I wanted to read this, but I could not download it when i was give the approval and before it was archived. There was a problem with my computer, which, with the help of NetGalley, I resolved successfully. However, now I cannot download it because it has been archived. I just wanted to let you know what happened. Thanks.

This is the first book I have read by this author, and it will definitely not be my last! He had me on the edge of my seat right from the get go. From the wondering of who killed who right down to the questionable forgetfulness of a very high profile defense attorney. I could not put this book down. Highly recommend!!

Calling this book a thriller is a bit of a stretch. A tight whodunnit and courtroom drama, it is though, and very well told.

Interesting storyline with lots of twists and turns. Added to that is a major problem with the top lawyer’s memory issues. Lots of memorable characters, some of which we hope will be in a new series. Robin made partner a bit unrealistically fast, but interested in seeing more of her and Jeff. Highly recommended.

Philip Margolin is a wooden writer who can sketch memorable characters, but usually refuses to let them develop. His best books are taut courtroom thrillers driven by plot and legal machinations ([[ASIN:B00DB32QG4 Worthy Brown's Daughter]] and [[ASIN:B00IZOZQIE Woman with a Gun]] are exceptions, excellent novels more concerned with history than courtroom drama).

The Third Victim is an example of his less interesting work. It's actually a mystery, but not a very good one. The courtroom drama fizzles (by design, but that doesn't make it any more fun to read). There are lots of plot threads, but not enough plot. The characters all seem suited to different books and there is minimal real interaction among them.

I did enjoy a lot of the Portland Oregon geography and in-jokes, but you have to be very familiar with city to appreciate them.

The Third Victim, by Phillip Margolin, is an enjoyable mystery, although I wouldn’t call it a thriller. It’s an easy read, and would be good for those times when you want to relax and escape reality, but you won’t be on the edge of your seat or stay up late reading it. That said, it held my interest from start to finish. Although the surprise ending was one of my guesses, it was clever and still fun discovering which of them was accurate.

I found the description of legal procedures interesting, including how lawyers, investigators, and police interact. The courtroom scenes were particularly interesting. I’ll probably try another Phillip Margolin book for this reason.

It’s grisly in some places, including descriptions of torture, so be forewarned. It may be too much for kids or preteens, but most adults would have no problem with it.

Note: I received an advance copy of the ebook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this book.
I have read a few books by Phillip Margolin years ago so I was very excited to read a copy of his new book.
I love a good legal thiller and I liked the story and it held my interest throughout the book.
My only complaint was that I thought the dialogue and interaction between the characters wasn’t very convincing and it didn’t seem very realistic to me.
Other than that, I would recommend this book.

The Third Victim by Phillip Margolin was excellent; I would give it 4.5 stars. I haven’t read one of Phillip Margolin’s books in over a decade and I don’t know why I have gone so long since picking up one of his books. Luckily, I have a lot to catch up on.

The Third Victim grabbed me from the second paragraph when a man is driving along a country road when a near naked woman staggers out from the forest asking for help, “I think someone did something to her. Something real bad.” She is the third victim, the only one to escape with her life.

I love Margolin’s writing style- his characters are likable and have depth. I am a BIG fan of his explanations of legal proceedings; they are accurate and easy to follow and help to develop the story. I enjoy legal thrillers and some authors struggle with explanations causing you to stop reading and Google for more understanding or are so bland you feel like you are reading a law textbook. Blah! The Third Victim explained the death penalty, jury selections, and the appellate process.

This was an excellent book that keeps you guessing throughout: I figured part of it out rather quickly and thought I knew the ending but there were some twists and turns that made me doubt myself along the way. Loved it!

***Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Third Victim kept me entertained for hours. It's a tightly drawn novel showing how well Phillip Margolin can write. I didn't suspect the culprit until later in the novel. It's a page turner that comes highly recommended.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC

Phillip Margolin writes and sells a lot of books. He’s not trying to produce fine literature – he’s trying to unload a highly productive mind and, in the process, sell books, goals he appears to be reaching very nicely. Everything he writes sells big. “The Third Victim” has gotten some negative reviews because those who write about such things believe the writing is not up to Margolin’s usual standards. Perhaps not, but my guess is that readers who don’t write reviews (or read them) will like it a lot.

It’s a simple story that’s easy to follow. Three women get attacked, tortured, and raped by a psychopath. Two are killed afterward but the third escapes and promptly puts the finger on a prominent attorney. During the investigation his wife admits that her weasel husband has some bad sexual proclivities. The tendencies the wife describes and evidence found at the scene of the third victim’s attack is enough to put the attorney into the justice system as a defendant, not as an officer of the court. But further bad doings are afoot and if you read the book, you’ll see what the author has to offer.

There are numerous courtroom scenes in the book. As usual, Margolin does an excellent job of presenting them, and the legal mumbo-jumbo that goes with them.
He does it with clarity and dialogue that doesn’t leave the reader outside the courtroom trying to hear it through the door. You are there, the proceedings are lucid, and the accuracy of his courtroom procedures is impeccable. It could be because Margolin is an attorney of note and, as far as I know, still practicing.

If you like legal thrillers I suggest you put Phillip Margolin books on your to read list.
You won’t be disappointed. In this case, ignore the snarky reviews and form your own opinion.

Good, fast paced book. Really enjoyed it and highly recommend it.

To be honest, I am a fan of Phillip Margolin, but only his books that have twists and turns and lots of red herrings. This is it! This book has a lot of characters and many are potential suspects. When the book begins, two women are dead and one has escaped alive. But there is someone lurking, ready to take another victim. Oregon police think that they have arrested the perpetrator when they take lawyer Alex Mason into custody. But is he really the criminal? There are others still out there, and the women of the city may not be safe yet. Mason hires renowned criminal attorney Regina Barrister. In turn, Regina has hired a bright new intern, Robin Lockwood. Robin suspects that Regina is beginning to suffer from dementia. Will this affect her ability to defend Mason? The entire book is a series of twists and turns and so. much action that it is a great, gripping read. Only Margolin can lead the reader down a primrose path straight into the arms of a killer that no one suspects!

Margolin adds a top entry into an impressive resumé of great books. “The Third Victim” is not only a murder mystery, but also a courtroom drama featuring a rookie defense lawyer leaving a successful clerkship only to find that the partner she’s joined is showing signs of early onset dementia. When a leading Portland attorney comes to the firm accused of particularly heinous multiple murders and assaults, how will their defense be affected? Plots and sub-plots abound as Margolin works all of the reader’s emotions in a carefully constructed winner.

Another great book from one of my favorite authors. This is one of those books where you force yourself to take some time from reading because you don’t want it to end. The plot line consists of two gruesome murders of prostitutes who have been tortured with burning cigarettes before being left to die. Since they are prostitutes the cases are not getting much attention. Then one night a driver barely misses driving over a woman who looks like the other victims other than she is alive but has pieces of duct tape around her wrists and ankles. We then follow her case through the courtroom which Mr Margolin is very familiar with from other books. I never at any second guessed the ending and found the side story of Regina very moving and extremely well done. I am not going into details because then I will spoil the end and I hate when other people do that. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery and courtroom drama. I received this book from #NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review. I give it five stars and more if I could.

The Third Victim by Phillip Margolin is a new legal thriller that takes off from the opening pages and keeps the action coming. The story is told from multiple points of view as it unfolds from the victim being found all the way through the investigation and trial of the case.

As a driver heads down a country road Meredith Fenner appears out of the forest in front of him. Checking if she is alright it’s apparent that she needs a hospital and quickly. Beaten, bruised and bloody Meredith has obviously been attacked so the police are called in to try to find what had happened to her.

The Portland Police are called in to the investigation when it appears that Meredith injuries seem to be similar to the bodies of two young women they have been investigating. Meredith leads them to the cabin where she escaped from and it belongs to none other than attorney Alex Mason who is arrested for the crimes and hires the legendary Regina Barrister and her new assistant Robin Lockwood to defend him.

There is a lot going on in The Third Victim all through the book but it was always easy to follow and kept the pages turning. I found it interesting no matter if out hunting for clues and evidence or in the courtroom battling the case. I did however guess the big twist early on myself so not a full five stars for this one but would definitely pick up more from this author in the future.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I have read several books by this author and looking back at my ratings, I seemed to enjoy them. This one, not so much.

I didn't really connect with any of the characters and found myself not really giving a crap and skipping through MANY, MANY pages of feelings, sufferings and pains being discussed.

The plot twist at the end was not jaw dropping nor eye opening.

While I appreciate the author's attempt at empathy and other feelings of the characters, wouldn't a couple of paragraphs have provided that? I really didn't need pages and pages of it.

I signed up for a murder/mystery book, not a book about feelings.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

I received a free Kindle copy of The Third Victim by Philip Margolin courtesy of Net Galley  and St. Martin's Press, the publisher. It was with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and my fiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus pages.

I requested this book as I am looking for different authors and it takes place in Oregon, where I currently live. It is the first book by Philip Margolin that I have read.

This book is well written and engaging making it a fast read (I read it over the course of two days). The story takes place in and around Portland Oregon and is not your typical murder mystery. I found the characters (good and bad) to be interesting. I do not believe in giving away storylines as that invariably prevents me from selecting the book to read when I know what is already going to take place, but I will caution readers that there is some graphic violence in the book.

I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a different murder/mystery author (unless you are already a fan of Philip Margolin). You will not be disappointed.

I loved this story! I read it in one sitting and couldn’t put it down! The story is a page turner and I was hooked from page 1! Robin was a great and likable character! I was totally fooled and left guessing the entire time! Regina was a great add and all of the secondary characters were so well written. This book will leave you guessing and wondering what’s real until the very end. Full review to come.

This is classic Margolin- violence against women, an accused who might not be guilty, and attorneys fighting to free him. I'd stopped reading him for a long period, in part because things felt less thrilling and more stale. This, however, has an added twist. The lead attorney Regina Bannister (really?) has early onset Alzheimers. That's a positive. As is Robin, who is second chairing her. She's an interesting character I'd like to read more about. The negatives, unfortunately, come in the form of clumsy descriptions of law enforcement. Did Alex do it? Well, there are twists, turns, and the conspiracy (best term I can think of) is not that complex but it is a little unrealistic. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is perfect for readers of this author and genre but I found it a little wearing.

The best thing about Margolin's new book is the important issue he raises about the dilemma of being faced with a colleague and boss who displays symptoms of a debilitating disease. I wish he had followed through by empowering the employees to act instead of providing another approach. In all other respects, however, Margolin's new book does not rise to the heights I expected from his previous work. The plot will be familiar to readers of the genre and his characters are painted more as stick figures than as fully fleshed out human beings. The resolution of the issue of the impaired boss is truly not believable. We get hints of the characters' depths, and although they're only hints, they are enough for me to give this three instead of two stars. I'm left with lingering questions about the important issue he raises as well as a question about who really is the "third victim." I expect a better outcome in his next try.