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After the Fact
Winner, Best Legal Thriller of 2022 — Independent Press Award
Finalist for the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense
When Jack Collins leaves a small Connecticut law practice to join one of the nation’s most prestigious firms, he trades a nondescript office for an elite one in a gleaming New York City skyscraper. He basks in the pride of working with people far more glamorous than those he left behind, including a famous boss, an alluring coworker, and a well-known client, Abigail Walker, the wealthy widow of a senator.
Jack thinks he’s on the path to glory, but he’s really a victim of deceit, a pawn in a game he doesn’t even know he’s playing. His new boss harbors deep secrets, his seductive coworker is not the person he thinks she is, and his new law firm is at the very center of a blackmail plot involving the widow Walker.
Blinded by the allure of wealth and power, Jack doesn’t see the danger around him. Time is running out for him to figure out the truth before he loses his career, his marriage, and maybe even his life.
Finalist for the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense
When Jack Collins leaves a small Connecticut law practice to join one of the nation’s most prestigious firms, he trades a nondescript office for an elite one in a gleaming New York City skyscraper. He basks in the pride of working with people far more glamorous than those he left behind, including a famous boss, an alluring coworker, and a well-known client, Abigail Walker, the wealthy widow of a senator.
Jack thinks he’s on the path to glory, but he’s really a victim of deceit, a pawn in a game he doesn’t even know he’s playing. His new boss harbors deep secrets, his seductive coworker is not the person he thinks she is, and his new law firm is at the very center of a blackmail plot involving the widow Walker.
Blinded by the allure of wealth and power, Jack doesn’t see the danger around him. Time is running out for him to figure out the truth before he loses his career, his marriage, and maybe even his life.
272 pages, Paperback
First published November 9, 2021
195 people are currently reading
151 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
February 23, 2022
Jack Collins is a guy who always makes the safe choice. But toiling at his father’s staid law practice in Stamford, Connecticut can’t compete with the appeal of working for one of the flashy New York firms. Reluctantly, Dad uses his extensive contacts to land Jack a job at the prestigious partnership of Reynolds & Harris.
When Jack first sees the spectacular view from R&H’s 44th floor offices at 1593 Broadway (in real life, the address is in the middle of 48th Street), he feels he’s on his way. The partner he works under, Ted Parker, is a legendary figure in the New York legal world. The associate he’s paired with, Deb Miller, is an aggressive go-getter who is on track to a partnership. What could be wrong with this setup?
Quite a bit, it turns out. The illustrious Ted may be involved in a blackmail scheme targeting the widow of a prominent senator and the firm’s most prestigious client. Everyone at R&H despises Deb as an overly ambitious (and vicious) double-crosser. And somebody is setting Jack up to take the fall for some serious financial crimes. In this backstabbing environment, will Jack be able to maintain his integrity, keep his marriage intact, and, more importantly, stay out of prison—or the morgue?
After the Fact is an entertaining story of greed, ambition, and double-dealing. I easily related to Jack Collins. After all, who hasn’t regretted not taking a bold step at least a time or two in their life? Jack’s desire to break his conservative mold and make his mark in the big leagues is as believable as it is understandable. But Jack is also a bit naïve. He’s a trusting soul, which means he doesn’t see the web of conspiracy being woven around him, nor does he realize that sometimes people who appear to be allies are instead enemies. This sets him up for real trouble down the line.
If Jack is a believable character, so are those in the supporting cast. The reader gets to know them as the point of view shifts from character to character with almost every chapter. While the changing perspective might be annoying in some cases, I didn’t find it a problem with this book. Instead, the author uses this technique to do a slow reveal of the main characters’ backgrounds and motivations.
This book is not a detective story. Instead, the reader has a fly-on-the-wall’s view of the crimes and betrayals as they take place. Readers don’t get all the facts at once, but that just makes the next chapter more enticing. The plot is complex, but not so much so that it taxes believability. Instead, it’s a multifaceted story that kept me engaged from prologue to epilogue.
I thoroughly enjoyed After the Fact and if you like a good thriller, you should, too.
