The Peoples’ Lawyer

by John Ellsworth, Thérèse Plummer (Narrator)

When the legal system fails to convict an abuser, what do you do?

Meet Assistant District Attorney Lettie Portman, a sex-crimes prosecutor whose past demands justice. When a 14-year-old girl is savagely attacked by her mother's live-in boyfriend, Lettie is called to the hospital. There, she meets a sweet young girl whose only goal is to go to school and come home to a safe environment. But mom's boyfriend makes the girl's world anything but safe. Soon, the abuse gets worse, and Lettie, the prosecutor, goes to the grand jury with the case. Two juries later, the abuser is still loose on the streets.

Lettie is no stranger to abuse. She takes matters into her own hands.

Will Lettie's own past interfere with her prosecution of what should be San Diego's Most Wanted? Will she be able to make peace with her own abuse and move on to become the hard-hitting prosecutor the young girl deserves right now? Is hope on the horizon?

Genres: Audiobook, Thriller, Mystery

380 pages, Unknown Binding

First published February 6, 2021

About the author

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

Reviews

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

2 Devastatingly heart breaking cases that felt so real I need to break even when I want to continue.
A very good read.

[Gypsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

📚⚖️ **Book Review: *The People’s Lawyer***
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.5/5 stars)

If you want a legal thriller that hits heavy emotional beats **and** keeps the courtroom drama sharp, *The People’s Lawyer* absolutely delivers. This story follows **Assistant District Attorney Lettie Portman**, a fierce, justice-driven prosecutor specializing in sex crimes — but this case hits way too close to home.

When a 14-year-old girl becomes the victim of abuse by her mother’s boyfriend, Lettie is the one who steps in to fight for her. But when the legal system repeatedly fails — not once, but twice — Lettie is pushed to the edge. Forced to confront her own past trauma, she’s torn between the justice she swore to uphold and the vengeance she aches to take. The stakes are emotional, raw, and at times, painful.

🔥 **What worked for me:**
This book hooked me right away. I don’t usually gravitate toward stories involving child abuse or trafficking — those subjects are incredibly hard for me to sit with — but something about this case, this girl, and Lettie’s determination pulled me in. The emotional intensity felt real. The legal elements were fascinating. And Lettie? Powerhouse. Flawed, human, angry, and driven.

⚠️ **But heads up:**
This book **does** deal heavily with child abuse and trauma. If those topics are triggers, proceed with caution. It’s not graphic for shock value, but it is very present. If you’re comfortable with those themes and love legal thrillers with moral gray areas and courtroom grit, this is worth picking up.

💬 **Overall:**
A gripping, emotionally charged story about justice, trauma, and the cracks in the legal system. Not a light read — but definitely a compelling one.
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 3.5/5 stars.
I will definitely pick up more books by this author.

[Roberta Lynne Ruben · Rating 3 out of 5]

First volume in an Audible only series staring a new female Assistant District Attorney, prosecutor, and her cases. Domestic violence, kidnapping of children for sex trafficking and illegal drugs are key to the images created by the author and performer of this frightening short story.

[Natalie Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
I listened to this and it was narrated by one of my favourite narrators which is why I kept listening. There were loads of details and pov descriptions that I would have not wanted to listen to.

[Marijo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book sure did keep my attention. I finished it in two days. The characters were well thought out.

[Debi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed listening to this book.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written. Great narrator.
BUT so many triggers. Hard for a mom to read.

[MJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Caren Pearce · Rating 3 out of 5]

To me it was just ok…predictable

[Darren Sapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great new series start for Ellsworth with a female hero in a race to save others and face her own difficult past.

[Magen · Rating 5 out of 5]

First and foremost, let me say that I feel that this book should come with a trigger warning as it has content that may disturb some readers.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written well with disturbing parts