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Knight and Devlin #1
Neon Dragon
Amid the flash and din of Boston's raucous Chinese New Year's celebration an elderly man named Chen An-Yong is shot while watching the parade from his Tyler Street window. Anthony Bradley, the young son of an African American judge is standing across the street at the time and is immediately arrested for the crime.
Michael Knight is a young lawyer who is "going places," but even Knight is surprised when Judge Bradley asks him to defend his son in such a high profile and politically dangerous case. Luckily, Knight finds he has powerful support when a senior partner at his firm, the legendary Lex Devlin, becomes involved. Once the foremost criminal defense attorney in Boston, Devlin has mysteriously withdrawn from defense work in recent years. As Knight and Devlin investigate the incident and prepare their client's defense, the older lawyer's passion and ability come to the fore, leading Knight to consider anew the murky allegations that eclipsed his mentor's career.
Before he can defend the young Bradley, Knight is forced to enter into the shadow world of gangland Chinatown, where Triads and Tongs rule through fear and intimidation, creating a nearly impenetrable wall of silence. From the halls of Harvard to the streets of Chinatowns in Boston and Toronto, Knight doggedly pursues an increasingly dangerous investigation that involves drugs, prostitution, human trafficking, and, ultimately, a corruption scandal that could bring down the most powerful people in Boston.
Michael Knight is a young lawyer who is "going places," but even Knight is surprised when Judge Bradley asks him to defend his son in such a high profile and politically dangerous case. Luckily, Knight finds he has powerful support when a senior partner at his firm, the legendary Lex Devlin, becomes involved. Once the foremost criminal defense attorney in Boston, Devlin has mysteriously withdrawn from defense work in recent years. As Knight and Devlin investigate the incident and prepare their client's defense, the older lawyer's passion and ability come to the fore, leading Knight to consider anew the murky allegations that eclipsed his mentor's career.
Before he can defend the young Bradley, Knight is forced to enter into the shadow world of gangland Chinatown, where Triads and Tongs rule through fear and intimidation, creating a nearly impenetrable wall of silence. From the halls of Harvard to the streets of Chinatowns in Boston and Toronto, Knight doggedly pursues an increasingly dangerous investigation that involves drugs, prostitution, human trafficking, and, ultimately, a corruption scandal that could bring down the most powerful people in Boston.
258 pages, Hardcover
First published March 30, 2007
48 people are currently reading
365 people want to read
About the author
John F. Dobbyn
25 books63 followersJohn F. Dobbyn is an American mystery writer and Professor of Law at the Villanova University School of Law. His Devlin and Knight short story "Trumpeter Swan," published in the February 2004 issue of Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, was a finalist for the Shamus Award for Best Short Story from the Private Eye Writers of America. He lives in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania with his wife Lois.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
August 10, 2007
NEON DRAGON (Legal Thriller-Michael Knight-Boston-Cont) – VG+
Dobbyn, John F. – 1st book
University Press of New England, 2007, US Hardcover – ISBN: 158465614X
First Sentence: Suppose you were to wake up one Monday morning to a promising, amber sun rising out of Boston Harbor.
*** Michael Knight is a young attorney in a very prestigious Boston law firm. Lex Devlin is a legendary attorney whose career was nearly ruined by rumor that he bought a juror. Now the two are working together to defend, and prove innocent, the son of an important Judge. The young man is accused of shooting a revered elderly man in Chinatown. In the investigation, Michael, with his college friend Harry, sees sides of Chinatown he didn’t know existed and he may not survive the experience.
*** Gripping, exciting, suspenseful—over the top at times but boy, did it keep me turning the pages. There was good development of the main characters, wonderful wry humor and a chance to visit my favorite city of Boston and the drive to Canada. I can’t ensure the accuracy of the legal scenes, but considering Dobbyn was a practicing lawyer and now a professor of law, I have to assume they are correct. They certainly aren’t dull, as is nothing in this book. If you are looking for an exciting weekend read, this is it. I’ll also admit I also loved that his inside cover picture is him, his wife and their dog.
Dobbyn, John F. – 1st book
University Press of New England, 2007, US Hardcover – ISBN: 158465614X
First Sentence: Suppose you were to wake up one Monday morning to a promising, amber sun rising out of Boston Harbor.
