I think this was my favorite Robin Lockwood story so far. Still not my favorite Phillip Margolin book though. I am a huge fan and have read all of his books and that title STILL belongs to Gone But Not Forgotten. That one is one of my all-time favorite thrillers, but I digress. Robin Lockwood has definitely grown on me and I look forward more to each installment. This one centers on a homeless family man framed for killing the wife of a judge. What follows is a very well done courtroom drama with a nice twist. There are a lot of characters so pay attention! Timing was a huge factor in the storyline, as in all aspects of what actually happened had to line up just right in order for the story to work. That did seem a little bit much as far as being believable, but that was just an afterthought and did not detract from the fun of reading this! I am excited for more Robin Lockwood, or another one like Gone But Not Forgotten! Hint, hint!

A huge THANK YOU to #NetGalley, Phillip Margolin and St. Martins Press/Minotaur for this much appreciated ARC!

3.5 rounded down. This was an enjoyable book, but not the strongest of this series. I always like reading about Robin Lockwood, but this one didn’t have the same pizzazz previous books did. I did like the addition of the sex change prostitution victim, I almost wish that was more prominent/in the main case. Margolin does an excellent job of weaving characters and storylines together; yes I do have to suspend some reality to believe some of the more absurd plots but it’s overall a fun read.

A Matter of Life and Death by Phillip Margolin is a good courtroom drama. The author presents the reader with many “suspects” to choose from when trying to guess the killer(s) and the outcome of trials. Robin Lockword assembles an excellent legal team to defend both of her clients. Her team is excellent at bring out the flaws in both the State’s cases against Joe Lattimore and Brent Macklin. This novel keeps you guessing until the end. Just when you think you know who killed whom, Margolin throws the reader a twist. The legal strategies and the scientific knowledge involved in the cases are fully explained and are understandably. There are many personal conflicts, both in the courtroom and out. The character development is good and believable. My only complaint is that throughout the book we are introduced to some characters who are not fully developed, and I would like to know more about them. As with all his books, I enjoyed A Matter of Life and Death.

I wouldn't be so bold as to say I have read all that Phillip Margolin has to offer, but I have read much of his work and it's all been exceptional. If I was asked to use one word to describe A Matter of Life and Death, "exceptional" would be that descriptor! This book was a well-mixed blend of in and out of the courtroom drama. Early on, I was convinced I knew what was happening on the jury and everything about the plot seemed to bear that out. However, I let myself get a little too cocky and as it played out, the book took a turn I didn't see coming. I love that in a thriller.

A word about the characters, Joe and Robin, both well-crafted and "in it to win" types, you couldn't help but root for them. Love that too! Robin, not your quintessential lawyer, more interested in helping the innocent than making money, an anomaly for certain. Joe, down on his luck, but still fighting for the welfare of his family and willing to do nearly anything for them. Not your stereotypical homeless person, either. In contrast, Judge Anthony Carasco, how far is he willing to go for money? You might be surprised.

A strong courtroom thriller for Margolin. I'd give it two big thumbs up! Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and offer my review.

A Matter of Life or Death is the 4th book in the Robin Lockwood series. The latest installment has Robin, an attorney in Portland, being appointed to represent a defendant charged with murder. Her client insists he’s innocent, and Robin and her team set out to prove his innocence. Easy to follow plot, but there’s a lot of characters to keep track of, and the end of the book seems a little rushed, as the pieces all come together. However, it’s a good page-turner and an easy read. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It has been a while since I've read a book by this author, but I remembered that he was an author that I did enjoy. As I progressed through this book, there were some parts of the story that seemed familiar and I went back to see that I had read the first book in this series. Even with being behind a couple of books, this book was entertaining and exciting to read. I enjoyed the characters, both the "good" guys and the "bad" and the premise definitely was one to keep the reader on their toes.

The pace of the writing kept the story interesting and there were several plot points apparently going on at the same time. There was one point where I thought we were getting to the end of the book, to then realize that "surprise" there was more to the story. I enjoyed that. I enjoyed the suspense and the intrigue and have decided that I am going to go back and read the second and third books of this series.

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this ARC. The opinions expressed are completely my own.

This book was terrific, I was unable to put it down. I have read every book by Phillip Margolin. In my opinion, this is his best book so far.

In A Matter of Life and Death, Phillip Margolin has written another fast paced Robin Lockwood legal thriller that will have readers up all night in an attempt to see how the multi-plotted action unfolds. The novel immediately plunges the reader into a world not normally found in their everyday lives - blackmail, prostitution, sex change, the homeless and illegal no holds barred boxing matches where the audience cheers for blood and bets on the outcomes. Each time the reader thinks the culprit is known, the author throws another curveball to ensure that the reader does have a sleepless night. This book is highly recommended for those who enjoy well written court room drama.
Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin"s Press for making an advance copy of a future best selling novel available to me..

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Robin Lockwood agrees to take a new case. Someone murdered the wife of a judge. The evidence points to a man you believe is innocent. Who can you trust? Thus book kept me guessing until the very end.

Phillip Margolin is a gifted storyteller as evidenced by his numerous wonderful books. A Matter of Life and Death is cleverly plotted with an ending I never saw coming. The characters are carefully crafted and believable. The trial scenes are easy to follow and advance the story in an interesting manner. I liked everything about this book.

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from St Martin's Press through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.
#AMatterofLifeand Death #NetGalley

Well plotted and well written with believable characters. Loads of suspense with twists and turns kept me reading late into the night. I recommend this read to anyone who enjoys a good mystery. .

Phillip Margolin has been one of my favorite authors since his earlier books. I absolutely love the new Robin Lockwood series. This book was amazing. With all of the twists and turns in the courtroom trying to keep a presumed innocent man off death row. I picked this up and read it non-stop. Cannot wait to recommend this next installment in the series. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Joe Lattimore, homeless and trying desperately to provide for his young family, agrees to fight in a no-holds-barred illegal bout, only to have his opponent die. Lattimore now finds himself at the mercy of the fight's organizers who blackmail him into burglarizing a house. However, when he breaks in, he finds a murdered woman on the floor and the police have received an anonymous tip naming him the murderer. This is another in the Robin Lockwood series and is probably my favorite. She is such an interesting character and this time around there were lots of twists and turns with an incredibly satisfying ending. This can read as a standalone but I highly recommend starting with the first book so you have a better understanding of some of the character development. Besides, you will really enjoy them! Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

Phillip Margolin has another winner. When a homeless man is "set up" for a murder he didn't commit, lawyer Robin Lockwood takes the case. With plots and sub-plots we meet judges, assistant DA's, 'escorts', organized crime members, enforcers, and more in a well-designed, quick-paced novel that will keep you coming back for more.

A second Robin Lockwood novel, as enjoyable as the first. This is a very involved story with tons of twists and turns, with Robin representing an accused murderer. It is she who unfurls tge plot set in motion by a crooked judge.

Really engaging read with a very likable protagonist.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

Robin Lockwood ROCKS! Phillip Margolin has created such a dimensional, compassionate, and fun character to follow. In A Matter of Life and Death, Robin takes on a death-penalty case involving a homeless man. However, the more she uncovers in this case, the more intertwined into the legal system it becomes. With her strong supporting cast, including Jeff, she navigates through the trial -- and with a little help and a cameo from Margolin's other favorite lawyer, Amanda Jaffe. This book is a wonderful read for a Saturday afternoon. It keeps the reader engaged - and rooting for Robin - from start to finish. As always with this Series, Mr. Margolin gives a strong history so a reader doesn't need to read the prior books before coming totally involved in this one (but you will want to read the previous books!).

Action packed, gripping, heart pounding crime thriller with so many smart twists hook you up from first chapter and you want to consume it without a break in a few hours. But as you reach the finishing line so fast you feel so depressed because you had so much fun and you want to read more adventures of this badass, ex MMA fighter, ambitious,smart, sexy, independent Robin Lockwood. Thankfully I’m new to this series so I can go back to soothe my craving.

Robin may be a young lawyer but her intuition, intelligence, calmness help her to kick assess at the court. Lately she defends a transgender client who is blamed for prostitution and is desperate to keep her job. Anthony Carasco was assigned judge to her case, he already made his inappropriate sexist comments before the trial but surprisingly he acts objective throughout the trial and her client gets acquitted.

But of course the real reason behind the judge’s fair manners shows up imminently. Their paths cross again as Robin takes the case of Joe Lattimore who was training with the same boxing club with her, homeless, married, with baby, is convicted to kill Anthony Carasco’s wife. The same wife Mr. Carasco wants to get rid of after meeting his hot mistress Hayes.

After fighting an illegal underground match, Joe kills his opponent and he finds himself get threatened by the fight’s organizers who push him to steal jewelries from a house they chose. But when Joe secretly enters the house he finds the dead body of Mr. Carasco’s wife instead of jewelries and he starts running away without looking back. It seems like a quiet obvious set up and Mr. Carasco might be involved in entire scheme. But another unexpected thing happens and it changes everything about the trial of Joe.

You wanna learn more juicy details! Go on and read it!

I’m giving my four fast pacing, mind bending, entertaining, smart heroine stars!
I’m looking forward to read more books from this series!

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

Excellent

This kept my attention enough that I found myself walking around my house while reading this on my ipad. The plot was good, the ending, which came after what I thought was the ending, was good. I really liked the protagonist, Robin Lockwood, a smart and competent woman. I have read several of this author's books before, but nothing else with her in it. I see there are three previous books and immediately added them to my reading list.

This was my first Robin Lockwood book and I found it to be enjoyable and unpretentious. The writing was straightforward and the cases interesting. I can see my dad reading and liking this series. I did have a hard time remembering who some of the players were though as there were a lot of names to remember.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.