When Jack first sees the spectacular view from R&H’s 44th floor offices at 1593 Broadway (in real life, the address is in the middle of 48th Street), he feels he’s on his way. The partner he works under, Ted Parker, is a legendary figure in the New York legal world. The associate he’s paired with, Deb Miller, is an aggressive go-getter who is on track to a partnership. What could be wrong with this setup?
Quite a bit, it turns out. The illustrious Ted may be involved in a blackmail scheme targeting the widow of a prominent senator and the firm’s most prestigious client. Everyone at R&H despises Deb as an overly ambitious (and vicious) double-crosser. And somebody is setting Jack up to take the fall for some serious financial crimes. In this backstabbing environment, will Jack be able to maintain his integrity, keep his marriage intact, and, more importantly, stay out of prison—or the morgue?
After the Fact is an entertaining story of greed, ambition, and double-dealing. I easily related to Jack Collins. After all, who hasn’t regretted not taking a bold step at least a time or two in their life? Jack’s desire to break his conservative mold and make his mark in the big leagues is as believable as it is understandable. But Jack is also a bit naïve. He’s a trusting soul, which means he doesn’t see the web of conspiracy being woven around him, nor does he realize that sometimes people who appear to be allies are instead enemies. This sets him up for real trouble down the line.
If Jack is a believable character, so are those in the supporting cast. The reader gets to know them as the point of view shifts from character to character with almost every chapter. While the changing perspective might be annoying in some cases, I didn’t find it a problem with this book. Instead, the author uses this technique to do a slow reveal of the main characters’ backgrounds and motivations.
This book is not a detective story. Instead, the reader has a fly-on-the-wall’s view of the crimes and betrayals as they take place. Readers don’t get all the facts at once, but that just makes the next chapter more enticing. The plot is complex, but not so much so that it taxes believability. Instead, it’s a multifaceted story that kept me engaged from prologue to epilogue.
I thoroughly enjoyed After the Fact and if you like a good thriller, you should, too.
September 17, 2025
Great look into the financial world.
The saying the grass is always greener on the other side certainly holds true for this book.
Jack is a very naive lawyer who finds himself way over his head. Will he figure it out before he ends up dead?
Looking forward to book 2 in the series.
The saying the grass is always greener on the other side certainly holds true for this book.
Jack is a very naive lawyer who finds himself way over his head. Will he figure it out before he ends up dead?
Looking forward to book 2 in the series.
November 13, 2021
After the Fact” is a dynamic, enthralling legal thriller by Jeff Cooper, a prominent lawyer and law professor. The novel is a great read with suspense, action, complex and well-drawn characters, and an authentic setting in a New York City law firm. It’s a bit unique among legal thriller in that there are no criminal defense attorneys or court room action—though there are plenty of criminals and plenty of action.
The plot is complicated but moves at a fast pace that will keep readers guessing and turning the pages. While Cooper deliberately reveals the villain well before the climax, that only increases the tension as the last of the pieces fall into place in a breathless race to survive for the main character, attorney Jack Collins.
In many ways, Jack is an innocent cast headfirst into a den of wolves. He might already be a successful lawyer when he leaves his father’s small Connecticut law practice to join a big, splashy successful New York City law firm, but he is not as greedy or ruthless as some of the lawyers he soon encounters in his new office. That Jack has a certain naïve charm is an engaging part of his character and plays strongly in the plot.
One of the reasons Jack joins the firm is to work with renowned lawyer Ted Parker, but Parker quickly turns Jack over to an eight-year associate angling to make partner. This associate, Deb Miller, is a puzzlement to Jack as she takes him under her wing and befriends him—and perhaps aims to seduce him. Jack has a wife he loves and adores, but the stresses of the new position soon pull them a part and there’s Deb—like a spider in a web. But what exactly she is up to in her quest for that partnership is far more complex and devious than mere seduction.
Ted Parker represents the famous widow of a once prominent senator who died in somewhat strange circumstances—circumstances teased at early on but only slowly revealed as the plot moves toward the climax. The widow, Abigail Walker, is a conflicted, complicated and fascinating character and the story weaves itself around her in a skillful and engrossing manner.
What Jack does not know until nearly too late is that Abigail is being blackmailed and Parker is handling the increasing demands of an irate and unstable blackmailer. It isn’t long before the blackmailer ropes Jack unknowingly into the escalating blackmail scheme.
With crisp, clear prose, a grand eye for the telling details, and a talent for plot twists, Jeff Cooper builds a complex and riveting world with ethical and unethical lawyers, good people who do bad things, bad people who do worse things, and a story with complexities that enthrall rather than confuse. “After the Fact” has the same kind of breathless energy as John Grisham’s “The Firm,” thought the two plots are completely different. Gently woven into the plot too is a warning about the dangers of too much ambition and greed.
All in all, an excellent legal thriller.
The plot is complicated but moves at a fast pace that will keep readers guessing and turning the pages. While Cooper deliberately reveals the villain well before the climax, that only increases the tension as the last of the pieces fall into place in a breathless race to survive for the main character, attorney Jack Collins.
In many ways, Jack is an innocent cast headfirst into a den of wolves. He might already be a successful lawyer when he leaves his father’s small Connecticut law practice to join a big, splashy successful New York City law firm, but he is not as greedy or ruthless as some of the lawyers he soon encounters in his new office. That Jack has a certain naïve charm is an engaging part of his character and plays strongly in the plot.
One of the reasons Jack joins the firm is to work with renowned lawyer Ted Parker, but Parker quickly turns Jack over to an eight-year associate angling to make partner. This associate, Deb Miller, is a puzzlement to Jack as she takes him under her wing and befriends him—and perhaps aims to seduce him. Jack has a wife he loves and adores, but the stresses of the new position soon pull them a part and there’s Deb—like a spider in a web. But what exactly she is up to in her quest for that partnership is far more complex and devious than mere seduction.
Ted Parker represents the famous widow of a once prominent senator who died in somewhat strange circumstances—circumstances teased at early on but only slowly revealed as the plot moves toward the climax. The widow, Abigail Walker, is a conflicted, complicated and fascinating character and the story weaves itself around her in a skillful and engrossing manner.
What Jack does not know until nearly too late is that Abigail is being blackmailed and Parker is handling the increasing demands of an irate and unstable blackmailer. It isn’t long before the blackmailer ropes Jack unknowingly into the escalating blackmail scheme.
With crisp, clear prose, a grand eye for the telling details, and a talent for plot twists, Jeff Cooper builds a complex and riveting world with ethical and unethical lawyers, good people who do bad things, bad people who do worse things, and a story with complexities that enthrall rather than confuse. “After the Fact” has the same kind of breathless energy as John Grisham’s “The Firm,” thought the two plots are completely different. Gently woven into the plot too is a warning about the dangers of too much ambition and greed.
All in all, an excellent legal thriller.
June 6, 2025
I wouldn't say I'm an avid legal thriller listener, but I try and pick up one anytime I see one available. With that being said, this was pretty hard to get into and I just didn't vibe with, the writing, the characters, the OTT dialogue.
March 1, 2022
A decent book that reminds me very much of the movie The Devils Advocate, but without the devil.
October 28, 2022
go professor cooper
September 9, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The main character, Jack Collins, isn’t a perfect human being. He’s a good man, and I routed for him, but his faults made him that much more interesting. I feared he’d succumb to the seductive coworker and ruin his marriage. I’m not saying he doesn’t…don’t want to spoil it for you. There is a villain of sorts who I was happy to see take a dive. I disagree with another reviewer in that I applaud Mr. Cooper for good characterizations. To me a good story is incomplete without standout characters which he had. And the plot is twisty enough to keep you guessing. I'll happily read more of Mr. Cooper's books.
September 6, 2022
Gripping legal thriller. Well-written. You can tell the author went to Harvard by all the mentions of Harvard and the Harvard Club, but I won’t hold that against him! :) Great read. Clearly a talented author in addition to his legal expertise. I don’t want to give any spoilers. I thought this book was a refreshing blend of law firm politicking, family drama, crime suspense, and the interpersonal search for meaning within one’s choices and decisions.