*** Michael Knight is a young attorney in a very prestigious Boston law firm. Lex Devlin is a legendary attorney whose career was nearly ruined by rumor that he bought a juror. Now the two are working together to defend, and prove innocent, the son of an important Judge. The young man is accused of shooting a revered elderly man in Chinatown. In the investigation, Michael, with his college friend Harry, sees sides of Chinatown he didn’t know existed and he may not survive the experience.
*** Gripping, exciting, suspenseful—over the top at times but boy, did it keep me turning the pages. There was good development of the main characters, wonderful wry humor and a chance to visit my favorite city of Boston and the drive to Canada. I can’t ensure the accuracy of the legal scenes, but considering Dobbyn was a practicing lawyer and now a professor of law, I have to assume they are correct. They certainly aren’t dull, as is nothing in this book. If you are looking for an exciting weekend read, this is it. I’ll also admit I also loved that his inside cover picture is him, his wife and their dog.
November 10, 2011
Way too improbable. Young attorney on his first murder case brings down the Chinese Tong and the entire corrupt state judicial system with a few well played hunches. In my estimation, A juvenile fantasy for bored males.
August 7, 2019
I hate to give a bad review on a book. Especially when the author has put so much heart and soul into their work, but Neon Dragon by John F. Dobbyn gets a mere two stars and a lack-luster review.
Micheal Knight is an associate lawyer at a rather large law firm who uses his never ending list of contacts to solve 2 cases at once. One involving a 10 year old dark mark that was placed on one of the best criminal lawyers to enter a courtroom. The other case is the one that put him in the company of said criminal lawyer, Lex Devlin.
When a young black kid from Harvard is convicted of shooting a well known and loved symbol of Boston's Chinese community, Judge Bradford asks Micheal Knight to personally handle his sons case. At first glance Anthony Bradford seems too out of place in jail, and acts too refined to have murdered anyone- but with two eye witnesses who place him at the scene and eye him taking the shot, it seems like a pretty open and shut case. But this case is far from open and shut. With a DA eager to gain statehouse on a slam dunk premiditated murder case, why the sudden plea bargain for voluntary manslaughter?
Micheal will have to utilize a large list of college buddies and old aquantances, one being a Chinese friend from college, to crack this case. In doing so he will also bring to light the dark underbelly of Chinatown and the Tong that runs it. As well as a corrupted justice system. But will Micheal be able solve the mysterious death of little red shoes and find who murdered Mr. Quin before anyone else gets killed?
This book was wordy for only being 258 pages. The author relies too heavily on adjectives, heavy dialogue blocks, and glue sentences. He introduced characters with massive info dumps and very little characteristics. Which makes them easily forgettable. This doesn't help chapters later when they are reintroduced. The only character who came to life to me was Lex Devlin. The rest of them, even Micheal himself, was flat. It was a predictable read. And a bit outlandish at times.
On a positive note, I am sure as a law professor, this man can give one hell of a lecture.
Micheal Knight is an associate lawyer at a rather large law firm who uses his never ending list of contacts to solve 2 cases at once. One involving a 10 year old dark mark that was placed on one of the best criminal lawyers to enter a courtroom. The other case is the one that put him in the company of said criminal lawyer, Lex Devlin.
When a young black kid from Harvard is convicted of shooting a well known and loved symbol of Boston's Chinese community, Judge Bradford asks Micheal Knight to personally handle his sons case. At first glance Anthony Bradford seems too out of place in jail, and acts too refined to have murdered anyone- but with two eye witnesses who place him at the scene and eye him taking the shot, it seems like a pretty open and shut case. But this case is far from open and shut. With a DA eager to gain statehouse on a slam dunk premiditated murder case, why the sudden plea bargain for voluntary manslaughter?
Micheal will have to utilize a large list of college buddies and old aquantances, one being a Chinese friend from college, to crack this case. In doing so he will also bring to light the dark underbelly of Chinatown and the Tong that runs it. As well as a corrupted justice system. But will Micheal be able solve the mysterious death of little red shoes and find who murdered Mr. Quin before anyone else gets killed?
This book was wordy for only being 258 pages. The author relies too heavily on adjectives, heavy dialogue blocks, and glue sentences. He introduced characters with massive info dumps and very little characteristics. Which makes them easily forgettable. This doesn't help chapters later when they are reintroduced. The only character who came to life to me was Lex Devlin. The rest of them, even Micheal himself, was flat. It was a predictable read. And a bit outlandish at times.
On a positive note, I am sure as a law professor, this man can give one hell of a lecture.
December 21, 2017
This was a great book. I enjoyed every minute of the read.
February 18, 2019
Legal thriller
This was a good read. First novel of a series. Appreciated the plot twists. I look forward to the rest of the series.
This was a good read. First novel of a series. Appreciated the plot twists. I look forward to the rest of the series.
June 18, 2019
A wonderful blend of fantasy, romance, and law--and what each of them should be. A great journey and a really engaging read. Perhaps best of all, the first in a new and promising legal series.
Read
April 26, 2021Evidently John F. Dobbyn has been writing short stories for a while now, and it appears he's put in the practice to make his debut novel nearly perfect. Neon Dragon was a very quick, amusing read.
Michael Knight is a lawyer in Boston, working on litigation for a major law firm. He started out his legal career working for the DA's office, and is still a bit tentative about this area of the law. After submitting a series of motions to the judge in his current case (and getting them denied), the judge calls him into his chambers and asks him to represent his son in a criminal case. The son has been accused of the murder of a prominent elderly gentleman from the Chinese community.
The judge has a bit of an ulterior motive for hiring Michael. The senior partner in the firm where he works, Lex Devlin, used to be one of the top defense lawyers in the area, and Judge Bradley knows he'll get that expertise as part of the package, even though Devlin no longer does criminal work, due to a scandal surrounding a case ten years ago that broke his spirit.
Knight's investigation quickly picks up multiple threads, as he not only tries to understand who might be trying to frame the judge's son for the murder, but dig out the truth surrounding Devlin's last case.
So, are Chinese triads and tongs just the "in" thing this year in mysteries? The last Harry Bosch book I read and reviewed here was about the tongs, as well. Knight runs afoul of the thugs in Chinatown pretty quickly, and they prove willing to do serious violence to him or anyone who helps him try to find the real killer. Dobbyn does manage to avoid one of the issues I had with the Harry Bosch solving a mystery in China, without speaking a word of the language, by pairing Knight with his friend Harry Wong, a bilingual friend from college.
One of the things that I found a little...suspicious...in this book was that Michael always seems to have an old friend who can get him the next piece of information he needs. In a first novel, it's a delicate business to create a history for your protagonist, and Dobbyn's work is just a tiny bit "off" in this area. I just found it all a little too convenient. Maybe the background for this lies in his short stories.
Another things that seemed odd to me was that the level of violence in the book directed at Michael and his friends ratcheted up extremely rapidly, but then just disappeared when he got really close to solving the case. The flow of the novel seemed like riding a bicycle up to the top of a steep grade, then coasting rapidly down the other side. All of the pieces, which seemed quite jumbled and incomprehensible through the first two thirds of the novel, just fell into place in a final Perry Mason courtroom scene mere pages from the end.
All in all a good debut novel, and we may be catching a glimpse of the next Grisham here, as Dobbyn polishes his craft.
Michael Knight is a lawyer in Boston, working on litigation for a major law firm. He started out his legal career working for the DA's office, and is still a bit tentative about this area of the law. After submitting a series of motions to the judge in his current case (and getting them denied), the judge calls him into his chambers and asks him to represent his son in a criminal case. The son has been accused of the murder of a prominent elderly gentleman from the Chinese community.
The judge has a bit of an ulterior motive for hiring Michael. The senior partner in the firm where he works, Lex Devlin, used to be one of the top defense lawyers in the area, and Judge Bradley knows he'll get that expertise as part of the package, even though Devlin no longer does criminal work, due to a scandal surrounding a case ten years ago that broke his spirit.
Knight's investigation quickly picks up multiple threads, as he not only tries to understand who might be trying to frame the judge's son for the murder, but dig out the truth surrounding Devlin's last case.
So, are Chinese triads and tongs just the "in" thing this year in mysteries? The last Harry Bosch book I read and reviewed here was about the tongs, as well. Knight runs afoul of the thugs in Chinatown pretty quickly, and they prove willing to do serious violence to him or anyone who helps him try to find the real killer. Dobbyn does manage to avoid one of the issues I had with the Harry Bosch solving a mystery in China, without speaking a word of the language, by pairing Knight with his friend Harry Wong, a bilingual friend from college.
One of the things that I found a little...suspicious...in this book was that Michael always seems to have an old friend who can get him the next piece of information he needs. In a first novel, it's a delicate business to create a history for your protagonist, and Dobbyn's work is just a tiny bit "off" in this area. I just found it all a little too convenient. Maybe the background for this lies in his short stories.
Another things that seemed odd to me was that the level of violence in the book directed at Michael and his friends ratcheted up extremely rapidly, but then just disappeared when he got really close to solving the case. The flow of the novel seemed like riding a bicycle up to the top of a steep grade, then coasting rapidly down the other side. All of the pieces, which seemed quite jumbled and incomprehensible through the first two thirds of the novel, just fell into place in a final Perry Mason courtroom scene mere pages from the end.
All in all a good debut novel, and we may be catching a glimpse of the next Grisham here, as Dobbyn polishes his craft.
June 18, 2023
Michael Knight is an attorney in a large firm and while involved in scut work for another attorney is requested by the presiding judge to join him in his chambers. The judge requests that Michael personally represent his son that has been charged in the murder of a old respected Chinese shopkeeper, shot during Chinese New Year festivities.
Two lines to the book - Michael's representation of the judge's son, in conjunction with a senior attorney who's been disgraced for the last decade, assumed to have fixed a jury in a high profile case, as well as Michael's investigation of said jury fixing.
Two lines to the book - Michael's representation of the judge's son, in conjunction with a senior attorney who's been disgraced for the last decade, assumed to have fixed a jury in a high profile case, as well as Michael's investigation of said jury fixing.
Want to read
December 29, 2023Neon Dragon captures the imagination with a Tom Clancy/Jack Ryan-like intricate and interesting plot delivered with detailed word pictures. Like later books in the series wrapped around the unusual challenges faced by the Michael Knight/Lex Devlin legal team’s, that is introduced with Neon Dragon, this book is full of surprises. No surprise for those familiar with John Dobbyn fiction, the writing quality is superb.
July 16, 2023
great start of a new series
I’ll definitely read more Knight and Devlin books! I loved the premise of the story. The only criticism I can think of is the humorous asides that were overdone, especially in the first half of the book. They were so frequent that they sometimes detracted from the storyline.
I’ll definitely read more Knight and Devlin books! I loved the premise of the story. The only criticism I can think of is the humorous asides that were overdone, especially in the first half of the book. They were so frequent that they sometimes detracted from the storyline.
June 22, 2023
This is a fun legal mystery that is a bit too complicated and introduces a few too many characters. The tour of Boston was great. Loved the shout-out to a certain cab driver.
I will read the next one to see if the author evens it out.
I will read the next one to see if the author evens it out.
September 17, 2020
A page turner for sure, with a terrific sense of place and rich, memorable characters. John Dobbyn can write!
February 11, 2022
Entertaining first effort. A few loose ends like a car blowing up and driving the car the next day.
June 4, 2023
quiet start but compelling finish
First read of this author for me. While I was marginal for the firs third, the latter two-thirds had me pinned. Good stuff, nice spring read.
First read of this author for me. While I was marginal for the firs third, the latter two-thirds had me pinned. Good stuff, nice spring read.
August 5, 2023
I think I’ve found a new author to follow. Great legal thriller. Can’t wait to read his second book.
March 1, 2010
Michael Knight is a young lawyer in a large firm arguing a motion before Judge Amos Bradley. Rumor has it that Judge Bradley is destined to be the next African American justice on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. When Judge Bradley calls Knight into his chambers and announces that he wants Knight to defend his son in a criminal matter, Knight is shocked. He is even more shocked to discover the criminal matter is a murder charge.
