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Phil Broker #2
The Big Law
When former cop Phil Broker's naïve ex-wife, Caren, blows the whistle on her feckless second husband, Keith Angland, a St. Paul cop making a cool $2 million moonlighting for the Chicago mob, she unwittingly signs her own death warrant. Unwisely for Caren, she not only shared her troubles with Broker, she also told Tom James, a reporter with fantasies of pulling off the perfect crime. Inspired by the $2 million payoff she entrusted to his safekeeping, Tom kills Caren in a brilliant frame-up that leaves her crooked cop-husband to take the fall.
Covering all the angles, Tom runs to the FBI -- "the Big Law" -- and wangles a new life in the Witness Protection Program. But Tom's perfect plan doesn't count on Broker. Hard-edged and relentless, Broker smells a rat and is determined to set things right. But to succeed, he's got to locate Tom -- a clever man with a new identity, a suitcase full of cash, and the Big Law on his side.
Covering all the angles, Tom runs to the FBI -- "the Big Law" -- and wangles a new life in the Witness Protection Program. But Tom's perfect plan doesn't count on Broker. Hard-edged and relentless, Broker smells a rat and is determined to set things right. But to succeed, he's got to locate Tom -- a clever man with a new identity, a suitcase full of cash, and the Big Law on his side.
448 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1998
82 people are currently reading
287 people want to read
About the author
Chuck Logan
21 books90 followersChuck Logan is an author of crime drama and veteran of the Vietnam War, who lives with his wife and daughter in Stillwater, Minnesota.
He is best known for his series of novels featuring the character Phil Broker, an ex-Minnesota police officer. Logan's novels include Hunter's Moon, Absolute Zero, Vapor Trail, Homefront, and After the Rain. Homefront is now a major motion picture starring James Franco and Jason Stratham.
He is best known for his series of novels featuring the character Phil Broker, an ex-Minnesota police officer. Logan's novels include Hunter's Moon, Absolute Zero, Vapor Trail, Homefront, and After the Rain. Homefront is now a major motion picture starring James Franco and Jason Stratham.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
November 26, 2017
The Big Law is the second book in the Phil Broker series. And while I loved the first book (The Price of Blood), The Big Law just blew me away.
It is about two years after The Price of Blood, and things have changed. Quite. A. Lot. Broker and his wife, Nina Pryce, find their marriage is on rocky ground. She is back in Bosnia, and Broker is home raising their child. Broker loves being a father. He just misses his wife. The fact he was in the military, is former P.D. and she is more than half his age and still active Army and surrounded by buff Rangers her age . . . Broker just tries not to think about it, and instead focuses on diaper changes, and daddy-daughter time. Living in the woods, in a place by Lake Superior, he has the land as his companion. Hunting. Fishing. Raising a daughter.
But then things go from somewhat hectic, to downright chaotic. He gets a call from his ex-wife, Caren. Her current husband (and Broker's old partner, and ambitious friend), Keith Angland struck her. She needs his help. See, Broker might be retired from the military, and from the police department, but there was a time when he was something of a go-to-guy, you know, when you needed to have something . . . fixed. Maybe that was why she was calling him? Because, regardless of it never being okay to hit a woman, Caren kind got what she had coming to her, in Broker's mind.
And then when chaotic almost sounds happy, and easy going, everything in Broker's world gets turned upside down. A reporter in the middle of the mix. Angland knows his wife has been talking to Tom James. Angland's career as an officer is about to get severed. They were responsible for protecting an informant who was planning to testify at up coming hearings. Italian Mob. Russian Mob. It's in there. When the informant goes missing, and a tongue is delivered in a box to Special Agents, everyone knows there is a rat in the group. Someone gave Gorskli's location up. And all roads are pointing at Angland.
Armed with two million packed in a suitcase, and a video recording of her husband, Caren is on the run. She and the reporter are headed to see Broker at his cabin in the woods. The problem? So is Angland. Things go from bad to worst when some end up shot, others dead, and others under arrest for the murder. Which leaves Broker to put together the pieces and figure out what's what!
Absolutely fantastic. The Big Law --the twist at the end-- just made me set the book down, sit back and say, "Ah-ha!" I mean, I did that. For real. Isat back and said, "Ah-ha!" It caught me off guard. Okay. As you may, or may not know, I am reading all of Chuck Logan's Phil Broker books over the next few weeks. So stay tuned for more soon!
Phillip Tomasso
Author of Assassin's Promise
and Absolute Zero
It is about two years after The Price of Blood, and things have changed. Quite. A. Lot. Broker and his wife, Nina Pryce, find their marriage is on rocky ground. She is back in Bosnia, and Broker is home raising their child. Broker loves being a father. He just misses his wife. The fact he was in the military, is former P.D. and she is more than half his age and still active Army and surrounded by buff Rangers her age . . . Broker just tries not to think about it, and instead focuses on diaper changes, and daddy-daughter time. Living in the woods, in a place by Lake Superior, he has the land as his companion. Hunting. Fishing. Raising a daughter.
But then things go from somewhat hectic, to downright chaotic. He gets a call from his ex-wife, Caren. Her current husband (and Broker's old partner, and ambitious friend), Keith Angland struck her. She needs his help. See, Broker might be retired from the military, and from the police department, but there was a time when he was something of a go-to-guy, you know, when you needed to have something . . . fixed. Maybe that was why she was calling him? Because, regardless of it never being okay to hit a woman, Caren kind got what she had coming to her, in Broker's mind.
And then when chaotic almost sounds happy, and easy going, everything in Broker's world gets turned upside down. A reporter in the middle of the mix. Angland knows his wife has been talking to Tom James. Angland's career as an officer is about to get severed. They were responsible for protecting an informant who was planning to testify at up coming hearings. Italian Mob. Russian Mob. It's in there. When the informant goes missing, and a tongue is delivered in a box to Special Agents, everyone knows there is a rat in the group. Someone gave Gorskli's location up. And all roads are pointing at Angland.
Armed with two million packed in a suitcase, and a video recording of her husband, Caren is on the run. She and the reporter are headed to see Broker at his cabin in the woods. The problem? So is Angland. Things go from bad to worst when some end up shot, others dead, and others under arrest for the murder. Which leaves Broker to put together the pieces and figure out what's what!
Absolutely fantastic. The Big Law --the twist at the end-- just made me set the book down, sit back and say, "Ah-ha!" I mean, I did that. For real. Isat back and said, "Ah-ha!" It caught me off guard. Okay. As you may, or may not know, I am reading all of Chuck Logan's Phil Broker books over the next few weeks. So stay tuned for more soon!
Phillip Tomasso
Author of Assassin's Promise
and Absolute Zero
October 13, 2017
Broker is a retired policeman from St. Paul, currently Mr. Mom while his wife is deployed. Baby Kit is less than 2, and you can tell Broker is a good guy. His ex-wife, Caren, calls him; she's hysterical because her current cop husband (Keith) is drinking, working with the mob, and he just hit her. He's got a suitcase with $2 million as payoff, and she's got it on tape. She calls a newspaper guy, Tom James, because he wrote an article on her gardening before, and he'll be a witness to all she tells Broker. Because Keith is on their trail, Caren hides the money in a cistern on some property.
Keith is at Brokers, things escalates, James gets shot in the leg, and Caren is drowned; Keith is arrested. James wants Witness Protection to protect him form the mob/Keith, and the FBI approves. Several things don't add up, and Keith has a way to signal SOS to Broker. Broker questions the FBI's shoddy investigation and the fact that the local police don't get to question James about what happened up by the waterfall.
The book was interesting in the information about Witness Protection program, and the author kept the plot moving along as it was told in different segments from Broker's viewpoint and James' viewpoint. James' unraveling was a bit of a disappointment for me, but I enjoyed the book.
Keith is at Brokers, things escalates, James gets shot in the leg, and Caren is drowned; Keith is arrested. James wants Witness Protection to protect him form the mob/Keith, and the FBI approves. Several things don't add up, and Keith has a way to signal SOS to Broker. Broker questions the FBI's shoddy investigation and the fact that the local police don't get to question James about what happened up by the waterfall.
The book was interesting in the information about Witness Protection program, and the author kept the plot moving along as it was told in different segments from Broker's viewpoint and James' viewpoint. James' unraveling was a bit of a disappointment for me, but I enjoyed the book.
June 3, 2018
Broker's naive ex-wife Caren decides to blow the whistle on her feckless husband, Keith Angland, a St. Paul cop who's moonlighting as an informant for the Chicago mob. Unwisely for her, she confides in Tom James, a disaffected reporter nursing dreams of the perfect crime. Seeing a way out of his dead-end life and into his dreams, Tom cajoles Caren into entrusting him with the suitcase full of greenbacks the mob has paid her informant husband. When Caren is killed, Tom frames Angland, absconds with the suitcase, runs to the FBI (known to its employees as the Big Law), and wangles himself a berth in the Witness Protection Program. Only Broker senses something amiss in Tom's testimony, and he sets out to find the truth. But to do that, he must find Tom, who has the Big Law and a big suitcase full of cash on his side.
October 18, 2024
Well, this was disappointing. I like the Phil Broker character but not any other characters. What's more, a large portion of this book is told from the perspective of the villain who is really something of a sad sack with a massive inferiority complex. I did not enjoy that at all.
November 17, 2025
I think book 2 was a better story than the first book which is quite unusual. I liked this book a lot and even though it had some questions unanswered for me, which I won't spoil here, it was a different twist than I expected.
I will keep reading this series for sure.
I will keep reading this series for sure.
October 26, 2017
It is really a 4.5 star book!
Chuck Logan rocks. This is quite the thriller, complex and captivating. Well worth your time. Good luck putting it down.
Chuck Logan rocks. This is quite the thriller, complex and captivating. Well worth your time. Good luck putting it down.
November 23, 2017
More like a 4.5. Couldn’t believe one of the characters was such a slime ball.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 11, 2020
I would have to say this was just a so-so book. My opinion...not bad, just not a page-turner.
I must say, though, I really liked the descriptions Mr. Logan wrote.
I must say, though, I really liked the descriptions Mr. Logan wrote.
August 7, 2024
home run
I’ve liked all of his books. This one is one of his best. Great characters, great action, satisfying ending. What’s not to love??
I’ve liked all of his books. This one is one of his best. Great characters, great action, satisfying ending. What’s not to love??
August 19, 2022
Terrific story, good writing, character developmenet, and action. Enjoyed it a lot.
July 26, 2019
I just finished it for the same week and i really enjoyed it. I loved how at first the story lines didn't seem to have anything to do with each other but slowly details were revealed to show how they are all connected.
April 11, 2021
The second Phil Broker mystery, this one find the ex-con ex-undercover cop as a devoted family man, which is a nice change for serial characters (functionally a military husband, as is wife serves overseas - which is a shame as I'd have appreciated seeing her for more than a holiday stopover in the storyline). With the character more entrenched in his new life, the pace actually picks up from the first book, making it a good, consistent page-turner.
Three and a half stars.
Three and a half stars.
December 24, 2017
For a fairly textbook thriller, The Big Law spends much time naming the particular streets, roads, and freeways the characters use. These details add nothing to the plot so what purpose do they serve? Filler? Guess author Chuck Logan’s readers get to judge...
Hero ex-cop Phil Broker’s having to take care of his toddler daughter while her mother’s away on military active duty definitely ups the stakes, plot-wise. However, I felt dismayed to see a child kept in such a risky situation out in the cabin wilds, mostly for her wealthy father’s stubborn convenience. Broker should've moved back to the less-isolated safety of the city once he realized he had people threatening his life.
More than anything else about this novel, I found it interesting to read how someone planned an interstate crime in the pre-9/11 enhanced security age. The villain considers taking a commercial flight because he knew the airline wouldn't verify his identity or share it with the feds absent a warrant. Yikes.
I’m still fascinated by the Broker character and his Midwestern adventures but Logan’s overblown writing style continued in The Big Law to seem eyeroll-worthy to me. Raymond Chandler or Dashiell Hammett he is not.
Hero ex-cop Phil Broker’s having to take care of his toddler daughter while her mother’s away on military active duty definitely ups the stakes, plot-wise. However, I felt dismayed to see a child kept in such a risky situation out in the cabin wilds, mostly for her wealthy father’s stubborn convenience. Broker should've moved back to the less-isolated safety of the city once he realized he had people threatening his life.
More than anything else about this novel, I found it interesting to read how someone planned an interstate crime in the pre-9/11 enhanced security age. The villain considers taking a commercial flight because he knew the airline wouldn't verify his identity or share it with the feds absent a warrant. Yikes.
I’m still fascinated by the Broker character and his Midwestern adventures but Logan’s overblown writing style continued in The Big Law to seem eyeroll-worthy to me. Raymond Chandler or Dashiell Hammett he is not.
May 18, 2014
A thrilling, twisting, tale of righteous retribution.
A thrilling, twisting, tale of righteous retribution.
Mr. Logan is right up there with Sanford, Grisham, Child and Flynn. He has a very believable law enforcement figure in Broker and Logan puts Broker in the middle of some very lifelike situations. We would all like Phil Broker to have our backs. Thanks for another great read Mr.Logan.
A thrilling, twisting, tale of righteous retribution.
Mr. Logan is right up there with Sanford, Grisham, Child and Flynn. He has a very believable law enforcement figure in Broker and Logan puts Broker in the middle of some very lifelike situations. We would all like Phil Broker to have our backs. Thanks for another great read Mr.Logan.
May 10, 2015
#2 in the Phillip Broker series.
Phillip Broker is babysitting daughter Kit while wife MP Major Nina Pryce is peacekeeping in Bosnia. Ex-wife Caren calls that she is coming to see him and bringing a reporter. The reporter arrives, as does current husband, Broker's out-of-control former boss. Caren is killed, husband is blamed and reporter disappears into WITSEC with $2MM of the Russian mob's money.
Phillip Broker is babysitting daughter Kit while wife MP Major Nina Pryce is peacekeeping in Bosnia. Ex-wife Caren calls that she is coming to see him and bringing a reporter. The reporter arrives, as does current husband, Broker's out-of-control former boss. Caren is killed, husband is blamed and reporter disappears into WITSEC with $2MM of the Russian mob's money.
October 31, 2009
I haven't read the Broker series in order, but now I've completed them...Logan's stand-alones and this series are very entertaining and provide some interesting insights into the human condition...In this one Broker is enmeshed in the investigation into his ex-wife's murder...that also includes involvement with undercover operations and the Russiam mob
September 3, 2008
Logan is as good as ever, though his anti-fat comments are making me start to twitch. With Nina abroad fighting Serbs and Kit a toddler, part of this one reminds me of the classic Damon Runyon story "Butch Minds the Baby" with a killer edge.
July 29, 2015
Interesting. First time with this author. Lots of twists and turns in the plot, sometimes gruesome, sometimes tender, sometimes scary. Very good description of the dismantling of one guy's personality.
January 25, 2016
I liked the fast pace, keep me thinking, thriller. Has some implausible parts, but you go with it because you gotta follow the trail. As usual the plot is not one that is easily known, a surprise or two is on the path.
August 24, 2008
I am enjoying the story but there are aspects of his writing that I am not too crazy about.
December 9, 2011
Good story of ex-cop hunting down a killer buried deep in the witness protection program. Recommended for fans of mysteries.
March 5, 2021
Mild mannered journalist turned cold blooded killer. Broker is on his trail with the Russian mafia lurking in the shadows.
April 23, 2012
enjoy me some Chuck Logan!
Read
December 14, 2012I think I liked it. It's only been a few weeks and I can't remember one thing about this book. Not so memorable.
August 31, 2013
Intersting. Well done. Extremely violent.
December 7, 2013
Has anyone else noticed that Broker's ex-wife's name changed from Book 1 to 2? Stuff like that annoys me.
December 12, 2013
3.5, big improvement over book 1
September 10, 2016
Great 21st century characters. Intricate plot. Fun.
March 8, 2015
Enjoyed it. A twist on the right-and-honourable journalist story, where this guy turns out bad.
Well-written and edited, enjoyed it. Believable, no stupid stuff.
Nmkt library.
Well-written and edited, enjoyed it. Believable, no stupid stuff.
Nmkt library.
August 7, 2021
Loved this book. Strong character in Phil Broker. An amazing plot that didn't feel plotted. Can't wait to pick up another book by Chuck Logan.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews