Two woman are brutally tortured and murdered, and a third stumbles out of the woods, alive and terrified. The home she escapes from, the lakehouse of a prominent local attorney, Alex Mason, who is quickly arrested for the crime of murder and kidnapping. But did he do it? Regina Barrister, a legendary criminal defense attorney and her newest attorney hire, Robin Lockwood, must try to prove that he is innocent. 

They can't. Regina's memory is failing quickly, there's a dirty cop and a drug dealer in the mix, and Alex's wife is looking to gain a great deal of money when her husband is convicted and she files for divorce. 

Connections are revealed that surprise everyone and Regina and Robin must connect all the dots to set Alex free and capture the real killer.

Margolin's latest novel brings together a highly respected criminal defense attorney, Regina and the newest addition to her firm, Robin, her newest associate. They have taken on the case of Alex Mason accused of kidnapping and abusing a woman named Meredith and likely responsible for 2 more kidnappings that resulted in murder. Alex, also a lawyer, is not a nice guy and looks as guilty as they come but it is Regina and Robin's responsibility, along with investigator Jeff, to defend him. The story details many of the steps lawyers go through to find answers to the accusations against their client, mystery solving through and through. Through all this Regina is fighting a health issue that impacts her actions in the courtroom. Good surprising conclusion and an enjoyable read.

Thank you to St Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

So this is the second book in a row that I have read that involves a character dealing with the onset of dementia.
Regina Barrister is a top notch criminal lawyer who is starting to have lapses in her memory that are affecting her career. She hires Robin Lockwood as a new associate to her law firm. Robin is thrilled to working with someone she considers the best in the field and is eager to learn everything she can from Regina.
After a woman comes stumbling out of the woods with obvious signs of torture and abuse, an investigation begins to find out what happened to her. The evidence points to another lawyer who is arrested and hires Regina's firm to represent him. The story follows a twisted path of deceptions that make you think you know the final destination but here is where you would be wrong. Between Regina'a memory problems and new evidence the story is constantly changing directions.
A great book that keeps your mind reeling.

Phillip Margolin has written a masterfully crafted legal thriller, the first in a brand new series.

The book begins with a horrific scene of a girl stumbling out of the woods and collapsing on the highway. She has been badly burned, beaten, and tortured. The investigation would later show that this woman was the third victim of a sadistic killer, only she was able to escape before he finished the job. Foreshadowing in the first part of the book casts a cloud of suspicion on certain people as the likely killer, but the investigation is full of misdirection and hearsay.

Regina Barrister is one of the most successful lawyers in all of Oregon. Robin Lockwood, a clerk for the chief justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, is thrilled to be hired as an associate to work with Barrister.

The investigation leads to the arrest of a successful but scrupulous lawyer named Alex Mason. He vehemently denies any involvement even though all the evidence points to the contrary. His refuses to cooperate with the authorities until he speaks to his lawyer, Regina Barrister. After a visit with Mason's wife, Allison, and his ex-wife, the detectives are certain that they have an airtight case against Alex. But Regina soon learn that things are not exactly as they seem. Everyone has a past and a different version of the story to tell. Is it possible that Alex is being used as a pawn in an even bigger conspiracy?

A second plotline is introduced about one fourth into the book that deals with a crooked cop and a drug dealing pimp. This story is soon intertwined with the main plotline and throws even more suspects into the mix. The author develops the characters well, causing you to feel strongly in favor of some, despise a few, and even feel sorry for others.

There are a couple huge plot twists at the end of the book that are somewhat predictable, but it's still entertaining to watch unfold. I look forward to the next installment in this exciting series.

I would recommend this book to fans of legal thrillers and suspense. I received this as a free ARC from St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Phillip Margolin does not disappoint! What a wonderful book to start out the new year with! A fabulous read that I could not put down.,.. or at least not for very long. Regina Barrister has a thriving law practice - she's the best of the best. Robin Lockwood joins her firm... and that's where this all begins. With intertwining cases, the reader is never quite sure of the entire truth -- just that Robin will keep pushing to get the answers, both personally and professionally. I hope Mr. Margolin writes more with these characters. A truly fantastic read! I loved it (in case you couldn't tell!).

Great book! Looking forward to reading more by this author! Highly recommend!

Another superb work by Margolin! Plot and characters are excellent. Highly recommended

Good book that was hard to put down. Interesting twist in the story.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview The Third Victim by Phillip Margolin.
A policeman is driving down a dark road, when a woman appears from the woods - she has been assaulted, beaten, and half dead. The policeman, Harry White, takes her, Meredith, to a hospital where she is treated for her injuries, and he soon finds out that she has been a possible third victim of a deranged serial killer
The cops interrogate Meredith and are able to find the location where she was tortured and it belongs to a local attorney, Alex Mason, who is very rich, married, and claims he is innocent. Alex is arrested and put in jail for the murders of two prostitutes, as well as, Meredith's assualt.
Alex employs Regina Barrister, a well-known, high profile attorney to defend him. Regina has her team, including Robin Lockwood, a newbie to the group, Jeff, an invesigator, and they and Regina's firm must find a way to keep Alex not only out of jail for murder, but also avoid the death penalty. There are other possible suspects and Alex Mason is very unlikeable - did he murder these women in cold blood? Alex claims he is innocent, but his wife says he may very well have done these crimes.
This novel has alot of great characters, and the main ones are deep and vulnerable. There are other plot lines that tie together nicely as the story reveals itself.
This is a fast read because you won't won't to put it down. Margolin hits hard with the well written legal thriller. Recommend.

4 and 1 / 2 stars

As a man is driving down a lonely woodsy road, he is startled by something jumping out in front of his pickup. It is a woman who has been badly beaten and abused. He takes her to the hospital where he is met by his relative Detective Harry White from the Hammond County Sheriff’s Office.

Meredith Fenner is the woman’s name and later it is discovered that she is the sole survivor of the sadistic man who took them hostage. This is after a conference between Carrie Anders, a detective with the Portland Police Bureau who interviewed Meredith, and Dr. Sally Grace of the Portland Medical Examiner’s Office after she compared injuries from Meredith to two other victims who did not survive the repeated attacks. When Meredith recovers somewhat, she identifies the cabin where she was held. It belongs to Alex Mason, a local attorney. When his cabin is examined and with his wife’s damning testimony, it is apparent that the police have a viable suspect. They then charge their suspect.

As the case goes to trial, Mason hires Regina Barrister as his attorney. Robin Lockwood is chosen as Regina’s second chair. It is Robin’s first big trial, for the death penalty is in play.

This book deals with the tragedy of early onset Alzheimer’s in a high powered defense attorney named Regina Barrister in the midst of a very serious case of murder and torture. The defendant is a local attorney. As the trial continues, Regina’s second chair, Robin Lockwood becomes concerned at her boss’ deterioration. She becomes alarmed at some of the apparent miscues and inconsistencies in Regina’s behavior. She begins to research Alzheimer’s.

This book is well written and plotted as are all of Phillip Margolin’s novels. The suspense begins immediately in the book with the discovery of Meredith escaping from her abuser’s cabin. Mr. Margonlin’s characters are well drawn and believable. There is sufficient background information given about the main characters so as to flesh them out, but not so much that it intrudes on the story. I appreciate the sensitive manner in which Mr. Margolin handles Regina’s Alzheimer’s. It is a horrible disease and the suffering that goes along with it is tremendous. I haven’t read Phillip Margolin is quite a while, so I was pleased to return to his writing. I believe I’ll put him back on my list of authors to watch.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for forwarding to me a copy of this good book to read and enjoy.

She’s the lucky one. She was kidnapped and tortured, but she managed to escape her captor. Two other women have not been so lucky. Now, she guides police to the home where she endured her hellish ordeal, the home of local attorney Alex Mason. She identifies Mason as the man who abused her, and while police have a hard time believing Mason could be caught up in something like this, Mason’s comments about his unnatural appetites seal the man’s fate, and he is arrested. Robin Lockwood is a young attorney with little courtroom experience, so she’s shocked when Regina Barrister, a criminal defense attorney so adept at getting her clients off she’s called the Sorceress, asks Robin to second chair in Mason’s defense. It won’t take long for the scale to fall from Robin’s eyes as she sees many discrepancies in the case her new boss has laid out. I love Margolin, his books are so exciting, so well written and nothing is ever as it seems. Despite the serial killer aspect, this is more of a legal thriller

The Third Victim – Phillip Margolis

Driving through the woods at night, a motorist slams on the brakes as something tumbles out of the forest into the roadway. It’s a female, bearing the appearances of having been held captive and abused. As she recovers from her ordeal, she remembers enough to lead detectives to the cabin in the woods where she had been held, and a prominent local attorney is arrested for the alleged crime. In another seemingly unrelated event, a pimp threatens a decorated police officer when he finds him beating one of his prostitutes, and then winds up dead himself.

High powered attorney Regina Barrister and her capable assistant Robin are hired to defend the accused Alex Mason who swears he is innocent. Despite his pleas of such, the evidence appears cut and dried, and he is ultimately convicted and sent to death row.

But Regina has been experiencing episodes of forgetfulness, that do not go unnoticed by her legal team, and they have lingering doubts about Alex’s guilt. As they delve deeper into the investigation for the defense appeal, it appears that not all things are as they seem – is Alex’s wife a grieving spouse, or is she a master manipulator? Is the rescued victim, Meredith, really the victim she appears to be? Is a decorated police officer a sadistic bully, or is he a murderer??

This book had me hooked from the very beginning and kept me guessing until the end. Full of action, suspense, and enough twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end. I couldn’t put it down!!!

It was a book that reminded me of Matlock became i didnt expect the ending.