defense trial lawyer in his hometown of Huntsville. He and his wife, Dixie, have three kids.
Robert was born in Huntsville, Alabama, the son of a builder and a schoolteacher. From the time he could walk, he’s loved stories, especially those about Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant and his beloved Alabama Crimson Tide football team.
Robert obtained a Bachelor of Arts in History from Davidson College in North Carolina. Law School at the University of Alabama followed, where Robert made Law Review, competed on the school’s trial team and managed to watch every home football game.
For the past twenty-one years, he’s been a civil defense trial lawyer in his hometown of Huntsville. He and his wife, Dixie, have three kids.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 509 reviews
May 13, 2018
3.5 Stars— I never had heard of Robert Bailey before I saw this book offered on Net Galley, but the subject matter and the setting of the book intrigued me so I thought I would give it a try. Being an Alabama prosecutor myself, I enjoy reading legal thrillers set in the Deep South as long as they are realistic and the Southern characters are not over the top. This book centers around Tom McMurtrie, a former law professor who now practices criminal defense work. Tom gets involved in a local murder case after a 14 year old girl comes to his office and begs for him to represent her mother, who has been charged with the murder of an old acquaintance, with whom she had a long and complicated relationship. All of the characters in the novel are well developed, and the story keeps you in suspense until the very end. The novel seems to get better the further you get into it, but speaking from experience, no trial would ever end as the one in this book did. However, I didn’t enjoy the author’s ridiculous habit of describing every street, restaurant, and landmark in Tuscaloosa in excruciating detail throughout the book. Also, the Filipino villain who constantly uses Spanish expressions is distracting and seems at serious odds with the rest of the characters in the book. Finally , I’ve lived in Alabama for 48 years and I’ve never spoken to or prosecuted a “Bocephus”or a “Bully”—- all that was missing was Boss Hogg. Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review
August 25, 2018
I was impressed with Bailey’s first book “The Professor”. It hooked me and I have become a fan. The books are designed to standalone, but I think the reader gains more from reading the books in order.
The protagonist of the three books is Professor Thomas Jackson McMurtrie. Tom is ill but his brilliant legal mind and skills are intact as is his moral values. Bailey created an intense and exciting plot that twists and turns. His characters are most interesting and realistic. Bailey moves the story along via his characters and dialog. The author is a good storyteller and his descriptions are so realistic that I felt I was part of the scene. Yummy, green fried tomatoes; you will have to read the story to find out what I am referring to. Some people might not like all the description of the scenes, but I do. It helps me build a picture in my mind. I do hope Bailey will continue to write more exciting stories.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is just over eleven hours. Eric G. Dove does a good job narrating the book. Dove is a full-time audiobook narrator and the winner of multiple Earphone Awards.
The protagonist of the three books is Professor Thomas Jackson McMurtrie. Tom is ill but his brilliant legal mind and skills are intact as is his moral values. Bailey created an intense and exciting plot that twists and turns. His characters are most interesting and realistic. Bailey moves the story along via his characters and dialog. The author is a good storyteller and his descriptions are so realistic that I felt I was part of the scene. Yummy, green fried tomatoes; you will have to read the story to find out what I am referring to. Some people might not like all the description of the scenes, but I do. It helps me build a picture in my mind. I do hope Bailey will continue to write more exciting stories.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is just over eleven hours. Eric G. Dove does a good job narrating the book. Dove is a full-time audiobook narrator and the winner of multiple Earphone Awards.
August 17, 2019
Some aspects of the ending were difficult to believe, but there were also some excellent moments.
March 27, 2021
The third book in a four-book legal thriller series. Tom McMurtrie (a/k/a the Professor) is asked by the teenage daughter of Wilma Newton to defend her. Wilma has been arrested for the killing of the man who ruined her life, Jack Willistone, less than a day after his release from prison. Wilma is a hot mess, having lost her two girls because of the actions forced upon her in Bailey's prior novel. Her guilt seems certain based on the evidence, and Tom's agreeing to take the case pits him against his prior allies. Jack's father-in-law is a lowlife, and suspicion falls on him, especially when a $3 million life insurance policy payable to his Jack's current wife. Meanwhile his ex-wife is furious, because she thinks Jack changed the beneficiary to their autistic son to repent for his abominable treatment of him. Tom's health is failing, and he thinks this will be his last trial. He is ably assisted by his BFF, Bocephus Haynes, as an investigator since his law license was suspended.
September 9, 2019
Excellent legal thriller. Better than the previous one and should be read in order. Loved it!
August 9, 2018
Book Review: The Last Trial (McMurtrie and Drake Book 3) by Robert Bailey
Once in a rare blue moon, we come upon a writer whose debut work comes across with such power and emotion, and with such finesse expected only at the level of more established bestselling authors, that accolades are understated. Think "A Time to Kill /Sycamore Row", only with more sinister, ruthless villains, and much more of the human element - of brotherhood, loyalty, betrayal, abuse of power and repentance.
"The Professor" (Book 1), was one of the first books featured when Prime Reading debuted in October 2016. For some reason and to my own loss, I deferred reading the book until recently. Nevertheless, the book was such a page-turner, I finished it in a day or so, quickly followed by "Between Black and White" (Book 2), and this novel, "The Last Trial" - a series which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I'd strongly recommend that all three books be read in order. The protagonists and characters led by seventy-something law professor Thomas Jackson McMurtrie "who literally wrote the book on evidence in the state of Alabama" are developed incrementally, with main plots, sub-plots, twists, false accusations, daunting odds and cover-ups referring back to key prior events.
Specially interesting are the background stories and present-day interactions with many of the main players, now themselves powerful judges, district attorneys and law enforcement officers, and hot-shot attorneys (not to forget his head-strong partner and co-counsel, Rick Drake), being former students and proteges of "the professor".
"At the end, hope always wins." A fourth book based on the author's real life experience of very close relatives "beating the odds", is in the works. Without a doubt. After all, it was his own father's parting words for the author to "write books..." And so do we anticipate!
Review based on an ARC (advance reading copy) presented by NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer.
Once in a rare blue moon, we come upon a writer whose debut work comes across with such power and emotion, and with such finesse expected only at the level of more established bestselling authors, that accolades are understated. Think "A Time to Kill /Sycamore Row", only with more sinister, ruthless villains, and much more of the human element - of brotherhood, loyalty, betrayal, abuse of power and repentance.
"The Professor" (Book 1), was one of the first books featured when Prime Reading debuted in October 2016. For some reason and to my own loss, I deferred reading the book until recently. Nevertheless, the book was such a page-turner, I finished it in a day or so, quickly followed by "Between Black and White" (Book 2), and this novel, "The Last Trial" - a series which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I'd strongly recommend that all three books be read in order. The protagonists and characters led by seventy-something law professor Thomas Jackson McMurtrie "who literally wrote the book on evidence in the state of Alabama" are developed incrementally, with main plots, sub-plots, twists, false accusations, daunting odds and cover-ups referring back to key prior events.
Specially interesting are the background stories and present-day interactions with many of the main players, now themselves powerful judges, district attorneys and law enforcement officers, and hot-shot attorneys (not to forget his head-strong partner and co-counsel, Rick Drake), being former students and proteges of "the professor".
"At the end, hope always wins." A fourth book based on the author's real life experience of very close relatives "beating the odds", is in the works. Without a doubt. After all, it was his own father's parting words for the author to "write books..." And so do we anticipate!
Review based on an ARC (advance reading copy) presented by NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer.
August 12, 2018
This 3rd installment lacks the complete tension of the first in the McMurtrie books. In fact, this one has little to no tension. At least, have a bit of mystery. Where the first was tough to put down, this one is almost tough to pick up.
Many of the same players (those of whom weren’t killed off) are carried over from the two previous ones. Some of the same type of evidence against the accused is repeated from the 2nd in this series. Hearing about how wonderful Tom and Bo are, is old, as is hearing about their glory days of football. Too much repetition.
This one is a bit depressing.
3.5 stars
Many of the same players (those of whom weren’t killed off) are carried over from the two previous ones. Some of the same type of evidence against the accused is repeated from the 2nd in this series. Hearing about how wonderful Tom and Bo are, is old, as is hearing about their glory days of football. Too much repetition.
This one is a bit depressing.
3.5 stars
June 12, 2022
The third one in the McMurtrie series was by far the best. Professor’s ”complications” felt somehow very real in the book and the why was explained in the author’s note at the end. The twist was ultimately satisfying as well. As far as this series goes, this was a 5 star for me.
May 24, 2022
Another solid entry in the McMurtrie and Drake series. Really like this series!
November 13, 2025
another good legal thriller by Mr. bailey
May 8, 2018
Robert Bailey’s third McMurtrie and Drake book, “The Last Trial,” is a winner. Even if you haven’t read the first two, and I haven’t, although I am going to rectify that as soon as possible, there is no problem in picking up the stories and the characters.
Tom McMurtrie is a seventy-one-year-old Alabama lawyer, formerly a professor at the University of Alabama Law School, who takes up the case of Wilma Newton who is accused of murdering Jack Willistone. I don’t like spoilers, so I am not going to give any, but suffice it to say that the case against her looks very dark indeed. The Professor, as many call him, is assisted by an intriguing cast of characters, including a friend who is also a lawyer, and the defendant’s teenage daughter.
The case takes many twists and turns, and we also see something of the private lives of the characters. The personalities of the characters are well-drawn, and the writing is crisp and well-edited. The pace and tension of the book are excellent.
“The Last Trial,” is everything a legal thriller should be. Do yourself a favor and pick up this book, I cannot recommend it more highly.
I was given an ARC by the publisher and NetGalley for my honest opinion.
Tom McMurtrie is a seventy-one-year-old Alabama lawyer, formerly a professor at the University of Alabama Law School, who takes up the case of Wilma Newton who is accused of murdering Jack Willistone. I don’t like spoilers, so I am not going to give any, but suffice it to say that the case against her looks very dark indeed. The Professor, as many call him, is assisted by an intriguing cast of characters, including a friend who is also a lawyer, and the defendant’s teenage daughter.
The case takes many twists and turns, and we also see something of the private lives of the characters. The personalities of the characters are well-drawn, and the writing is crisp and well-edited. The pace and tension of the book are excellent.
“The Last Trial,” is everything a legal thriller should be. Do yourself a favor and pick up this book, I cannot recommend it more highly.
I was given an ARC by the publisher and NetGalley for my honest opinion.
June 16, 2018
I believe this concludes the McMurtrie and Drake series. I devoured the audiobook over a weekend. It is very good, but somehow the story did not strike me as stellar as the previous two. Although a very good mystery, I found that the telling stalled sometimes and was repititous at other times. There was a final twist near the very end that, despite my hunches, came as a surprise to me.
It is less of a legal mystery than the previous two, although the law plays a major role behind the events that occur. Although it is possible to read these out of order, I strongly recommend reading the series in sequence as each previous one solves a mystery but leaves other parts unresolved.
I suspect this is the last we'll hear from the professor, but, as things have evolved, I suspect we might hear more about his friend and former law student, Bocephus Haynes. Like McMurtrie, he played for and revered coach Bear Bryant while an undergrad at Alabama. (Bocephus was a primary character in the previous two books as well.) In fact, the series ought to be renamed McMurtrie and Haynes Mysteries.
It is less of a legal mystery than the previous two, although the law plays a major role behind the events that occur. Although it is possible to read these out of order, I strongly recommend reading the series in sequence as each previous one solves a mystery but leaves other parts unresolved.
I suspect this is the last we'll hear from the professor, but, as things have evolved, I suspect we might hear more about his friend and former law student, Bocephus Haynes. Like McMurtrie, he played for and revered coach Bear Bryant while an undergrad at Alabama. (Bocephus was a primary character in the previous two books as well.) In fact, the series ought to be renamed McMurtrie and Haynes Mysteries.
January 17, 2019
Great book and narration by Eric Dove (audible review)
This was a very good legal thriller.I really liked it a lot and I enjoyed a lot of the characters especially Wilma's 14 year old daughter who hired McMurtrey to defend her mother.
There were a lot of plot twists and turns, murders and just a really well written story that kept me guessing all the way to the end. Fantastic story telling.
I totally recommend this book!
As for the narration, Eric Dove is amazing. Love him. He does such a great job on the female voices and has a great reading voice. Awesome narrator!!!!!!!
This was a very good legal thriller.I really liked it a lot and I enjoyed a lot of the characters especially Wilma's 14 year old daughter who hired McMurtrey to defend her mother.
There were a lot of plot twists and turns, murders and just a really well written story that kept me guessing all the way to the end. Fantastic story telling.
I totally recommend this book!
As for the narration, Eric Dove is amazing. Love him. He does such a great job on the female voices and has a great reading voice. Awesome narrator!!!!!!!
September 11, 2019
Nothing new here. His novels follow a similar trend. I got real tired of hearing about Alabama football and Bear Bryant. It's some dull stuff. It was alright in his first novel of the series but by the final one, it was boring. In the closing of the novel, there's a suggestion that the main character would be back despite having terminal cancer and I thought, oh, no, please don't bring him back from death for another novel rife with University of Alabama football references.
August 25, 2021
Enough of Bear
The use of Bear Bryant and his over and over again teachings was too much, once was enough for me.
The use of Bear Bryant and his over and over again teachings was too much, once was enough for me.
November 27, 2022
So many people critique such mundane issues. This book is for entertaining me. Well. It did. The endings are clever. Love your books Robert Bailey. Will read everyone.
May 10, 2018
All my reviews are posted on my log : https://ahavenforbooklovers.wordpress...
I couldn’t resist getting this book. I love the cover. It has such a vybe to it. Being a Grisham fan, I am always on the lookout for good legal thrillers. This one was perfect in every way.
The story begins with the murder of a man who has just recently been released from jail. The police think they have their suspect. However, lawyer McMurtrie has a reason to fight the conviction. It’s a tough case especially with the mounting evidence and I was curious to see how the lawyer would handle it.
I didn’t know that this was the third book in a series until I started reading it. I quickly noticed references to past events in the characters’ lives. I was disheartened when I discovered that I was two books behind and this made me struggle a bit at the beginning of the story. It took time to know the characters and follow the case. However, a few chapters in, I was finally able to fully connect with the story. I really liked McMurtrie. He is a unique lawyer being over seventy years old and a law professor. McMurtrie has taught almost everyone in the legal profession in his town. He has also worked with many of the lawyers, judges and law enforcement officers so there is a lot of history there and most interactions (good and bad) were personal. The author tackled some really sensitive themes through McMurtrie’s back story. This made the story both suspenseful and emotional.
I liked the investigation and how it ran concurrently with the trial. There were a lot of tense moments as the case progressed. In addition, I wasn’t sure whether McMurtrie’s client was guilty or innocent so I kept turning pages seeking the truth while wondering whether he would win the case.
This is a wonderful legal thriller with enough twists and turns to make it a captivating read. I liked everything about it, from the characters to the case. I also enjoyed following the legal proceedings which were well portrayed. Everything was systematic in a way that made it easy to follow the case and hence get invested in the outcome. I can’t wait to go back and read the first two books in this series.
Although this can be read as a standalone, I definitely think the series is much more enjoyed if read in order. Definitely recommended for fans of legal thrillers.
I couldn’t resist getting this book. I love the cover. It has such a vybe to it. Being a Grisham fan, I am always on the lookout for good legal thrillers. This one was perfect in every way.
The story begins with the murder of a man who has just recently been released from jail. The police think they have their suspect. However, lawyer McMurtrie has a reason to fight the conviction. It’s a tough case especially with the mounting evidence and I was curious to see how the lawyer would handle it.
I didn’t know that this was the third book in a series until I started reading it. I quickly noticed references to past events in the characters’ lives. I was disheartened when I discovered that I was two books behind and this made me struggle a bit at the beginning of the story. It took time to know the characters and follow the case. However, a few chapters in, I was finally able to fully connect with the story. I really liked McMurtrie. He is a unique lawyer being over seventy years old and a law professor. McMurtrie has taught almost everyone in the legal profession in his town. He has also worked with many of the lawyers, judges and law enforcement officers so there is a lot of history there and most interactions (good and bad) were personal. The author tackled some really sensitive themes through McMurtrie’s back story. This made the story both suspenseful and emotional.
I liked the investigation and how it ran concurrently with the trial. There were a lot of tense moments as the case progressed. In addition, I wasn’t sure whether McMurtrie’s client was guilty or innocent so I kept turning pages seeking the truth while wondering whether he would win the case.
This is a wonderful legal thriller with enough twists and turns to make it a captivating read. I liked everything about it, from the characters to the case. I also enjoyed following the legal proceedings which were well portrayed. Everything was systematic in a way that made it easy to follow the case and hence get invested in the outcome. I can’t wait to go back and read the first two books in this series.
Although this can be read as a standalone, I definitely think the series is much more enjoyed if read in order. Definitely recommended for fans of legal thrillers.
October 19, 2023
If you finish this book without tears in your eyes, HOW?! I listened to this audiobook and narrator was so so good. I’m fully invested in these characters and don’t know what I will do when I finish the last book in the series. The relationship between The Professor and Bo is so heartwarming. I’m such a fan of how Robert Bailey portrays the characters and the relationships between The Professor and each of his former students that get introduced and how he handled Lori Ann Newton.
July 12, 2018
For some reason, I love to read legal thrillers during the summer. The Last Trial by Robert Bailey is the third book in the McMurtrie and Drake series. I really like this series, it was perfect for my legal thriller craving. I can only hope that Mr. Bailey will continue to write. I am looking forward to the next one.
July 1, 2020
Good Stuff!!
Another great entry to the four book series. Robert Bailey does an exceptional job of slowly ratcheting up the emotional aspects of his stories, until FINALLY at the end you can breathe again. I also thoroughly enjoy the unconventional relationship between Thomas and Bocephus, really good stuff indeed.
Buy, it read it and enjoy!!👍🏾🏈👍🏾🏈👍🏾🏈👍🏾🏈👍🏾🏈
Another great entry to the four book series. Robert Bailey does an exceptional job of slowly ratcheting up the emotional aspects of his stories, until FINALLY at the end you can breathe again. I also thoroughly enjoy the unconventional relationship between Thomas and Bocephus, really good stuff indeed.
Buy, it read it and enjoy!!👍🏾🏈👍🏾🏈👍🏾🏈👍🏾🏈👍🏾🏈
May 4, 2022
Another solid legal thriller from Robert Bailey, with Tom McMurtrie (the Professor) taking on an unwinnable case as the defense attorney to a woman accused of murder. Wilma Newton was one of the key characters in the first McMurtrie and Drake book and her life has gone to hell as a result of the Professor's success in that book - but her daughter pleads with him to defend her mom. Assisted by Bocephus Haynes, who has had his law license suspended, and his young partner (only briefly), he goes into the trial with every last bit of strength he has - which isn't much.
It's amazing how much evil exists in the Southern US, as portrayed in Bailey's books. Good reads.
It's amazing how much evil exists in the Southern US, as portrayed in Bailey's books. Good reads.
December 11, 2018
The Professor is back! Robert Bailey brings us the third in the series featuring former law school professor Thomas Jefferson McMurtrie. He has his friends, his enemies, his followers/worshippers, his values, and his demons. They all come together when a 14-year old girl awaits him on his step with a plea to defend her mother in an air-tight murder case that she swears she didn't commit. The South is the co-star as Bailey makes the setting almost as important as the characters themselves. I received an advanced digital copy through #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 3, 2019
I seem to have gotten something in my eye
Robert Bailey has crafted some amazing characters, and weaves them into these legal thrillers so expertly! This trial surprised me at the end, and the epilogue had the water-works started. The Author's Note at the end had me grabbing tissue.
This series is great, and I can't wait to read the next book!
Robert Bailey has crafted some amazing characters, and weaves them into these legal thrillers so expertly! This trial surprised me at the end, and the epilogue had the water-works started. The Author's Note at the end had me grabbing tissue.
This series is great, and I can't wait to read the next book!
July 12, 2020
Real friends
Yes, this is a great legal story, but to me, it's a story about friendship and love and doing what is right. Real friends may not agree all the time, but real friends will find a way.
Yes, this is a great legal story, but to me, it's a story about friendship and love and doing what is right. Real friends may not agree all the time, but real friends will find a way.
July 15, 2019
A Nicely Set up story , with characters from part one , makes you wait imaptiently for the courtroom drama to begin , But fizzles out completely in the end , Don't know what the author was trying to write here .Disappointed with this one.
February 7, 2022
I like the Professor and all his associated characters. Also, the southern first names and nicknames are a delight. The story has a surprise ending that is well worth the wait.
October 20, 2022
Intense suspense with plot twists. Great read.
August 19, 2025
This was between a 4 and a 5 for me but I like the writing style so much I went to 5. Really like this author and the characters. This one may have resolved itself too easily and too much happened at the end.
June 19, 2019
Book #3 in this series; another excellent legal thriller!
July 2, 2021
Ok another legal drama!!!!!
But not only does it take place in Tuscaloosa, Alabama but it is a tear jerking cry out loud, court room drama!!! Roll tide!!!!
But not only does it take place in Tuscaloosa, Alabama but it is a tear jerking cry out loud, court room drama!!! Roll tide!!!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 509 reviews