In "The Barrister and the Letter of Marque," Todd M. Johnson delivers a mesmerizing legal thriller that keeps readers hooked from start to finish. With an easy-to-read writing style, Johnson effortlessly combines the intricacies of law with the excitement of maritime adventure. The protagonist's journey into the mysterious world of privateering creates an intriguing backdrop, while the well-crafted plot twists and engaging characters make this book a genuine page-turner. A compelling blend of law and maritime escapades, this novel is a must-read for fans of legal thrillers and historical fiction.

For some reason. I found it very hard to get into this book. The story seemed to drag, leaving me trying to slug my way through. I wasn’t particularly drawn to the characters or the story, and just found that this wasn’t for me.

The Barrister and the Letter of Marque just didn't work for me, I might come back to it at a later date, but for now I just didn't click with it.

Oooh this was such a good book! I had to stop at periodic intervals to rave about the writing to anyone within earshot.

It's a slow build, but at about 40-50% through becomes a page turner you just can't put down. This book is wonderful. It is suspenseful with a hint of romance but most importantly: intelligent characters all around. Clever foes, natural (ie self-interested) acting supporting characters and intelligent leads all combine to make the story as believable as it is well written. I loved it.

Barrister William Snopes finds himself up against insurmountable odds with an innocent man's life at stake.

A riveting read, filled with intrigue and surprising twists along the way. I loved the classic feel of the novel that evoked the style of the British detectives like Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie. Snopes is a sharp man, clever, fair, as well as compassionate. I admired how he was willing to put it all on the line right a wrong and save a life.

I'm not sure if there will be more books in the future with these characters, but I think that it was definitely set up in a way that it could standalone or continue. I liked Madeline her grit and determination to save her family's estate.

A riveting read, suspenseful with multiple twists and turns along the way. Engaging and especially perfect anglophiles or lovers of a good mystery!


I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is very well written thought of I’m completely honest it was a bit dry for me at times. However, the plot was interesting and kept me reading - the characters were a little hard to relate to in the first half but overall a good, solid read.

In a thriller set in London in the 1800s, barrister William Snopes is paid a call by Lady Madeleine Jameson, a struggling heiress.
In the “The Barrister and the Letter or Marque,” by Todd M. Johnson (Bethany House), Madeleine, in an attempt to save their estate, invested in a merchant brig. She had been told that the ship had been given a Letter of Marque authorizing the ship’s captain to seize the cargo of French traders operating illegally in the Indian Sea. But when the ship returns to London, the captain is arrested for piracy, and the letter is nowhere to be found.
Snopes can’t resist a lady in distress, plus he is fascinated with the story. He decides to take the case, not realizing that he is about to make some enemies.
A good read with great dialogue.

I received this book as an advanced reader copy in return for an honest review. I was unsure what to expect when I started this book- I love historical fiction and thrillers but when the law is involved sometimes it can be too confusing. At the beginning as we were meeting the characters it was a little slow for me. Once the characters came together and the story started to take shape I could not put this down. Every time I thought I had things figured out a new twist in the plot appeared. The plot never became stale and slow but always kept moving. I also enjoyed the character traits of the main characters- their internal struggles and growth as well as their interactions with others. In my opinion I felt this was well written. The language was easy to understand yet still left you room to think and imagine a little bit on your own. I would read this again and recommend to any who like thriller, historical fiction, and the battle of good versus evil/underdog versus the big dog. Thank you for the advanced reader copy.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book. These are my honest thoughts.

Most of this book was intriguing and kept me riveted. I didn’t guess many of the reveals, so in that way, it was superb. My favorite thing was the bombshell twist at 89%. It was such a shocker of a twist to me. I loved it!

The middle third was a muddle for me, mostly due to the politics. I’m not a fan of high-status folks railroading the common person—who just wants to eke out a living for themselves, to take care of their family—all for the sake of money and power.

There were some scenes that slowed down the pace for a different reason. Sometimes there seemed to be no forward progression of the story, because those scenes only repeated the same thing: that the case was doomed.

I didn’t understand why the leading man was touted to be some whiz at lawyering, as his “antics” seemed a lot like bumbling around without a clue. I lost interest in rooting for him or believing the opposition’s claims of his competence because of his cluelessness for the majority of the story. I didn’t see very many of the claimed courtroom “antics” either.

There wasn’t enough page time for the romance, so it felt stilted and awkward and incredibly unnecessary. Some of those no-progress scenes could have easily been swapped out for romance development.

I did not appreciate the leading man’s flippancy concerning God and the genuine faith of other characters in the story. This felt highly disrespectful and was never resolved.

On the subject of faith, having a priest drink beer in a pub rubbed me the wrong way.

The complex plot surrounding the piracy charges was intriguing and kept me guessing. Wanting to find out what would happen to the poor, innocent captain was what kept me coming back to this story in that slumpy middle.

The opening of the story was very gripping. The suspenseful tone was kept fairly strong throughout, aided by a plethora of good plot twists and surprises.

A web of supporting cast members was well developed and quite fascinating. It was fun trying to peel back all the layers, and I enjoyed the various reveals along the journey.

The role of the penny dreadfuls was fantastic! I’ve never seen a story incorporate them in this way before.

Content: rape implied, alcohol, pubs, tobacco, gambling, partial profane phrase, profanity, swearing by “everything holy to me,” swearing on a person’s life, expletives, crude sexual term, marital affairs mentioned

This was such a captivating story of historical fiction and I really enjoyed it. It was a quick, light read and I had a hard time putting it down. There are many twists ad turns in this clever plot and it will keep you guessing.
Many thanks to Bethany Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Regency books cover the short period in English history when King George III is too mentally ill to rule and his son rules in his stead. It is that exact period in which legal thriller writer Todd M. Johnson has placed his new book THE BARRISTER AND THE LETTER OF MARQUE. A captain on his first voyage with a ship co-financed by his cousin Lady Jameson believes he has been granted a letter of marque, permission to confiscate the cargo of any French ship it encounters in the name of the British king. France and Britain are finally at peace, but the British Trading company does have exclusive rights to buy and sell India's tea. In the world of 1810-1820, that is a really big deal. Any ship carrying tea other than a British ship would be considered smuggling. But when the Padget enters port, the captain is arrested, his crew detained, and the cargo seized; when he attempts to show his letter of marque, he finds it has disappeared. All this leads Lady Jameson to approach Barrister Snopes, an attorney known for his independence and cunning. The British court system is different than ours which made this book a bit more difficult to read and yet also more intriguing. Snopes, who has all but abandoned his upper class upbringing and family, has two assistants who could easily have been plucked from a Charles Dicken's novel. For that matter so could have the shady characters who helped the conspirators in this complicated story. I have not found anything that suggests that this is the beginning of a series with Snopes and his associates in the lead, but I certainly hope so. Characters, setting, and crimes are unlike anything Johnson has written in the past, but even in new territory, he excels at mystery and suspense. I received a copy of this novel from Netgalley. All opinions are mine.

As far as a NetGalley find goes, The Barrister and the Letter of Marque was a hidden gem. I wasn’t very into it at first, but as it picked up speed, I became very intrigued.

In 1818 London, young lawyer William Snopes has hit a high point in his career of representing the average person rather than the upper-class lords and ladies of the ton. However, that streak is about to be broken when Lady Madeline Jameson asks him to take a case that no other lawyer wants to touch: her cousin, Captain Tuttle, has been accused of piracy and is in danger of losing his life. His defense? He was sailing under a Letter of Marque from the Prince Regent that disappeared between the time he docked and the time he was accused – a matter of minutes. While Snopes is doubtful about the case, the deeper he looks into the matter, the more convinced he becomes that he’s smelling a pretty big rat. Can Snopes and his team of young attorneys save Captain Tuttle from the gallows?

I found The Barrister and the Letter of Marque to be a very intriguing read. At first, I was a little underwhelmed, but as I got to know the characters and the mystery better, I was quickly drawn into the plot. I found William Snopes to be a complex, heartfelt character, one with a grudge against the upper crust of society, but who was honorable enough to take a case because he sensed something fishy about it. He is quite a progressive lawyer for his time, always bending the interpretation of the law to suit his case, which hasn’t earned him a lot of friends among judges. It’s funny because we’re used to lawyers reaching and twisting, these days, but in 1818 things must have been more cut-and-dry.

I was sincerely impressed with the mystery aspect of this story; I thought the plot was very well done and it kept me guessing until the end. I certainly didn’t see how it pieced together until Snopes threaded it all through for me. Johnson’s writing style helped immensely with this, as he showed us enticing bites of the evildoers’ machinations, but not enough to give us the full picture. It was a good move and showcased Johnson’s talent for storytelling.

I liked the interactions between both Snopes and his team and Snopes and Lady Jameson. Snopes rescued his team out of the orphanage and educated them in the workings of the law. They’re indebted to him for his kindness and belief in them, but he doesn’t take advantage of it in the slightest. It makes them a well-organized group as they each know each other’s strengths. With Lady Jameson, Snopes shows a little bit of a romantic streak. However, this barely took up any of the book at all, which I really liked for a change. It was very much a minor side element of the book, and all of his energy focused on winning the case for her cousin. If Snopes becomes a series, I would be intrigued to see how this whisper of a tendresse between the two might evolve.

As Todd M Johnson was an attorney for over 30 years, you can expect this novel to focus on court proceedings and legal language, and it certainly does. However, the detective work that Snopes does (I suppose he would call it evidence-gathering) is critical to the novel and is the bulk of the story outside of the courtroom. So, you won’t be bogged down with a bunch of legal drama with this read. Johnson also does a good job of clarifying any terms that readers may not know, mostly through subtly placed explanations using characters throughout the book. For instance, I had no idea what a Letter of Marque was – now I do!

All in all, I think this book was very well-written. It was engaging, had a believable plot, and there weren’t any events that didn’t make sense or loopholes that could have caused the entire plot to unravel. I definitely enjoyed reading this and would read more of Snopes in the future.

I thought Todd M Johnson's The Barrister and the Letter of Marque to be a great Historical Mystery. I would love to read more by this author in the future. Four and half stars.

Unfortunately this book was a miss for me. It took me awhile to get into the story line, and I had a hard time connecting with the storyline and characters. I know others have loved it, but I could not finish it. I may try again in the future to see if perhaps it was mood related.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have enjoyed many of Todd Johnson's stories in the past and was thrilled when this one came out. It did not disappoint!

This was in interesting legal mystery, focusing more on legal machinations and suspense rather than much danger or action. The story started off slowly and it took me about the halfway point to really get invested in it. Then, the legal maneuvering and the uncovering of clues started to build, capturing my attention. This story is more of peeling back the many layers to uncover the truth. I found William to be more of an admirable, rather than likable, character. I really liked Madeleine's grit and determination, she was a character I could root for. I'm not sure if this is the beginning of a series because it seems William's spiritual journey (and hints of a romantic journey) are still unresolved. One thing that took me out of the story was the inclusion of real historical figures in the unfolding of events. I cannot say more without revealing spoilers but I thought their actions were not in line with real history. Their fictionalized actions just pulled me out of the story and left me disappointed. Overall, it was a solid story if you like legal thrillers--3.5 stars.
* I received a copy free of charge from NetGalley.

This book looked to provide a welcome break from my usual Regency romances, so I snapped it up (on Netgalley) quite quickly, and I am glad I did.
The Barrister and the Letter of Marque was something akin to a Sherlock Holmes Mystery crossed with a legal thriller. William Snopes, A London barrister (a type of lawyer specializing in courtroom advocacy and litigation) has to represent a noble client. As he looks into her case, he discovers dangerous secrets in high places.

The case involves a ship which engaged in privateering in the Indian Ocean. A Letter of Marque was essentially licensed piracy, allowing a vessel to sieze enemy ships and thier goods. Without it, such vessels and their crews could be arrested as pirates.
As the story, and the cast develops It turns out to be about a lot more than just a lost Letter of Marque. There are twists and turns aplenty, loyalties and relationships are tested, and there is a smattering of romance.

Although I did appreciate the "use" of place in this novel, and how it incorportated so many places, both inside and outside London, there were a couple of things which annoyed me. The tendency to include the noun "County" after the name of every other county.

Sussex County, Essex County, etc. That's not how place names work in Britain. Sussex and Essex are counties, but counties are ancient regional designations. Ergo, when someone talks about what county they come from, or are living in, they just say the name of the county.
They will simply say "I am from Lancashire", not "I am from Lancashire county" because everyone knows Lancashire is a county.

I'd certainly recommend this as an introduction to Todd M Johnson's work, and I think the author has gone through a lot of effort to familiarize himself with the workings of the English legal system.

Thanks to Netgalley for approving my request for this title. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.

I’m always willing to try something that’s a little outside my normal reading zone, so when my bestie signed up to read this one I decided I would too.
The premise was unique and intriguing and since I’ve been on a Regency/Victorian kick lately the time period was right up my alley!
Unfortunately I just could not get into this one. The slow moving plot and narrator style of POV that had as moving from one character to the next without warning just made it really hard for me to connect to the story.
I did like the feel of the book though and the way the author set the mood! So while I couldn’t get lost in these pages I know there are others who will and I highly encourage you to check out some other reviews if you think this might be the book for you!

The Barrister and the Letter of Marque is a thrilling Regency tale with Dickensian flair that matches characters in a battle of wits both in and out of a courtroom setting. Combining societal expectations with a compelling and smartly spun mystery, it paces itself with an immersive setting and many threads at the beginning only to rush into a gallop midpoint as the high stakes become clear and the suspense heightens.

This is the first novel I’ve read by Todd M. Johnson. It is clearly well-researched with its London setting, especially, shining as a character itself. The points of view are used cleverly as the hero, William Snopes, gets most of the page time, but his surrounding friends, Lady Jameson, and even more sinister side characters have points of view that complicate the story. This sometimes leaves the reader with a greater sense of suspense as he or she is privy to the mysterious goings on moreso than Barrister Snopes.

I really enjoyed the strong themes of justice that shine through in this novel, and the fortitude of the characters as they contend with unseen opponents to ferret out the truth. Personal convictions and an empathetic hero who stands for the truth add emotional notes to the story. I was particularly interested in his backstory as it was expounded and fully invested in his success. I hope to see more historical legal thrillers in this vein from Johnson — hopefully more with Barrister William Snopes!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy. This is my honest review.

This is my first book of Todd M Johnson, from the prologue I was intrigued about the main character William Snopes, which when we meet only has eighteen years old. Then in the first chapter, we know twenty years have happened and that he become a known barrister. While the story is developing we meet Edmund, his Junior Barrister, and Obadiah his solicitor. An unexpected client is asking for William Snope's help in a controversial case that will be making him be against the Crown. One of the main attractions of this book is how the author Todd M Jhonson not only describes the historical elements and background but also gave them a voice. There are several characters in this story, so it’s very important to pay attention while reading. What starts as an impossibility, little by little found in a big web of greed and power. Although through the book, we may have several hypotheses, it’s almost at the end all the questions are answered. It’s a well-written book, it can show us a glimpse of how life in court was in 1818, action, drama, and several unexpected twists and turns. It’s a good choice for those who enjoy Christian Historical books, with only a hint of romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free digital copy for review, all opinions are my own.