When Robin Lockwood returns to her hometown to grieve the loss of her fiance, she also walks into an intriguing legal case. Marjorie Loman had agreed to be a surrogate for a family who couldn't have children. But after delivery, she had been allowed to bond with the baby and wanted to change her mind and keep the baby she had carried and given birth to. A few weeks later, she had burst into the house of the surrogate parents, pistol-whipped the mother and kidnapped the baby. The baby was recovered a few hours later but Marjorie was arrested and charged with various crimes.

Robin believes that Margorie was acting under the influence of temporary psychosis brought on by her pregnancy and the trauma surrounding it. She and her local partner line up experts and start the trial. Robin believes in Marjorie even when she finds that Marjorie is under indictment in Portland, Oregon, for the murder of her husband and that Marjorie is not even her real name. Can Robin win these cases?

Phillip Margolin is known for his work in the thriller genre. This book is the fifth in the series but can be read as a stand alone. Robin has spent her life fighting the odds and her career as a lawyer allows her to fight for those who otherwise might not have a voice. I listened to this book and the narrator did a great job. This book is recommended for mystery and thriller readers.

This is the fifth book in Phillip Margolin's series about defense attorney Robin Lockwood. I've read several of the earlier novels, but this was the first audiobook I listened to. The narrator did a great job adding depth and nuance to a character that legal drama fans have grown to love.

When Lockwood goes home for a visit, she gets caught up in a local lawyer's case defending a surrogate mom, Marjorie, who kidnapped her son from his adoptive parents. But, as we know with Margolin's plot, nothing is as it seems.

Lockwood discovers the mom is also wanted for questioning in the Portland murder of her husband. After the kidnapping trial is over, she asks Lockwood to defend in the murder charge.

The only drawback is that we never get a sense of who Marjorie really is. It's hard to feel for a character you don't know or can't understand. Nevertheless, "The Darkest Place" is a top-notch legal thriller, a winner just as we expect with Margolin.

A really well-plotted and enjoyable legal thriller by expert legal writer Phillip Margolin. Though this book is the fifth in the Robin Lockwood series, it can easily be read as a standalone.

In this novel, Robin defends a former police officer accused of both killing her husband AND running off with a baby she was supposed to be carrying as a surrogate, in two separate and seemingly unrelated instances. What I love about Phillip Margolin, as a trial attorney myself, is that his courtroom sequences are both realistic and legally accurate, while still being much more exciting and twisty than your everyday run-of-the-mill trial. This book is no exception! The evidence is fantastically twisty and wonderfully presented, both by Robin as the defense attorney and Margolin as the author. The plot motives at a brisk clip and there is never a dull moment as we try to figure out whodunit. The narrator also does a fantastic job with the audio version of this book. A highly entertaining listen. Margolin has yet to disappoint me. He's a strong legal thriller writer with a knack for twisty mysteries with a strong and realistic courtroom component. I am a fan! Four plus shiny stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Phillip Margolin and Macmillan Audio for this top notch legal read!

This tried to do way too much in such a short narrative. It didn't work well.


Review copy provided by publisher.

Accountability, ownership, surrogacy, murder

There is something strange and terrible in Profit Oregon where Robin Lockwood is a high-profile attorney. In addition to her lucrative private practice, Lockwood also takes court-appointed assignments because she believes that everyone is entitled to a good attorney; even the most despicable defendants need good representation. An unimaginable personal loss crushes her, and Robin seeks refuge with her family in Elk Grove. Unfortunately, the strangeness and terribleness oozes across the miles with her.

“The Darkest Place” unfolds in several separate storylines. In Oregon, a prominent citizen is murdered; of course his wife is the initial suspect since they were in the middle of a bitter divorce. The wife is also a police officer, and the husband has a complicated past and made powerful enemies. Across the miles in Elk Grove, a couple is seeking a surrogate to carry their child. Things do not go as planned, and the surrogate with a “problematic” background forcibly takes the infant from parents. Lockwood is called upon to give legal advice. What is the difference between buying a baby and finding a surrogate mother and paying her expenses? Is it kidnapping when a birth mother retrieves her biologic child from the parents?

Margolin expertly develop these stories independently. As events evolve, the time frame is conveniently listed for readers in each section. The characters are multifaceted, and readers recognize the complexity of the situations. Details are carefully constructed, and the multiple paths converge with unexpected and tragic consequences.


“The Darkest Place” is the fifth book in Margolin’s continuing series featuring Robin Lockwood, but new readers will easily follow the gripping events and intricate stories. Any needed background information is seamlessly included in the narrative. I received a review copy of “The Darkest Place” from Phillip Margolin Minotaur Books and Macmillan Publishing. I also listened to the audiobook narrated by Thérèse Plummer. I found both versions compelling, but somewhat different. The print book experience was concise, tightly organized, and persuasive. The complex details were strong and compelling. The audio book was a more dynamic experience, one filled with emotions, conflict, and uncertainty.

It took me a minute to get into this one. At the beginning I found myself drifting off from listening and losing track of the characters. Once the storyline got going, I found it very interesting. I enjoyed the legal aspect and listening to the trial play out.

I love this series and the Robin Lockwood character. I also liked the story in this one. What I didn't like is the lengths the author went to to make sure this #5 in the Robin Lockwood series is also a stand alone. Having read the other books in this series, the monotonous repetition of Robin Lockwood's past, her physical attributes, and the recurring characters was overkill. Other than that and purposeful confusion for the reader, I did enjoy it.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* pretty creepy! i have not read any of the books in this series but i will now lol, liked the mc and want to read the next book too!

I appreciated the opportunity to list to this ARC. The Darkest Place had potential to be a good story but felt disjointed and phoned in. Not sure what the Darkest Place was intended to refer to? Readers of Margolin will still pick this up, but may be disappointed.

I think I read a Phillip Margolin book back in high school if my memory serves me correctly, and at the time I was a 7-10 book per year kind of girl. So I am considering this my first book by him because honestly otherwise my opinion would also be from someone who shopped at limited too, Abercrombie and fitch and worst of all didn't really like to read.
That being said, I wasn't sure how I would feel about this book. I received an advanced audio copy from Net Galley (THANK YOU! And I did not receive anything in return for this review, it is my true opinions).The premise intrigued me, a women paid to surrogate for a couple, her husband is murdered and she ends up assaulting the couple she had the baby for. Call in Robin Lockewood--I usually don't read series, especially lawyer/detective series, so my bar was low--who returns to her hometown of Elk Grove to defend Majorie (Surrogate/Widow/Baby Stealer) What unfolds in the remaining pages is shocking!
You hooked?

I will have to say, I really enjoyed Margolin's writing style. Talking about NO fluff! Like this story moved along or maybe was I just really into it? No it was great no lengthy descriptions, deep emotions just a great mystery.
Don't get me wrong, I love my domestic thrillers where I here that crazy main characters thoughts and all the POV's, this was such a breath of fresh air (weird since it was a mystery....so maybe it was a great breath of foggy air??)
I can't believe I am saying this but, now I actually want to read more Robin Lockewood books--gasp! Me read a series?
Thank you NetGalley For This Advanced Audiobook ,you have roped me in to buying like 5 more books!!

This is the first book in this series I have read (listened to) but deem it a standalone. It starts with a murder of a police detective's estranged husband and when she is notified she laughs. We find out this man owed a lot of money to some bad people and now they expect her to pay it back. Later we find her as a surrogate mother who then decides she doesn't want to give up her baby.

Robin Lockwood is an attorney who lost her partner to violence and when she went home to Elk Grove to her mother's to recover she meets a friend who is an attorney and needs help with a case. This is where she meets Marjorie Lowman.

These two come full circle from Elk Grove to Portland. Who will win in the end?

Author Phillip Margolin and Robin Lockwood have done it again!

This is my fifth "Robin Lockwood" book by Phillip Margolin and it was a winner.

When defense attorney Robin Lockwood defends a surrogate accused of kidnapping a baby she carried for another couple and assaulting that couple in the process, she quickly learns that this was not the only crime her client is accused of committing.

This intricately plotted legal thriller is character-driven with ample twists and turns.

The book was very fast-paced with courtroom drama that was unsurpassed. The book's ending was unpredictable and gasp-worthy.

Even though this book was the fifth book in a series, it could be read as a standalone novel.

Philip Margolin was a former trial attorney and his award-winning books reflect his in-depth knowledge of the law.

I listened to the audiobook, read by Therese Plummer, one of my favorite narrators.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to listen to an ARC of The Darkest Place

I liked this book and recommend it with reservations. It is far better than Mr. Margolin's last book. The plot involves a woman accused of murdering her husband, disappearing then being accused of another crime. Robin Lockwood, Mr. Margolin's heroine, who is grieving a tragedy in her life, comes on board as her attorney.
I loved the dialogue and the twisty turns. They were very foreseeable, however, to the point that I thought Ms. Lockwood had some tricks up her sleeve. When she didn't, she seemed very stupid for someone so smart. And I was disappointed. I feel Mr. Margolin could serve his heroine a whole lot better.

This is a definite beach read, enjoyable up to a point.
The narrator is wonderful. She managed to convey many different personalities with her changing voices.

This is the fifth book of the Robin Lockwood legal drama series. Thankfully it can be read as a stand alone novel.
I can say that with confidence because it is actually the first book in the series that I've read. This go around Robin is involved in the defense of three different cases, but the storylines do come together by the end. I liked the main character Robin, she's a strong and smart female attorney. I thought the trial scenes were well done, but before we got to them other parts of the book felt a bit choppy and rushed which isn't terribly surprising given the short page count. I could have used a bit more suspense. Overall this one was fine. I'd probably go back and read book the first Robin Lockwood book.

Thérèse Plummer's narration was well done and I'd listen to more books with her narrating.
Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

There is a lot to cover with this book.

Let's start with the fact that I have read and enjoyed all the previous novels in this series. They're not the best writing ever, but this one fell especially flat.

Positives: The pacing was good and kept the reader interested. Robin is generally likable and a protagonist most people can relate to and root for. The courtroom scenes were pretty well done and interesting, but the author went a little overboard with including full opening and closing statements verbatim.

Plot holes: (There are so many that I am sure I am missing some)
- It seems far too coincidental that Marjorie ended up in Elk Grove but also happens to live in Portland
- Are we just to assume that she miraculously recovered from her PPP, or did she never have it in the first place?
- If the baby had bruises that were from birth marks, why wouldn't this have been anywhere in the child's medical file, which would have been used in the trial?
- Did Marjorie ever get paid by the attorney for being a surrogate?
- How did Marjorie manage to become a deputy sheriff with such an extensive and recent history of drug use?
- Are we to assume paramedics truly couldn't differentiate between a shivering child and a seizure?
- Why does the Elk Grove hospital the baby was taken to after the abduction not have a pediatric ward? Was there no children's hospital in the area?
- How did Marjorie make off with her service weapon? Did she quit her job?
- Would a prosecutor really drop two murder charges because of reasonable doubt? (no)

Negatives:
- Why on earth did Jeff have to die? This appears to have no logical reasoning other than the author felt he could.
- Shaken baby syndrome is VERY real and it is irresponsible for Margolin and his publisher to publish anything stating otherwise. This was an awful part of the book and I nearly stopped reading.
- Robin's mother body shaming her was gross.
- As others have stated, the timeline really doesn't make sense
- Marjorie is not someone any reader feels sympathetic for. She is pretty terrible and I would hope Robin would have better taste in clients, not to mention Robin should be intelligent enough to know that Shaken Baby Syndrome is REAL.
- It is highly unbelievable that Marjorie's first trial would have gone the way it did

With an interesting premises for voiced well, this book did not draw me in the way I had hoped. Implausible at times and with the timelines all over the place, it just didn’t flow the way it should have. The plot holes didn’t help, but Margolin has a way with the court room drama and he reeled me in when we reached the trial.

I had no idea this book was a series, not till after I went to rate it on Goodreads. It most definitely can be read as a stand-alone.

This was a fast audiobook, I finished in one day. It's remarkably busy with multiple shocking moments. I enjoyed the characters as well as the story line. With how short the book is and how many characters there are it did feel a bit rushed. With that said it didn't take away too much from the story line.

I also enjoyed the narrator. It was easy to keep track of the characters. She also told the story in such a way that was entertaining.

This book was awesome and I am now going to have to add ANOTHER series to my TBR and read all the Robin Lockwood books that came before this one!! I honestly didn't see the end coming and the murderer totally had me snowed! Such a good twist to the book and I loved that the ending, even though it was happy, was hopeful for Robin.I can't wait to read more books by this author and to see what other books he has out there! I love that Robin is a strong take no shit woman doing what she loves.

This fifth in a series of Robin Lockwood stories. Robin was a MMA fighter working her way through law school. Life was good, her practice with the law firm was thriving, she was recently engaged to her investigator Jeff. Things were too good to be true. A courtroom drama changes her world and she retreats to her childhood home to find some answers. While there, a childhood friend and now also a lawyer asks her for some help in a case where he feels over his head. The case involves child surrogacy.
Robin not only helps but becomes very involved with the case of the surrogate which is multidimensional.
Phillip Margolin has written many legal thrillers over the years and like all the predecessors this one does not disappoint.
I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the advance audio version of this work for review purposes. The audio was well done and serves the story well.

A major page-turner!

Okay...I listened but still. I almost finished this book in a day. I've been following Robin Lockwood, a former MMA fighter now defense attorney from the beginning. "The Darkest Place" is up there with the first book which I thought was the best in the series. This can be read as a standalone crime-legal thriller.

Two Portland homicide detectives visited Marjorie Loman at her mansion to inform her that her husband was found murdered. Majorie didn't show signs of sadness and laughed at the news because of their pending nasty divorce. She immediately contacted her lawyer to find out where her husband, Joel hid their money which now is hers. As it turns out, Joel had a large debt when two men came and threatened her life if she doesn't pay back what he owes. Majorie fled to a small town for her safety and eventually accepts a lucrative deal to be a surrogate for a couple through a shady lawyer.

After a devastating predicament, Robin Lockwood took some time off and visited her hometown of Elk Grove. She took on a case to defend Majorie who's accused of kidnapping and assault. Then back in Portland, a homicide case.

I enjoyed this fast-moving thriller. The story and twists all came together nicely. Thérèse Plummer's narration is terrific as always.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for this ARC.