Tuesday, June 25, 2019

The Hallows by Victor Methos

First Sentence:  "Murder."
      
Tatum Graham is a successful, wealthy defense attorney who has never lost a case.  Discovering his newly acquitted client really was guilty of murder sends Tatum off on the road from Miami without an apparent destination in mind.  Or was there when he ends up in the small Utah town of his birth.  There he finds a father dying of cancer, and an old girlfriend now the town's sheriff, and himself the prosecutor in the murder trial of a young girl.
      
One can't always judge a character by the opening.  Just when one thinks one has a bead on him, he surprises you.  And isn't it nice when that happens? 
      
Tatum is something of a study in contrasts.  On one hand, he is the no-holds-barred attorney; abrasive, egotistical, even rude.  Then the man within the shell shows up and draws one in to see what a well-constructed, fully developed character he is.  The excerpts from "The Art of Jury Trial as War," a book only being written in Tatum's head so far, are interesting and thought-provoking.  The occasional flashes of humor, and the dog, are a lovely diversion.
      
Methos really knows how to twist a plot.  The best part is that the protagonist is as surprised as are we.  And twists and turn there are galore.  Yet there is also an excellent balance between the legal information, which is fascinating, and the personal aspects of the story, which is relatable and can touch one's heart. 
      
"The Hallows" is an excellent legal mystery filled with great characters which make one almost wish this wasn't a standalone.  However, it also proves Thomas Wolfe wrong. One can go home again.

THE HALLOWS (LegalMys-Tatum Graham-Florida/Utah-Contemp) – Ex
      Methos, Victor - Standalone
      Thomas & Mercer – July 2019

4 comments:

  1. Sounds as much like a personal journey as a legal novel/thriller. And when it's done well, that can be really interesting. In a novel like this, the characters are especially important, so I'm glad you found them interesting.

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  2. It was very well done. Methos is an excellent. I can't believe I discovered him only recently.

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  3. Replies
    1. Oh, good! My job is done! He really is very good. I hope you enjoy it. I couldn't believe I'd only found him with his previous book, The Shotgun Lawyer (https://booksaremagic.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-shotgun-lawyer-by-victor-methos.html).

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