It's been a while since I have read a book from Scott Turow and this one did not disappoint.

Suspect is a legal thriller with corruption and deceit at the heart of the book involving the female Police Chief ho is accused of soliciting sexual favours from Police Officers.

Lots of twists and turns in this legal thriller.

This is the twelfth book in the ‘Kindle County Legal Thrillers’ by author Scott Turow. I started this series last year, reading the first four books and then jumping to this one. All the books can be read as standalones so it didn’t spoil my enjoyment of this one.

If you’re a fan of legal thrillers, like me then you will enjoy the ‘Suspect”, which tells of corruption, deceit, and scandal. Scott Turow is one of the masters of legal thrillers and this novel proves once again that is the truth.

Lucia Gomez, a female police chief who is accused of soliciting sex for promotions by three of her fellow officers. Her world is turned upside down, and she finds herself in a desperate situation. Rik Dudek, an attorney and old friend of Lucia’s, is the only one she can trust. As he tries to clear her name, he realizes he’s in for the fight of his life.

Lucia is a strong female protagonist who has worked hard to succeed in a male-dominated profession and Rik is a likable and relatable character who is determined to prove Lucia’s innocence. In addition to these two character there is Pinky, a fearless PI who plays by her own rules. Together these three characters make a dynamic team and excellent reading.

Lots of twists and turns as the investigation unfolds, and the characters must navigate a web of lies and corruption that threatens to destroy them. Well written and full of suspense which only makes me want to catch up on the books I have missed out.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Swift Press for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I haven’t read Scott Turow for many years having absolutely loved Presumed Innocent and Burden of Proof. For me he was king of the legal thriller long before John Grisham.

This is narrated by P.I. Pinkey, an interesting character with a back story of misspent youth, who is now working for Rik Dudek.. She’s got a sharp eye and curious mind and enjoys working for Rik who’s a decent guy. Rik has been asked to represent Chief Lucia Gomez who is being accused of soliciting sex in exchange for promotion by three police officers.

This is no 12 in the Kindle County Legal Thriller Series..with Presumed Innocent and Burden of Proof being one and two. I don’t know if there is any merit in reading these in order but this was absolutely fine as a stand alone.

This has all the trademarks of Turow - courtroom scenes full of backwards and forwards volleying, argument and counter argument; corruption threading into the systems and police force itself and good characters who aren’t as ‘good’ under scrutiny. You rarely find unblemished characters in Grisham.

The fact that it was a female being accused of soliciting sex was a more unusual plot device and the investigation and trial spotlighted the misogyny of the police force.

This is a drama full of twists and turns and frustrations. I liked Rik and I enjoyed the thread about Pinky’s neighbour but overall for me this lacked the pull of the first two in the series and I found it hard to sustain interest.

With many thanks for a digital copy of this book.

Sex in the county… 2 stars

Pinky Granum is working as an investigator in the law office of her step-uncle (I think), Rik Dudek. Rik has been hired to defend the local police chief who has been accused of soliciting sex from junior officers in exchange for promotions. The twist is that the police chief is female, Lucia Gomez, and her alleged victims are males. Lucia claims the allegations are being co-ordinated by an old adversary of hers, a man known as Ritz, who was once her boss until she was gradually promoted to become his boss instead. Now Ritz is a rich and successful property developer, and Lucia thinks he’s out for revenge because she had him sacked from the police force. Two of the officers who are accusing her also work part-time for Ritz, so there’s an obvious connection. Pinky takes a liking to Lucia and throws herself into trying to prove that Ritz is behind the accusations. But meantime Pinky’s also concerned about her neighbour – a newcomer who’s behaving very strangely, in her opinion, so in her spare time she sets out to investigate him too.

In the previous book in the series it became clear that the major recurring character, Sandy Stern, was making his final appearance, and in fact I assumed it would be the last of the Kindle County books. Turow has decided to continue them by making Pinky the central character in this one – Sandy’s granddaughter who has appeared in a secondary role in the last couple of books. Was this a wise decision? I’m not sure. While I never feel authors should restrict themselves to writing only about people like themselves, I feel it’s a stretch for a man in his 70s to successfully inhabit the head of a young female character in a society that has changed so dramatically since his own youth. Of course I’m also at the other end of the age scale from Pinky, so it makes it hard for me to judge how well he’s pulled it off. Personally, I found Pinky utterly tedious and stereotyped, to be honest – bi-sexual (of course), foul-mouthed, Mohawk hairdo, voraciously sexually promiscuous, ex-drug addict, thrown out of the police college, covered in tattoos (or ink, as the cool people apparently say), unable to form permanent relationships, etc., etc. Exactly the type of character, in fact, that has driven me away from contemporary fiction in recent years into the welcoming arms of vintage and the classics.

However, the Pinky character wasn’t my only problem with the book. The Lucia plotline is sordid in the extreme. While she may or may not have been forcing unwanted sex on her subordinates, she was certainly having sex with them and we hear far more about the sleazy details of that than this reader wanted to know. There have been earlier books in the series where sex played an important role in the crime or in the lives of the characters, but I don’t remember any of them being as graphic as this or as overwhelmingly consumed by the subject. (Or maybe I’ve just grown more prudish. It seems to me men, or at least male writers, of a certain age become increasingly obsessed by sex, while women of the same age grow less interested in it as a literary subject as they grow older.) I feel that Turow has tried to appear modern by making his two main female characters behave like the worst of men – one considering everyone she meets in terms of suitability as a sexual conquest and the other being the sexually predatory boss. Both are stock male characters who have merely had their genders flipped. I didn’t believe in either of them.

I considered abandoning it about a quarter of the way in but, because I’ve loved this series for so long, I decided to persevere. I wish I hadn’t. I can only hope that Turow doesn’t repeat this experiment. If he is going to continue the series, I hope he brings forward a different character to take the lead role next time, as he has done from time to time in other books, and finds a rather less salacious plot.

NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Swift Press.

A complex and intriguing story with some very interesting characters. Police corruption is at the heart of the story which started slowly then got better.

Lucia Gomez-Barrera (Lucy), the Police Chief for the Illinois township of Highland Isle, is being investigated by the local Police and Fire Commission, accused of trading promotions in exchange for sexual favours. A minor local event one might think, but it could lead to her losing her job or even facing a federal grand jury. Her lawyer, Rik, and his Private Investigator, Pinky, are certain that the whole thing is a set-up. The local bad guy, aka “The Ritz” used to be Lucy’s partner when she was a Rookie back in the day, but is now a multi-millionaire property developer (and probably a lot more). Lucy is a tough Chief and “Ritz” would certainly like her replaced by a more amenable person. However, suspecting him of orchestrating the case is not the same as proving it, since Rik will first have to show that there is an actual conspiracy. This requires that he shoots down the three accusers and for that he needs information – which is where Pinky comes in. She is an unorthodox person, to say the least, a genius investigator, sporting a Mohawk and full body tattoo – and also a promiscuous bisexual. Rik is concerned that she is not paying as much attention to the case as she should, because she is also tailing and otherwise spying on her new neighbour, who seems to be a covert, technologically astute, agent targeting the “Ritz” possibly after industrial secrets. Inevitably, her two lines of investigation must clash, exposing new interactions which keep the plot boiling nicely. The dénouement builds nicely to a climactic confrontation.
Scott Turow is an experienced writer and he handles this complicated plot well. His legal background makes the courtroom scenes, and indeed the very organisational basis of the story, read plausibly. The characters are well constructed, albeit a bit over exotic. Pinky is actually Clarice Granum granddaughter of Sandy Stern, the attorney who featured in ‘Presumed Innocent’, Turow’s first book written twenty years ago. Both books are set in Kindle County and form part of a loose series with overlaps but no required pre-knowledge. I’m not sure that ‘thriller’ quite works as an adjective, because I wasn’t racing tensely through the events, but it is certainly a good mystery story.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

I found this book slow at the start and took me quite awhile to really get into it but once I did it was fantastic and had me gripped. Great characters and storyline. Suspense, thriller, crime. Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. #netgalley #suspect

Scott Turow is recognised as the best legal thriller writer and having read the Kindle County series I certainly wouldn't ague against that.
Scott Turow's latest book in the series Suspect is a bit of a change, dealing with less courtroom drama, and more of the criminal goings on in Kindle County.
Clarice is the granddaughter of Sandy Stern who we have met on numerous occasions in previous novels. Clarice nicknamed Pinkey is a P.I. working for a defence lawyer who's latest case is defending the female chief of police.
The case against Lucia Gomez the chief of police has been brought forward by three serving officers of using sexual favours for gaining promotion. The case is starting to look very difficult for her .
Events moving forward begin to show that this is going to be very far from straightforward as murder of a witness certainly complicates matters .

Suspect is another great book in the series adding to an impressive line up of legal thrillers unsurpassed ..
Enjoy and be thrilled.

It was my first Scott Turow and I can say he's a master storyteller and this complex thriller kept me hooked.
Great characters, tightly knit and solid plot.
An excellent read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

What always sells me on Scott Turow's books, is the presence of Pinky, a private investigator for her relative, a lawyer tasked with defending his old friend the police chief who has been accused of sexually harrassing and soliciting sex on the job.
I think in this character, Turow has created someone who captures the reader's imagination and who really adds a wit and humour to this legal thriller, where her incisive intelligence carries the day.
Pinky's quirkiness combined with her dogged need to get to the bottom of things propels the narrative forward at a rate of knots.
Partly told in the coartroom , but mostly on the streets from Pinky's point of view, we see the sexism and corruption of a police force left to breed its own rules for too long.
With strands woven seamlessly together we are taken on a journey, with Pinky, that is compelling and thought provoking. I read this over only a couple of nights.

Thanks to Scott and NetGalley for allowing me to read Suspect before the publication date.
It is a while since I read any of Scott’s previous books and I was pleased when I was sent the ARC.

This is a tale of corrupt police officers, greed and revenge.

The Vojcek family have a history in law enforcement, or at least taking the paycheck.

Moritz Vojcek , aka The Ritz, was the training officer who made rookie officer Lucia Gomez’ life a misery.
When Lucia became Chief of Police, she advised Ritz that he should resign before his pension age or suffer the consequences of his corrupt behaviour.

Despite the fortune which he had already made, Ritz was furious about losing the pension.
Now he has set a plan in motion to take down Lucia.

The story is narrated by P.I. Pinky who works with Rik Dudek. I found her character to be irritating as she wittered on about her personal life and inclinations, none of which really added to the story.
I get the impression that I am no longer the target audience for Scott’s writing.

Scott Turow, Suspect, Swift Press 2022.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof in exchange for an honest review.

It is a long time since I read Scott Turow’s Presumed Innocent for the first time, and not so long ago that I re-read what I still believe is a very smart novel with an excellent twist. I hesitate to refer to the twist, as that phrase has become so trite with so many novels claimed to have such a feature – or even several – that it is no longer something I find particularly enthralling. Of course, when there really is a twist, when it is placed there for a purpose (as in Presumed Innocent) other than a headline in a review, I am as impressed as anyone. Perhaps my admiration for the smartness of Presumed Innocent spoiled me for Suspect, although thankfully it does not have a confected twist! Rather, this is a straightforward investigation of the possible set up of the Chief Inspector, Lucia Gomez-Barrerra, during mayoral election year in an American community of around 120,000 people.

Pinky is a private investigator with attitude, a woman in her thirties who is free from family or love commitments. She is dedicated to her work and has a strong sense of justice which she pursues, sometimes to her detriment. Although she has admirable qualities, I found her also a somewhat harsh character and difficult to related to wholeheartedly. The story is told from her perspective, and alongside her work, she investigates her neighbour. His behaviour in his adjacent flat and the hours he leaves, and returns, are a constant source of curiosity to her ,and to the reader. Their relationship progresses as the case unfolds and provides another dimension to Pinky’s character. Also involved in the case is one of her former lovers. The relationship between Tonya Eo and Pinky, is an excellent foil to the process of investigating the Chief, her subordinates and former subordinates, and a criminal with a range of activities that complicate the probe.

The attention to the importance of sexism in the workplace, the case, and the protagonists' lives is a positive feature of the novel. Also, the subtle introduction of the way in which Covid 19 has impacted on individuals and communities was a positive feature of the writing.

The story has some complexities, and the detail about the way in which the investigation proceeds, together with Turow’s legal knowledge, makes this an interesting read. However, unlike my enthusiasm for Presumed Innocent, this novel did not grip me, and I felt somewhat disappointed.

I’m a big fan of Scott Turow and this was a highly entertaining read.

Lucia Gomez, police chief in the city of Highland Isle has been accused by three male police officers of soliciting sex in return for giving them promotions to higher ranks. Lucia has maintained a spotless record until this point.

She turns to her friend Rik Dudek as her attorney and the only person she feels she can trust. His PI, Clarice ‘Pinky’ Granum, is the most amazing character bring the whole story to life along with the many twists and turns. This is fast paced, plenty of action and quite a few surprises.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Swift Press and Scott Turow for my ARC of Suspect in return for my honest review.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and Swift Press for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 74%.

Pinky is an investigator for Rik, a lawyer, who is defending the Chief of Police, who is accused of forcing men to sleep with her in exchange for promotions. Pinky not only investigates this case but also investigates her suspicious neighbor.

I read and really enjoyed Presumed Innocent 20 years ago and never picked up another Scott Turow novel until this one. I don’t know what my specific problem was with this book but it just never grabbed my attention. I never cared about Pinky or her neighbor or the chief. I wanted to DNF early but I reminded myself that I like legal thrillers and this was certain to get better but by 74% I didn’t care enough to even skim to the end. I guess it just wasn’t my thing even though it should have been.

A familiar author, but not one I think I had read before.
‘Suspect’ is an enjoyable read, which could be defined in a way as being two stories in one, although both intertwined.
Certainly not an unputdownable read, but one that moves along, although some may find the outcome a little predictable.

Suspect (by Scott Turow) is a fast-flowing suspense/thriller/crime story of Pinky Granum, her lawyer boss Rik Dudek and their client, Lucy Gomez, Chief of Highland Isle’s Police Department who is on trial for soliciting sex in exchange for supporting three male staff members’ promotions. The charges against her, the Chief maintains, are an attempt to tarnish her reputation and get her sacked.

Pinky is Rik Dudek’s unconventional private investigator with a drug-fueled history and anail through her nose. Rik’s isn’t quite in the same league as Pinky’s lawyer grandfather until the Chief Lucia Gomez’s high profile case comes along.

Just as the case attracts Rik’s and then Pinky’s attention, an intriguing neighbor, Koob, moves into Pinky’s building. Being a work in progress private investigator, Pinky sees the unusually secretive Koob as a worthy subject for investigation and eventually she makes a link between him and ‘The Ritz’, the town’s top-level property tycoon, crook, drug-dealer, ex-cop, and ex-partner of Lucy Gomez.

Lucy Gomez’ trial proceeds and two of the three litigants are exposed as liars. The third though, Blanco, proves more resilient to cross-examination and the evidence linking him to Lucy, a lurid photo, is compelling. The case suddenly collapses when Blanco’s dead body is found in a near-empty apartment. Pinky is allowed in on the case because she has gathered damning information from Koob against The Ritz. As the FBI move in on The Ritz, Lucy Gomez goes missing. And because this is a suspense as well as a thriller, I should stop there.

I’ve enjoyed all of Turow’s books so far and this one did not disappoint although at times I thought there was too much ‘Pinky introspection’ and perhaps luck/intuition played too great a part in the investigation meaning the reader was less capable of beating the writer to the end. Nonetheless the story was well constructed and well written, the main characters were reasonably well developed and their relationships were suitably inter-twined to generate some intrigue. The high-tempo ending was certainly satisfying.

For as long as Lucia Gomez has been the police chief in the city of Highland Isle, near Kindle County, she has known that any woman in law enforcement must walk a precarious line between authority and camaraderie to gain respect. She has maintained a spotless reputation--until now. Three male police officers have accused her of soliciting sex in exchange for promotions to higher ranks. With few people left who she can trust, Chief Gomez turns to an old friend, Rik Dudek, to act as her attorney in the federal grand jury investigation, insisting to Rik that the accusations against her are part of an ugly smear campaign designed to destroy her career and empower her enemies--both outside the police force and within..

“Suspect” by Scott Turow - one of my most anticipated reads of 2022 and I was lucky enough to receive an arc!! Scott Turow - for anyone who doesn’t know - is John Grisham on crack (in a good way!!). His books always bring that spice that I feel Grisham lacks with his. And don’t get it twisted - I’m a big Grisham fan; I love me a good legal thriller. But throw some of that Turow spice in there, along with the legal shenanigans and I’m sold. Fast paced and plenty of action, I’ve never read a dull Turow book to date. Just read it, you’ll thank me for it.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an unbiased review.

Scott Turow at his finest. I have enjoyed reading many of his books in the past and Suspect does not disappoint. The beginning is a little slow but once the pace gets going there was no putting this one down. Great for a holiday read and perfect for a gift.

Very well-drawn characters. Their emotions, their restlessness was all playing in front of me. Overall three star read ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I haven't read a Scott Turow book for years and I was quite looking forward to this one.
However, I just couldn't connect with the characters, despite being beautifully described and having a very modern feel to the whole book.
I just didn't like Pinky I'm afraid so I finished up calling it a day just before half way through.