2.65 Stars* (rounded up)

When a young college student accuses a football player named Blaine of rape, the DNA test is irrefutable and he is imprisoned. A rising attorney named Robin Lockwood, who is a former MMA Star is hired to represent the young woman in the civil suit. When another girl is then raped by someone who has the exact same DNA as Blaine everything is questioned as Blaine does not have an identical twin and Blaine was imprisoned while the second girl was raped. What is going on?

Meanwhile, several attorneys are being murdered. Why? Are these deaths related? This is where things got complicated. Very complicated. Though Robin Lockwood should let the police handle it, she can’t help but investigate and boy is she good at it.

The complicated storylines in “The Perfect Alibi” was just one of the problems for me with this mystery suspense by Phillip Margolin. As some of you know, I work in the legal field and know a good amount about the law - I discovered the big reveal to be completely implausible and not feasible, If the author had done his homework he would know that too. That being said, aside from the parts of this novel that were overly complicated, it was well written and the characters were fantastic. I loved Robin Lockwood - she saved the day.

This was a buddy read with Kaceey!

Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books - St. Martins Press and Phillip Margolin for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 2.10.19.

I normally don’t pick up a legal thriller as quickly as another mystery but this one was awesome! A lot of characters to follow but this thriller had me up all night! Definitely pick this up!

Very suspenseful, but a little confusing at times with a lot of names to remember. That being said, I enjoyed it and found the mystery engaging.

This book is filled with suspense. However, I found that there were too many characters, which made it difficult to keep track of. I also found that having more than two legal cases going on at once was also confusing and it was difficult to figure out how they all tied in to one another until near the end of the book.

I will definitely look for more books by this author because of the suspense that they created. I like a good suspense book.

A wealthy, arrogant young man is convicted of rape based, in large part, on DNA evidence. The victim has retained attorney Robin Lockwood, introduced in an earlier Margolin novel, to sue the man for damages. Soon after he is locked up, another rape is committed and the DNA evidence matches the first case.

Parallel to this, the partner of the attorney who represented the young man is murdered. A vengeful DA targets the attorney as the main suspect. Soon, there are other murder victims as well who are seemingly unrelated…..or, are they?

As bodies pile up, this legal thriller will have you guessing as to how the cases may or may not be connected. This is a quick, engrossing read.

.Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview The Perfect Alibi by Phillip Margolin.
If you read Margolin's legal thriller last year, The Third Victim, you will really like this novel. Margolin brings back Robin Lockwood, a young attorney with a MMA fighting background in a new legal battle.
This novel has a solid plot with plenty of twists, turns, and turnarounds - head spinning (in a good way).
A young woman is raped and her accuser, an athlete, says he is totally innocent. He is convicted and sent to prison - case closed till another woman is raped. Was the young man innocent?
Robin Lockwood representing the victim in the rape case is convinced she is being stalked and then the bodies start to disappear.
Robin manages to find out that there are strange things going on and maybe things are not what them seem to be and to get to the truth is dangerous to her health.
This is another hit by the Phillip Margolin - his mastery of the the legal thriller genre is truly ingenious. Very good reading - fans of Turow and Grisham will love this series.

Readers looking for a legal thriller with lots of twists will enjoy this story. Robin Lockwood, a young lawyer, former boxer is a very interesting character to follow as she tries to defend her clients. I like that she has follows her gut and does the right thing. The legal cases are believable and the characters relatable. Recommended!

Thank you Phillip Margolin and St. Martin's Press for the advanced readers copy of The Perfect Alibi.
A young girl is raped at a frat party by a football player. A trial ensues and he is sentenced to prison with the help of DNA evidence. However, while he is incarcerated, another rape occurs and the DNA for the new rape matched the man that is serving time. His new attorney gets a new trial ordered and he is released on bail until the new trial is scheduled. After his first trial, he made threats to his first attorney and the victim.
In another story line, two attorneys have been killed. They are tied by a case against a pharmaceutical company, but one of the attorneys killed is the partner of the rapist's attorney. Is he getting revenge on the people that put him in prison?
The character development is terrific and the author does a great job of keeping you guessing until the end.

I’m not going to lie, I haven’t picked up a book in the mystery/thriller/whodunnit genre for a while. I read The Girl on the Train and The Woman in the Window around the same time (and we all know Gone Girl is still playing a role in pop culture these days), and I was just finding the genre to be very repetitive and a little predictable (even though the twists were getting bigger and bigger), so I put it down for a while. Nothing was really speaking to me. Besides, I listen to a ridiculous number of crime podcasts, so that itch was being scratched on my long commute every day.

When I came across The Perfect Alibi by Phillip Margolin, however, I was intrigued by the premise. The blurb read like a season of Serial, and I absolutely needed to read it.

Synopsis
A young woman accuses a college athlete of rape. Despite maintaining his innocence, the young man is convicted, but there’s irrefutable DNA evidence to prove it. While incarcerated, the evidence at the scene of another rape points to that same man—which is impossible, since he was behind bars at the time of the second rape. Now granted a new trial (and with a new lawyer), the athlete’s original lawyer disappears and his partner is murdered.

Robin Lockwood is a lawyer who is representing the victim of the first rape for her civil lawsuit against her rapist, who is now convinced she is being stalked, too. At the same time, another client is up on a murder charge—one that should be dismissed as self-defense—but the DA trying the case is determined to bring it to trial. Now she has to mastermind two impossible cases, trying to find the hidden truth that links all of this together.

My musings
I’m not going to lie, I needed to rely heavily on the press release to be able to break down the synopsis for the blog… there is a lot going on in this one, and a lot of people to keep track of. While I was making my way through the book I realized that some of these characters (Robin, Jeff) had been introduced in a previous book of Margolin’s, which probably would have helped me a little bit, though the author does a great job of getting the reader up to speed.

I’ve never read a Margolin book before, and it’s very possible that this follows his regular style of writing, but I felt like there was a little too much going on. There were too many cases to keep track of, too many suspects, and too many narratives that didn’t really end up going anywhere and were just thrown in to throw the reader off the scent. I kept having to go back a couple of chapters (which is hard to do with an eBook) to see who we were talking about. I wasn’t a constant flip back and forth, but it was definitely not something I enjoyed having to do. (If I were reading a physical book, I may not have the same feeling.)

I also have a bit of a problem with the book’s title, as I don’t really agree that anyone had a perfect alibi (so I’m not quite sure to whom the title is referring). And because of the title, I was kind of expecting a different kind of book.

I did really enjoy the fact that I didn’t figure out the main suspect until Robin, the protagonist, did. Every chapter I believed someone else was guilty, and I was suspicious of everyone, which I rarely get to experience when I read this kind of story. Some of the twists I saw coming, but not right from the beginning, which was nice. These elements were the main reason I kept turning to the next page.

A lot of the thrillers that I’ve read of late have been in the vein of Girl on the Train, with an unreliable narrator with a questionable moral compass. This is not that, and I appreciate it greatly.

If you’re a fan of unpredictable (at least to me) whodunnits and can distance yourself from the title, you will definitely find this to be a pleasant, enjoyable read. Look for it in stores March 5.

3 STARS

This post will appear on my blog at https://modestreader.com/2019/02/02/the-perfect-alibi on February 25 at 9 am.

I read The Perfect Alibi in only three days from start to finish, that alone shows that it was a good read! I was really intrigued by the summary and storyline, and was surprised while reading to discover additional twists and storylines in addition to the main plot. It was well-written, compelling, and interesting.

I thought the premise of the story was interesting - rich college kid rapes a girl, goes to jail, yet his DNA appears in another rape case. Makes you curious doesn't it? However, while the plot of the story was interesting since it's impossible for someone to have the same DNA as someone else if that person does not have an identical twin, that suspense/mystery only lasts so long. While this was the main case that starts the story, it kind of gets drowned out by the other cases that Robin gets involved in. It was able to hold my attention, as bits of the case gets revealed throughout the story, but in turn, it causes a ripple effect. Other secrets get revealed, people get killed and my attention slowly begins to fade, but it luckily lasts long enough till the end.

Overall, reading this felt like a stream of Law & Order episodes happening back to back with a sprinkle of personal struggles from the MCs popping up here and there. Not bad, but it would have been better if the sole focus of the book was on one case rather than a bunch of cases (which widens the cast of characters, which is a bit confusing/overwhelming at times)because it made the plot too busy and caused my focus to crumble. I can't really say much about the book without revealing any spoilers since it is a mystery, but perhaps it would be worth your time if you're into Law & Order or mystery/thrillers.

I always enjoy Phillip Margolin's books. This one is no exception. The Perfect Alibi is a fantastic crime novel with just the right element of suspense. The main character, Robin Lockwood, is a young lawyer who is extremely likeable. There are many cases and storylines that intersect throughout. You are instantly pulled in and dragged along for the awesome ride. I enjoyed the storylines and the character development. There are many examples of moral and ethical wrongdoings. It is interesting to see how the characters deal with these situations. I definitely recommend this book if you like legal fiction or are a general mystery reader.

2.5 stars

Man! Oh man! It feels as if I’ve done nothing but read, review and have lackluster feelings about books in the mystery/thriller/suspense genre lately. Unfortunately, that’s not changing as I bring you a review of another lackluster book.

I found the blurb for this book to be a bit misleading and won’t bore you by including it here. Ultimately what I thought this book was, was the story of Robin Lockwood, a young lawyer, and a look at a few of her cases.

This book reads as if it’s part of a series. Some points mentioned felt like little drops of info that I should’ve known. Like it had been explored before and this was just a reminder. However, it wasn’t until I finished that I realized The Perfect Alibi is indeed part of a series. Well, that explains it! I like to read a series in order and this book proved once again why I feel that way. Robin is the main character of the series and there were things I felt I was missing about her. Things that were obviously explored in the first book that I haven’t read. But I liked Robin and that was the one saving grace for this book.

What’s the main plot point here? That’s an excellent question because I felt like it was all over the place. Instead of focusing a little on many points, I wish one or two had been the focus. Lots of plot points mean a lot of name dropping. This reader had trouble keeping some of the characters straight. And wondering at times what one thing had to do with another. Things are connected and brought to a close, I think?! I just finished the book two days ago and I can’t remember how it ended. It says something to me that the ending left no impression on me.

Oh well! Here’s hoping the next book I pick up gets me out of the lackluster book slump I seem to be in.

Robin Lockwood is a lawyer with a well known law firm. She is handling a civil case for a woman who says she was raped. She also has a murder case. She is dealing with a D.A. who hates to lose and will do anything to win a case.

This book has a lot going on, a rape and several murders, that could be connected. It is a good legal thriller with quite a few twists and a surprise at the end. Thank you to net galley for an advanced opportunity.

Be prepared for a jumble of murders, murderers, trials, and all things legal when Robin Underwood once again gets started on new cases for her law firm. Sometimes it comes at you so fast that you may get confused by all the characters and where one fits with the other. There might have been a bit more smooth transition between early chapters but once Margolin's Robin gets started things begin to fall in place. Robin is good at her job but she is also excelling at investigation and she brings it all to a surprising conclusion. While not quite as good as The Third Victim, it's a good followup for the second book in the series.

Phillip Margolin always writes great mysteries/thrillers - you can count on it. This is a complex one with several legal cases to follow and some suspense. Robin Lockwood is a great character as the defense attorney - she's just interesting. A good bit of this story involves ethics and morals. The cases followed in this book are an interesting rape case, a murder of an Oregon legal partner, the murder of an assistant district attorney, the murders of a stroke victim and his wife, the murder of a New York attorney - there's a lot going on. This book may not be Margolin's best, but it is definitely an enjoyable read.

Thanks to Phillip Margolin and St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Am I missing something? Why are other NetGalley readers giving this book 3 to 5 stars and writing positive reviews? The first third of the book held my attention, but then it turns into a mess. Brief chapters are told from different points of view which results in a jerky narrative that is impossible to follow. There is no narrative flow as much of the book is written in short bits of dialogue uttered by multiple characters.

This is the first book I have read from this author and really enjoyed the characters and subject matter. I liked the legal procedural involved and liked that there was a great deal of mystery and suspense throughout. I would definitely be interested in reading more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a free copy of Phillip Margolin’s novel The Perfect Alibi.
Phillip Margolin is a great storyteller. He develops characters quickly and you have many chapters read
before you come up for a breath. Get comfortable and enjoy the ride.
Legal cases are coming at you from every direction, all connecting Robin Lockwood a lawyer, to the centre of the action. Robin does her best to figure out who is telling the truth. But all is not as it seems.
The pace of this novel is quick as many characters and storylines intertwine throughout the chapters.
Does the star athlete accused of rape go free, does a murderer get caught? In the end, is justice served?
Read on and find out.

The Perfect Alibi begins with an accusation of rape against a college athlete. Robin takes the case. While the accused is in jail, another rape occurs. DNA from that crime matches the DNA of the guy in jail. What? Obviously, this is not possible, so who did this and why? Also, there are other cases going on in the story. Lawyers are being killed. It's a little muddled at times. There are a few story lines going on here at a good pace with drama and engaging characters. It's a good read overall. Fans of Phillip Margolin won't be disappointed.