Life is great for Jake at the start of the newest tale in Paul Levine's award-winning series.
Jake's law practice is booming...
He's crazy about the new woman in his life...
His one-time delinquent nephew Kip is getting A's in school...
What can go wrong?
Oh...how about a charge of first degree murder?
When money goes missing from client trust accounts, Jake confronts his banker, Pamela Baylins...who also happens to be his lover. She accuses Jake of skimming client funds; he accuses her of dipping into the till. She threatens to report him to the Florida Bar and the State Attorney...and within hours is killed.
All the evidence points to Jake, who is charged with murder. Is this the end of the linebacker-turned-lawyer?
PRAISE FOR THE JAKE LASSITER SERIES
"Irreverent...genuinely clever...great fun."-New York Times Book Review
"Mystery writing at its very, very best."- Larry King, USA TODAY
"One part Grisham, two parts Hiaasen, a dash of John D. MacDonald, and voila! You've got Jake Lassiter."-Tulsa World
"Jake Lassiter has a lot more charisma than Perry Mason ever did."-Miami Herald
"Twice as good as Turow and Grisham and four times the fun."-Armchair Detective.
"Cracking good...funny, sardonic, and fast paced."-Detroit Free Press
"Genuinely chilling...Jake Lassiter is Travis McGee with trial experience."-Washington Post Book World
"Enough twists and turns to satisfy Robert Ludlum fans."- Publishers Weekly
"As always, Levine provides suspense, a little romance, some social commentary, and a huge helping of humor. For sheer entertainment, the Lassiter series is as good as any."-Booklist
Paul Levine has written four books in the Solomon & Lord series, and four standalones. But perhaps my favorite of his books is the Jake Lassiter series, in which this is the tenth entry. Jake, primarily a criminal defense attorney and after twenty years of dealing with cops and prosecutors, now finds himself on the other side of the defense table: as the defendant, charged with murdering Pamela Baylins, his trusted, very personal banker and erstwhile lover. The book opens with Jake being rudely awakened by a Beach Patrol officer while lying in the sand on Miami Beach where he apparently passed out some time in the early morning hours. He is shortly returned in handcuffs to the suite in his name at the Fontainebleau Hotel, which suite also contained the dead body of Ms. Baylins, grotesquely strangled with Jake’s belt some time in those same early morning hours.
Not a good scenario for our protagonist. Only made worse by the ugly, bloody scratches on Jake’s cheek, admittedly put there by the victim after the two had very publicly argued during and after dinner at a swank steak house not far from the hotel.
It appears that during dinner Jake had received a phone call from his accountant, advising that the latter had discovered that his trust accounts were badly “screwed up,” with amounts going in and out and traveling through accounts in various places where money launderers are wont to place their money, such as the Cayman Islands. Since the only other person with access to those accounts was the woman seated beside him, namely Baylins, the ensuing argument traded accusations between the two. The only hope for Jake is that he had been caught on security cameras leaving the hotel some time after they couple had returned there, and before Pam was killed.
There are only a few others with motives to kill Pam, including a notorious Latin American realtor with various other projects going for him beyond real estate, Jake’s aforementioned accountant, and at least one other male with whom Pam had an intimate relationship. But the fact that the list is narrow doesn’t make any easier to find the killer, or evidence of any kind. Watching Jake get through the trial, ably assisted with the attorney he’d hired and despite his lawyering on his own behalf, is a treat for the reader. Having been on a diet of very long, very dark novels of late, this quick and very enjoyable read was a treat, and the novel is recommended.
The murder committed in the beginning is about an accused attorney who has been through these procedures many times before, but now finds himself as the accused. Because we have his thoughts as both the accused and the defender, this gives a very unique and different style to the book. I found these details to be much more dynamic. The author uses his talent as a trial lawyer making this book enlightening, inspiring and exciting. Definitely a page turner.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Jumping into a series isn’t always easy, but author Paul Levine crafted his latest Jake Lassiter novel, STATE VS. LASSITER, in such a fashion that it’s easy to follow for new or returning fans of this suspenseful series. Jake Lassiter is a criminal attorney who tends to use the justice system to his advantage when defending a client in Dade County, FL. It seems Lassiter will have to put his talents to use helping his own defense attorney when he’s charged with murder. When Lassiter is awaken on the beach by an officer, he thinks he’s facing a loitering charge. But things quickly go downhill when he discovers he’s a suspect in the murder of his girlfriend/banker, Pamela Baylins. The previous night Lassiter and Baylins were enjoying dinner out as part of an expensive weekend getaway when they got into a heated argument. Lassiter had received a call informing him his trust accounts had been tampered with. He confronted Baylins, who was overseeing those accounts, resulting in them arguing all the way back to their hotel room. Baylins is found dead in their hotel room, strangled with Lassiter’s missing belt. To further complicate things, Baylins apparently sent an email implying Lassiter was the one tampering with the trust accounts. As the evidence against him mounts, Lassiter has to use every tactic he and his lawyer know to get to the bottom of the murder. Levine quickly pulls you in as you try to piece together Lassiter’s movements and determine who the killer is and why. The characters are well-developed and realistic. There is the right amount of humor woven throughout to lighten the mood while still keeping you in suspense. STATE VS. LASSITER moves at a smooth, quick pace. It’s filled with action and suspense and just even twists to keep you on the edge of your seat. Lassiter is a protagonist you will quickly develop a fondness for with his mixture of witty personality and self-disapproval. As a standalone read, this is a good place to start the series. However, don’t be surprised to find yourself longing to know what earlier escapades Lassiter has gotten himself into and out of. This is a fun, entertaining read that will be hard to put down. FTC Full Disclosure – A copy of this book was sent to me by a book promoter in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.RabidReaderReviews
Posted September 29, 2013
This book was sent to me as an ARC in exchange for a review.
Paul Levine is quite a popular author and this book is rated very highly in reviews on the bookselling sites. People clearly like the characters and story. Jake is a former pro-baller and presented as something of a romantic and a good guy. He’s raising a teen nephew after the death of the child’s parents. He’s a smart ass with the cops from the moment they step into the scene despite grieving for his dead girlfriend lying on the floor. He’s able to compartmentalize in a way that doesn’t sound contrived but does come off as quite stupid for such a smart guy. Jake is quite well drawn while everyone else is one-dimensional. Women who have slept with Jake are breasts and bad attitudes. The women who haven’t slept with Jake … well, there’s his grandmother. Seriously, while he’s not that bad there does seem to be a heavy overtone of the woman scorned that is more 80’s television career woman stereotype (hot babe in a short skirt fighting against the odds in a mans world) than real feeling.
The frame up story line is used frequently in fiction and Levine’s is unique. Did Jake embezzle from his clients and if he did does that mean he killed Pam? Levine’s character has a very dim view of the justice system. Justice isn’t just blind, she’s stupid. If you're a fan of 80's mystery shows you'll like "State vs. Lassiter"
1_book_reader
Posted September 10, 2013
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Even though this is the latest book in the Jake Lassister series it easily stands alone for a first time reader of the series. Right from the first page we are swept up into the story and carried to the conclusion on a fast pace. Author Paul Levine does a great job of giving us investigative and courtroom drama with out letting the story get bogged down. Yet anyone who has set on a jury will recognize some of the jury instructions and procedures.
Jake Lassister is a wise cracking tough guy defense attorney who is on top of the world right now. His nephew is back on track now, his business is making a lot of money and he's falling in love with his girlfriend. So how does he find himself lying on the beach being kicked in the ribs by the beach patrol? It seems the tables are about to be turned when Jake finds himself as the accused instead of the defense attorney.
Overview
Life is great for Jake at the start of the newest tale in Paul Levine's award-winning series.
Jake's law practice is booming...
He's crazy about the new woman in his life...
His one-time delinquent nephew Kip is getting A's in school...
...