I received a free digital copy of “ Burden of Proof” by Stephen Penner via Net Galley in return for an honest review. My thanks to Net Galley , Mr. Penner and the publisher, Inkubator Books for the chance to enjoy this novel.
I have always enjoyed a good courtroom drama- who doesn’t ?- so after finishing a rather heavy non- fiction book, I needed some fun. “Burden of Proof” provided just that. It had been on a Kindle a while but when I opened it, it stayed open until I finished it.
The hero, lawyer J. Daniel Raine, is having a bad day the court presided over by his former law partner. His client has just been found not guilty of one count and guilty a lesser one. Worse, the ungrateful client snarls that he does not intend to pay up on the remaining amount owing. Things get worse, when his wife and her lawyer show up in his office with final divorce papers. Topping things off, a glam realtor , best in Seattle Rebecca Sommers, finishes off the very bad day, by coming in the door with an inquiry of Raine if the office space will soon be vacated, since without his ex- partner to bring in fees, Raine is struggling to meet the rent.
Finally a bit of lightning strikes- a client- one with a desire to divorce her husband . Abigail Willoughby’s husband is a mega- rich tech entrepreneur. A big settlement and a big fee looms on the horizon’ , for J. Daniel Raine. Things are looking up until a oh one call awakens Raine that night. Abigale has been arrested for the brutal murder of her husband.
There is a lot to like about this book.it is not a heavy opus, not heavily serious, but with just enough tension to make a good story move right along. The hero is an average guy facing a case where all the evidence is against his client. The presiding judge is an ex- prosecutor who hates ambulance chasers like Raine. Willoughby comes across as a gold- digger. And, as a single Practitioner, the hero has neither the time nor the money to hire a private investigator.
But there is some some hope when the real estate agent decides to dabble as a private eye and help out. The verbal jousting and interaction ( not sexual) between Rebecca and J . Daniel is fun to read.
The pages flew by and I was engrossed in the story and loved the characters. The climactic finish was expertly set up in a tense court room drama that made me put down the author’s name on my to read list.
Summary: recommended to any who like a good courtroom drama, a good clean mystery with characters you can relate to.

This was a good lawyer / legal story. I liked the lawyer, and his “assistant”, the case was interesting, and loved the conclusion. Would read more of this series and author.

I do love a legal thriller and this author is new to me. This is the first in a new series and I am already looking forward to the next one. A good story that ends in a twist I never saw coming! Would recommend - thank you to Netgalley and the author/publisher for this ARC.

Burden of Proof📚

Burden of Proof is the first book in a new series by this author. He’s a new to me author and I’ve recently started enjoying some legal thrillers again and thought I’d give it a go.

Raine is a lawyer and is now practicing alone as his old law partner has transitioned to the bench as a judge. He discovers Sommers in his office, when he arrives, in the process of trying to sell the property. When a woman comes in asking for him to take her case to petition for divorce from her husband, Raine finds himself with a job that could help pay the bills and keep him afloat and also a “new partner”.

Unfortunately, the case he’s taken on takes a dramatic twist when he discovers the husband of his client, dead, and in her home😳 Abigail proclaims her innocence but the prosecution is gung ho on charging her.

A steady paced story that took me some time to immerse myself in, purely due to my unfamiliarity with this author but I expect any other books I read of his, will eliminate this issue. I definitely would like to see what happens next in Rain City😁

I received an advanced copy via Netgalley and voluntarily leave my honest review❣️

I must admit the title it what drew me in after Scott Turow's The Burden of Proof. It was a good story, kept you reading to find out who really did it. I did like the character interaction, especially between Raine and Rebecca Sommers. Good light right, I would look for the next one in the series.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Inkubator Books for and advance copy of Burden of Proof, the first novel in a new series, Rain City Legal Thrillers, set in Seattle, to feature attorney Daniel Raine.

Abigail Willoughby hires Daniel Raine in her divorce from her extremely rich husband, Jeremy. Raine is struggling, but he doesn’t baulk when divorce becomes murder. Jeremy is murdered in Abigail’s home the same day she threatened him after a court hearing didn’t go her way. In an unlikely alliance with realtor Rebecca Sommers, who has her own reasons for getting close to Abigail, they race to clear Abigail.

I liked the synopsis for Burden of Proof, even though I don’t often read legal thrillers, so I was interested in seeing how it would turn out. Sadly, I didn’t find it engrossing and struggled to keep going. I’m glad I did as the best bits of the novel come in the courtroom scenes towards the end of the novel, where Raine suffers the highs and lows of witness testimony with some wins but more losses in terms of proving Abigail innocent. There is a massive twist at the end of the trial that I certainly didn’t see coming and can only praise the author for his misdirection and sense of timing.

The best character in the novel is Rebecca Sommers. She is sassy, confident and obviously smart and brings a bit of life to a mostly colourless narrative. Daniel Raine does not present as a confident, capable lawyer, but rather as a man burdened by financial issues and a recent divorce he didn’t want. This impression changes as he builds his case in court, but it’s a long time coming.

Burden of Proof is a solid read.

I highly enjoyed this book. I read it all in one day, which is saying a lot because I have 3 young kids! It really kept me wanting to read the next chapter every time. It had a great balance of explaining courtroom proceedings in a way that made me understand what was going on while also keeping me interested and wanting to know what happened next. There was a little bit of a surprise at the end about the guilty party, which I honestly wasn't expecting. Overall, I'd recommend this as a quick but entertaining read that really made me feel like I was in the courtroom with the characters.

Burden of Proof by Stephen Penner took me on a journey into a high-stakes world where money usually talks. This is the first book I've read by this author, and it will not be the last.

I really enjoyed the relationship and banter between Daniel Raine and Rebecca Sommers. Rebecca is a fun character to read. I like a good courtroom drama with a genuine portrayal of the justice system, and this book did not disappoint.

I hope a new book with these characters is released soon. I liked this new Rain City Legal Thriller, and I enjoyed this author's writing style. It was crisp, to the point, and flowed nicely without any extra "fluff" to pull me away from the storyline and action.

I would recommend this book and this author.

#BurdenofProof #NetGalley @VE_NetGalley

I really enjoyed this legal thriller by an accomplished author. Attorney Daniel Raine, the main character, a bit bumbling and bereft, was believable and engaging. The courtroom scenes felt very real. Real estate agent Rebecca Sommers made a great, albeit surprising partner, oozing confidence and a sharp wit. As the two of them team up to defend Abigail Willoughby, their combined talents prove both entertaining and successful. This read like a short story and I never felt it got bogged down. I really appreciated the author didn’t feel the need to pepper his dialogue with swearing nor throw in extraneous sex scenes to cover bad writing. A great, short legal thriller, fast paced and entertaining. Highly recommend.

Burden of Proof relates the story of a down and out attorney who has absolutely nothing positive in his life. His law partner of many years has recently left to become a judge; his wife has filed for divorce; his two sons are estranged; his latest client is ungrateful and won’t pay his fees and his office lease is about to be terminated. It is at this juncture that a client appears and the attorney “partners “ with a successful realtor to take on a case which leads to a very interesting trial.
The characters are well defined and the writing is excellent— especially the dialogue and interaction between the attorney and the realtor. This novel is recommended for all readers who enjoy this genre and I look forward to Stephen Penner’s next novel. Thanks to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to publication.

There wasn’t any mention in the synopsis of this book being part of a series but it seems to be. I have not read this author previously. The legal drama is set in Seattle with the homeless situation deftly worked into the descriptions of the area. It was interesting and fairly easy to follow, with no lengthy legalese to muddle through.
Attorney Daniel Raine is beginning a new chapter without his wife, his former law partner and financial stability. His first client through the door is a rather frantic woman in pursuit of a divorce. She’s married to a very well known tech mogul worth mega bucks. Ah, but there’s a prenup, then an already complicated case turns into murder.
By happenstance Dan forms an unlikely alliance with a whip smart, sassy, successful real estate agent for the elite, wealthy and powerful. Rebecca Sommers sort of cons the client into believing she’s Dan’s investigator/private-eye. It was a unique partnership and I enjoyed their interaction.
The mystery of who the murderer was kept me guessing. I always learn new laws, procedures and protocol distinct to the plot location. The only minor objection was that the murder trial seemed unrealistically short, no depositions, the opening statements were almost longer than the evidence. In a legal thriller I expected more focus on the legal issues. Just my personal preference but, I read legal mysteries to learn about the legal system. I really did like the story and if there are more to come I would read them.
Thanks to NetGalley for the digital advance reader copy of “Burden of Proof” by Stephen Penner, Published by Inkubator Books. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

This genre is not my normal genre, but I was intrigued by the storyline.

Very interesting read and I found myself gripped, this book had everything as well as some twists and turns.

Would definitely read other books by this author

This was not one of my typical reads! I usually don't read legal thrillers for some reason but I'm glad I stuck with this one! This book was so very interesting! It had suspense, intrigue, action, murder, mystery, and lots of down to the wire case finding evidence! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle! There were a few crazy twists and turns! I will definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!