Nightfall (4)

by Brian Lutterman

Paraplegic attorney Pen Wilkinson, fighting through horrific flashbacks from a previous case, returns to Minnesota to investigate the murder of a candidate for governor. Is the murder a crime of passion, a political assassination, or part of a larger scheme? Fighting opposition from both police and the minority community, Pen presses ahead, unraveling the explosive secret of the thirty-year-old police shooting of a civil rights leader. As tensions mount, Pen's search unearths a horrifying plot to engulf the state in racial violence for political gain. Stymied by police caution and political gridlock, Pen races to expose the plan before the conspirators can silence their latest Pen Wilkinson.

Genres: Mystery

296 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2018

About the author

Brian Lutterman is the author of the mystery-thrillers Bound to Die, a Minnesota Book Award runner-up, and Poised to Kill, described by the Midwest Book Review as “. . .a masterfully woven tale of tycoons and terrorists.” Lutterman, a former trial lawyer and corporate attorney, writes cutting-edge corporate thrillers, bringing to life the genre’s outsized conflicts and characters. A graduate of the University of Minnesota and Georgetown University Law Center, he lives with his family in the Twin Cities. He can be found on the web at: www.brianlutterman.com

Reviews

[Stace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Reviewed by Kerstin on www.whisperingstories.com

This book is part of the Pen Wilkinson series by Brian Lutterman. Pen Wilkinson is handicapped and bound to a wheelchair after a car accident which killed her niece. Pen is an attorney and former prosecutor, finding the truth is her strong suit.

The ex-wife of Pen’s ex-boyfriend, Anita, calls Pen out of the blue and hires her to investigate the murder of her brother-in-law, Blake Lofton, who also happened to be a candidate for governor. The prime suspect: Anita’s husband Andre, the brother of Loftons wife Simone.

Pen is determined to find the murderer of Lofton. It is just how she is: she has to find the truth, no matter what. Who has a motive for the killing? What is the motive? Passion or politics? Soon after her arriving in Minnesota Pen finds herself in serious danger but she isn’t going to stop her investigations. She has to deal with high powered people and their ego. Big stones are thrown in her way. But Pen is on a mission and it needs a lot to stop her.

I was intrigued by the idea of a handicapped protagonist and was wondering why there aren’t more books out there like this. Pen Wilkinson is a very strong woman and determined to find the truth. The reader learns about the difficulties of a paraplegic and with Pen they also see how strong you have to be to make life work.

I appreciate a well-plotted story and I like short chapters because I often read while travelling or during lunch breaks. It is written in an engaging way and it never gets boring which makes it hard to stop reading. The author knows how to lead the reader through a story and the main character is a strong one, but leaves the reader wondering about her secrets. To me, Pen seems to have a mysterious side on her and I like that. It is nice not to know everything about a character right away.

I don’t know the other books of the series yet but I am going to read them in the future. Nightfall is a gripping political thriller, a serious page turner. I was totally hooked and I highly recommend reading it. And if you liked it as much as I, then the whole series might be for you too.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was well written and engaging. It included many twists with the evidence to connect the case together. It did become confusing in the last 40 pages or so as so much more information was rapidly added to the plot, leaving a few points unresolved. This is apparently part of a series as it alludes to the other books but I was unaware of this when picking it up and it is written in a way that does not necessarily require the knowledge of the other books before reading. As a Minnesota native (writing this post George Floyd 2020) I did become frustrated with Pen’s lack of understanding of racial issues and more so her lack of realization at the end. There was not any true depth in the racial plot line of this book that showed the reality of being black in Minnesota. There were several times where characters vaguely alluded to protests and “race riots” but it provided very little to the main plot itself, as the author never went into detail on Andre’s experience of being a black man accused of murder. Pen was painted as naive for not understanding the racial connotations in this case, but in the end it was not shown that she had gained much of an understanding.

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paraplegic attorney Pen Wilkinson returns to Minnesota to investigate the murder of a candidate for governor. She is also fighting horrific flashbacks from a previous case. She needs to figure out what kind of murder this was, a political assassination, crime of passion, or something else. As she digs into the investigation, she is fighting opposition from both police and the minority community, Pen presses ahead, unraveling the explosive secret of the thirty-year-old police shooting of a civil rights leader. Is this the beginning of a plot to engulf the state in racial violence for political gain? One thing for sure is, Penn better watch her back because there isn't anyone else out there is will! Can she put an end to this plan, or will she too be just another casualty? I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this 4th outing for feisty Pen Wilkinson, a paraplegic attorney, she is ready to call it quits with her lover James Carter over the risks she takes. When she is asked by James’ ex-wife to return to Minnesota to help with a difficult case involving the murder of gubernatorial candidate Blake Lofton, she jumps at the chance. The accused is Blake’s brother-in-law, Andre Woodruff, currently married to Anita, James’ former wife. Pen has had a demanding career fighting corporate saboteurs and prosecuting crooked public officials. In this riveting new tale, Pen uncovers a 30-year-old crime with racial overtones and dishonorable actions by Tony McCort, the other candidate, as she races to prove Andre’s innocence. Plot twists and red herrings abound in this adrenaline-charged thriller. I read an advance review copy of this book and give it 4.5 stars.

[Jovdb · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book. This is part of a series but it can be read as a stand alone.

Pen is a D.A. with a penchant for tracking down the truth, no matter her personal cost. The story doesn’t paint a good picture of politicians, police, or people in general. Even those people whom one assumes are good, turn out to be just out for themselves l

I found it horrific that a politician would do the things that are done in the name of winning at all costs. But, with a current elected official in the US being outed for lying about his religion, his education, his money, and who knows what else, and still refusing to stand down, nothing should surprise me anymore. Like Simone, I must be naive!

[J.P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear your schedule when you start reading "Nightfall" because you will not want to put it down! Brian Lutterman creates another great read featuring the intrepid but vulnerable Pen Wilkinson. Lutterman’s well-defined cast includes highly believable characters.

"Nightfall" is a captivating mystery that keeps you engaged and guessing about the murderer(s) until the end. The plot is composed of twists surrounding issues in a political minefield with interesting details and intrigue in every chapter. I received an advance copy from the author and have volunteered to post my review.

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

Parts of this I really liked.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

CL ebook enjoyed

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The more things change the more they stay the same. Racial injustice, police shooting, conspiracies are all contained here. Things are always more complicated than they appear.