January 18, 2024
A young Connecticut attorney is hired by a large New York City law firm that launches him on what he thinks will be a spectacular career. What follows is his gradual unintentional involvement with a sinister group of the firms attorneys who are defrauding clients of millions of dollars. This is a very fast paced legal thriller that includes a well thought out plot and some very convincing characters. It's well worth reading.
August 1, 2022
I always read books all the way to the end. And I did here as well. The plot kept me curious about the outcome, but the characters (not deep and nuanced) and dialog (not very realistic) were somewhat disappointing. Too many unlikely occurrences and coincidences make it hard to suspend belief, so it's harder to really "get into" the book.
January 13, 2024
I love unexpected endings!
Hasn't everyone had a moment when they recalled a turning point in their life and wondered about "the road not taken"? This story illustrates just how drastically different the results of our decisions can be. Wonderfully written and an unexpected ending.
Hasn't everyone had a moment when they recalled a turning point in their life and wondered about "the road not taken"? This story illustrates just how drastically different the results of our decisions can be. Wonderfully written and an unexpected ending.
September 26, 2022
The story reminded me of The Firm by John Grisham. A young lawyer works for a huge New York city law firm and find some self involved with office politics, treachery, blackmail and scandal. For me, this was a relatively quick read and I enjoyed the short chapters in the book. The villainess Deb Miller reminded me of several women who I had worked with in my past. Deb was very ambitious, sneaky, duplicitous and forever conniving. She was the most interesting character in the book. She used her body and her mind to try to advance to a partner in the law firm.
Satisfactory ending to the book. All loose ends tied up. The bad guys and women get punished. Jack and Amanda's marriage survive the scandals and Jack find his true calling. This story would make a great Hallmark movie.
Satisfactory ending to the book. All loose ends tied up. The bad guys and women get punished. Jack and Amanda's marriage survive the scandals and Jack find his true calling. This story would make a great Hallmark movie.
April 25, 2022
Fast read. Liked the short chapters which made it easier to read another & another chapter. Really enjoyed it.
July 23, 2022
Good character development. A little disjointed but a very good book nonetheless.
August 28, 2022
Not the most thrilling read I’ve read. I found Cooper to be too descriptive with too much extra fluff in his writing. I really have no desire to read more of his work. 3.8
September 8, 2022
One word INTRIGUING
March 30, 2023
A Fresh Start
Sometimes people should just be happy with what they have! Things can really go sideways in a hurry. Fantastic novel.
Sometimes people should just be happy with what they have! Things can really go sideways in a hurry. Fantastic novel.
April 13, 2023
Great
I could not put this book down. Great building up of the plot and terrific ending. Can’t wait for this authors next book.
I could not put this book down. Great building up of the plot and terrific ending. Can’t wait for this authors next book.
January 10, 2024
Enjoyed this thriller. Being cut and bleeding out before you even realize you have been cut is a common senerio in the workplace environment. Jack was lucky to come out untouched.
February 19, 2024
Great read lots of twists
February 22, 2024
Decent book, nice pace and plausible in most situations..
August 9, 2024
Quick read, but took awhile to get interesting. The was fun and I didn’t know how it was going to end until it was over
June 11, 2025
Jack Collins
Do not start this book if you have to work the next day. This was an excellent read. I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend
Do not start this book if you have to work the next day. This was an excellent read. I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend
September 8, 2025
Excellent book! Short chapters and I couldn't wait to get to the next one. Lots of characters, yet easy to follow. I would definitely read anything by this author!
September 21, 2025
Excellent book! Loved the short chapters that kept me wanting to read more, the twists and turns, etc., but the best thing I can say about this book is that I now have a new favorite author.
October 2, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed After the Fact. A legal thriller that made me want to know what happens next. I was surprised what I thought would be the mystery was revealed at the start of the story. Story had everything you want in a book: mystery, revenge, romance, and descriptive writing. Can’t wait to read the second book.
July 25, 2022
Excellent story with action and suspense without a ton of dull description regarding estate lawyers and trusts as well as off shore bank accounts.
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March 29, 2022"Shouldn't people just pay their taxes?"
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews