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David Sloane #2
Wrongful Death
New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni tackles hot-button issues in this riveting legal thriller featuring attorney David Sloane. When a widow asks Sloane to take her case against the military, Sloane knows it's a lost cause but can't turn her down, even if it puts his own life--and the lives of his family--in dire jeopardy.
Just minutes after winning a $1.6 million wrongful-death verdict, attorney David Sloane confronts the one case that threatens to blemish his unbeaten record in the courtroom. Beverly Ford wants Sloane to sue the United States government and military in the mysterious death of her husband, James, a national guardsman killed in Iraq. While a decades-old military doctrine might make Ford's case impossible to win, Sloane, a former soldier himself, is compelled to find justice for the widow and her four children in what is certain to become the biggest challenge of his career.
With little hard evidence to go on, Sloane calls on his friend, reclusive former CIA agent turned private investigator Charles Jenkins, to track down the other men serving with Ford the night he died. Alarmingly, two of the four who returned home alive didn't stay that way for long, and though the mission's wheelchairbound commander now works for a civilian contractor, he refuses to talk. The final -- and youngest -- soldier is also the most elusive, but he's their only shot at discovering the truth -- if Sloane and Jenkins can keep him alive long enough to tell it.
Meanwhile, Sloane isn't the only one on a manhunt. As he propels his case into a federal courtroom, those seeking to hide the truth threaten Sloane's family, forcing his new wife Tina and stepson Jake into hiding, where they become the targets of a relentless killer. Now Sloane must race to uncover what really happened on that fatal mission, not only to bring justice to a family wronged but to keep himself and the people closest to him from becoming the next casualties....
Just minutes after winning a $1.6 million wrongful-death verdict, attorney David Sloane confronts the one case that threatens to blemish his unbeaten record in the courtroom. Beverly Ford wants Sloane to sue the United States government and military in the mysterious death of her husband, James, a national guardsman killed in Iraq. While a decades-old military doctrine might make Ford's case impossible to win, Sloane, a former soldier himself, is compelled to find justice for the widow and her four children in what is certain to become the biggest challenge of his career.
With little hard evidence to go on, Sloane calls on his friend, reclusive former CIA agent turned private investigator Charles Jenkins, to track down the other men serving with Ford the night he died. Alarmingly, two of the four who returned home alive didn't stay that way for long, and though the mission's wheelchairbound commander now works for a civilian contractor, he refuses to talk. The final -- and youngest -- soldier is also the most elusive, but he's their only shot at discovering the truth -- if Sloane and Jenkins can keep him alive long enough to tell it.
Meanwhile, Sloane isn't the only one on a manhunt. As he propels his case into a federal courtroom, those seeking to hide the truth threaten Sloane's family, forcing his new wife Tina and stepson Jake into hiding, where they become the targets of a relentless killer. Now Sloane must race to uncover what really happened on that fatal mission, not only to bring justice to a family wronged but to keep himself and the people closest to him from becoming the next casualties....
450 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 27, 2009
4299 people are currently reading
2375 people want to read
About the author
Robert Dugoni
75 books32.9k followersRobert Dugoni is the critically acclaimed New York Times, and #1 Amazon bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite police series set in Seattle, which has sold more than 11 million books worldwide. He is also the author of The Charles Jenkins espionage series, the David Sloane legal thriller series, and The Keera Duggan legal thriller series. He has written several stand-alone novels including the historical novels A Killing on the Hill and Hold Strong, as well as the suspense novel The 7th Canon, and Damage Control. He has written the literary novels, The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell - one of Newsweek Magazine's Best Books of All-Time and Suspense Magazine’s 2018 Book of the Year, for which Dugoni’s narration won an AudioFile Earphones Award. He has also written the critically acclaimed novel, The World Played Chess; as well as the nonfiction exposé The Cyanide Canary, a Washington Post Best Book of the Year. His novels have been optioned for movies and television series. Dugoni is the recipient of the Nancy Pearl Award for Fiction and a four-time winner of the Friends of Mystery Spotted Owl Award for best novel set in the Pacific Northwest. He has also been a finalist for many other awards including the International Thriller Award, the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction, the Silver Falchion Award for mystery, and the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award.
Robert Dugoni’s books are sold in more than thirty-five countries and have been translated into more than thirty languages.
Visit his website at www.robertdugoni.com, and follow him on twitter @robertdugoni and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AuthorRobertDugoni
Robert Dugoni’s books are sold in more than thirty-five countries and have been translated into more than thirty languages.
Visit his website at www.robertdugoni.com, and follow him on twitter @robertdugoni and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AuthorRobertDugoni
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 468 reviews
June 8, 2016
I read the first book in the David Sloan series, The Jury Master, quite a while ago. After completing Dugoni's Tracy Crosswhite series, I wanted to continue with this series. I have to admit I'm not as taken with this series, yet, as I was with Crosswhite.
David Sloane is an attorney who is asked by a woman to sue the U. S. government for the wrongful death of her husband in Iraq. David is unlikely to win due to the Feres Doctrine, which basically states that the federal government is not liable for death during wartime. However, things go hinky.
The book was good, though the story was a little cliched. I have the remaining books in the series and will definitely continue with them.
David Sloane is an attorney who is asked by a woman to sue the U. S. government for the wrongful death of her husband in Iraq. David is unlikely to win due to the Feres Doctrine, which basically states that the federal government is not liable for death during wartime. However, things go hinky.
The book was good, though the story was a little cliched. I have the remaining books in the series and will definitely continue with them.
May 20, 2016
Leave it to the government to impose a doctrine that forbids claims against the federal government by service members or their families for death or injuries that result from activity incident to military service. The Feres Doctrine is just one of the beasts that attorney David Sloane must combat in Robert Dugoni’s Wrongful Death. Sloane has just moments to celebrate his eighteenth straight courtroom victory when Beverly Ford, widowed mother of four, approaches him and asks him to sue the US government for the death of her husband, who was killed while serving with the National Guard in Iraq.
Sloane fears that it is a case that he cannot win. He’s not concerned about ruining his unblemished record. He only wants to avoid disappointing this woman. Once he visits the Ford family at their home and begins to understand what kind of man James Ford was, he knows that he has to try. When he learns that other men in the unit have died since returning home, he becomes suspicious. Subsequent events create even more mistrust; there are too many “coincidences” and things that don’t make sense. Despite – and because of – threats to his own family, Sloane is convinced that digging for the truth is the right thing to do.
Flashbacks reveal the events of that tragic day in Iraq. Dugoni made me feel like I was watching a movie; I could palpate the fear and tension, see the sand blowing, and hear the explosions. The author also briefly recaps Sloane’s history, particulars from The Jury Master that I’d forgotten, which I felt were important to know about David Sloane, the man. What I enjoyed the most was how his investigation unfolded. This is a legal thriller, but the courtroom action is minimal. Most of the lawyer business is conducted tracking down information, trying to locate witnesses, meeting with military law experts to understand the implications of the Feres Doctrine.
I liked the personal time too, of course. David is now married to Tina and has a ready-made-family with her son Jake, who at age eleven is an avid fisherman. They are lucky to have each other. Sloane is fortunate to have his buddy Charles Jenkins as his PI too. Jenkins is a savvy former CIA man, experienced, and seemingly fearless. His much younger girlfriend Alex proves invaluable to David’s family also.
Sloane and Jenkins don’t seem to have a problem so much figuring out what happened. It’s how to prove it, because most of the witnesses are dead. It becomes a high-stakes game of cat and mouse. In the end, will Sloane get the evidence he needs? Even if he does, will the judge rule for his client?
What I really liked about Wrongful Death is that Sloan is human. He wants more than a settlement for his client; he wants answers. He wants her to have peace of mind. Some of the names and details were confusing at times, but I got the gist of it, and it made sense by the end. Robert Dugoni did a fair amount of research into military procedures for this book. He writes with conviction, warmth, and humor. Several of his characters are named for personal friends, and I think that’s great. I’m sure I’ll be reading book three, Bodily Harm, in the not-too-distant future.
4.5 stars
Sloane fears that it is a case that he cannot win. He’s not concerned about ruining his unblemished record. He only wants to avoid disappointing this woman. Once he visits the Ford family at their home and begins to understand what kind of man James Ford was, he knows that he has to try. When he learns that other men in the unit have died since returning home, he becomes suspicious. Subsequent events create even more mistrust; there are too many “coincidences” and things that don’t make sense. Despite – and because of – threats to his own family, Sloane is convinced that digging for the truth is the right thing to do.
Flashbacks reveal the events of that tragic day in Iraq. Dugoni made me feel like I was watching a movie; I could palpate the fear and tension, see the sand blowing, and hear the explosions. The author also briefly recaps Sloane’s history, particulars from The Jury Master that I’d forgotten, which I felt were important to know about David Sloane, the man. What I enjoyed the most was how his investigation unfolded. This is a legal thriller, but the courtroom action is minimal. Most of the lawyer business is conducted tracking down information, trying to locate witnesses, meeting with military law experts to understand the implications of the Feres Doctrine.
I liked the personal time too, of course. David is now married to Tina and has a ready-made-family with her son Jake, who at age eleven is an avid fisherman. They are lucky to have each other. Sloane is fortunate to have his buddy Charles Jenkins as his PI too. Jenkins is a savvy former CIA man, experienced, and seemingly fearless. His much younger girlfriend Alex proves invaluable to David’s family also.
Sloane and Jenkins don’t seem to have a problem so much figuring out what happened. It’s how to prove it, because most of the witnesses are dead. It becomes a high-stakes game of cat and mouse. In the end, will Sloane get the evidence he needs? Even if he does, will the judge rule for his client?
What I really liked about Wrongful Death is that Sloan is human. He wants more than a settlement for his client; he wants answers. He wants her to have peace of mind. Some of the names and details were confusing at times, but I got the gist of it, and it made sense by the end. Robert Dugoni did a fair amount of research into military procedures for this book. He writes with conviction, warmth, and humor. Several of his characters are named for personal friends, and I think that’s great. I’m sure I’ll be reading book three, Bodily Harm, in the not-too-distant future.
4.5 stars
August 22, 2021
This is the second book in the David Sloane series, a Washington Lawyer with an high profile for being the best wrongful death man in the county. I was a little disappointing by the first book in the series but this one was much better in my opinion. I am getting to grips with the David Sloane character and enjoyed the court scenes that were absent in the previous book. I am already aware that I feel it would make sense to read this series in the order they were written due to the carry over stories. Many series can be read out of order without giving too much away but I don’t think that is the case here.
David Sloane is approached by a war widow named Beverly Ford and asked to take her case against the military and he feels it is a case he can’t refuse. What appears to be a lost cause could put the lives of others as well as his own in danger. David Sloane is a man who remains unbeaten in the courtroom but this is one lost cause that he feels he must defend. Beverley’s husband James was a national guardsman in Iraq and she wants Sloane to sue the United States government and military. David Sloane realises this may be an impossible case but feels compelled to take it and represent Beverly. Evidence is scarce and Sloane calls on his friend Charles Jenkins, a former CIA agent turned private investigator to track down the other men serving with Ford the night he died.
This was a far better read than the first one and I now feel more confident going into the next three books in the series.
David Sloane is approached by a war widow named Beverly Ford and asked to take her case against the military and he feels it is a case he can’t refuse. What appears to be a lost cause could put the lives of others as well as his own in danger. David Sloane is a man who remains unbeaten in the courtroom but this is one lost cause that he feels he must defend. Beverley’s husband James was a national guardsman in Iraq and she wants Sloane to sue the United States government and military. David Sloane realises this may be an impossible case but feels compelled to take it and represent Beverly. Evidence is scarce and Sloane calls on his friend Charles Jenkins, a former CIA agent turned private investigator to track down the other men serving with Ford the night he died.
This was a far better read than the first one and I now feel more confident going into the next three books in the series.
June 30, 2018
I. Loved. This. Book. Wow!! I very much liked the first one in the series - and this one was even better!!! I love the characters: David, his wife Tina, son Jake, as well as David's PI and friend, Charlie, and Charlie's soon-to-be-wife, Alex. The story unfolds slowly, as the details of a tragic day for five soldiers in Iraq is revealed. I was kept guessing until the end!
December 12, 2019
Very well written
Another very well done Dugoni novel I am a big fan of his writing style which involves intricate plots and satisfying conclusions.
Another very well done Dugoni novel I am a big fan of his writing style which involves intricate plots and satisfying conclusions.
September 23, 2018
Just finished minutes ago, and I was extremely pleased. The story, characters, and the writing were well-thought out. There were a couple of scenes, especially in the courtroom, that you knew disaster was imminent, but that Sloane could pull victory out, and it seemed so real.
March 22, 2025
I think Robert Dugoni is one of the better writers I've read, and I'm no great shakes, but I've read hundreds of books in all kinds of genres. But this book, amazing as it is, has some things I found difficult to deal with... it was almost too well written.
The writer jumps from setting to setting, protagonist to antagonist, past to present, too quickly for me to track with. It may be that I am just getting old, because I couldn't keep up.
I've also read one of his Charles Jenkins books set in Russia, and I was able to follow it.
The settings in this book are amazingly visceral. I care about the good guys a LOT, but I had trouble keeping up with all the changes.
I'll continue to read Dugoni because this raw, skillfully penned volume is fantastic, and he is one of the best thriller writers I've encountered; it just was a harder one for me to follow.
The writer jumps from setting to setting, protagonist to antagonist, past to present, too quickly for me to track with. It may be that I am just getting old, because I couldn't keep up.
I've also read one of his Charles Jenkins books set in Russia, and I was able to follow it.
The settings in this book are amazingly visceral. I care about the good guys a LOT, but I had trouble keeping up with all the changes.
I'll continue to read Dugoni because this raw, skillfully penned volume is fantastic, and he is one of the best thriller writers I've encountered; it just was a harder one for me to follow.
December 20, 2025
The author's recent work, The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell, is one of the finest books I have ever read, extraordinary in itself. But Wrongful Death (published in 2009) is the 3rd other book I've read by Robert Dugoni and none of these others have lived up to my expectations.
This is about attorney David Sloane's effort to sue the United States government for damages caused by the wrongful death of James Ford, a national guardsman and father of four, who was killed in the war in Iraq.
I was expecting a courtroom drama, and there is a bit of that in this book. But the book is more of a thriller as David Sloane, his family and his associates face many perils in Sloane's efforts to mount evidence to support his case.
This was a tough book to follow, as the scene and the multiple points of view shifted constantly. Also, there were many flashbacks the left me with partial information ..... and confused.
Credit the author for extensive research in creating this novel. A credible piece of work.
This is about attorney David Sloane's effort to sue the United States government for damages caused by the wrongful death of James Ford, a national guardsman and father of four, who was killed in the war in Iraq.
I was expecting a courtroom drama, and there is a bit of that in this book. But the book is more of a thriller as David Sloane, his family and his associates face many perils in Sloane's efforts to mount evidence to support his case.
This was a tough book to follow, as the scene and the multiple points of view shifted constantly. Also, there were many flashbacks the left me with partial information ..... and confused.
Credit the author for extensive research in creating this novel. A credible piece of work.
December 22, 2024
I am a huge fan of Robert Dugoni, but not necessarily of this book. It is one of his earliest works, so I will use that as the reason. His writing is consistently flowing, which I am a fan of, but this book just went on and on and on about the same thing. I lost interest when I wasn't getting any value out of it though. I lost being invested in the first quarter of the book. The hook did not continue to elaborate which then became boring. There were also too many characters and departments and places that it was difficult to keep track of who was who. I actually did not finish the book. I gave it a three star because the book itself was well put together, the grammar was good and the writing fluid.
September 22, 2021
While I felt that the first book was a bit convoluted, this one was just confused. The structure was unbalanced as well, where most of the flash-backs foretold the present day story, some were told after their relevance, just to increase the suspense.
The thriller aspects were beyond belief and the strong women were awfully tolerant of their wayward men.
Last, Sloane never got to use his magic touch.
I'll stop here.
The thriller aspects were beyond belief and the strong women were awfully tolerant of their wayward men.
Last, Sloane never got to use his magic touch.
I'll stop here.
December 1, 2023
Dugoni sure loves to kill characters! Yikes!
This one was super scary in parts. I know what’s coming next and I’m super nervous to read the next book.
Everyone was in peril in this book. What a stressful life David Sloane leads.
Onto the next book… eeek 😦
This one was super scary in parts. I know what’s coming next and I’m super nervous to read the next book.
Everyone was in peril in this book. What a stressful life David Sloane leads.
Onto the next book… eeek 😦
January 31, 2019
Six Word Review: Sloane can't lose but here can't win.
This is my second Dugoni book and in spite of its overly simplistic plot, I did enjoy it.
David Sloane, winner of 18 verdicts in a row, wants to take a break but ends up agreeing to litigate a wrongful-death claim. Beverly Ford, a mother of four, is the widow of a national guardsman killed in Iraq. She's convinced he died because of inadequate body armor. Sloane soon learns that established case law or the "Feres Doctrine." specifies that members of any service forfeit their right to sue for any injury or death which occurs "incident to service", no matter the exigent circumstances. Sloane also discovers, though, that the surviving members of Ford's platoon are dying under strange circumstances since returning to the U.S. Sloane suspects there may be a conspiracy afoot. It appears someone wants the details of the tragedy outside Fallujah to remain blurry.
He calls on his friend, reclusive former CIA agent turned private investigator Charles Jenkins, to track down evidence and witnesses. But as Sloane pursues the case, his own family is threatened so he sends them away with Jenkin's girlfriend, Alex, who is a former Secret Service operative.
As Sloane continues his search for the truth the plot provides numerous twists and turns and a few hard to believe coincidences but in the end justice triumphs just as I knew it would since there are later books in the series.
I recommend "Wrongful Death" as a relatively light beach or plane read - an uncomplicated plot with lots of action populated with interesting characters.
This is my second Dugoni book and in spite of its overly simplistic plot, I did enjoy it.
David Sloane, winner of 18 verdicts in a row, wants to take a break but ends up agreeing to litigate a wrongful-death claim. Beverly Ford, a mother of four, is the widow of a national guardsman killed in Iraq. She's convinced he died because of inadequate body armor. Sloane soon learns that established case law or the "Feres Doctrine." specifies that members of any service forfeit their right to sue for any injury or death which occurs "incident to service", no matter the exigent circumstances. Sloane also discovers, though, that the surviving members of Ford's platoon are dying under strange circumstances since returning to the U.S. Sloane suspects there may be a conspiracy afoot. It appears someone wants the details of the tragedy outside Fallujah to remain blurry.
He calls on his friend, reclusive former CIA agent turned private investigator Charles Jenkins, to track down evidence and witnesses. But as Sloane pursues the case, his own family is threatened so he sends them away with Jenkin's girlfriend, Alex, who is a former Secret Service operative.
As Sloane continues his search for the truth the plot provides numerous twists and turns and a few hard to believe coincidences but in the end justice triumphs just as I knew it would since there are later books in the series.
I recommend "Wrongful Death" as a relatively light beach or plane read - an uncomplicated plot with lots of action populated with interesting characters.
November 21, 2020
An odd mix of a story. At times, the book was engaging and emotionally satisfying; yet at other times, it was garbled and jumped around, not holding a clear narrative. I would like to have said I found it all compelling, but in the end, it was disappointing. I have liked some of the other books by this author, but this wasn’t one of them. Justice, particularly within the military, could have been a captivating story.
August 27, 2016
Two-haiku review:
Military case
Sloane's wife and son in danger
Witnesses dying
Exciting thriller
Legal maneuvers and tricks
Tense and gripping style
Military case
Sloane's wife and son in danger
Witnesses dying
Exciting thriller
Legal maneuvers and tricks
Tense and gripping style
December 20, 2024
1.5 is probably more accurate. Familiar characters were fine, but the storylines appear to have been thrown into a blender and poured out in the pages of this book. Couldn't wait to be done with it not because of the story, but to be able to put this one behind me. Going on a self-imposed Robert Dugoni break for a little while. Catch you in 2025!
June 25, 2025
Injustice was not built of stone and mortar, or of metal. It was built of greed, inhumanity, and man’s thirst for power.
What a difference from the first book! While we aren't following three different storylines this time, there's still something in the story that felt out of place? I'm not sure if that's the right way to explain it. David Sloane will get a case that everyone would warn you stay away from it since it involved the military. David been a non-quitter and called by others as the "lawyer that doesn't lose" he will take the challenge.
This time the case is what looks to be a military coverup of what really happened. A woman reaches to Sloane asking to take the case of her dead husband, who was killed while serving in Iraq because of not having the proper armor protection. You might think that every soldier under extreme stress would have a different version of what happened, but what do you do when they all said the exact same story word by word? Do you trust them, or do you follow the gut feeling that something is wrong?
Maybe because this was more military involved, I was expecting something a little bit wilder? It was good but not wow.
What a difference from the first book! While we aren't following three different storylines this time, there's still something in the story that felt out of place? I'm not sure if that's the right way to explain it. David Sloane will get a case that everyone would warn you stay away from it since it involved the military. David been a non-quitter and called by others as the "lawyer that doesn't lose" he will take the challenge.
This time the case is what looks to be a military coverup of what really happened. A woman reaches to Sloane asking to take the case of her dead husband, who was killed while serving in Iraq because of not having the proper armor protection. You might think that every soldier under extreme stress would have a different version of what happened, but what do you do when they all said the exact same story word by word? Do you trust them, or do you follow the gut feeling that something is wrong?
Maybe because this was more military involved, I was expecting something a little bit wilder? It was good but not wow.
April 24, 2017
This is the second book in the David Sloane series. David is a wrongful death attorney with an incredible records of wins. When Beverly Ford approaches him with a request to take on her case, he's intrigued but can't give her much hope. Beverly's husband, John, was killed in Iraq during an operation, and soldiers are exempt from suing the government if they are killed during a wartime battle.
David, a Marine veteran, feels like he can at least look into Ford's death to make sure there are no options. Almost immediately he discovers things might not be right. Statements from the other soldiers in the unit look like they are all identical. When he goes to interview the witnesses he discovers at least two have died under suspicious circumstances.
Overall, Wrongful Death is an exciting, fast moving story of deceit and lies. The author did a great job of taking the reader through the intricacies of how the military legal system works. This book can easily be read as a standalone, but it does use several of the same characters we met in Book 1, Jury Master. I'm definitely planning to continue this engrossing series, and probably start series Dugoni writes, featuring homicide detective, Tracy Crosswhite.
David, a Marine veteran, feels like he can at least look into Ford's death to make sure there are no options. Almost immediately he discovers things might not be right. Statements from the other soldiers in the unit look like they are all identical. When he goes to interview the witnesses he discovers at least two have died under suspicious circumstances.
Overall, Wrongful Death is an exciting, fast moving story of deceit and lies. The author did a great job of taking the reader through the intricacies of how the military legal system works. This book can easily be read as a standalone, but it does use several of the same characters we met in Book 1, Jury Master. I'm definitely planning to continue this engrossing series, and probably start series Dugoni writes, featuring homicide detective, Tracy Crosswhite.
October 4, 2020
David Sloane, the trial lawyer with a brilliant record of delivering justice to his clients, takes up a seemingly unwinnable case of wrongful death claim by a war widow against the government of USA. Little does he know that the case will drag him into a grand conspiracy involving the rich and the mighty, putting his own life and that of his loved ones in peril. Tenaciously, Sloane fights, both off and on the court, with the help of his ex-CIA friends, to bring the conspiracy to light while trying to protect his family from harm.
Robert Dugoni has taken a complex and important issue as the theme of this novel and has executed it grippingly. The lead characters, and the secondary ones, are well etched and intriguing. The fast paced action is quite exciting and has many twists that keep the reader hooked. However, the narrative suffers somewhat due to the frequent reminiscences of Sloane's troubled past that do not have any active role in the present happenings. Also, the legal intricacies of the case are a bit incomprehensible and would have benefited by some more explanation.
Overall, I liked Wrongful Death and would rate it 3.5 out of 5.
Robert Dugoni has taken a complex and important issue as the theme of this novel and has executed it grippingly. The lead characters, and the secondary ones, are well etched and intriguing. The fast paced action is quite exciting and has many twists that keep the reader hooked. However, the narrative suffers somewhat due to the frequent reminiscences of Sloane's troubled past that do not have any active role in the present happenings. Also, the legal intricacies of the case are a bit incomprehensible and would have benefited by some more explanation.
Overall, I liked Wrongful Death and would rate it 3.5 out of 5.
December 23, 2019
Seattle Lawyer David Sloane, is riding a high, 18 jury verdicts in a row. When he's approached by Beverly Ford, a widow of a soldier killed in the Iraq war he's initially hesitant. His record of wins could be seriously stopped with a case suing the federal government and every expert he talks with tells him it's impossible and that he's wasting his time. But David doesn't work like that, when he finds out that every member of Ford's platoon has since died and in very suspicious circumstances, he can't leave it alone. Something's rotten and he's going to find out what and make them pay and hope he doesn't lose his family in the process.
Very interesting and intense read.
Very interesting and intense read.
March 15, 2020
The book was good the storyline I thought could have been a little more believable. I think the storyline has been used many times before large corporations making billions in the war effort is behind the coverup of why the soldiers were killed. even after they returned home they were executed. I give the book 3.5 stars
February 25, 2017
This is an excellent action story. It involves the military in Iraq, a disreputable civilian contractor, and dirty judges and Senators. It has a little bit of everything. The wife of one dead soldier asked for an explanation of how her husband died and when the military refused to answer the excitement began. It doesn't stop until the story ends.
February 22, 2018
Started this one other time, but just couldn't get into it, but this time it caught my attention, and held it. Have to admit that when I got into it, Dugoni did not let me down. He has become one of my favorite authors, and this book is a good example of the reason I like him so much. <><
September 11, 2018
Dugoni has done it again. This is a sound book, filled with well drawn characters and many facts about the realities of war that I never wanted to know. It is meticulously plotted. There's also some terrific court room scenes. And the ending! It blew me away. Between David Sloane and Tracy Crosswhite, Robert Dugoni is becoming one of my favorite authors.
October 28, 2017
This is the 2nd book in the David Sloane series. Looking forward to reading the 3rd one!
January 9, 2019
Great read. I really like this author and the characters in this suspense novel.
November 3, 2023
I was late to discover Robert Dugonis books. Now I'm hooked. His plots are complex, and I am finding him masterful at painting images in my mind.
May 22, 2024
This is a riveting thriller! It discusses the war in Iraq, and the mixture of military with private corporations in the war. I enjoyed it, even though I had not read the first in this series.
April 29, 2022
Ok., bit too involved with too many characters, a few not needed.
October 4, 2020
My Review Four Stars****
I had really enjoyed THE JURY MASTER, originally published in 2006, Dugoni's legal thriller that introduced the vulnerable, charismatic protagonist attorney named David Sloane. It was the first of Dugoni's legal thrillers I had read, and I was looking forward to following the exploits of Sloane in the subsequent four installments of the book series.
I finished Book 2 last night (WRONGFUL DEATH) and it was an engaging read for the most part. On a positive note, many of the likeable characters I had enjoyed in the inaugural novel (long suffering Tina who finally broke through David's "wall" in THE JURY MASTER and captured his heart), the immensely entertaining larger-than-like Charles Jenkins (and his sexy young lover the lethal Alex), and more.
Sloane and Tina are happily married in the beginning of this saga, raising their adopted son Jake, and watching the antics of their pet cat. All is well and Sloane has just worked his unique brand of magic on still another jury for a multi million dollar civil settlement for his aggrieved poor plaintiff. After the stunning verdict, the family has planned to leave for a planned, well deserved and highly anticipated vacation together. However, Sloane is confronted by a war widow as he is leaving the court house. The grieving spouse of a high school math teacher, a man who had joined the National Guard to augment the family's income, had tragically been killed on the foreign soil of Iraq. The determined mother of four, still grieving her loving husband, was seeking justice from the government and US Military. Obviously Sloane is persuaded to help the woman and put his family's happiness second. Otherwise of course there would have been no book.
I am a fan of legal thrillers and have read a number of different authors who focus their talents on this genre. In the case of WRONGFUL DEATH, it is not a gripping courtroom drama in any sense of the word, and more aptly should be deemed a "Conspiracy Thriller". To be fair, that is also true of Dugoni's top shelf novel THE JURY MASTER. I wrote in my review of it that it is a complex, tightly knit thriller, and that there was more action scenes within its book covers than Robert Ludlum's entire Bourne Trilogy. The chapters alternated among multiple protagonists and their respective precarious predicaments, and each chapter ended with a cliffhanger. I elaborated at the time that it was the literary equivalent of the TV reality show ("I AM PREY") where it alternates the stories among let's say Sue who has been attacked by a pack of crazed raccoons, let's say Bob who is in the jaws of an alligator, and Tom who is being hunted down in an enclosed gorilla enclosure. You are on the edge of your seat with what is happening with Sue and then abruptly the scene switches to Tom getting his hand bit off by a large ape. This technique might not have been so effective if it wasn't for the fact that Dugoni has an exceptional ability to make his good guys seem so real and alive to us, and when it comes to the villains he can make us feel the chill.
Dugoni approaches Book 2 in essentially the same way, and with approximately the same level of effectiveness. However, it is not in the same league as THE JURY MASTER. That said, I did find this Book 2 of the David Sloane series to be particularly educational. Sloane is a civil lawyer, but in this novel he steps into the very different arena of military law, which is shockingly different to say the least. The material on military law and "The Feres doctrine" was like a blow to the head followed by a concussion and icepick headaches. I will not attempt to regurgitate the detailed information provided by the author on this doctrine but it is a figurative Mt. Everest to climb for any Civil Attorney who would entertain the notion of bringing a civil suit against the government. A quote from the book may explain this point. Sloane is consulting a military attorney in the course of his investigating the case.
“When an inductee takes the oath of enlistment, he swears to protect the Constitution of the United States against all enemies both foreign and domestic.” (and) "... at that very instant (he or she) also forfeited (his or her) right to sue the government, the military, and (his or her) superior officers for injuries incurred ‘incident to service,’ even if you could prove those superior officers acted negligently or deliberately to deprive you of your constitutional rights.”
If virtually anything or anyone harms, maims, or kills a member of the armed services which is "incident to service" (while they are not on furlough or leave) the disabled veteran (or surviving spouse) is rendered impotent to sue the government for damages. That would encompass any egregious scenario you could imagine, including such events as a brutal gang rape and beating of a female soldier while on base to horrors even more unimaginable.
It is not difficult to believe that there were many casualties after World War II. The government envisioned a veritable tsunami of claims, and thus in 1950 the Supreme Court consolidated three cases of families suing the government and members of the military for the deaths of loved ones (one of these was the family of one Rudolph Feres). This was the origin of the "Incident To Service" provision of the Feres Doctrine. The rationale for the 1950 decision was that the courts felt that military benefits were the appropriate remedial action to be taken as opposed to civil lawsuits. I might add that the novel also addresses the Federal Tort Claims Act which prevents soldiers from recovering for injuries incurred serving during a war in a foreign country.
In light of the fact that as time passed and civil lawyers were being awarded outrageous amounts of money for their plaintiffs, the previous rationale of the courts that military benefits were the appropriate answer began to weaken and look pale in comparison. Obviously thousands of civil attorneys tried to break through the impenetrable wall of the Feres doctrine to no avail. I found it interesting that the author mentions a relatively more contemporary challenge to the "Feres doctrine" and the Supreme Court Split 5 To 4. The legendary Supreme Court giant Justice Scalia wrote that:
"Feres was wrongfully decided then and remained wrongfully decided.”
This book is interesting---if for no other reason---the fact that we have "The Jury Master" trying to find "a loop hole in the Feres Doctrine" to help his client achieve justice. In 1994's infamous McDonald's "hot coffee" civil court case in New Mexico the plaintiff was awarded $160,000 compensatory damages and $2.7 million dollars in punitive damages for the fast food giant's callous conduct. We know that the injured party did not ultimately receive that kind of cash, but nevertheless when I see tort cases like that I shudder. How can that happen in America? (when a beaten and gang-raped female soldier can seek no damages at all from the government or her attackers----and a soldier who returns home with permanent physical disabilities can do nothing when he wasn't afforded the most currently available protective gear that was being used by other soldiers at the time?
This book made me so thankful that we have a President in office who loves our military and has equipped it with the best protective gear that is available and has modernized our armed forces to include everything from their modes of transport to their state of the art weaponry. He has also successfully reformed the VA for our wounded warriors. In a different vein, what if a more conservative leaning justice of the Supreme Court had been standing next to Justice Scalia when this outrageous Feres doctrine was challenged? We may finally have a Supreme Court who will be open to seeing the unfairness of this doctrine advanced by the government some 70 years ago. That is if fortune smiles on us, our proud military, and our exceptional nation.
Before I leave the review of WRONGFUL DEATH I do want to say you don't have to be a die hard fan of "Pit Bull Parolees" to love Charles (and get "choked up") over his noble intervention on the behalf of a certain downtrodden canine at the conclusion of the book. There were also the poignant moments that were provided in the closing frames that were sweet and special. It is in fact a decent albeit hardly outstanding follow up to THE JURY MASTER.
An odd thing occurred on my way to posting a customer rating on Amazon for WRONGFUL DEATH. I found myself glancing at the reviews, something I don't ordinarily do, especially when I am about to compose a book review. That is because even though my reviews are written principally for just myself, I do not like to be influenced by the views of others. Book 3 is BODILY HARM and I hadn't purchased it yet....I could have tapped the wrong listing by mistake. Anyway, I started reading an angry review from a fan who was beating Dugoni up for (letting the pet cat get killed) and if that wasn't enough doing the unthinkable (something much, much, worse). I thought "Say what?" The cat wasn't killed! What is this irate reader ranting about? Then I looked more closely and saw that the review was of BODILY HARM, Book 3. Whoa!
What follows here (from me) is a mandate on Dugoni's Books 3 through 5 of the David Sloane series. I may not have mentioned that when I bought WRONGFUL DEATH I also purchased Books 4 and 5 in the 5-Book Sloane series. Since they are Kindle Editions I can't even use them to start a fire. The review that caught my eye was one that basically pounded the drum that Dugoni had gone too far, saying:
"But if you start reading a series, the characters become more than just names on a page--at least for me. And you, Dugoni, are the author who wrote them in such a way that I got to know and care about them."
This dovetails with a point I was making in the last review I wrote. Good authors (ones who have a heart and care about their fans) should never do more than "dangle the potential for disaster before (his/her) readers". Who didn't fall in love with the character of Tina who loved David from the shadows for 10 years before he reached the point of being capable of opening his heart? In Book 2 who wasn't biting their knuckles (or cuticles) when the villains were making Tina "tread water" and nearly drowning when her strength waned? And with Jake watching hysterically and impotent to help her. But then Alex "rode to the rescue". We loved the ending of the novel where Tina and Jake were recovering from those traumas, David was standing lovingly by, and so was their precious pet cat.
Dugoni!!! As one successful author wrote a long time ago, "...In the end, good is good and bad is bad, and good more or less prevails. Authors have a contract with their readers and I think too much of mine to have them invest their time, money, and emotion in a full-length-novel...(and I paraphrase here) to have them tearful, depressed, angry and livid at the ending. I am an animal lover, so I might have stopped reading the exploits of Sloane for killing the pet cat alone! I loved Greg Iles and I deliberately skipped the third novel THE DEVIL'S PUNCHBOWL in his spectacular PENN CAGE Trilogy (THE QUIET GAME, TURNING ANGEL, THE DEVIL'S PUNCHBOWL). Why? Because the book depicted animal cruelty and focused prominently on the illegal sport of pit bull fighting rings.
Steve Martini wrote COMPELLING EVIDENCE as a standalone legal thriller and his protagonist attorney Paul Madriani was married. The book was a runaway success that made him famous. So he felt "compelled" to kill off Madriani's spouse. Truthfully, the reader didn't get to know her all that well in the inaugural book, so he got by with it. It is a completely different outcome when readers learn to love the characters in a book series. I will go a step further and extend that premise to standalone novels with lovable protagonists.
There are countless examples...books and TV. Karin Slaughter was one brave author to blow the manly man Chief Jeffery Tolliver to kingdom come in BEYOND REACH. Many of her most loyal fans figuratively crucified her for the betrayal of their trust that she would keep him safe from harm. Now me...I actually understand WHY she had to do it. But also I wouldn't have been surprised to read that her "Biggest Fan" would pull an "Annie Wilkes" on her like Kathy Bates portrayed in Misery. What about the cult phenomenon TWD? Remember what happened to the viewership AND the ratings after bad guy Neegan took "Lucille" to the noggins of fan favorite Glen and good guy Abraham??? I think (if I remember right) that the highest rated TV show in the land lost 25% of its viewership. Simply put, an author is simply ill advised to betray his fan base.
I used to smirk at the commitment of some of my older friends who were addicted to the daytime soap operas. That was before watching BEAUTY AND THE BEAST for the whole series to have the writers decide for (Linda Hamilton) to wind up tortured and murdered. I sobbed and couldn't sleep for weeks. Having said that it was years ago....(smile). Two writers I dumped for this kind of betrayal (writing grim, gut wrenching endings to beloved or incredibly sympathetic characters) was the late Scott Pratt and the aspiring author Will Patching (he also spewed literal propaganda but it was his killing off two specific characters in the course of a 3-book trilogy that made me toss him forever into my "Goodbye" file. I am either going to "skip" bodily harm and finish the last two books, but more likely will stop reading David Sloane altogether. Maybe Dugoni to go as well. Too many books out there to read if you are not a masochist.
I had really enjoyed THE JURY MASTER, originally published in 2006, Dugoni's legal thriller that introduced the vulnerable, charismatic protagonist attorney named David Sloane. It was the first of Dugoni's legal thrillers I had read, and I was looking forward to following the exploits of Sloane in the subsequent four installments of the book series.
I finished Book 2 last night (WRONGFUL DEATH) and it was an engaging read for the most part. On a positive note, many of the likeable characters I had enjoyed in the inaugural novel (long suffering Tina who finally broke through David's "wall" in THE JURY MASTER and captured his heart), the immensely entertaining larger-than-like Charles Jenkins (and his sexy young lover the lethal Alex), and more.
Sloane and Tina are happily married in the beginning of this saga, raising their adopted son Jake, and watching the antics of their pet cat. All is well and Sloane has just worked his unique brand of magic on still another jury for a multi million dollar civil settlement for his aggrieved poor plaintiff. After the stunning verdict, the family has planned to leave for a planned, well deserved and highly anticipated vacation together. However, Sloane is confronted by a war widow as he is leaving the court house. The grieving spouse of a high school math teacher, a man who had joined the National Guard to augment the family's income, had tragically been killed on the foreign soil of Iraq. The determined mother of four, still grieving her loving husband, was seeking justice from the government and US Military. Obviously Sloane is persuaded to help the woman and put his family's happiness second. Otherwise of course there would have been no book.
I am a fan of legal thrillers and have read a number of different authors who focus their talents on this genre. In the case of WRONGFUL DEATH, it is not a gripping courtroom drama in any sense of the word, and more aptly should be deemed a "Conspiracy Thriller". To be fair, that is also true of Dugoni's top shelf novel THE JURY MASTER. I wrote in my review of it that it is a complex, tightly knit thriller, and that there was more action scenes within its book covers than Robert Ludlum's entire Bourne Trilogy. The chapters alternated among multiple protagonists and their respective precarious predicaments, and each chapter ended with a cliffhanger. I elaborated at the time that it was the literary equivalent of the TV reality show ("I AM PREY") where it alternates the stories among let's say Sue who has been attacked by a pack of crazed raccoons, let's say Bob who is in the jaws of an alligator, and Tom who is being hunted down in an enclosed gorilla enclosure. You are on the edge of your seat with what is happening with Sue and then abruptly the scene switches to Tom getting his hand bit off by a large ape. This technique might not have been so effective if it wasn't for the fact that Dugoni has an exceptional ability to make his good guys seem so real and alive to us, and when it comes to the villains he can make us feel the chill.
Dugoni approaches Book 2 in essentially the same way, and with approximately the same level of effectiveness. However, it is not in the same league as THE JURY MASTER. That said, I did find this Book 2 of the David Sloane series to be particularly educational. Sloane is a civil lawyer, but in this novel he steps into the very different arena of military law, which is shockingly different to say the least. The material on military law and "The Feres doctrine" was like a blow to the head followed by a concussion and icepick headaches. I will not attempt to regurgitate the detailed information provided by the author on this doctrine but it is a figurative Mt. Everest to climb for any Civil Attorney who would entertain the notion of bringing a civil suit against the government. A quote from the book may explain this point. Sloane is consulting a military attorney in the course of his investigating the case.
“When an inductee takes the oath of enlistment, he swears to protect the Constitution of the United States against all enemies both foreign and domestic.” (and) "... at that very instant (he or she) also forfeited (his or her) right to sue the government, the military, and (his or her) superior officers for injuries incurred ‘incident to service,’ even if you could prove those superior officers acted negligently or deliberately to deprive you of your constitutional rights.”
If virtually anything or anyone harms, maims, or kills a member of the armed services which is "incident to service" (while they are not on furlough or leave) the disabled veteran (or surviving spouse) is rendered impotent to sue the government for damages. That would encompass any egregious scenario you could imagine, including such events as a brutal gang rape and beating of a female soldier while on base to horrors even more unimaginable.
It is not difficult to believe that there were many casualties after World War II. The government envisioned a veritable tsunami of claims, and thus in 1950 the Supreme Court consolidated three cases of families suing the government and members of the military for the deaths of loved ones (one of these was the family of one Rudolph Feres). This was the origin of the "Incident To Service" provision of the Feres Doctrine. The rationale for the 1950 decision was that the courts felt that military benefits were the appropriate remedial action to be taken as opposed to civil lawsuits. I might add that the novel also addresses the Federal Tort Claims Act which prevents soldiers from recovering for injuries incurred serving during a war in a foreign country.
In light of the fact that as time passed and civil lawyers were being awarded outrageous amounts of money for their plaintiffs, the previous rationale of the courts that military benefits were the appropriate answer began to weaken and look pale in comparison. Obviously thousands of civil attorneys tried to break through the impenetrable wall of the Feres doctrine to no avail. I found it interesting that the author mentions a relatively more contemporary challenge to the "Feres doctrine" and the Supreme Court Split 5 To 4. The legendary Supreme Court giant Justice Scalia wrote that:
"Feres was wrongfully decided then and remained wrongfully decided.”
This book is interesting---if for no other reason---the fact that we have "The Jury Master" trying to find "a loop hole in the Feres Doctrine" to help his client achieve justice. In 1994's infamous McDonald's "hot coffee" civil court case in New Mexico the plaintiff was awarded $160,000 compensatory damages and $2.7 million dollars in punitive damages for the fast food giant's callous conduct. We know that the injured party did not ultimately receive that kind of cash, but nevertheless when I see tort cases like that I shudder. How can that happen in America? (when a beaten and gang-raped female soldier can seek no damages at all from the government or her attackers----and a soldier who returns home with permanent physical disabilities can do nothing when he wasn't afforded the most currently available protective gear that was being used by other soldiers at the time?
This book made me so thankful that we have a President in office who loves our military and has equipped it with the best protective gear that is available and has modernized our armed forces to include everything from their modes of transport to their state of the art weaponry. He has also successfully reformed the VA for our wounded warriors. In a different vein, what if a more conservative leaning justice of the Supreme Court had been standing next to Justice Scalia when this outrageous Feres doctrine was challenged? We may finally have a Supreme Court who will be open to seeing the unfairness of this doctrine advanced by the government some 70 years ago. That is if fortune smiles on us, our proud military, and our exceptional nation.
Before I leave the review of WRONGFUL DEATH I do want to say you don't have to be a die hard fan of "Pit Bull Parolees" to love Charles (and get "choked up") over his noble intervention on the behalf of a certain downtrodden canine at the conclusion of the book. There were also the poignant moments that were provided in the closing frames that were sweet and special. It is in fact a decent albeit hardly outstanding follow up to THE JURY MASTER.
An odd thing occurred on my way to posting a customer rating on Amazon for WRONGFUL DEATH. I found myself glancing at the reviews, something I don't ordinarily do, especially when I am about to compose a book review. That is because even though my reviews are written principally for just myself, I do not like to be influenced by the views of others. Book 3 is BODILY HARM and I hadn't purchased it yet....I could have tapped the wrong listing by mistake. Anyway, I started reading an angry review from a fan who was beating Dugoni up for (letting the pet cat get killed) and if that wasn't enough doing the unthinkable (something much, much, worse). I thought "Say what?" The cat wasn't killed! What is this irate reader ranting about? Then I looked more closely and saw that the review was of BODILY HARM, Book 3. Whoa!
What follows here (from me) is a mandate on Dugoni's Books 3 through 5 of the David Sloane series. I may not have mentioned that when I bought WRONGFUL DEATH I also purchased Books 4 and 5 in the 5-Book Sloane series. Since they are Kindle Editions I can't even use them to start a fire. The review that caught my eye was one that basically pounded the drum that Dugoni had gone too far, saying:
"But if you start reading a series, the characters become more than just names on a page--at least for me. And you, Dugoni, are the author who wrote them in such a way that I got to know and care about them."
This dovetails with a point I was making in the last review I wrote. Good authors (ones who have a heart and care about their fans) should never do more than "dangle the potential for disaster before (his/her) readers". Who didn't fall in love with the character of Tina who loved David from the shadows for 10 years before he reached the point of being capable of opening his heart? In Book 2 who wasn't biting their knuckles (or cuticles) when the villains were making Tina "tread water" and nearly drowning when her strength waned? And with Jake watching hysterically and impotent to help her. But then Alex "rode to the rescue". We loved the ending of the novel where Tina and Jake were recovering from those traumas, David was standing lovingly by, and so was their precious pet cat.
Dugoni!!! As one successful author wrote a long time ago, "...In the end, good is good and bad is bad, and good more or less prevails. Authors have a contract with their readers and I think too much of mine to have them invest their time, money, and emotion in a full-length-novel...(and I paraphrase here) to have them tearful, depressed, angry and livid at the ending. I am an animal lover, so I might have stopped reading the exploits of Sloane for killing the pet cat alone! I loved Greg Iles and I deliberately skipped the third novel THE DEVIL'S PUNCHBOWL in his spectacular PENN CAGE Trilogy (THE QUIET GAME, TURNING ANGEL, THE DEVIL'S PUNCHBOWL). Why? Because the book depicted animal cruelty and focused prominently on the illegal sport of pit bull fighting rings.
Steve Martini wrote COMPELLING EVIDENCE as a standalone legal thriller and his protagonist attorney Paul Madriani was married. The book was a runaway success that made him famous. So he felt "compelled" to kill off Madriani's spouse. Truthfully, the reader didn't get to know her all that well in the inaugural book, so he got by with it. It is a completely different outcome when readers learn to love the characters in a book series. I will go a step further and extend that premise to standalone novels with lovable protagonists.
There are countless examples...books and TV. Karin Slaughter was one brave author to blow the manly man Chief Jeffery Tolliver to kingdom come in BEYOND REACH. Many of her most loyal fans figuratively crucified her for the betrayal of their trust that she would keep him safe from harm. Now me...I actually understand WHY she had to do it. But also I wouldn't have been surprised to read that her "Biggest Fan" would pull an "Annie Wilkes" on her like Kathy Bates portrayed in Misery. What about the cult phenomenon TWD? Remember what happened to the viewership AND the ratings after bad guy Neegan took "Lucille" to the noggins of fan favorite Glen and good guy Abraham??? I think (if I remember right) that the highest rated TV show in the land lost 25% of its viewership. Simply put, an author is simply ill advised to betray his fan base.
I used to smirk at the commitment of some of my older friends who were addicted to the daytime soap operas. That was before watching BEAUTY AND THE BEAST for the whole series to have the writers decide for (Linda Hamilton) to wind up tortured and murdered. I sobbed and couldn't sleep for weeks. Having said that it was years ago....(smile). Two writers I dumped for this kind of betrayal (writing grim, gut wrenching endings to beloved or incredibly sympathetic characters) was the late Scott Pratt and the aspiring author Will Patching (he also spewed literal propaganda but it was his killing off two specific characters in the course of a 3-book trilogy that made me toss him forever into my "Goodbye" file. I am either going to "skip" bodily harm and finish the last two books, but more likely will stop reading David Sloane altogether. Maybe Dugoni to go as well. Too many books out there to read if you are not a masochist.
December 21, 2017
This is the second in the series, and I will be reading more. I love how the author weaves the plot and subplots around his characters. There is much tension and suspense as to what will happen next and how safe the characters will be as new threats present themselves. And I really like that the story is mainly set in Seattle and surrounding areas.
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