What do you think?
Rate this book
Cass Leary Legal Thriller #11
Dead Law
When sorting through her ailing grandmother's papers, Cass's latest client finds an unclaimed check worth millions. There's no explanation as to what the money was for or why the old woman never cashed it. But this newfound windfall may be more curse than blessing as Cass digs deeper into the source of the funds. The answer could set her client up for life or expose dangerous family secrets some might kill to keep hidden.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 21, 2023
1110 people are currently reading
236 people want to read
About the author
Robin James
24 books426 followersRobin James is an attorney and former law professor. She's worked on a wide range of civil, criminal and family law cases in her twenty-year legal career. She also spent over a decade as supervising attorney for a Michigan legal clinic assisting thousands of people who could not otherwise afford access to justice.
Robin now lives on a lake in southern Michigan with her husband, two children, and one lazy dog. Her favorite, pure Michigan writing spot is stretched out on the back of a pontoon watching the faster boats go by.
Join Robin James's Legal Thriller Newsletter to get updates on her latest releases and author news. http://robinjamesbooks.com/newsletter
Robin now lives on a lake in southern Michigan with her husband, two children, and one lazy dog. Her favorite, pure Michigan writing spot is stretched out on the back of a pontoon watching the faster boats go by.
Join Robin James's Legal Thriller Newsletter to get updates on her latest releases and author news. http://robinjamesbooks.com/newsletter
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
April 21, 2023
What would you do if you found an unclaimed check worth $2,000,000 in your grandmother’s house? And you had no clue where it came from!
Marilyn Paul. Grandma to Zoe Paul, had raised her from a young age……. Those two might not had much while Zoe was growing up , And they might have lived check to check, But they always had each other’s back.
Zoe’s mother never had been in the picture. Zoe’s mother was an addict to drugs. A junkie. In fact, Zoe was born addicted to heroin, they had told her. And her dad, he was just a Dead-beat father. Her uncle wasn’t much better than her parents
after Zoe’s senior year in high school, her grandmother was in a really bad car accident. Leaving Zoe to Figure out her grandmother’s finances so. She could cover both the hospital bills and also so she would not lose her grandmother’s house. All at the age of 18…….
Now sixteen years later after doing some Remodeling in her grandmother’s home. Zoe finds Cashier’s check in her grandmother’s name for $2,000,000 Hidden beneath the floorboards In the bathroom.
Defense attorney Cass Leary, takes on Probate case thinking that she wouldn’t ruffle any more feathers…… I mean after all that Cass Has been through, what can go wrong??
Since Tori, her associate, still in the hospital, and Jeanie, her partner, recovering from hip surgery, she was a one-man band for the near future. At the rate things were going, the Leary Law Group was in danger of sinking………… Tell me how this small-town lawyer can always seem to find these somewhat simple cases that can turn into Death threats and people getting run off the highway. And chased in the woods…….. and so much more
As always, I enjoyed Cass’s big, loud, dysfunctional family, And all of their drama.
I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen next in Cass’s life
March 11, 2024
4.0 Good story, a bit slower than previous books, more emphasis on suspense, mystery than the legal side this time. Looking forward to book 12 to be released next month.
June 6, 2023
This was about Zoe Paul who takes care of her Grandmother who was in a tragic accident sixteen years ago. Bed ridden and nonverbal. Zoe during a remodel finds a cashier cash for two million. Cassie helps Zoe find out where the money came from.
Review.
Not as much drama as the previous book (thank heavens for that) but still drama. I found Cassie to be more pushy and childish in this. She pushes and pushes Eric to retire and become a PI. Seriously? Grow up. He told her in the previous book, he was born to be a cop. She said she respected that but clearly she doesn't. And because of that, Eric makes stupid decisions in this book that well.... eventually by the end of the book makes Cassie happy. Little fucker. Damn. I like Eric being who he is. No one should have sacrificed what they love all for a attorney who we all know now, is pushy and makes reckless decisions. Cassie definitely pushed her boundaries in this one and almost costs her everything. Stupid.
As much as I loved the series and have fallen for the characters, I draw the line here folks. Too much family dynamics. Cassie can't be well liked. I loved Eric until this book. The other characters are likeable to a degree. Again. I loved the series but Cassie is just...Cassie ugh.
I still think and believe the books should have ended at 8 or 9. We really don't need to read more. My opinion though.
Three of five.
Review.
Not as much drama as the previous book (thank heavens for that) but still drama. I found Cassie to be more pushy and childish in this. She pushes and pushes Eric to retire and become a PI. Seriously? Grow up. He told her in the previous book, he was born to be a cop. She said she respected that but clearly she doesn't. And because of that, Eric makes stupid decisions in this book that well.... eventually by the end of the book makes Cassie happy. Little fucker. Damn. I like Eric being who he is. No one should have sacrificed what they love all for a attorney who we all know now, is pushy and makes reckless decisions. Cassie definitely pushed her boundaries in this one and almost costs her everything. Stupid.
As much as I loved the series and have fallen for the characters, I draw the line here folks. Too much family dynamics. Cassie can't be well liked. I loved Eric until this book. The other characters are likeable to a degree. Again. I loved the series but Cassie is just...Cassie ugh.
I still think and believe the books should have ended at 8 or 9. We really don't need to read more. My opinion though.
Three of five.
April 15, 2023
Dead Law📚
Another fantastic story by Robin❣️Cass has a client that presents a cheque to her, that is in her grandmother’s name that she found when she went to do renovations in the bathroom, with 6 zeros😳 Not sure what her next steps are, Zoe approaches Cass for help. Unfortunately, family that hasn’t seen Zoe in decades suddenly appear and are now contesting her guardianship😢
As per normal what Cass thinks will be a “normal and quiet” probate case, soon takes on a dark twist. Her and Eric are both investigating trying to uncover the truth about the money’s origins, but someone doesn’t want those details to come to light.
I’m very excited to see what other adventures Cass and Eric will embark on next😁 I received an advanced copy and willingly leave my honest review❤️
Another fantastic story by Robin❣️Cass has a client that presents a cheque to her, that is in her grandmother’s name that she found when she went to do renovations in the bathroom, with 6 zeros😳 Not sure what her next steps are, Zoe approaches Cass for help. Unfortunately, family that hasn’t seen Zoe in decades suddenly appear and are now contesting her guardianship😢
As per normal what Cass thinks will be a “normal and quiet” probate case, soon takes on a dark twist. Her and Eric are both investigating trying to uncover the truth about the money’s origins, but someone doesn’t want those details to come to light.
I’m very excited to see what other adventures Cass and Eric will embark on next😁 I received an advanced copy and willingly leave my honest review❤️
September 13, 2023
Perhaps the best so far from an incredibly good series
Extremely well crafted and paced. A quit different plotted book which advances the scope of the series while building on the possibilities for the future.
Extremely well crafted and paced. A quit different plotted book which advances the scope of the series while building on the possibilities for the future.
April 23, 2023
Another excellent Cass Leary book. I love her cases, the courtroom and the messes she gets into. Such a good book.
May 25, 2023
2.5 ☆
I just can't seem to learn from the last couple of books. This included makes it another meh.
I've added the next book in the series so I'm not learning here peeps.
Cass has a new case in probate but it isn't as simple. It never is with Cass. There is always more to the story. I'm missing a bridge/buildup from the steady pace to suddenly going on a rampage.
I just can't seem to learn from the last couple of books. This included makes it another meh.
I've added the next book in the series so I'm not learning here peeps.
Cass has a new case in probate but it isn't as simple. It never is with Cass. There is always more to the story. I'm missing a bridge/buildup from the steady pace to suddenly going on a rampage.
May 16, 2023
Not as nail-biting as I'd like, but still decent.
I've been with Cass Leary since the absolute beginning and am always eager for each new story. Robin James is a mighty fine author and, as with all the entries past, it shows. It's always a damn fun journey to join Cass Leary and company along for whatever new ride befalls her.
