Joel Goldman: Stone Cold

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Started well but finished badly 
In my review of the novella THE KNIFE I said that the story was too short for any real character development for Alex Stone and I had no idea of how Joel Goldman would  build a new book series around this character. This book gave me some of the answers.

Alex Stone is a public defender dedicated to making sure that the innocent are not convicted - until she meets Dwayne Reed, a scumbag of a drug dealer accused of murdering disfiguring a fellow dealer. While Alex accepts Dwayne's plea that he is innocent she fears that Reed could murder those who give damaging testimony at his trial. After a dramatic conclusion to the trial Alex is very fearful for those involved in the outcome.

The next answer is that Alex has lived with her sapphic and beloved beautiful partner, Dr Bonnie Long, an ER specialist, for seven years. Her worst fears happen when Dwayne is treated by Bonnie for injuries sustained in trying to avoid arrest and when she deliberately makes the treatment more painful than needed Dwayne threatens to find and hurt her. Things then go rapidly downhill as situations run out of control, the body count rises and Alex learns more about the legal system from a personal perspective than she ever imagined.

Most of the book is the kind of edge-of-your-seat legal thriller I expect from Joel Goldman but the finale is over the top stuff that even Perry Mason wouldn't expect. I am intrigued that in the next in the series Alex hasn't learnt any lessons and is still a public defender dedicated to protect the innocent and "Alex becomes the killer's next target".

Joel Goldman: Knife Fight

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Alex Stone is a public defender who is tiring of defending people who are guilty. This short story is about what happens one day when she decides to take justice in her own hands.

Joel Goldman writes well and in this one he writes very cleverly in the first person and words of the accused murderer. The best thing about this very short story is the twist in the tail.

The story is too short for any real character development for Alex Stone and I have no idea of how Joel Goldman can build a new book series around this character. But having enjoyed his other books I'm sure the new series will be worth reading.

Joel Goldman: Cold Truth

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Another good legal thriller from Joel Goodman
This is the third legal thriller by Joel Goldman that I have really enjoyed. Lou (not Perry) Mason is a criminal defence lawyer whose gets personally involved in finding out the real truth behind the cases he defends.

In this book Lou is hired to defend a young woman with psychological problems who confesses that she pushed her therapist out of a fourth story window. Lou doesn't believe her confession and his views are confirmed when when someone tries to murder him when he tries to find the truth.

With the help of a great team of friends from legal and police backgrounds, Lou's investigations uncover drug trafficking, babies sold for adoption, illegal charitable donations, and blackmail. As always Lou gets involved in a lot of personal and dangerous action in finding the truth, including being kidnapped a nearly murdered (again). The plot is complex and detailed and can keep you guessing to the action packed ending.

While all of this is happening Lou builds up a long term romantic relationship with a beautiful and intelligent blind date who believes that his client may be the daughter that she gave up for adoption twenty years ago.

Why spend 4 or 5 times the price on John Grisham when you can read a good legal thrillers from Joel Goldman in the Lou Mason series.

Joel Goldman: The Last Witness

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Another knockout legal thriller from Joel Goldman
Joel Goldman's Lou Mason series of legal/criminal thrillers are great reads.  His books have been compared to John Grisham and Michael Connelly's Mickey Haller, but they are more than good enough to stand out on their own. It is even better news that they they are all affordable Indie e-book publications.

Last Witness is Joel Goldman's second legal thriller featuring attorney Lou Mason (not Perry Mason!).  It is a fast paced, page-turner mystery thriller with a legal/criminal background.

Lou Mason has left the law firm which imploded during Motion to Kill, and has set up on his own in an office above a jazz bar owned by his good friend Blues. One evening Blues gets into a fight in the bar with an unscrupulous lawyer. Shortly afterwards the lawyer is found murdered at his home and Blues is arrested for the murder because his fingerprints are found at the crime scene.

Lou takes on Blues's defence, which is difficult because the lead Homicide Detective Harry Ryman is also a great friend of Lou's. It is made more difficult because Ryman has a long term hatred of Blues from the time he was his partner in the police.

In  defending Blues, Lou has to find the murderer amid a complex mesh of corruption involving a casino operator, the attractive head of the Casino Control Commission and the Mayor of Kansas City and his helpers.

The plot is well crafted, fast moving and rewarding with plenty of action and thrills and an unexpected ending. It well deserves a 5 star rating.

Lou Mason is a great new character who features in several later books, which I am looking forward to reading.

Joel Goldman: Motion to Kill

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Motion To Kill  is a knockout legal thriller
I am always on the lookout for a good Indie legal/crime thriller and Motion to Kill by  Joel Goldman fits the bill. It has been compared to John Grisham and Michael Connelly, but it is good enough to stand out on its own.

This is Joel Goldman's debut legal thriller introducing attorney Lou Mason (not Perry Mason!).  It is a fast paced, page-turner mystery thriller with a legal background.

Lou Mason is a partner in a law firm where both the principal and his closest partner are murdered. An unscrupulous major client threatens the existence of the firm and Lou gets involved in preserving both the firm and his own life.

The plot is extremely complex, well crafted and rewarding with plenty of action and thrills.  I have only marked it down to 4 stars because at the end of the book I was left with a couple of unanswered questions from key parts of the plot.

Lou Mason is a great new character who features in several later books, which I am looking forward to reading.