Not What I Expected, But Well Worth Reading

When this novel became available on NetGalley, I immediately requested it because I thoroughly enjoyed the first two novels in this series. I was looking forward to another novel with Jessica Yardley and Cason Baldwin. That was not to be. This novel is a standalone novel and well worth reading so do not let the above fact stop you from reading this novel.

This novel opens in a hospital’s emergency room. A young woman is being treated for horrific injuries. She chose to jump off a canyon precipice vice to face an approaching killer with a knife. The county district attorney south of Las Vegas learns that a man pulled over for speeding was covered in blood, but he states it wasn’t his fault as the devil made him do it. He is assigned a public defender who has never defended a capital case. The public defender calls a friend, Jessica Yardley, her only appearance, asking if she knows some defense attorney that can help her. Jessica Yardley connects her with Dylan Aster who had just won his 44th straight trial. With all of the major characters introduced, the novel takes off.

The main storyline keeps the level of tension high with mounting evidence. Unfortunately, the evidence falls into one of three categories: he is not mentally competent; he did not do it; or he did it. The defendant does not make defending him easy as he wants to plead guilty, be condemned to death, write a book whose proceeds will provide for his wife and child, and be executed. Along the way, there are what I call literary grenades that support all three of the above categories. Needless to say, my attention was quickly captured and maintained all the way at the end.

The B-storyline threads primarily focus on the District Attorney and Dylan Aster. The District Attorney makes decisions, and the background provided shows the bases on which she relies to make those decisions. The B-storyline thread on Dylan Aster is a wider scope because he has a big decision in the near future. He had been offered beaucoup bucks to work in a corporate law firm in Los Angeles.

For some aspects that commonly offend some readers, this novel did not raise any red flags for me. There were not any intimate scenes. Vulgar language was non-existent, and rude language was very infrequent. Some of the violence is described as it occurs that is more edgy but was not excessive. In my opinion should not be an issue for almost all readers.

As I implied in my title for this review, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. With evidence supporting that he did and that he didn’t was used very well by the author. This aspect was the major reason that kept me reading even late into the night. There was one aspect that I did not like, but I believe that many readers will see this as a plus. Therefore, I did not use it to determine my rating of this novel. I am sure that you will recognize it when you read it. I will let you decide for yourself. For me this novel was a surprise gem of a read. I rate this novel with five stars.

I received a free e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from Thomas and Mercer. My review is based only by my own reading experience of this book. I wish to thank Thomas and Mercer for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

But A Reliable Author. This was my first time reading this author, which makes me a bit different from most of the other ARC reviewers on Goodreads just under three weeks before publication. And I can tell you without hesitation that this is a perfectly fine first-for-you book, so long as you don't mind coming into a world where at least some of the characters have already had other adventures with each other. (Though the way this one reads, one presumes even the first book was written such that the reader is coming in to already-established relationships.) The crime at the heart of this one is particularly grisly, and worthy of a capital trial (for those that believe murdering a murderer is something anyone, let alone a government, should be allowed to do). The personal dramas among the lawyers are compelling. The courtroom drama as the lawyers fight with and against each other is at least as compelling as any other factor. And the outcomes are satisfying within the realms of the world and particular story - though that in no way gives you any hint as to what they actually are. :D Basically, if you like courtroom dramas, you're likely going to like this one. If you like compelling mysteries, you're likely to like this one. If you like just good stories period, you're likely to like this one. So if you're open to any of the above at all, you should read this book. ;) Very much recommended.

An Unreliable Truth
Desert Plains, 3
by Victor Methos
4 stars

Victor Methos never disappoints! This book is jam-packed with non-stop action. Methos knows how to write and deliver a book that appeals to a broad range of people! I truly hope he keeps it up for a long time.

Not my favorite book of the series, but I loved that the main characters were Dylan and Lily (characters we were introduced to in the 2nd book)! While a little slow at times, the mystery of “who actually did it?”keeps you turning the page. And the satisfying ending makes it worth it! All in all, a solid legal thriller. Look forward to more books from Methos!

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was another great book from Methos. I feel like his books pull you in with strong characters and plots. I didn't find it very twisty but I still felt like it was a strong read and I will continue to read from this author.

I received this book through "NetGalley's" read now program.

This was a great story right from the beginning. It began with Dylan winning his 44th straight not-guilty verdict. Dylan is requested by a member of the D.A.'s office to assist a public defender in a capital murder case. Dylan agrees to look into it, but doesn't promise anything more. After his meeting, he said that he would have a friend of his look into it. Lily, Dylan's partner eventually convinced him to take part. She felt it would be good for their law firm. As Dylan began looking for evidence, he believed that their best was to go with an insanity plea. The evidence the prosecution had was deadly and their client had already confessed. The client was adamant that he did it. He thought he would become famous and could write a book to get money for his family.

As the trial proceeded and the prosecution was finishing its' case, Dylan changed their plea to not guilty because they discovered information that the prosecution team did not provide which gave them more ammunition to create reasonable doubt. The trial finally ended and the jury gave its' verdict.

To discover what the verdict was and whether his not-guilty streak went to 45 straight, then you need to read this book. The case presentation by both sides is worth it and you won't guess what happened in the end. You have to read it to discover.

Thank you NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Author for the chance to read and review An Unreliable Truth.

