Thank you to NetGalley and Phillip Margolin for the ARC of An Insignificant Case! I’ve read many Margolin books, and am a big fan of his work. An Insignificant Case takes is a legal thriller set in Portland, Oregon. Charlie Webb is a self proclaimed average attorney who has just landed his first murder trial. His client is an eccentric artist who thinks he trained under Michelangelo in another lifetime. The book explores the murder, and an underlying sex trafficking ring. It has action, courtroom drama, mystery, and a little romance. While the book kept my interest, it was not Margolin’s best work. I must confess - I’m an attorney. I love legal thrillers. My profession probably makes me a bit pickier when it comes to legal fiction. There were a few elements of this book that missed the mark for me. I am still a huge fan of Margolin, and look forward to his next book. I highly recommend reading his previous work if you like mysteries and thrillers!

An Insignificant Case is a solid mystery. The characters are reasonably well developed and are in sometimes tragic and sometimes humorous scenes throughout the story. A quick and entertaining read.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

3.5 stars. The focus of this novel is small-time lawyer Charlie Webb, who inadvertently gets involved in a complex sex-trafficking ring. What ensues is a good mystery complete with murders to be solved and a decent amount of twists and turns. All in all, this was an entertaining, enjoyable and quick read. Although it was not my favorite novel by Margolin, Charlie is definitely an interesting character, and I have hopes that perhaps this may be the start of a new series in which he is featured.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Phillip Margolin, and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

I have long enjoyed the work of Phillip Margolin, particularly his legal thrillers. While he has had a great deal of success with his series, Margolin does well with standalone novels as well. This was one such instance, in which a seemingly straightforward case balloons into something out of this world. A simple lawyer thinks that he will be handling a case of break and entry with a mentally disturbed client. What happens soon snowballs out of control and a massive sex exploitation ring emerges, soon followed by a number of murders. How Charlie Webb will juggle all this is something he has yet to understand, though the action is too swift to let him catch his breath. A brilliant thriller by Phillip Margolin that made it hard to put the book down.

Charlie Webb never called himself a stellar lawyer. Scraping by as best he can, Charlie never got the attention of the big firms and so he hung his own shingle in Portland and tried to help those he could through some dubious recommendations. Such is the life he leads when a new client file lands on his desk.

When the case of Lawrence Weiss is assigned to him, Charlie is in for a real surprise. Weiss, who goes by the name Guido Sabatini, is a mentally ill young man whose painting career is astounding, but he also demands that the public take notice. When one of his paintings was not hanging where he felt it should, he removed it from a restaurant back room, as well as taking a flash drive from the owner’s safe. After he is detained, Sabatini agrees to return the painting and ‘other items’ to the restaurant’s owner, for a pledge. Little does Charlie know what this is all about or how intense things will get.

When the restaurant owner is implicated in part of a sex exploitation ring, all bets are that the intel that could help sink things can be found on that flash drive. Sabatini soon becomes a target to get the drive back, but things get even more troubling when he is let out on bail and someone begins hunting him down. As Charlie tries to protect his client, he is thrust into the middle of things, just as bodies begin emerging. Someone is trying to send a message and there is no time to guess what might happen next. Armed with his own third-rate intuition and a sense of justice, Charlie Webb seeks to manoeuvre through the webs of lies and deceit to get to the truth to save himself, his client, and the judicial process. A chilling story that had me hooked until the very last page turn.

I have long enjoyed the writing of Phillip Margolin, as it is not only entertaining, but usually on point with much that is going on. His novels find their legs early and the narrative carries the the reader for the rest of the journey. The story builds and the action takes over, adding depth with many great plot points along the way. Short chapters help add a sense of urgency and the reader soon cannot stop reading or face certain curiosity that must be quenched. Great characters, especially for a standalone, help provide entertainment and intrigue, while the setting never fails to impress as Margolin weaves his web to capture the essence of the experience. I cannot wait to see what’s next and how Phillip Margolin will rise the bar once more.

Kudos, Mr. Margolin, , for another strong novel that kept me hooked!

I don't know when Phillip Margolin started writing this book, but reading it in the same weeks that all the stuff about PDiddy and other Hollywood "elites" was quite the trip. Like, "wait was that something that I read in the book, or something real I saw on the news?" type trippy.

Current events aside, this was a fun, twisty, courtroom thriller. This is listed as a standalone, but I could see the author setting up Charlie and his crew for a series of books. That being said, as a standalone, I wish I'd gotten to get inside of the character's heads more. Charlie of course, but I felt robbed of a perspective from inside Mr. Sabatini's head....because what do you mean a regular man decided one day that he's actually a fifteenth-century painter...it's giving Michelangelo meets Rachel Dozeal.

There were a couple of twists that I saw coming, [Elin I knew you had something up your sleeve!], but through the rollercoaster of a storyline there was never a time I predicted the ending. This book was a quick, suspenseful read, definitely one to pick up if you like legal thrillers, investigation stories, or seeing what happens when someone takes justice into their own hands.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for sending me a free copy for me to review!

This was a fun, light read. The characters were interesting and the plot was entertaining.. it was very much a cozy mystery title in the simplicity of the story

Charlie Webb is a small time lawyer when he is appointed to represent a client who has trouble with reality. Charlie doesn’t think he is qualified to handle the case, a murder trial, so he asks to be excused. The client has taken a liking to Charlie and refuses to release him. This story has a lot of twists and turns. Some of the decisions Charlie makes don’t make a lot of sense, and the characters could have been developed further, but the story still held my interest. As he gets further into the case there are aspects that show there is more to this case than appears on the surface. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

I finished An Insignificant Case by Phillip Margolin, a legal thriller that follows Charlie Webb, a small-time lawyer entangled in a complex web of sex trafficking, murder, and deceit. While the book had its moments, it fell short in areas like character development and plausibility, with predictable plot points, questionable character decisions, and inconsistent tone.

My main issues with the book lay in its character development and plausibility. At times, Charlie's decisions seemed questionable, and the police appeared dense or sloppy. The introduction of numerous characters made it difficult to keep track of who's who, which added to the frustration.

The tone of the book also felt inconsistent, veering between legal thriller and romance. The rushed court scenes and convenient plot wraps detracted from the story's tension and impact.

Despite these criticisms, I appreciated the author's attempt to tackle tough subjects like sex trafficking. Guido's intelligence and wit added a layer of depth to the narrative.

Overall, An Insignificant Case is an engaging read, but it could benefit from more attention to character development and plot consistency. If you're a fan of authors like John Grisham, you might enjoy this book, but be prepared for writing that's not quite as crisp.

From a Master of courtroom thriller we have another great legal drama hard to put down. Since discovering this author in 2011 and have been huge fan and his stories have never disappointed me. This latest is a standalone drama.

A little too long intro:

We are introduced to a new attorney, a third rate one who graduated from a third rate law school that couldn’t get a position at any major law firm so he opened his own law firm. Charles Webb takes on cases from dubious friends from his past and court appointed cases. Guido Sabatini, a talented artist and a nut job was his latest appointee to defend. Guido had sold one of his paintings to a restaurant owner and has liberated it along with a flash drive from the safe...At the time the restaurant owner and her partner were under investigation for sex trafficking of minors....With bargaining power knowing that the content of the flash drive threatens very powerful figures, Guido played all his cards but toying with criminals that wanted at any cost to retrieve the flash drive ...even going as far as murder may not be a good strategy.

It didn’t take long for the insignificant Charles to be plunged into more than a simple case defending Guido but into a sensational double murder....

My very long thoughts:

I simply love this story there is so much going on and so many twists and turns to face that I didn’t want to put the book down. I was so captivated by the coming and going and the many characters that crossed the pages many of them had important roles in both Charles and the defendant’s life that I didn’t want to miss a beat. This story definitely captured my attention from the start. Everything was so unpredictable even with some surprising reveals and outcomes. It was hard to predict anything....The characters were exceptional and I enjoyed how they played their parts in this drama. I admit at first I thought Mr. Margolin was rehashing the famous saga of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell but no to my relief a totally deferent spin and much more exciting.

This is an excellent read I give high score.

An Insignificant Case is a fast paced court room/thriller that will keep you guessing to the end.

We are introduced to Charlie, a third-string lawyer who is just really getting established in his field.

Until he meets and represents Guido Sabatini for breaking into a restaurant and stealing his painting back.

Guido however took more than that and people will kill to get it back.

Before he knows it Guido is up on a murder charge and Charlie is ordered to defend him by the judge.

Twists and turns, red herrings, dead bodies piling up faster than you count and some very corrupt people in high places..

Phillip Margolin always masterfully portrays that courtroom scene and An Insignificant Case is no exception.

I grew to love Charlie and I certainly hope he returns very soon in another book.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press , Minotaur Books for the privilege of reading and reviewing An Insignificant Case.

Not the author's best work

I have read most of this author's work and usually enjoy it enough that I automatically order whatever he writes. This book let me down. The plot was excellent, but there were some really stupid plot points. For example, the main character is an attorney. He is working on a court-appointed murder case. Not only does the judge assign the top-rated criminal defense attorney in the area to help him. but a beautiful woman shows up out of nowhere and he hires her (no showing of ID or any paperwork?) to help with the case. But he thinks everything is just fine and doesn't question anything. The person accused of the murder is a math genius turned artist who thinks he was taught by Michelangelo in a previous life. He wears a robe and seems to talk with either an accent or just poor American english grammar. That got old really quickly.

The writing itself felt unrealistic. People just don't talk the way they do in this book.

I kept looking at the cover for a mention of a co-author. This, other than the plot line, did not seem up to Mr. Margolin's normal standards and I kept looking for someone else to blame. Maybe an intern helped. I will still order his next book, but may wait for the paperback.

Charlie Webb is a third rate lawyer who lucks into a major case when an artist steals a flash drive along with a painting of his from a restaurant owner. The story unfolds quickly and turns into a very good legal thriller with twists and turns before it's all done. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Title: An Insignificant Case
Author: Phillip Margolin
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books
Pub Date: November 5, 2024
My Rating: 3.8 Stars
Pages: 304

Charlie Webb is average. In fact, he was an average student, attended an average university then onto an average law school. He did pass the bar but was never offered a position in an above average law firm so opened his own. His clients are … you guessed it – average.

Charlie’s life is about to change when the court appoints him the attorney for an artist who calls himself Guido Sabatini (born Lawrence Weiss). , is also an accomplished card shark and burglar and by no means average but ‘very unique’.

Sabatini has been arrested –for stealing his own painting from Gretchen Hall the owner of a popular restaurant La Bella Roma’ who brought one of his paintings however he is insulted that she placed his painting where he considers hidden from patrons. BTW: This isn’t the first time he has done this! However, this time he not only took back his own painting but also took something from the safe- no not money- something more valuable to Gretchen Hall. It was a thumb drive which has incriminating evidence.
Next thing we know Gretchen is dead and guess who is accused….. and wants our average lawyer to be his attorney!!

Since I am a fan of awesome legal thrillers as well as fun ones such as David Rosenfelt’s Andy Carpenter-I did like this!
This was a fun read, Yes! I call myself a Phillip Margolin – especially love the Robin Lockwood series and am I anxiously waiting for Book #8 in that series!!

Want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for November 5, 2024.

An Insignificant Case is a new stand-alone thriller by Phillip Margolin. Charlie Webb is the new kid on the block. Fresh out of law school and working on court-appointed cases to survive. One day he is assigned a robbery case that changes the course of his life.

This novel felt like two books in one. The beginning started strong, and 60% in felt like we started a sequel. The ending wrapped up a little too quickly and I think this could have worked as the start of a new series following Charlie Webb. Overall it was enjoyable just not my favorite Phillip Margolin.

Pass the cannolis. This one has staying power.

Guido Sabatini, artist extraordinaire, believes that he was trained by the renowned masters Michelangelo and Da Vinci. Believe it. He does. Guido's paintings are breathtaking in their beauty of old Venice and its waterways. His talent is undeniable........but its source is questionable.

Guido has changed his original identity from being a math wizard and professional gambler to his present creative status. He was known then as Lawrence Weiss. Guido/Larry bought a beautiful farm and uses the barn to produce his magnificent artwork.

But Guido has a misstep. A major one. He sold one of his masterpieces to Gretchen Hall, owner of La Bella Roma restaurant where the pasta and cannolis reign. Guido took issue of where Gretchen hung his prize art.......in her office rather than in the eatery for full view. He later breaks in to steal the painting. He opens her safe to look for some bargaining power. What he finds inside will circle the wagons around this storyline. Guido's life is now in danger. Big time.

In steps Charlie Webb who has been viewed as "average" in all his endeavors. Charlie passed the Bar but hasn't really made inroads into the legal field. That is until Guido chooses Charlie to represent him in the burglary case that transforms into a possible sex trafficking game that turns into murder and definite mayhem. Charlie, munch on one of those cannolis.......you'll definitely need the sugar.

An Insignificant Case is an entertaining read brought to you by Phillip Margolin who always guarantees chapters that fly by and characters who gallop alongside it. It's a definite one to search out like in the Godfather flick......leave the gun and grab the cannolis.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Minotaur Books and to the talented Phillip Margolin for the opportunity.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press for the copy of An Insignificant Case by Phillip Margolin. The writing drew me right into the compelling but somewhat distasteful story. I liked how the book kept me guessing until the end. The only thing I really hated was having the description of a woman being about her tight jeans and how one man kept thinking of sleeping with her. This is 2024, shouldn’t there be other ways of making a woman attractive that isn’t only about looks? We also had to hear a description of what was on the thumb drive at least twice. UGH. Books by Margolin are always fast and easy to read and this was no exception. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley,  Phillip Margolin, and St. Martin's Press for an ARC copy of "An Insignificant Case".

I absolutely loved this book! Phillip Margolin has once again delivered a gripping legal thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Charlie Webb, the underdog lawyer with a knack for getting into the most unexpected situations, is a character you can't help but root for. Despite his humble beginnings and unremarkable career, Charlie is thrust into the most dangerous and high-stakes case of his life, and watching him navigate this treacherous world is both thrilling and satisfying.

If you're a fan of legal thrillers, or just looking for a great read, I highly recommend this book. Phillip Margolin has proven once again why he is a master of the genre, and this novel is a brilliant example of his work. It’s a must-read for anyone who enjoys a well-crafted, suspenseful story!

Charlie Webb, described as a “third rate” lawyer ekes out an existence by defending shady characters such as motorcycle gang members. He is appointed to defend a colorful character who sees himself as the reincarnation of artist Guido Sabatini. For him, painting is all. He breaks into the office of someone who has purchased one of his works to steal it back because she disrespected his talent by not hanging it where the public could view it. He also steals something out of her safe that turns out to be evidence in a sex trafficking case that may involve some important public figures. In the race to get the evidence back, three people are killed and Guido is charged with their murder. He insists that Charlie defend him, even though he has never defended a homicide suspect. The dangerous chase is on by both the good guys and the bad to reclaim the evidence and bring charges against the real killers and sex traffickers.

Through the years, I have read and enjoyed quite a few of Margolin’s books, especially the more recent ones in his attorney Robin Lockwood series. An Insignificant Case is a standalone. Although a bit predictable, there were some twists in this fast, entertaining read. Recommended for those who enjoy mysteries, thrillers, crime novels, legal thrillers, and quirky characters.

This wasn't bad, per se. But I felt bored at points and not really scared. The book was good, but IDK if legal thrillers are for me...yet. However, if you are into that kind of thing, this book is well-written and probably more your cup of tea.

An Insignificant Case is a gripping legal thriller that stands out for its detailed portrayal of the legal system and its moral complexities. The strengths of the book lie in its dynamic plot, realistic characters, and Margolin's adept storytelling. However, some readers might find the legal jargon and procedural details a bit overwhelming if they are not familiar with such settings. Overall, it is a must-read for fans of legal thrillers and those who appreciate a well-crafted mystery with ethical dilemmas.