From the first book in Margolin's Robin Lockwood series, I was hooked. The fourth in the series A Matter of Life and Death does not disappoint. The book is fast-paced and full of action, making it for a non-stop read and now darn I have to wait for the next book in the series. Margolin's characterizations are very well done. Robin is a solid main character you want to follow as well as feel for how she leads her life and her career. Yet at the same time she has a vulnerable spot,

Robin has to make a decision, does she help the homeless individual who has so obviously been setup and if truth is not found could be sentenced to death.? I can't begin to imagine any lawyer faced with that decision. The nasty characters make you want to see Robin pull out the MMA fighting skills and kick them down the street, but know through well done (but not overly descriptive) legal actions, research and investigation she and her fellow good guys in the firm, and her fiancee, will work hard to find justice for the wrongly accused. From characterization , to plot, to story development, A Matter of Life and Death by Margolin is a must read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Usually I don’t like reading books in the middle of a series because there always seems to be part of the main character’s backstory that is missing. That’s not the case, so curl up with this one if you are looking for some intrigue. While you pretty much know who the villains are, getting to the specifics of the what, why, when and how is part of the fun.

Robin Lockwood is a young attorney who takes on death penalty cases. Meet Joe Lattimore, an ex-boxer who lost his job and is homeless. Joe sees participating in an illegal and no holds barred fight to be his chance to get his family off the street. If Joe thought he was at his lowest, he was wrong. The man he is fighting dies, and Joe is blackmailed into a burglary and quickly framed for murder. And to make it even worse, the murder victim is a judge’s wife. Robin takes on his death penalty case, and sets out to prove his innocence.

The author is attorney-turned-writer, and I was expecting more of a courtroom drama. However, the book is action-packed, with well-developed characters and a plot that holds your attention. There are a lot of moving targets, and Margolin skillfully weaves the story together in a believable fashion.

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I have read most of Phillip Margolin books and A Matter of Life and Death did not disappoint. Robin is an excellent main character. The ensemble of characters surrounding her were great also. I really felt for Lattimore. There were so many stories within the story. I honestly did not see the ending coming- which is always a win for me. Overall a great courtroom drama!

This one was hard to put down! Great suspense from the beginning with multiple cases. Sometimes I find this to be a turn off, but the author did a great job at delivering and wrapping up each case.

As for the main story, the defendant is facing death penalty thus put utmost pressure on Robin to defend her client to her best ability. There are a few bad people and midway through, readers learn who the bad guys are. Despite overwhelming evidence it was a fun ride to see how it all panned out.

A Matter of Life and Death is engaging and a step up from the previous book #3 where I found the story to be too cozy.

**Thank you Macmillian for a digital copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for this free copy in return for an honest review.

Attorney turned author, Phillip Margolin, returns with his 4th book in the Robin Lockwood series and this time she is faced with a murder trial that carries the distinct possibility of a death sentence.
A real page turner that gives us down and out Joe Lattimore who has been reduced to living in a Tent City in Portland, OR, with his wife and infant daughter. Things appear desperate for Joe who was a former boxer and whose temper kept him from holding a job as a cook after his boxing days were over. He has no job, no prospects and no way to provide for his family until one night he went out for a jog and was stopped by a man who recognized him from his boxing days and offered him the chance to make $300 in an illegal no-holds barred fight.
Once Joe agrees to this, the action picks up and he is soon whisked away to a secret location where he is matched against an obviously impaired opponent. He is told the crowd wants blood and shortly Joe is pummeling this opponent to the point where he stops hitting him because he believes the other man is seriously hurt. He is told the man is dead and is quickly hustled away from the site.
Things go downhill from there after he is summoned, once again, to burgle a home and steal the jewelry from a safe. When he gets inside he sees a dead body and runs away, but his fingerprints are in the house. To make things worse the decedent is the wife of a rather unlikeable judge.
Robin Lockwood, a private practitioner, agrees to handle the case and she is soon plunged into an underworld of violence and crime as she tries to find out what really happened and who is the true killer.
As a former attorney I am always drawn to books written by other attorneys, and Margolin has been able to develop a technique of time compression. The books is almost devoid of any prose, his character development basically consists of giving us physical descriptions of people, and he is able to cut through all the typical trial preparation, motions, investigations and some shoddy police work in order to quickly get us to what he considers the most important parts of the story.
This is a fast-paced and action packed book that, while sparse on legal details, has enough legal and investigative insights to make a plausible and successful mystery. I read this in less than 24 hours, and the pages seem to fly by as we follow Lattimore, Lockwood, prostitutes, judges, bikers and gangsters to a breathless conclusion.
This review was previously published at www.mysteryandsuspense.com

Excellent mystery that keeps you guessing. Especially appreciated the description of the transgender situation and what the process entails

The Robin Lockwood has quickly become one of my favorite series! I was THRILLED when the Publisher contacted me and asked me if I would be willing to review the newest book in this series, A Matter of Life and Death. I must say that I was NOT disappointed!

There are some characters that stick with you and Robin Lockwood is one of them! I love that she's tough, no nonsense, go getter that NEVER backs down from a fight, even when it appears that she's going to lose! I love that she a fighter for the underdog and fights fiercely with everything she has to help those that are not as fortunate as her, without ever doubting or batting an eye! I have to say she is probably one of my all-time favorite characters, so with each new book, I am thrilled to be hearing more of her story!

I thought that this book carried a very interesting storyline! It's not like your typical legal thrillers. It makes you want to keep reading to find out what really happens in the end. In this book you didn't necessarily know who did it, but you could kind of guess who didn't!

Therese Plummer is one of my absolute favorite Narrators. I would actually jump at reading a book just because she was the narrator. She did not disappoint in her preperformance here!

Overall, I think this is one of my favorite books of this series and maybe by Phillip Margolin! He knocked it out of the park with this one!

I would like to thank the author, Phillip Margolin, the Publisher, MacMillan Audio, and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book, A Matter of Life and Death, in return for an honest and unbiased review!!

A Matter of Life and Death is the fourth installment in the excellent Robin Lockwood series by bestselling author, Phillip Margolin. Joe Lattimore is a boxer who is down on his luck and homeless; he is trying desperately to support his young wife and baby. When he is offered a large sum of money to box in an illegal match, he agrees, and ends up killing his opponent. Although he has no idea who actually hired him, he is then blackmailed into burglarizing the house of a judge where he finds the wife of the judge brutally murdered. Of course he is blamed for the murder, and is lucky enough that Robin Lockwood, a former boxer herself, agrees to take on the case. As she investigates, she opens up avenues that lead to corruption and murder by people in high places.

Margolin is a veteran thriller writer, and is an excellent story teller. The story flows in such a way that it is very difficult to put down. Readers sense of fairness and what is actually right is violated here, and it is very similar to what is actually going on in real life; the double standard is alive and well and Margolin presents it in a way that hits home with readers.

Robin Lockwood is not only likeable, but is a very well-developed character. She is unique, and although she doesn’t have years of experience, somehow manages to pull clues to help her with her case. There are twists and turns in the story, and dangerous scenarios for Robin and those who are involved before the final dénouement.

A Matter of Life and Death is a well written installment to the Robin Lockwood series, and will be enjoyed by everyone who loves a good courtroom drama. Margolin is an excellent writer and readers will anticipate subsequent novels to come.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

A Matter of Life and Death is the 4th installment in the Robin Lockwood series. I originally picked up book 1, The Third Victim, not just because it sounded like an interesting read, but because the protagonist, Robin Lockwood, is a former MMA fighter. I love watching UFC, so when I saw that in the synopsis, I just HAD to read it! To date, it is still my favorite of the series. Even though this book is the 4th in a series, you can definitely read it as a stand-alone.

This novel was a quick and easy read. It follows Robin Lockwood, a bold, fearless and sometimes reckless attorney, as she tries a few cases.

There are two main cases here that intertwine. Joe Lattimore is homeless and needs money. He agrees to a no-holds-barred fight (which is illegal) and his opponent dies. Then, because of this, he gets blackmailed into breaking into someone's house and finds a woman lying on the floor brutally murdered AND gets charged with that murder. But he didn't do it though, right?? Did I mention that the woman who was murdered is the wife of a prominent judge who has a solid alibi? This seemingly easy case just got a little more complicated.

This is a novel of murder, blackmail, corruption and mayhem. I rate this 3-stars because I flew through the first half of the book but the second half fell a little flat for me. It was a pretty straightforward crime novel. The second half of the book, for me, was more about seeing how everything played out rather than being incredibly shocked at what really happened.

Robin Lockwood is one of my favorite attorneys in a series. I really enjoy reading about her character and her relationship with Jeff, which there wasn't as much of in this installment as there was in the first couple of books. There was more of them and more jaw-dropping moments in The Third Victim for me. So, even though you can read this one as a stand-alone, I still recommend starting back at the beginning!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion!

I'm a huge fan of the Robin Lockwood series she's one of my favorite protagonists. Robin is smart, fearless and a former MMA fighter turned lawyer. Robin has 3 different cases in this book and they all seamlessly intertwine. The book is fast paced and well crafted and I hope there will be more in this series.

Phillip Margolin continues his Robin Lockwood series weaving a whale of a legal thriller and a complex mystery. Villains real and accused abound. Margolin allows Robin and her team slowly but surely to outthink the wrong doors and some are surprising evil doers. Give this Margolin read your time. You will enjoy the ride

Phillip Margolin's A Matter of Life and Death is a fast paced mystery with unique characters that intrigue the reader.

Phillip Margolin has been an author I've enjoyed for many years. I had read one of the earlier books in the Robin Lockwood series, The Perfect Alibi (Robin Lockwood #2), and really enjoyed it. Then somehow I forgot about the series, so I'm glad I saw this one and started reading. I enjoyed the Robin Lockwood character - she is a defense attorney and a former MMA fighter. She takes the case of a homeless man, Joe Lattimore, who had agreed to fight in a no-holds-barred illegal fight in order to earn some money to provide for his family. Only his opponent died! After the fight he is blackmailed into breaking into a judge's house to steal, only to find find a dead body - and he gets blamed for the murder. Robin has her hands full with this one and the investigation leads in some surprising directions. This was a page turner and I really enjoyed the characters and the plot.

Thanks to Minotaur Books / St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy.

When I read a book, or listen to an audiobook, I more or less go with the flow. But when I know I have to write a review of the book, I listen with pen and paper, making notes on the characters, the story, the action, and if the promise of the story was fulfilled by the author.

In A Matter of Life and Death: A Robin Lockwood Novel (Robin Lockwood #4) by Phillip Margolin the Author definitely fulfilled his promise of providing not one, but a few cases where a matter of life or death was in question. I felt the story was carried out in an even, methodical pace, like building a brick wall - each course was laid out, with the next course building on what the reader had already learned.

All of the cases in the book are related in some fashion, whether it's to introduce us to the characters, or the relationships between the characters. As for character development, we know just enough about each player so we can create an opinion of them. The secondary character palate is large, but not cumbersome for the reader to manage. The returning primary characters have enough background from previous books for them to feel like old friends. There are no long, descriptive or distracting backgrounds, that create questions, or leave open issues by the end of the story. I felt the book was presented like an episode of "Law and Order", lots of facts, backstabbing, illegal activities, unscrupulous characters, victims, detectives and lawyers. Characters deaths were not descriptive or grizzly - they're just dead! I wouldn't call the story action packed, as there were no chase scenes, and fight scenes were quick and non-descript for the most part. There wasn't much of a whodunnit element to the story either. Everything was rather straightforward, so it was just a matter of reading how it all played out in the end.

Personally, I am a fan of legal, medical, and police procedural themes so I liked the book. I do prefer more atmospheric, grizzly, gory, suspenseful, edge of your seat stories (adjectives are my friend), and Phillip Margolin books don't generally use those components, but that didn't make the book any less enjoyable. The story is logically laid out, and by the end I didn't feel like there were any open issues.

My two favorite situations from the book are the relationship between Robin and Jeff (I felt the romantic side added some humanity and a personal side to the story), and Robin's fight with the giant (Rostov), where she tells him she'll take him on - she's a smart one...hahaha

The book can be read as a stand-alone, but with all series books, reading previous books will add more to the overall enjoyment.

For me this was a 3.5 star read which I will round up to 4 stars.

Special thanks to the Author, St. Martin’s Press/ Minotaur Books and NetGalley for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

Expected publication date is March 9th, 2021 in all reading formats.

I loved this book! I love the characters and this series. Robin rocks! Phillip Margolin intertwines his series characters with characters from his other series. I liked having Amanda in this book. I thought the story was very interesting, suspenseful and a good court drama. I would highly recommend this series and this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery, court drama, and strong women!

A Matter of Life and Death is on the surface a legal thriller but it is so much more than that. It is multiple legal thrillers and mystery stories. It is excellently written and I was completely captivated by the excellent story with its twists and turns. It was a fast read because I was always eager to find out what was happening next.
It is the story of innocent people duped into crime and guilty people who have gone out of control. It begins with the trial of a transexual for prostitution and you think that is going to be the novel but it is not but it is a well written and engaging story that points out the abilities of Robin Lockwood and helps us to understand who she is.
and the story moves on to a story of power and corruption and arrogance.
A poor homeless African American is duped into fighting and then blackmailed into helping commit a crime. A Deputy District Attorney who is caught in a web of intrigue and murder. A judge who will stop at nothing to gain his ends. And Robin Lockwood a young upcoming attorney who will fight for the things she believes to be right.
As the main story unfolds the reader becomes very engaged with the plot as the story unfolds. The characters are believable and easily pictured.
The story is well written and flows very smoothly throughout.
The plots are interwoven skillfully and there is a very surprising ending.
It was a book that I very much enjoyed reading and when I wasn’t reading it I wanted to be doing so.

Robin Lockwood is hired to defend a man accused of murder. She is convinced her client is innocent but has to prove it. There are multiple plot lines in this book, but they all tie together in the end. There are some very powerful people trying to keep the truth from coming out and they will stop at nothing. Quite a few surprises and twists will keep you turning the pages. This is part of a series but could be read as a stand alone. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

A Matter of Life and Death

In this fourth Robin Lockwell novel, Phillip Margolin delivers yet another well written and crafted work.
Robin Lockwell is a Yale educated lawyer, former UFC cage fighter. She is living with her investigator Jeff Hodges.
In working with a transgender client she tries to deal with the District Attorney but ends up deciding to go to court. The case is assigned to Judge Carasco. The judge , a former prosecutor, has a less than stellar reputation with lawyers who thought that as a prosecutor he had won at times when evidence went missing suspiciously.
When the judge’s wife is murdered, Robin ends up representing the man arrested for her murder.
The story unfolds nicely with great character development.
You will not be disappointed in this novel. I would recommend you read all of the series although it is not necessary to do so. The book stands on its own.
Thanks to the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview and review.

Book# 4 in the Robin Lockwood series

This legal thriller brings Robin Lockwood to defend Joe Lattimore accused of murder after burglarizing a house. The victim was the wife of prominent Judge Anthony Carasco. Lattimore fingerprints and bloody gloves were discovered at the scene, an airtight case for the District Attorney. But Robin is not convinced at all, she suspects that her client has been framed...now she needed to prove it.

This is one legal thriller I put at the top of my list for its presentation. It focusses more on how the accused came to get into hot waters and less the interactions in the courtroom. I love passing time reading it and had such a hard time setting it aside to do my chores. The story is action packed and very gripping from start to finish. The Lattimore’s troubles all started after he agreed to fight in a no-holds illegal bar bout where his opponent died leaving him at the mercy of the fight’s organizers who took advantage of his situation...big time.

The plot is strong and moves along at a steady pace. It is clearly written to depict courtroom drama without overdoing it, not a simple task but Mr. Margolin did this expertly making his book a real pleasure. Every word is simple and uncomplicated. The police work is smoothly blended in to add suspense and to bring us into the bowels of the legal system: fingerprints and DNA, evidences that can incarcerate someone whether responsible or not.

I also appreciated how the author has incorporated in his suspense interesting insight into gender reassignment and the struggles the person caught in this dilemma goes through. Subdued and well done.

Although I picked up “A Matter of Life and Death” at this point I didn’t feel lost at all, it reads beautifully as a stand-alone.

In a few words:

Well-plotted drama vividly said and played out by a cast of wonderful characters.

There were so many crooked characters to unravel in this book. I loved the plot and I understood the main character and his position and I felt sorry for him. It’s a good whodunit with a legal thriller component to it. It’s a must read!