Well written legal/political thriller. The cliche "torn from today's headlines" is so true with this book where a president is assassinated by a Senator and his defense is that he did it for the good of the country - the law of necessity. The characters are thinly veiled characterizations of today's political figures. Highly recommended.

Thank you to Polis Books and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of Necessity by DW Buffa in exchange for an honest review. This novel is the latest in a series featuring defense attorney Joseph Antonelli but it reads well as a standalone. The plot is ripped from the headlines, in particular since the US presidential election of 2016. Joseph Antonelli is hired to defend a man accused of murdering the president on Air Force One in San Francisco. The defendant admits to the crime but invokes the law of necessity which could find him exonerated. This is a trial like no other and the outcome will shock you, while also reminding you of characters that appear regularly in political news. The novel is well written, with the legalese well explained and the tension kept to the maximum.

With characters based on the 2016 presidential election, conspiracies abound as the president is found murdered on Air Force One, and his chief nemesis is caught with murder weapon in hand, confesses to the deed... out of necessity. Enter San Francisco’s super-lawyer, Joseph Antonelli, who must convince the jury and the public that his client should not be punished. The case unfolds at a very deliberate pace with new revelations changing the course of the trial. An excellent read!

Necessity by D.W. Buffet is a timely novel. Once I started reading i couldn’t stop. I feel its an important novel that describes a frightening political climate and possible danger to any country. The major characters have complicated personalities and interests. This makes the novel more interesting. I have already referred this book to friends.

This novel is compelling, thought-provoking, and feels like it could be ripped from today's political headlines. Mr. Buffa is at the top of his game here. The courtroom scenes are masterfully crafted and the suspense remains high throughout. This is a top notch legal and political thriller. I believe this is the eighth book in the Joseph Antonelli series, but it is the first one that I have read.

Joseph Antonelli is faced with the biggest case of his career. No one who has ever been accused of killing a president has ever been brought to trial in the United States, and Antonelli initially wanted no part of this historical trial. When he finally agrees to defend the accused, Antonelli encounters the best and worst that Washington has to offer. This book is packed with espionage, double crosses, and deception.

Kevin Fitzgerald, a U.S. Senator from California, stands accused of assassinating the president, Walter Bridges. His argument, however, is that the assassination was a necessity for the good of the country. It seems like the majority of the country would agree that Fitzgerald was justified in his thinking, harkening back to the times of Caesar, when trials were decided by public opinion. Antonelli must navigate the murky political waters and prove that his client is essentially not guilty of murder, yet simply that he was seeking to solve a problem for the good of the people.

I would recommend this book to fans of political and legal thrillers. I received this as a free ARC from Polis Books on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a well-written, interesting book. Criminal defense attorney Joseph Antonelli is asked to represent the man accused of murdering the President of the United States. The defendant has invoked the “Law of Necessity,” which states that a crime is justified if it serves the greater good and thus prevents a greater harm from occurring. This is the most controversial case of Antonelli's career and he has no idea what kind of trouble and danger he will encounter. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading other books by this author.

A book with many parallels to our current US political system... The President is assassinated, and the defense claims it was out of necessity. Take a very principled attorney, the very attractive Tangerine, and some French spies... mix them with an unstable political environment where no one tells the truth, and you have quite a story. Lots of twists and turns that only the main character, Joseph Antonelli, can navigate. D.W. Buffa has written a thought provoking, page turning novel that I was sorry to see end. Here's hoping we see more of Mr. Antonelli in the future!