I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley.com, I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a great book on par with early John Grisham and Scott Turow. Jack Moreno was a District Attorney prosecuting gang violence, until a violent attack left him with ptsd and a hesitancy in the courtroom.

After being fired from the District Attorney's office he goes to work for his father in law doing corporate law which is sucking the life out him. His wife, also an attorney is thrilled with his being out of criminal law. Then he receives a call from a judge asking him to take on a criminal case that he can't refuse.

The legal manipulations after that and the political maneuverings are terrifying in their ambition. Its what happens when people lose sight of what is right and only focus on what will get them elected. It becomes not about the law but about ambition and huge mistakes get made.

This is a very ambition novel and it reminds me a bit of the Pelican Brief in its twists and turns. This is definitely an author that I will be keeping an eye on. Well created characters and a great story that really sucks you in. I wouldn't be surprised to see this turned into either a TV series or a movie at some point in the future.

Wow. This book was absolutely amazing! It was intense and suspenseful; it kept you on the edge of your seat, and it ended in a way that I never saw coming! There was one specific event that literally blew my mind. Barrett does a fantastic job with the courtroom scenes – very believable. As an attorney, I absolutely love legal thrillers. Barret also does a great job of providing each character with a distinctive personality and really writing in such a way that you root for certain characters, and despise others. For instance, I absolutely hated the judge. While I whole heartedly give this book 5 big stars, there was two little sentences that bothered me. During the trial, the Judge would tell the witness that they needed to respond with Yes or No so that their response was on the record. However, two times that the Commonwealth asked something of the Judge, for instance to approach the witness, and the judge nodded. A judge should know better. It’s not a huge deal, but just something I noticed.

Jack Marino is a big star in the prosecutor’s office after bringing several high profile cases to satisfying verdicts, until he is viciously attacked at home by presumably one of the convicted parties cohorts.
After that attack his job as a prosecutor is just done. He no longer has confidence in his ability and is always fearful of another attack.
He then goes into his father in laws law firm. This makes his wife happy, they will be rich and well regarded.
Then a judge who was his mentor and whom also believes Jack should get back to trial law is recruited to recruit Jack into defending a man.
Although he is not a defense lawyer, Jack takes the case . He loses his wife and his current job in the process but gains back much more than he has lost.
Very good novel with a twist or two I did not expect. I do recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I love legal thrillers so this was a no-brainer request and it certainly did live up to the hype! Jack is an ADA who then becomes a defense attorney because of circumstances over which he has no control. When he is then asked to defend a man accused of murder, he realizes he has his work cut out for him as there is a strip club, and perceived heavy hitters involved. His personal life is in shambles but he's a brilliant man so he goes in with the proverbial "guns blazing." Fast-paced and action-packed, this novel invites you into the underbelly of society and leaves you satisfied at the end!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Mystic Wind by James Barretto
Jack Marino Legal Thriller #1

Excellent debut legal thriller – Enjoyed reading a new author’s work and look forward to reading more in the future.

What I liked
* Jack Malone: When we meet him, he is a hot shot prosecuting attorney, married to a wealthy lawyer and heiress, living the good life, and all is golden. Things change when he is beaten nearly to death, suffers from PTSD, finds the courtroom impossible, and is not living up to his wife’s expectations. A job in a big firm should fix things, but it doesn’t. When offered a capital murder case for the state – he feels compelled to take the job defending the accused. Then, his life changes again and in more ways than one.
* Matt Malone: Jack’s older brother, grew up in the projects suffering the same rough life his brother Jack did, plays a big part in this book, would like to know he made it through okay and will show up in future books of this series
* Summer St. Cloud: works for the DA’s office and directly with the lawyer who will prosecute Jack’s client, she dated Jack before he married Abby, is important in this book and perhaps beyond
* David Lamb: poor, young, single parent of young twin girls, doing his best, has a rough backstory, accused of murder, proclaims he is innocent, to be defended by Jack
* The way the story came together
* The legal aspects of the story although at times I got bogged down in the court scenes and must admit I read these sections quickly
* Learning something new
* Reading a new-to-me author that I highly recommend
* Wondering what will happen next in Jack’s life and how he will proceed
* Hoping that there are good lawyers working for those that are truly innocent…and winning
* That the corrupt, evil, criminals in this story were exposed and dealt with - mostly


What I didn’t like
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Knowing that those on the side of justice, law, and order don’t always prevail
* Thinking about how many lives are ruined for so little reason

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4.5 Stars

A debut legal thriller, Mystic Wind is set in the 1980’s in Boston. It’s the story of Jack Marino, former hot-shot prosecutor with the DA’s office, now working for his rich wife’s father at a tony law firm and wondering whether he hasn’t sold out. Suddenly he’s thrust back into criminal law, defending a man accused of a cold-blooded murder with the just-instituted death penalty on the table. The fast-paced plot takes Jack back to the Mystic housing projects where he grew up and reunites him with his estranged brother and the woman he left behind as he struggles to win justice for his client despite the political machinations unfolding in the looming gubernatorial race and the prejudice of a sitting judge. While some of the courtroom scenes dragged a bit, in general the pace was quick with short chapters moving the action along and a central character who grew into an honorable crusader for justice worthy of what looks to be an ongoing series.

My thanks to Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley for my advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

There are never enough courtroom legal thrillers available for me to read. So when I discovered Mystic Wind by debut author James Barretto, I didn’t have to think twice. I had to read it!

The story piqued my interest almost immediately. The main character, Jack Marino, had a well-known reputation as an aggressive prosecutor. But his boss, Trevor Cameron, fires Jack after he is assaulted and as he attempts to cope with the aftermath. Could it have something to do with Cameron, whose goal is to become the next governor?

Surprisingly, two years later something happens that puts Jack Marino sitting opposite of Cameron’s team. How bad will Jack, who left under unfavorable circumstances, want to pull out of his slump and show his old boss what he's made of?

The plot rolled along beautifully. The characters were believable. But I had one very unusual concern.

My Concerns
For a person who loves legal thrillers, I felt the courtroom scenes were too long. Were they believable? Yes! But they felt like a verbatim transcript that took up too much space.

So an odd concern for a legal thriller lover, for sure, but I’d cut the length of the courtroom scenes.

Final Thoughts
I’ve definitely located another author that I will be following. Fans of Robert Dugoni and Michael Cordell will want to put this author on their radar.

Yes. This is a book I would easily recommend.

My thanks to netgalley and the author for an ARC and the ability to post an unbiased review.

Mystic Wind had a great concept and a thrilling plot but I oftne wanted to skim some of the scenes because they kind of dragged on and I didn’t want to read a blow by blow. I liked the character and jis journey, but not the writing.

Strong Legal Thriller Debut. As a former District Attorney's Office employee (I worked on their tech) and (mostly) former police accountability activist who also happens to be a former trailer park kid... I have quite a bit in common with our hero of this new series. Which may have made this particular book have a bit more impact for me - while not having these *exact* experiences, I've been close enough that they all rang all too true. And what experiences we have, from having (and losing) it all in order to truly find yourself (which to be clear, never really happened in my own life) to crime lords not caring about the "little people" they are destroying to cops, prosecutors, and judges - who are *supposed* to care about those very people - placing their own profits and aspirations ahead of truly serving the people and truly seeking justice. Of course, Barretto also does himself a few favors in setting the book in the early 80s, before American police - and the entire "justice" system - became as militarized as it now stands, and before activists really rose in response to such militarization. For example, data does not exist for the period in question, yet American police are known to have killed over 10,000 people within the last decade as I write this review. In setting this story (and likely series?) in such a "simpler" time, Barretto manages to be able to tell his tale(s) without having to worry about such issues. Overall truly a solid legal thriller that also provides a solid look at some areas many might prefer not to see. Very much recommended.

Getting Back In The Saddle Wasn’t Easy As Expected

The novel opens with a flashback. A vagrant, Nora, hears some men talking nearby. One man is telling the other to get down in front of him. The other man is very fat and is pleading for his life. She saw two others appear behind the man with a gun. The man shot the fat man dead. Nora starts to retch. The men hear her and start looking for her. She slips into the Mystic River and into a culvert to hide. The action shifts to a current court case where Boston ADA Jack Marino is prosecuting one of Boston’s most notorious gang leaders and drug traffickers for a terrible crime against a woman that works for him. Jack wins his case spectacularly, and the defendant is sentenced to 30 years. The defendant indicates to his gang members in the audience his displeasure with Jack. They pay a visit to Jack soon after he arrives home. They beat him savagely. As a result, he loses his confidence as a prosecutor, loses his job, takes a job at his wife’s father corporate legal firm.

There is only one main storyline that has three distinct phases. The first and second phases are described above. The third phase starts as the district attorney with his sights on becoming the next governor is looking for a slam-dunk case to apply the newly passed death penalty law. He and his deputy plan the course of this prosecution to achieve that result. They even enlist Jack’s former mentor at the district attorney’s office who now is a judge to convince that this would be an easy case to reenter criminal law. The main storyline threads are narrated by all the major characters, protagonists and antagonists, so there are not many secrets, but there are some. Their reveals do add some spice, and some are what I call literary grenades. As the reader, I knew what was coming, but my interest still was captured because I wanted to see how Jack overcame the obstacles. My interest was kept all the way to the end of the novel.

The B-storyline centers mostly on Jack Marino. The reader will see him at this peak at the start, at the bottom of his abyss after his fall, and his shaky recovery. Besides the usual methods to learn of his background and personality, because of the antagonists being some of the narrators, the reader will learn what they think and say about Jack Marino. The B-storyline therefore is quite rich and enhanced my reading enjoyment.

For the aspects that can turn some readers off, there are not any intimate scenes. There is some vulgar, rude and impious language but not to a level that it became an issue for me. There is some violence and is described in the more edgy as it occurs, but it is not anywhere being over the top. As this is the author’s first novel, so there isn’t a problem with references to events in the previous novels.

Usually, thrillers keep much hidden and reveal information incrementally. That definitely is not true here. In this book, the reader knows much of what Jack Marino is facing. What I found interesting and different in all of the previous books of this genre is my anticipation to learn how he will overcome those obstacles. I found this an intriguing approach and was the major reason that I enjoyed reading this novel. The only aspect that bothered me was that Jack Marino returned to the criminal court. He was a little shaky and more than I expected for an experienced and stellar prosecutor would make even having been out of the court room for a few years.

For me this novel was an enjoyable novel to read. I do recommend reading it especially for the different approach to this genre. As this is the first novel I have read by this author, I have tentatively rated him in my Will-Read author category, my second highest rating. I am looking forward to reading further books by the author. I rate this novel with four stars.

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

I liked the cover. I liked the description of the book and thought it would be interesting to read.
However, I failed to connect with either any of the characters or the story.
This book was a miss for me,

Thank you to the author, Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This legal thriller with lots of courtroom drama pits the DA's office against a former star prosecutor who has agreed to defend an accused murderer. The story is a tangled web with lots of strands, gritty scenes of violence and corruption in high places. I felt the story did not flow well and the characters lacked depth, many passages were a collection of stereotypes strung together. The most credible parts were the courtroom scenes, but I defy anyone to make that gripping reading. Overall, it was a suspenseful read, as long as you ignored the overstretched boundaries of reality..

This is a terrific book! Great story and plot, fast-paced, with the main character who has a lot of goodness in him but is also flawed, as he is seduced by a career, having material things and status until everything falls apart so he can find himself again. Brilliant!!! Looking forward to reading new titles by Mr. Barretto!!!
Thank you, NetGalley, Mr. Barretto, and his publisher for a free copy of this book.

Mystic Wind by James Barretto is a detailed legal thriller with a great premise. I would have preferred if it had more dialogue and less details about things that had already been explained. I liked the main character and would have enjoyed getting to know more about him near the beginning of the book. So, while I normally enjoy this style of novel, I just didn't love this one and found it very slow until the last 5%. I thought the ending was pretty good.

A new legal thriller and the start of an intended series, Mystic Wind by James Barretto is set in Boston. Jack Marino was raised in the Mystic housing projects and is a former prosecutor turned corporate attorney in his father-in-law’s firm. An opportunity to get back into criminal law is most welcomed, albeit a high-profile death penalty case. The case comes at a great personal cost, as he battles a justice system seemingly against him at every turn. Against a backdrop of the approaching Governor’s election, the issue of crime and this trial, is the epicentre of the media and political contest. Making great use of his professional legal knowledge makes for a gripping murder trial and riveting read that will leave you spellbound. So, this unfolding gem of a tale culminates in an unexpected finale that has a five star, do not miss rating. With thanks to Oceanview Publishing and the author, for an uncorrected advanced reader copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given.

Given the chance to read a mystery or thriller that involves courtroom drama to me, saying yes is a no-brainer; it's more a matter of how fast I can get it in my hands. When it's the start of a new series, it's even more intriguing. When I'm done, will I be bellying up to the bar to read the next?

Happily, I breezed through this one with enthusiasm that lasted from the first page to the last. While I the trial parts seemed a little heavy-handed at times and the main character, former prosecuting attorney Jack Marino, was a little too pitiful, I cheered him on. And yes, I look forward to reading about him in action again soon.

As a hot-shot prosecutor, Jack has a stellar track record against some pretty nasty defendants - until one fights back, literally. The perpetrators make such a mess of Jack that he refuses to take on any more gangbangers and druggies, which doesn't sit well with his District Attorney bosses who think putting bad guys in jail is a sure-fire path to greener pastures. Since he won't play ball, Jack is fired, but he lands on his feet at his wealthy wife's father's hoity toity firm representing hoity toity clients. He hates it, of course; so when he gets a chance to defend an accused murderer - a man who comes from the streets where Jack himself grew up - he jumps in with both feet. And once again, he angers his bosses (including the aforementioned wealthy wife).

He's also going up against his former employer, a DA who's intent on getting a win he thinks will play well politically and doesn't care what corners he cuts as long as the verdict is in his favor. Throw in a judge who isn't exactly Jack's fan, a reluctant defendant and corruption that comes from unexpected places, and Jack clearly is at a disadvantage. He turns to his on-parole, ex-military brother, Matt, for help, but that may be too little, too late.

Is Jack's client really innocent, and if he is, will justice prevail? Of course, I'll never tell, except to say that the whole thing ended pretty much as I figured it would. All in all, it sets the series off on a solid start. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a prerelease copy.

I normally enjoy legal-mystery books, if they’re not extremely focused on the legal aspect, but I must admit this was not the case and I found myself putting this read off on several occasions. Don’t get me wrong, the author does an amazing job at putting the law at the centre in this piece, he even uses legal tactics and straightforward courtroom arguments throughout. But as I said, this series was just not my cup of tea.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, James Barretto, and Oceanview Publishing for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

When I noticed an ARC for this novel, I was intrigued to see if James Barretto could pen as stellar a legal thriller as the dust jacket blurb would have me believe. I was pleased to see how strong his story turned out to be, set in the early 1980s, but not lacking any of the great development found in more modern novels. Gritty and full of great legal drama, Barretto knows his stuff and has me curious to see where things are headed next.

Jack Marino had been enjoying working within the DA’s office as one of the star ADAs. However, after being attacked one night, he becomes a liability to his boss and is summarily fired. But, not before he attends a murder scene of a gruesome killing, where a man was shot, but no witnesses have come forward.

Two years on, Marino has found a place in corporate law, but is convinced by a judge to take a case of a defendant who spouts his innocence, even as the state is keen to put him away for life. This case is a hot potato, particularly because an immunized witness pointed the finger at the newly accused, a single father who has no forensic ties to the crime scene whatsoever. It also happens to be the case he attending on the day of his dismissal two years before. Is the new DA trying to make a name for himself and using a witness who cannot be prosecuted to spew falsehoods just to ensure a conviction?

As the pre-trial motions are coming to a close, Marino is blindsided when the prosecution files for the death penalty, forcing Marino to pull out every legal trick he can manoeuvre. With a judge who is anything but affable and a DA who is trying to secure election as governor, hoping to use this case as a show of law & order, Marino will have to be magical and keep the jury on his side for as long as possible. A brilliant series debut by James Barretto that should be noted by those who love a great legal thriller.

I love legal books, fiction and non-fiction alike. It’s the nuances of the law and how lawyers are able to make it work in their favour that has always interested me. James Barretto does a wonderful job at putting the law front and centre in this piece, using legal tactics and straightforward courtroom arguments throughout. The themes are strong and push the story along, which keeps the reader wondering how things will turn out when the foreman rises to deliver the verdict. I am eager to see how things progress with this series, as there is something about Barretto that has me thinking there is more to come and things won’t lessen in intensity.

Barretto offers a stellar narrative that keeps the flow moving forward with each passing chapter. Short chapters do not allow the reader to get complacent, as there is so I much to see and do throughout this book. Characters are plentiful, though the core ones do their jobs effectively, keeping the reader wanting to know more as the story progresses. Legal thrillers tend to have good plot twists, if done correctly, and Barretto knows his stuff in this regard. I’m ready for more and hope the wait is not too long!

Kudos, Mr. Barretto, for a stellar legal thriller. I am curious to see what else you have in store for your series and will keep an eye out.

I received an ARC thru "NetGalley"and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This book starts with Jack winning a case in court and follows later where Jack is at home when he winds up being attacked. As a result of the incident, Jack's work is impacted and as a result Jack winds up getting fired.

Before the incident happened, Jack was called to the scene of a murder while he was still part of the D.A.'s office. Now two years later he is asked by a judge , who was a mentor, to act as defense council for an individual who was on trial for killing the individual where Jack was on the scene. Jack now was working for his father-in-law's law firn doing civil litigation. Because of Jack's meetings with his mentor, he wasn't able to appear at a hearing and wound up being fired there. The fact that Jack took this case eventually led to problems in his home life.

Follow Jack's as he goe to trial and attempts to overcome the hurdles he faces with a judge that doesn't like him as well as the prosecutor working to fulfill an agenda that is very important to the D.A. himself. Using the limited resouces he has read as he prepares his case to save his client,

The story is one where it grabs your attention and the ending is well done and quite unexpected.

Excellent debut legal thriller. We’ll developed characters, fast paced plot, and enough intrigue to keep me turning the pages. I read it in one sitting. Highly recommended for fans of John Grisham or Scott Turow.

Thanks to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for an advanced reader copy.