A senior partner in Knight’s firm is Lex Devlin. Once one of the foremost criminal defense attorneys in Boston, Devlin has withdrawn from defense work in recent years. Judge Bradley is hoping that Devlin can assist Knight in the defense. Devlin was once accused of jury tampering although it was never proven. This is the reason that Devlin quit handling criminal defense.
Judge Bradley’s son is accused of murdering an old man during a Chinatown New Year Celebration. Knight goes into Chinatown undercover with the help of his friend Harry Wong. Knight’s goal is not only to uncover what really happened the night of the shooting but also to prove that Devlin was not guilty of jury tampering.
The story that is revealed is an interesting one and Knight’s methods for obtaining information are even more interesting. Neon Dragon gives the reader a lot of insight into criminal activities in the Chinese community.
A senior partner in Knight’s firm is Lex Devlin. Once one of the foremost criminal defense attorneys in Boston, Devlin has withdrawn from defense work in recent years. Judge Bradley is hoping that Devlin can assist Knight in the defense. Devlin was once accused of jury tampering although it was never proven. This is the reason that Devlin quit handling criminal defense.
Judge Bradley’s son is accused of murdering an old man during a Chinatown New Year Celebration. Knight goes into Chinatown undercover with the help of his friend Harry Wong. Knight’s goal is not only to uncover what really happened the night of the shooting but also to prove that Devlin was not guilty of jury tampering.
The story that is revealed is an interesting one and Knight’s methods for obtaining information are even more interesting. Neon Dragon gives the reader a lot of insight into criminal activities in the Chinese community.
November 17, 2011
Sometimes I think I am way too critical. Sometimes I go back and edit my reviews to be more kindly thinking maybe it's just me; maybe I was just in a mood; maybe this just isn't my genre; maybe that prose wasn't as bad as picky old me thought it was. Then I read a book like this one and see how a really good author can write and know that my less favorable critiques on less skilled wordsmiths were more than justified. Now, this is good writing. Okay I'm prejudiced--from the first paragraph onward. I thought that was one of the best opening paragraphs ever. The opener pulled me in and warmed me up to be fully prepared to enjoy the rest of this tale. The story itself had many implausibilities that normally would bother the bejeebers out of me (okay, Harry refusing a cab ride and insisting on walking to the subway knowing he was in danger and Michael letting him without trying to intercept him, even after seeing the footprints in the snow--that still bothers me)--but the writing, flow, and characters were so delightfully rich--I didn't care. I just sucked it all in and savored it.
July 23, 2013
Michael Knight is asked to represent a judges son in a homicide defense. He is up against a Chinese tong, while at the same time trying to right a wrong against one of the lead attorneys in the firm.
Michael Knight is a likable character. His background wasn't really explored enough before being plunged into this case. He seemed to encounter great obstacles and his compassion for everyone involved was a bit overdone.
The story was a page turner, full of action and suspense. It even had a beginning of a romance or two. This is the first in a partnership between Michael Knight and Lex Devlin, the lead attorney. Knight's fierce desire to clear Devlin's name from a scandal that happened 10 years ago seemed a bit contrived. He met him only a handful of times.
While much of the obstacles and the way Knight handles them seemed unbelievable for me, I enjoyed the pace of the book. I enjoyed the hope that Knight was successful and was able to accomplish everything he set out to do while still maintaining his impeccable character.
Michael Knight is a likable character. His background wasn't really explored enough before being plunged into this case. He seemed to encounter great obstacles and his compassion for everyone involved was a bit overdone.
The story was a page turner, full of action and suspense. It even had a beginning of a romance or two. This is the first in a partnership between Michael Knight and Lex Devlin, the lead attorney. Knight's fierce desire to clear Devlin's name from a scandal that happened 10 years ago seemed a bit contrived. He met him only a handful of times.
While much of the obstacles and the way Knight handles them seemed unbelievable for me, I enjoyed the pace of the book. I enjoyed the hope that Knight was successful and was able to accomplish everything he set out to do while still maintaining his impeccable character.
April 25, 2014
Great crime novel! Michael Knight is a young associate arguing motions for partners when a judge asks him to represent his son on a murder charge. This case takes him to the seedy underside of Boston's Chinatown as he investigates his client's claim that he didn't pull the trigger. It also takes him into the office of Lex Devlin, a partner in the law firm and a lawyer with a reputation of being a fierce criminal defense attorney.
I really liked the characters of Mike Knight and Lex Devlin. They were deeply written and very human. Even the side characters were well thought out and more complete than those from other writers. The plot was engaging and well paced with enough twists and hidden ends to make it a very enjoyable read.
This is the first Devlin/Knight books. I will definitely be looking for others. I would also recommend this book to others, especially if you like legal thrillers.
I really liked the characters of Mike Knight and Lex Devlin. They were deeply written and very human. Even the side characters were well thought out and more complete than those from other writers. The plot was engaging and well paced with enough twists and hidden ends to make it a very enjoyable read.
This is the first Devlin/Knight books. I will definitely be looking for others. I would also recommend this book to others, especially if you like legal thrillers.
May 25, 2012
This book had me hooked from the first paragraph. The author did an amazing job of developing each character. I felt as if I knew each person and what motivated him/her. The descriptive locations the author provided actually made me feel like I was there with the characters. From the club where Michael played on stage to the dingy brothel in Chinatown. Also, the hero had a dry sense of humor and a witty perspective that I quickly came to appreciate. This style of writing, complete with wonderful similies and creative metaphors reminded me of the many great classic novels I read in high school. Excellent writing, an unpredictable story line, and a well-fleshed out plot kept me engrossed from beginning to end. Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm a John Dobbyn fan for life!
August 14, 2012
Some wildly improbable stuff happens in this book. The hero takes on corruption in the justice system AND a Chinese tong. He has a bit of plot armor. However, the book is compelling and I couldn't put it down. I cheered for the main character. I loved the final courtroom scene. It was suspenseful and thrilling. Great detail about Boston. The author's voice is strong and very readable. I was going to give this a 4/5, taking off a star for the (at times) superhero antics...but I had such a good time reading it, I'm kicking it up to 5.
October 18, 2014
Neon Dragon is an extremely impressive legal thriller that reads just like a John Grisham book. With an appealing mix of sleuthing and courtroom drama, the author keeps you glued to the pages. The authentic storyline has plenty of twists and turns that will keep you guessing (totally didn't see the ending). I was not surprised to see that the author is a law professor. Congrats John Dobbyn on a well-written, intelligent, page-turning book! I am excited to see there are other books in the Knight/Devlin series.
November 16, 2011
A good quick read. Clever plot, young turk lead with bluff and bravado. Some of the action stretched credibility, but that is part of the fun, I suppose, of close scrapes and high tension. (I just kept thinking, even with the instincts of a former street punk, he was messing with serious brutes--and would never have gotten away from all of those confrontations.) Still-fun and some good-guys-come-out on-top for frosting.
December 16, 2008
I can't be objective, since I know and like Jack Dobbyn, the author. But I can assure you this is an entertaining novel, with an air of authenticity. (Dobbyn actually was actually taken to some of these places -- which the average passerby wouldn't even notice -- by a Chinese friend of his. I'll also tell you that I can't wait for his next book.
February 24, 2012
Mr. Dobbyn has a very interesting storytelling style. I got this book as a Kindle freebie and liked it enough to buy his next book which I plan to read soon. At times if you think about it too hard the story line strains the bounds of the believable but it is meant to be a fun read and that it is. My advice is to not think about it too much and enjoy.
September 29, 2013
Very close to giving it a 5 star rating; only some preposterous stuff late in the book stopped it. Very well written story. The protagonist has an unusual background but one you can accept. Somewhat predictable story but one you willingly go along with. Hope to read more in the series.
July 30, 2016
Two world a bit of a learning curve
Mike knows how to network. He capitalizes on every relationship. He is fun to read a see where he story will lead. Two mysteries running side by side keep you guessing until the very end.
Mike knows how to network. He capitalizes on every relationship. He is fun to read a see where he story will lead. Two mysteries running side by side keep you guessing until the very end.
January 14, 2008
Written by one of Jack's law professor's. Interesting insight to the culture of Chinatown.
Want to read
July 30, 200807/29/08 rec via bookmooch
August 3, 2016
More detailed background information that I'd like is included in the book, but it held my attention and was a quick read
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews