I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the narration by David Aaron Baker and Morgan Hallett. For the most part, I enjoyed the plot of ‘The Plinko Bounce’ but the ending felt too far-fetched for me. Having said that, I would still check out Martin Clark’s other work and I would like to see more of this particular cast of characters.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

I loved this audiobook; what a great story about a lawyer who is forced to defend someone who is guilty (who had some very lucky breaks) of murder.

I love the side story about Patches the dog. This book has it all, romance, a mystery, as well as internal conflicts about right and wrong.

A wonderfully entertaining tale, that earned five stars from this mystery fan.

Nobody writes legal thrillers any better than Martin Clark. Always twists and turns that you wonder how is he ever going to tie these loose ends up. Simple great! Fast pace never a dull moment.

Thanks NetGalley for advance copy

This was an interesting take on a thriller and I liked the emphasis on law and seeing everything unfold from a public defenders perspective was really unique. However I don't think I enjoyed it as much as most people, maybe because this was a slow burn and perhaps would fit with an older audience; but overall the written and characters were great and the storyline is interesting and unique.

I really enjoys this book! I found myself not being able to stop listening because I had to know what happened next. The narrator was incredible and this book kept me guessing until the very end

3.5 stars. This is a first time read for me with this author and I enjoyed his writing style and will read again. I thought at the beginning of this read, this was going to be a higher rating for me. I really enjoyed the characters, the courtroom drama, and the smart, witty main character, but as the book went on, the main character started to grate on me and lose a little of his shine. I did like the narrator throughout the book except for the voice of the kid.

I received a free audiobook copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Andy Hughes is a small town public defender ground down by the revolving door of regulars that need his help. He works hard and with integrity, yet he keeps seeing the same faces committing the same crimes over and over. He ends up representing a violent felon in a murder case and is thrown up against a cunning criminal, a publicity seeking prosecutor with his eye on politics, and eventually, his own conscience.

I don’t usually go for courtroom novels, but the blurb intrigued me and I’m glad I chose to read it. It was fast paced, but the characters were really well developed and the reader gets sucked into the drama. My only real complaint is that Andy is INCREDIBLY virtuous. Like, unreasonably so. Hot take, I know, but his virtuous nature was just a bit too extreme. Other than that, no complaints! A really good read!

The Plinko Bounce is a legal thriller that follows public defender, Andy Hughes, on his journey to defend a man that confessed to brutally murdering a woman after breaking into her home. Why? Well, Damian Bullens was high, and the woman was black. That was the only reason. Now Andy has to give his best to defend this criminal which leads him down several possible outcomes. Damian already gets an advantage because his Miranda rights were not followed. The luck of the draw keeps coming up roses for Damian.

You can tell the author is either a lawyer or a lawyer adjacent. After reading this story indeed not only is he a lawyer but a judge. Reading how Andy went about the investigation, trial, and post-trial, you get a feel that you're "witnessing" the real thing in action. This truly felt like it was realistic. There isn't much thriller in the story but seeing how the case unfolds was pretty entertaining. I liked the interaction that Andy had with his son and his son's mother. I love the mutual respect of the co-parents and how no matter what their son came first. Andy's motivation, in the ways that will matter in the story, is providing safety and happiness for his son.
The writing was spot on, you feel like you're immersed in a real trial, but it is written in a way that feels smart but also in a way a layman can understand. The ending was unexpected, completely surprising, and very well justified. Patches has a great family, this is the dog that Andy adopts after its dad dies in jail. The narration was pretty good. There are two narrators, one POV. There is a primary narrator, David Aaron Baker, who performs all the male dialog, and a secondary who only performs the female parts. This is an interesting take on narration, but both performers did a fantastic job.

If you are looking for a smart legal story that involves a horrible murder, a terrible bad guy, and an excellent lawyer, then this one is for you. Just be forewarned that aside from the potential triggers mentioned above (murder and racism) there is a brief moment of animal cruelty.

Thank you to Recorded Books Media, Netgalley, and Martin Clark for an advance listening copy of The Plinko Bounce in exchange for an honest review. I also received a copy from Kaye Publicity so it was fun to read parts and listen to others. As much as I love psychological thrillers, I have found myself really enjoying legal thrillers as they are fascinating to follow along with. It was enjoyable to follow along with our main character, Andy Hughes, as one of his towns best public defenders. We find ourselves thrown into the middle of a messy murder case as Andy defends Damian. As the book progresses, we see the lengths Damian will go to to prove that he is not guilty. The ending of this one was definitely wasnt what I was expecting but it was totally perfect. This one is out now and I would definitely recommend it. I look forward to reading more of Clarks work in the future.

Courtroom dramas are definitely not my go-to genre, but the synopsis of The Plinko Bounce seemed very promising as a legal thriller. However, as the story progressed, I did feel I was not the typical demographic this novel was written for. The formulaic and pretty laughable romance scenes, lack of empathy, and overall dryness of the MC has far less appeal for women readers. Beyond that I did find some aspects of the story interesting and worth the read.

Andy is a small-town public defender, who on the eve of leaving for better horizons, is given the CASE. Not a case that is rooted in innocence or a miscarrying of justice, but an obvious murder that has been bungled by the local PD. As such, Andy has all the pieces for a not guilty verdict. With a confession that is not submissible as evidence, Andy creates a façade of conspiracy and possible cover-up that snowballs out of control.

Despite the few character pitfalls, I did enjoy this novel. It had just enough courtroom drama to keep it interesting, but was definitely a bit light on the overall thrill.

If you enjoy legal thrillers then this is right up your alley. I was so enthralled right from the beginning. Definitely pick this up if you even have the slightest thought that you might like it.

Started from the beginning and I enjoyed listening 🎧 to it. A new to me author and I'll be checking out more books 📚

I loved this book! Sometimes police and law procedural stories can drag on at certain parts but this one remained fast paced the entire time. I will definitely be reading more from this author and am thankful for have come across them.

I really enjoyed listening to this story. The narration and pacing was really well done. The overall theme of trying to do right by society and following the rules no matter how seemingly unfair was really well conveyed. It shines a light on how comically uneven the justice system can be, and how sometimes you simply have to pull the strings just a little bit outside of the realm of what's acceptable. Outside of the main plot, I was particularly impressed with the relationships the characters had with each other, particularly Andy (the protagonist) with his son and the mother of his child. It was refreshing to see how warm and loving and open to communication all of these characters were. The book relies on the systems being flawed more than the protagonist, though he has his internal conflicts as well. One thing that felt a little contrived was the heavy leaning on COVID-19 to describe the setting. I understand wanting to make a timely piece reflective of a real situation, but sometimes the mention of masks and distancing felt really out of place and disjointed the flow. Despite this, I thoroughly recommend this book and will probably read it again in the future.

Wow, just wow! All the characters in this book were amazing in their own way - good and bad! I love that Andy decided to take control of his life and stayed true to himself and protected his family. I don't know what I would have done in his situation! I wish this was a series b/c I would definitely be here for more about Andy and his life!

#ThePlinkoBounce
#NetGalley

I wasn't sure what to make of this book for the first half as it set up the story between defense attorney, and the despicable character that he is defending. It takes a special person to put aside their own feelings and biases and defend a case purely based on trying to win for your client even if it feels wrong. And then the story took a crafty turn as the defense attorney then scrambled to retain his integrity and humanity by using that same law to engage in damage control and do the right thing. And then it ends in justice prevailing in the only way it could. The novel was well written and eye-opening as to how someone can be committed and talented and ethical and still have their hands tied by their duties in that profession. I guess cheers to all of the great defense attorneys that have gotten innocent people freed. But so hard to cheers to those that have aided and abetted freeing the wrong people in the name of doing a good job. And I can never think of plinko the same again.

Thank you, Net Galley, for this ALC.

I like the idea of this novel. I liked that the focus was on the law, and its impartiality - however, the characters are all white, so that reinforces the idea that the law is indeed racially biased. Some would argue that if Bullins was black, his sentence would have been very different. Despite this, the level of detail concerning how cases should be tried, and rulings found, is excellent. The main character's actions at the end of the novel offer a more realistic view of what it means to do what is right...as far fetched as it may have been. Overall, it was an interesting and engaging read/listen, and I appreciated the commentary on morality that Clark offers.

Andy Hughes is a small town public defender who is trying to do the right thing: his clients, his son, his ex wife, and his girlfriend. He is smart and honest and doing the best he can with a bad situation. I enjoyed his character and quick wit both on and off the job. This was a well done legal thriller that kept us all guessing.

Fans of Steve cavaghnas "Eddie Flynn" series should take note of this title and pick up a copy right away, as the characters of Andy Hughes reminds me of a combination of Eddie Flynn and Leroy Jethro Gibbs from NCIS.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for my copy of this audiobook.

Very clever plot with a nice twist. The narrator was not create, especially with the child's voice, but the book was solid.


Review copy provided by publisher.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest rating and review.

I didn’t really know what to expect going into this book, as the title doesn’t really relate to the book much. I did really enjoy this lawyer drama! At the beginning I got a little confused by all the different characters, but once I knew who everybody was I was invested! There was a part in the middle where I gasped SO loud and shed an actual tear. I was also very pleasantly surprised by the ending! This was a good book about court, family, relationships, and so much more!