OMG! This book pulled me in from page one. I didn't stop until I finished it. The ending blew my mind but it was perfect 👌. This is the first book by Victor Methos I have ever read but it will not be the last!

An Unreliable Truth is a terrific read. It is about Dylan Aster, a young defense attorney who is yet to lose a case. Him and his law partner, Lily Ricci take on a new case that has tugged at Dylan's heart. Arlo Ward, a young schizophrenic man is in prison for murder. 3 young people were killed at a campsite. Arlo was caught in his vehicle speeding not far from the scene covered in the victims blood. The prosecution thinks there's no way they will lose this case. Dylan doesn't think Arlo is capable of plotting these gruesome murders. A forth victim jumped off a cliff to escape the killer and she has terrible injuries, but is alive. She can't identify the murderer though. Dylan and Lily defend Arlo in a spectacular trial. You find yourself on Arlo's side, hoping this young man is found innocent. At the end of the book there is a huge twist! This thriller will have you on the edge of your seat until the end.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy. I really liked this book in the series, and really liked they focused on a different lawyer. This starts strong and stays that way. I will say there was a small amount of predictability, but it didn’t take away from the book. I enjoyed reading this author again, and will continue to read this authors books.

Although this is the 3rd in the Desert Plains series, it can definitely stand on its own within the series. While I was disappointed that Jessica Yardley was not featured in this book, it was still well-written and eminently readable.

The book features Dylan Aster and Lilli Ricci, recently introduced in Crimson Lake Road. They have been tasked with defending Arlo Ward who suffers from schizophrenia, admits to seeing a demon and has confessed to the horrific killings. However, what ensues generates much doubt, many twists and enough turns to keep you on your toes.

You won't be disappointed in this series installment and Victor Methos keeps you guessing until the end. Again I thank Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for an advance copy. Happy reading!!

Although An Unreliable Truth is #3 in the series, I feel it can definitely be read as a stand-alone.

"The police pull over blood-soaked Arlo Ward not far from the site of grisly murders; he fully cooperates with the officers, grinning through a remorseless confession dripping with gory detail."

Defense attorneys Dylan Aster and Lily Ricci are hired to defend Arlo and before long start believing he may actually be innocent. He has schizophrenia and it seems as though he may have discovered the murder site and is pretending to be the murderer in a bid for fame and a book deal.

The descriptions of the murders were rather gruesome and I'll confess to having skimmed the details on a couple of them. I very much liked Dylan and Lily. I LOVED their courtroom scenes and found myself flipping back and forth as to whether Arlo was guilty or not, all the way to the end of the book!

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC!!

Arlo Ward is found by police, covered in blood, close to the scene of a horrific triple murder to which he confesses. Defense attorneys Dylan and Lily represent Ward, but the details of the crime just don’t add up. An Unreliable Truth is the 3rd book in the Desert Plains series, and it’s another winner! Sharp dialogue, a quick pace, and non-stop action fuel this tense courtroom drama, and you’ll fly through the pages. Although part of a series, this is a stand-alone book and you don’t need to read the prior books, although I highly recommend that you do, as this is a great series. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have now read all three Desert Plains thrillers and this is easily the best. Twists and turns, excitement, a wonderful if grisly plot and well drawn characters.

I tis not necessary to have read the two previous books although some of the main characters are featured in this one.

Without giving away spoilers , the key word for me is "Demons". The mentally ill defendant hears voices and sees a demon that apparently brings on his murderous behaviour and the relentless prosecutor is driven on by her own particular demons relating t a tragic past incident.

All in all an excellent legal thriller and well worth a read.

An Unreliable Truth by Victor Methos. Tense legal thriller/courtroom drama involving a triple murder and severely injured survivor. Defense attorneys Dylan Aster and Lily Ricci are featured in the third book in the Desert Plains Series. Arlo Ward has confessed to the crimes however there is the likelihood that Arlo is suffering for delusional schizophrenia and is using his confession to the crimes as an means to gain attention and possible financial gain. There are several twists with surprises, secrets and revelations. Somewhat graphic descriptions of the crimes. Mr Methos ended the book with a more than satisfying conclusion.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

Thank you to both #NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an advance copy of Victor Methos’s latest novel, An Unreliable Truth, in exchange for an honest review.

#AnUnreliableTruth is book number three in the Desert Plains series, but you can easily read this without having read the first two. As with most legal thrillers, the author’s novels follow a certain format, but it by no means takes away from his impressive storytelling skills.

He always manages to incorporate a unique twist somewhere within his plotlines and this novel proves no different than any of his others—all of which can be read in a span of several hours due to their quick pacing and engaging storylines.

The author also tends to provide general commentary on the U.S. justice system and the legal field. In particular, his past few novels included scattered remarks about gender discrimination in the legal sector and the struggles of female attorneys. Given that I agree with many of his or at least his characters’ opinions regarding the criminal justice system, I find these details enjoyable.

Side note: while I could be totally wrong about this, at one point in the novel, Kelly, who is the lead prosecutor, is insulted both by jury consultants and on social media. Specifically, the characters take a dig at how she is dressed in court. I wonder if this is an allusion to how Marcia Clark was perceived during the OJ Simpson trial…

Again, though the main characters are the same, the reader does not need to read the first two books in the Desert Plains series to read #AnUnreliableTruth. The story revolves around a defendant, Arlo Ward, who is being tried for murder in a case where the prosecution has sought the death penalty.

The problem with the case is that several of the characters believe he is innocent and only admitting guilt because he is searching for media attention. He also is diagnosed with delusional schizophrenia and claims that a demon forced him to commit the crimes.

When the case is assigned to an inexperienced public defender named Madeline, Madeline asks her friend Jessica Yardley, who is a district attorney and a character that frequently appears in Methos’s other books, to do her a favor and call the renowned defense attorney, Dylan Aster. Dylan and his business partner, Lily Ricci, reluctantly agree to help Madeline with the case.

The crime involves a triple homicide and one severely injured survivor. TW: Those who prefer to avoid grisly details should beware since some descriptions may be too graphic. However, if you are familiar and intentionally seek out this genre, then you can expect the usual.

My two main gripes with this novel is that the author has used a similar tactic in other novels, which does mirror legal strategies in real life, but may not be so great for fictional purposes. The second minor issue I had was with the side characters. Many of them seemed pointless. While I appreciated that the author used family troubles and a not a love story to give the characters some background, it fell flat in this instance.

Like most of the cases featured in the author’s other novels, they pose a situation where it seems the defendant is unlikely to win. The reader is also left wondering whether the defendant is guilty or not all the way up to the end. Since a good portion of the novel focuses on the trial, I really cannot say too much else without leaking spoilers.

What I can tell prospective readers is this: If you enjoy reading legal thrillers that are heavy on the courtroom drama, then this book will be right up your alley. For those readers who are already familiar with the author, this one certainly does not disappoint and is much better than the previously released novel.