For this go around, Cass meets a jittery potential client who found a cashier's check hidden in the floor of her ailing grandmother's home, a check for 2 million dollars dated 16 years prior. Needless to say, with the presence of such a large sum of money comes the onslaught of complications that accompany it: where'd it come from? Why wasn't it cashed and hidden instead? Who else wants their hands on it? Most importantly of all, who's telling the truth?
The mystery of the funds was pretty fun to unravel. I enjoyed being "yanked" around the story not knowing who to believe or trust. The love of money ain't referred to as the root of all sorts of evil for nothing, after all. What a mess 2 million dollars makes. The case was interesting, and I also enjoyed that Robin spent some time in the personal lives of her characters (though I'm still VERY disgruntled that a plot point introduced back in book 8 STILL being ignored).
The only reason I went with a 3-star rating was that I found this story a bit too much on the calm side. With the exception of the third act (which was wonderfully tense), there really isn't much in the thrills department this go around. There's no deadly violent crime to solve, no nail-biting courtroom antics (the courtroom scenes were still fun). Still, it mostly kinda left me a tad deflated, honestly. I suppose entries past have left me rather spoiled. This entry was rather bland by comparison, not even warranting any highlights from me (a rare feat).
Either way, though, this was still a fine story in its own way. It may not have been the high-stakes pace I'm used to, but that doesn't mean it didn't hold my attention. It kept my attention well, actually, and I wasn't bored at all. As per usual, I await the newest entry with eager anticipation.
I've been with Cass Leary since the absolute beginning and am always eager for each new story. Robin James is a mighty fine author and, as with all the entries past, it shows. It's always a damn fun journey to join Cass Leary and company along for whatever new ride befalls her.
For this go around, Cass meets a jittery potential client who found a cashier's check hidden in the floor of her ailing grandmother's home, a check for 2 million dollars dated 16 years prior. Needless to say, with the presence of such a large sum of money comes the onslaught of complications that accompany it: where'd it come from? Why wasn't it cashed and hidden instead? Who else wants their hands on it? Most importantly of all, who's telling the truth?
The mystery of the funds was pretty fun to unravel. I enjoyed being "yanked" around the story not knowing who to believe or trust. The love of money ain't referred to as the root of all sorts of evil for nothing, after all. What a mess 2 million dollars makes. The case was interesting, and I also enjoyed that Robin spent some time in the personal lives of her characters (though I'm still VERY disgruntled that a plot point introduced back in book 8 STILL being ignored).
The only reason I went with a 3-star rating was that I found this story a bit too much on the calm side. With the exception of the third act (which was wonderfully tense), there really isn't much in the thrills department this go around. There's no deadly violent crime to solve, no nail-biting courtroom antics (the courtroom scenes were still fun). Still, it mostly kinda left me a tad deflated, honestly. I suppose entries past have left me rather spoiled. This entry was rather bland by comparison, not even warranting any highlights from me (a rare feat).
Either way, though, this was still a fine story in its own way. It may not have been the high-stakes pace I'm used to, but that doesn't mean it didn't hold my attention. It kept my attention well, actually, and I wasn't bored at all. As per usual, I await the newest entry with eager anticipation.
April 21, 2023
A young girl with a 16 year-old cashier's cheque for $2 million made out to her grandmother (who is almost comatose in a care home) that was hidden in the bathroom forms the plot basis for this story. Whilst there are a few 'cheesy' coincidences, James does well enough to keep them low key. On the whole I really enjoyed this fast-paced thriller. Characters are great, tho it was disappointing not to see more of Joe's outcome. Expect that'll be spun out a bit in the next book. 'Whodunit' was a slight let down as I'd expected more behind them. Would also love to see more Killian Thorne but I suppose breaking away from him was what Cass intended. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this & couldn't put it down. Well worth a read.
November 2, 2025
4 - 4.5 Stars
Dead Law is the eleventh book in the Cass Leary Legal Thriller Series by Robin James. This is a gripping and emotionally charged legal thriller series that is as compelling as it is thought-provoking. Cass Leary is a fiercely intelligent and tenacious attorney who navigates the murky waters of justice with a mix of grit, vulnerability, and unyielding determination.
The cases in the series are diverse and meticulously detailed, ranging from domestic disputes to high-stakes criminal trials. Robin James’ background as a legal practitioner shines through in the authenticity of the courtroom scenes and the nuanced exploration of ethical dilemmas. Each book is a page-turner, filled with unexpected twists, moral gray areas, and moments of genuine suspense.
Happy Reading…
Dead Law is the eleventh book in the Cass Leary Legal Thriller Series by Robin James. This is a gripping and emotionally charged legal thriller series that is as compelling as it is thought-provoking. Cass Leary is a fiercely intelligent and tenacious attorney who navigates the murky waters of justice with a mix of grit, vulnerability, and unyielding determination.
The cases in the series are diverse and meticulously detailed, ranging from domestic disputes to high-stakes criminal trials. Robin James’ background as a legal practitioner shines through in the authenticity of the courtroom scenes and the nuanced exploration of ethical dilemmas. Each book is a page-turner, filled with unexpected twists, moral gray areas, and moments of genuine suspense.
Happy Reading…
February 20, 2024
Great Page Turners!!
Just finished the 11 book in the series and now waiting for the 12th one to come out. Very intetresting stories and so different from the ones before it. Loved them all! Well written. They have to be taken from real cases. They are so involved and detailed. What a great legal writer of fiction! Can't say enough.good points about Robin James as an author.
Just finished the 11 book in the series and now waiting for the 12th one to come out. Very intetresting stories and so different from the ones before it. Loved them all! Well written. They have to be taken from real cases. They are so involved and detailed. What a great legal writer of fiction! Can't say enough.good points about Robin James as an author.
May 26, 2024
Another great legal thriller in the Cass Leary series. What makes this series so good is that each case Cass takes on is totally different from her previous cases...but no less interesting. This one is about a huge check that materializes and the flock of individuals who come forward wanting a piece of it. But there's more to the story, as there often is in these books. The check originated from some sordid business dealings, and some dangerous persons are concerned about its sudden appearance
June 10, 2025
Another Cass Leary has come and gone and I fear they're getting a little too formulaic and mundane for me. I'll still read them cuz I love the characters and Robin James' writing. But tired of the family melodrama and the cases that I don't think I care about. I feel like Cass moving back to the city and getting her hands dirty with the mob again is a direction change this series could use. If even for a 2-3 book interlude.
April 30, 2023
Another great read in the Cass Leary series. The major characters are great and likable. The plot lost a little zing with the story behind $2M , but it was still enjoyable. I do wonder why the Leary family gets hit with so much misfortune though. They plough through it together, but it does seem a little much at times.Too bad we need to wait a whole year for the 12th book in the series.
April 30, 2023
fascinating story
I have enjoyed all of the Cass Leary books. I love her interactions with her family. The legal issues are always varied and interesting. Robin James uses his descriptions of places and events to enhance each story and makes me keep reading to learn an outcome.
I have enjoyed all of the Cass Leary books. I love her interactions with her family. The legal issues are always varied and interesting. Robin James uses his descriptions of places and events to enhance each story and makes me keep reading to learn an outcome.
December 24, 2023
Excellent series
Although I have just read book one again, I have enjoyed Cass Leafy books for along time. Something new seems to happen in every chapter. That is why they are so readable and get caught in a quandary between wanting to know how the story ends, but also wanting it to carry on.
Although I have just read book one again, I have enjoyed Cass Leafy books for along time. Something new seems to happen in every chapter. That is why they are so readable and get caught in a quandary between wanting to know how the story ends, but also wanting it to carry on.
January 28, 2024
And yet another good story for the series
This was definitely a different story line in the series. Very crafty, intelligent kudos for the author's creativity! This is a great series. I'm going to miss the stories, once I reach the end of the series. BUT, the author has more series!
This was definitely a different story line in the series. Very crafty, intelligent kudos for the author's creativity! This is a great series. I'm going to miss the stories, once I reach the end of the series. BUT, the author has more series!
January 6, 2025
Absolutely loved this series. I love stumbling across a long series that I can get my teeth into, and this one did not disappoint. I'm even more stoked that there is another series, too, from the opposite side of the court. I thought all the books were quite fast-paced and kept my attention throughout. The side characters all had their parts to play and I loved their dynamic.
May 3, 2023
Dead Law
This is a great Cass Leary book. It is full of thrills and intrigue. This is a book you will not want to put down . This book keeps you in suspense until the very end. I highly recommend this book. Can't wait till the next book comes out.
This is a great Cass Leary book. It is full of thrills and intrigue. This is a book you will not want to put down . This book keeps you in suspense until the very end. I highly recommend this book. Can't wait till the next book comes out.
May 4, 2023
She does it yet again!
Cass Leary never seems to have small and/or unusual cases that are boring. This one was right up her alley before she knew it was. Robin James has that way with her characters, each one being fleshed out easily and memorably. Always a Good Read!
Cass Leary never seems to have small and/or unusual cases that are boring. This one was right up her alley before she knew it was. Robin James has that way with her characters, each one being fleshed out easily and memorably. Always a Good Read!
May 24, 2023
Different and Wonderful!
A little departure from the usual Cass Leary cases and very welcome and interesting. The storyline and characters were nicely developed and captivating. Keep'm coming Robin!
A little departure from the usual Cass Leary cases and very welcome and interesting. The storyline and characters were nicely developed and captivating. Keep'm coming Robin!
May 26, 2023
Still great stories after number 10
Many series books lose their punch after a while. These don't. The series has the same basic cast of characters, but each new book has very different, unpredictable and, most importantly, believable storylines. Good stuff here.
Many series books lose their punch after a while. These don't. The series has the same basic cast of characters, but each new book has very different, unpredictable and, most importantly, believable storylines. Good stuff here.
May 28, 2023
Always the best
Always the best reading about Cass. It's great to hear criminal defense stories that are about justice, not the opposite. I love how well Robin James knows the law and creates vivid scenarios that feel very real. Always full of action too.
Always the best reading about Cass. It's great to hear criminal defense stories that are about justice, not the opposite. I love how well Robin James knows the law and creates vivid scenarios that feel very real. Always full of action too.
June 7, 2023
Another good Cass Leary novel
I still really enjoy Robin James. The sad part is the waiting in between novels. I may just have to restart the series . I’m completely current on the Mara Brent series as well. Keep up the good hard work.
I still really enjoy Robin James. The sad part is the waiting in between novels. I may just have to restart the series . I’m completely current on the Mara Brent series as well. Keep up the good hard work.
April 25, 2023
Love Cass
Robin James is an amazing author and Cass Leary and her family are so endearing. Can't wait to see what happens next.
Robin James is an amazing author and Cass Leary and her family are so endearing. Can't wait to see what happens next.
April 26, 2023
love love
Love this character and her family. Finished this book in 2 days. The plot has many twists and turns!! Great!
Love this character and her family. Finished this book in 2 days. The plot has many twists and turns!! Great!
April 27, 2023
Totally worth reading
I love this series, I couldn't put the book down. I can't wait for the next book in the series to come out
I love this series, I couldn't put the book down. I can't wait for the next book in the series to come out
May 1, 2023
Dead Law
I love the Cass Leary series. I have read every one and would highly recommend them to anyone who like legal thrillers.
I love the Cass Leary series. I have read every one and would highly recommend them to anyone who like legal thrillers.
May 2, 2023
good read
Yet another page turner from Robin James, once I started could not put it down till I finished it, just sorry I have to wait a year for the next.
Yet another page turner from Robin James, once I started could not put it down till I finished it, just sorry I have to wait a year for the next.
May 19, 2023
A true page turner!
Plot is fast moving and believable. Can’t wait for next in the series. Robin James is definitely talented and I love that she is a fellow Michigander!
Plot is fast moving and believable. Can’t wait for next in the series. Robin James is definitely talented and I love that she is a fellow Michigander!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews