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I went into this story not entirely knowing what to expect. I was hoping for a good crime novel with some twists and I was not disappointed. Paul Levine is a really good writer that knows how to weave a story.
The first half of the book is mostly spent introducing you to the characters and settings. While at times this seemed to drag a bit. All the info given was useful and contributed to the story.
There are two main characters - Jake, the former football player turned lawyer and Chrissy, the model who he is defending for killing her father. But they are surrounded by a cast of great and interesting characters. From her shrink and her step-brother to his Granny and his nephew (Kip). The shrink and step-brother are more on the serious end of the story. While Granny and Kip are characters you love from the moment you meet them. They are entertaining and fun and really help liven up the story.
By far the best part of the book though is the courtroom scenes. Here is where the author's writing really shows its skill. During this part you have Jake weaving his questions to get reactions and eventually the truth as to what has really happened. Until the end you really don't know if she was abused or even if she really killed her father. But it all comes out skillfully during the trial in scenes that would make an amazing movie scene.
If you are looking for a good crime fiction novel with a great court scene. Don't pass this one by.
Picture this, you're an actor-turned football player-turned lawyer sitting in bar with a friend when in walks a model. This model walks up to another man and shoots him. Turns out this other man is her father who abused the poor girl when she was a child. Would you represent this woman?
Jake Lassiter doesn't really want to, but something about the case has piques his interest and off he goes - seeker of the truth. This is the seventh in the Jake Lassiter series, but the first for me.
This legal thriller has its plot twists and the dialogue is witty and there is sarcastic humor thrown in. Paul Levine's description of the Florida Keys is detailed. Some of the situations are predictable and I thought it ended too quickly, but otherwise a pleasant read. I will check out some of the Jake Lassiter stories.
When I read a thrilling suspense novel, I want one that will keep me on the edge of my seat, make my heart pump, and keep my mind thinking as to the whys and whats of the story. This book, by a fantastic author, is one that did all those things and so much more. When Paul Levine created Jake Lassiter and this kind of story, he created it with his readers in mind. He really hooked me from chapter one, and still, days later, has me hooked on his work.
I won't go into a lot of detail here. Other than to say that Jake Lassiter's character is phenomenal. I mean who wouldn't be phenomenal when they started off as a big time line backer, and decided to go all lawyer-y? Jake did. And he rocked at it. In this particular Jake Lassiter novel (yup, there's more....nope, I haven't read them! YES, I WILL be going back and reading the other 6 novels!), Jake is minding his own business when a beautiful young woman shoots the man (who happens to be her daddy!) next to Jake. That's when the twists, the turns, and the ups and downs hit head on, and take the reader for an incredible ride!
Paul Levine blends suspenseful thrills, amazing and,at times, comedic characters, rolls them into a plot line that is fast paced and intense, and throws them out for unforgettable murder mystery novel. High 5 star praises, two thumbs up, and a new forever fan from this reader! I can't wait to go back and read more about Jake Lassiter, and, hoping that this isn't the last that we have seen of the fantastic author and his lawyer!
Flesh & Bones is a legal mystery psycho-thriller.
Jake Lassiter, former linebacker for the Miami Dolphins turned lawyer in south Florida, is minding his own business one evening. Enjoying a glass of Glenmorangie, discussing his lifestyle with his best buddy, Rusty MacLean, when a tall blonde women walks in and shoots the man sitting next to him.
Chrissy Bernhardt, a very spoiled and somewhat girly model, has just killed her father over abuse she suffered as a child. However, Chrissy's memories are suppressed and its up to her lawyer to find out the truth behind why Chrissy killed her father.
Jake doesn't want to take on this particular case, but he is drawn to it like bees on honey. Digging through Chrissy's past, we learn of her half-brother, who now controls all of their father's business holdings. He agrees to pay for Chrissy's legal counsel and you are left wondering what his true motives are.
As Jake continues to uncover the truth, he finds that not everyone is as they seem. The skeletons in the closet are many and its up to Jake to put the pieces of the puzzle together in order to save Chrissy from the fate she has brought upon herself.
I liked this book, the gritty, somewhat sarcastic humour was very enjoyable to read and it blended into the story with a natural clarity. Jake is a pretty decent hero, who believes in the truth and will stop at nothing to get it. His humour is entertaining to read, and leaves you giggling with his retorts and comments. Chrissy was annoying to read, I dislike the prissy types of ladies, however, she is supposed to come across this way, you have a love/hate relationship with her character.
The flow is great, the plot twists and turns while sometimes predictable, still kept you turning the pages, just to see if you were correct or not! I didn't like the fact that Jake begins to have feelings for his client! Seriously, do we need to have every hero fall in "love" with every "heroine" or vice versa? To me, it makes love less than its purpose, you know this relationship would never last in the real world, the two people are totally opposite of one another and if it wasn't for good looks, animal magnetism and sexual energy, there would be nothing there. I wish authors would use love as it is meant to be, built on a foundation of trust, not the lust that appears in these covers, do not confuse that for love.
Flesh & Bones is a great thriller, sure to keep you turning the pages, or hitting the button on your eReader that is! I wish this book had been in print format, I think the added behaviour of turning the pages would have added to the overall excitement in the outcome of the story. Mystery fans will definitely love this book!
The book starts out with action from the beginning. A model named Chrissy shot her father. It just happens that Jake Lassiter (football player turned lawyer) was there to see it at the bar. Take a journey into the life of Jake Lassiter as he tries to get to the bottom of this case. He wants to find out what made Chrissy kill her father. Why was she so angry at her father? Jake visits Dr. Schein (Chrissy's doctor) to find out more about what is going on in Chrissy's life. In the mist of the case, he starts to fall for Chrissy. Flesh and Bones was definitely an enjoyable book. It was a legal thriller that also had humor mixed in to keep me entertained! Paul Levine definitely is an author that I will keep an eye on! Cheryl Black Diamond's Book Reviews
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Crime-Fiction-Aficionado
Posted June 2, 2011
I agree with the reviewer who said this is the best of the series. Every story stands alone, so it doesn't matter where you start. In real life, I'm a court reporter. If the male lawyers I work with were like Jake Lassiter, I'd be putting in overtime. Most, unfortunately, are wimps with outsize egos and Italian suits. Jake is a sexy, man's man. His background as a pro football player -- though not a very good one -- and a night school lawyer, ring true. Messing up in court and falling for the wrong women, which seem to happen a lot, makes him more real. In this one, he gets the hots for his client, a young woman charged with killing her older husband while having bondage/sex. Hot!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Suspense-Thriller-Lover
Posted April 19, 2011
This was the last of the Jake Lassiter series, though I've read that a new one is coming in hardcover later this year. It's about time! This one is as much psychological thriller as legal thriller. No one denies that Chrissy Bernhardt shot her father. But why? She says that, 20 years after the fact, she recovered lost memories of having been sexually abused by him as a child. I'm familiar with the real life case which undoubtedly influenced Levine. A California woman in her late 20's claimed to have just remembered seeing her father rape and kill a playmate 20 years before. On that scanty evidence, a murder case was brought, the father convicted and sent to prison. The conviction was overturned several years later...as the memories were found to be unreliable. Flesh & Bones gives serious treatment to the issue of recovered memories, all the while keeping that Jake Lassiter wise-guy tone and meticulous character details. For my money, Levine writes the best courtroom scenes since Agatha Christie's "Witness for the Prosecution." And with a lot more humor. I've enjoyed the entire series, but this one is the best. A five-star recommendation.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 11, 2011
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Overview
“I was sitting at the end of the bar sipping single-malt Scotch when I spotted the tall blond woman with the large green eyes and the small gray gun.”The next thing Jake Lassiter knows, the woman pumps three bullets into the man on the next barstool.
Lassiter, the linebacker-turned-lawyer, has a new client.
She’s stunning model Chrissy Bernhardt, and the dead man is her wealthy father. The defense? Chrissy claims that she’s recently recovered repressed memories of having been sexually abused by her father. Jake ...