I didn't realize this book was in a series before I requested and I try to make sure first but dove straight into it!
And I hate doing this type of thing because I never do it. But I honestly can't read this book yet because I can't read books out of order that's in a series. Sounds crazy I know but it drives me completely bonkers and I can't do it.
So I looked and luckily I can read books one-three on my Kindle Unlimited so let me down the first three books and then I'll jump onto this upcoming book!
Again I'm truly sorry and I try to look ahead before I request but I jumped the gun here!

Ill come back to this review when I!.caught up the rest.
Thank you very much. I will be back to review AUT.

4.5 this was a very interesting book, a little slow at times but of course that would be the case in terms of an actual trial. we have a sympathetic defense team, and prosecutor, an unreliable but seeming sympathetic defendant and a very sympathetic victim. most grew and changed their lives over the course of the trial. my first with this author but won't be my last

Author Victor Methos is a reliable choice for legal thrillers and his latest, AN UNRELIABLE TRUTH, returns to the same location with slightly different characters but another sizzling plot. A horrible crime has been committed and someone apprehended quickly, nearby, covered in blood. It seems so easy that there must be something wrong. Is the suspect crazy, lying or … explanation unknown. This is a fast, tense tale that is impossible to pause part way through. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Wow, what a read! To say this is a legal thriller is an understatement! I started reading and couldn't stop! Dylan and Lily are lawyers who find themselves defending a challenging case. I don't want to spoil the storyline, but suffice it to say it has more twists and turns than I was expecting, and be ready for surprises along the way!

Fans of Robert Dugoni and John Grisham will love this read. I look forward to more from this author. His law background clearly shines through.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the free copy, the comments above are my own without influence.

I liked this one more than the first in this series, and it can definitely be read as a stand-alone.

I think this is the type of book that works best the LESS you know going in. It is written in a similar style as the other book I read by this author. Given that a lot of the time is in the courtroom, there is more suspense than I would have expected. Going through all the courtroom shenanigans pays off and kept me guessing.

Wow oh Wow! What a story. This one was hard to put down. Arlo is adamant he killed the campers. Dylan and Lily defend him, fighting him all the way to overcome his confession. The book from beginning to end was attention getting. Twists come often and the story takes a new direction. But the ending was amazing. This book is a winner!

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy.

Great legal procedure thriller with an interesting twist and an ending that I kinda figured might happen. The courtroom drama was rather drawn out at times, but didn’t take away from the story. The side stories (Dylan’s, Lily’s, and the Dylan/Lily “friendship”) made for good breaks in the gruesome descriptions in the courtroom.

I wasn’t enamored with Book #2 in the series (in fact, I didn’t even finish it), but this one drew me back in. Victor Methos is a talented writer, and one that I didn’t enjoy compared to all the others I did enjoy is OK.

Cross-posted to Goodreads.

I think this could easily be read as a standalone legal drama and thriller. The legal pieces and courtroom scenes were fantastic. This case left me wondering about the choices I would make, and I love a book that makes you think.
Plus the suspense was insane, I think I want to buy the hardcopy and reread! 4 stars!

I am always so excited to read a new Victor Methos book, and this one was no exception. I was not prepared for the ending, wow! Throughout the book, I was heavily invested in the outcome of the trial and you could feel the frustration of the defense team. I am not typically a fan of legal thrillers, but this book does an excellent job keeping the reader engaged and guessing what will happen next. I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next in the series.

I can't rave about this book enough! I LOVED it.

I am a huge fan of the first two Desert Plains books, but this was hands down my favorite. I love how Methos is creating his own little world. Jessica Yardley makes in appearance in this once, but the book is largely about other characters in the Desert Plains universe which is great because I love reading as he fleshes it all out. I would love to see Methos keep going with this and really let us into the world of Desert Plains like Linwood Barclay lets us into Promise Falls.

For this book specifically, I thought the case was brilliantly laid out. I loved that you as the reader do not know if Arlo Ward did it or not, and if he's crazy or not, until the very end. I also loved the resolution of the victim's story, which I did not see coming.

I also really, truly, loved the relationship between Dylan & Lily. I am a huge fan of the slow=burn romance (like Mulder & Scully) and I think this is potentially the sweetest, most realistic, un-explored relationship I've read in a long time. I was honestly a little shocked by the lack of a romantic ending, but I suspect this is not the end of Dylan & Lily and would love to see how their practice & personal lives develop!

A crazy defendant requires crazy lawyers to take his case, but they are just crazy enough to think they can win even when all the evidence is stacked against them.

Wow! I think this one was the best of the series. Great courtroom scenes and surprises as well. I truly enjoy whatever ride this author takes me on. Can't wait till his next book.

Thanks for the advance copy of An Unreliable Truth from Netgalley and to Thomas & Mercer for the 3rd installment of Victor Methos's Desert Plains series. However, I think this could easily be read as a standalone legal thriller. This an author I can count on to deliver a suspenseful. realistic legal drama. This case left me wondering if I would make similar choices as the defense team.
This is a courtroom case with lawyers defending a mentally challenged man, who has already confessed to graphically described, horrific murders.
The crime has drama, multiple suspects, twists & turns. I would highly recommend, 4.5 Stars!

Full disclosure, the ending is what got me. This book focuses far more on the court procedural than the 2 previous books, so if that's not your thing you may not enjoy it. However we get to follow the dynamic Dylan Aster as he takes on a case where the client wants to be found guilty. The dynamics there were excellent and constantly had me guessing.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC in exchange for an honest review*