This was another book that I was fortunate enough to be able to get an advance copy from the fine folks at NetGalley, the author (Phillip Margolin), and his publishers at Minotaur Books in return for an honest review.

The premise of this book is what happens when a third-string lawyer, who graduated in the middle of his class from a third-string law school, can't get hired by any of the top-tier law firms in Washington State is thrust into the spotlight of a sex trafficking case.

As a sole-practioner (someone who has hung up his own shingle)Charlie Webb is a third-rate lawyer who has struggled to make a living by handling cases for dubious associates from his youth and some court-appointed cases. Described as “a leaky boat floating down the stream of life,” Charlie has led an unremarkable life, personally, and professionally.

Until he’s appointed to be the attorney for a decidedly crackpot artist who calls himself Guido Sabatini (born Lawrence Weiss). Sabatini has been arrested – again – for breaking into a restaurant and stealing back a painting he sold them because he was insulted by where it was displayed. But as Lawrence Weiss, he’s also an accomplished card shark and burglar and while he was there, he stole a thumb drive from the owner’s safe. Not knowing what else Sabatini has stolen, Webb negotiates the return of the painting and “other items’ for the owner dropping charges against Sabatini. But the contents of the flash drive threaten very powerful figures who are determined to retrieve it, the restaurant owner (Gretchen Hall) and her driver (Yuri Makarov) are being investigated for the sex trafficking of minors, and others have a violent grudge against Sabatini.

However, when a minor theft case becomes a double homicide, even more, Charlie Webb, an insignificant lawyer assigned to an insignificant case, is faced with the most important, and deadliest, case of his life. Webb is forced into strange bedfellows as he is suddenly allowed the opportunity to have as co-counsel one of the more successful lawyers in the state and has to face the district attorney in the first of the cases.

I enjoyed this book (as I do most legal thrillers) and would easily give this book a solid four and a half stars (which would round to five stars), and only found a few issues with a break in the flow of the story with some easily correctable editing errors and a break in the story towards the last half where the author brings into play another case that had little or nothing to do with the main case.

I feel that this book would be a definite favourite of those readers who enjoy legal thrillers, This book is a can't-miss for those who enjoy the prose of authors such as John Grisham, Scott Turow, and Michael Connelly.

As with all my literary ramblings, this is just my five cents worth.

I really enjoyed this and flew through it. I can’t wait to read more by this author. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Get ready for a rollercoaster ride! Mr. Margolin is one of my favorite authors and reading this book reminds me why. Full of twists and turns that keep you guessing. The characters are so relatable and down to earth, quirky, nasty and everything in between. Of course Guido was my favorite, I always root for the underdog and how can I not love a character that thinks he is a reincarnation of a long dead artist? I hope to see lawyer Charlie and his partner in future books. Thank you to the publisher who gave me a copy of the book via netgalley.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I enjoyed this story and found that it moved along. At the beginning, I found it a little confusing with the introduction of all of the characters, but sorted it out in fairly short order. Overall, I found Charlie's growth, both personally and as an attorney, to have a nice ring and to make for a good story progression. I liked the main character and hope to see more of him in upcoming books.

A new standalone thriller from Philip Margolin? Yes, Please! Since 1993, when my sister recommended a book by Philip Margolin, I became a fan and since then have enjoyed nearly all of his 20+ books. Legal thrillers are among my favorite genres, and he is often referred to as “the master of the courtroom thriller,” so I was pleased to receive a copy of An Insignificant Case from St. Martin’s/Minotaur and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This standalone legal drama introduces a new attorney: Charlie Webb, who is described in the publisher’s blurb as “a third rate lawyer who graduated from a third rate law-school and, because he couldn’t get hired by any of the major law firms, has opened his own law firm, where he gets by handling cases for dubious associates from
his youth and some court appointed cases.” Charlie finds himself appointed to be the attorney for a wacko who claims he is an artist named Guido Sabatini (born Lawrence Weiss). Sabatini is a talented artist for sure, but after selling a painting to the owner of an Italian restaurant, he is horrified that she has it in her office rather than on display for the world to see. So he steals it – along with a flash drive he finds in the safe hidden behind the painting. He was able to do that because, in addition to his artistic talent, when he is Lawrtence Weiss, he is a successful burglar as well as a card shark (so good he is banned by the casinos).

Charlie negotiates for the return of the painting and “other items” taken at the time. In exchange, the restaurant agreed to drop all charges against Sabatini. But the restaurant owner and her driver, who have been under investigation for sex crimes against minors, and the flash drive has tons of incriminating evidence, including a video. So suddenly Charlie Webb, long time an insignificant lawyer assigned to insignificant cases, becomes the attorney in a sensational double murder.

Charlie is one of several likable and interesting characters in this well-written, enjoyable novel. There are lots of nuggets of wisdom imparted by the various characters (“Sometimes a person does something that’s against the law that you can’t help feeling is justified.”) I found myself less enthusiastic about Margolin’s books in the past few years, but that might have been my pandemic-induced negativity taking over. In any case, he is back in form and I loved this book. Five stars.

Yes, this is better than your average beach read but sooo try it, you will not be sorry. Thank you Mr. Margolin, for gifting us with a clever, topical, and absolutely lovely book. We instantly like Charlie Webb, a graduate of a no name law school, we like his honesty, his loyalty to his friends and his life. He's never been super successful but the people he helps are grateful and stick with him. Of course, one day, everything changes. Charlie gets involved with a Jeffrey Epstein type scandal, one where important people want him to fail. He's appointed to represent the irresistible character of Sabatini, an artist who has stolen his own painting believing it was not displayed correctly. Because of his genuine belief in his client's innocence, Charlie ventures into territory that threatens his life and those around him. Yes, there are very uncomfortable parts but they are less than the whole. Add a little romance and you have everything you need. Take some sun screen, you're going to want to stay longer to finish it.

The author, once again, creates interesting characters. The story is excellent as there are really three stories going on: sex trafficking and murder involve important political leaders; a murder/theft charge against a schizophrenic artist/mathmatician; and multiple murders and kidnapping charges against a surprise defendant. The protagonist in all of this is a third-rate lawyer who proves that he’s much more than that.

A good book from an author I have read a few books from in the past. This book was good but I found myself not really pulling for any of the characters. The story was well thought out and I liked how all the parts connected in the end. I found the end satifying and glad it turned out that way. The main character who was a painter didn't resonate with me although if you strech plausibility a bit it reads much better. A good quick read for those who like a good mystery.

In An Insignificant Case, Phillip Margolin has written an extremely interesting novel which begins with an introduction to (1) a poker player/talented artist (claiming to be a disciple of Michaelangelo and DaVinci), (2) a downtrodden, barely getting by attorney and (3) two high school girls who were abducted and raped reporting this to a police detective. The 3 story lines are rapidly tied together by surprising twists and turns and include several murders, several trials and a few romantic interludes. The book is written in a style which forces the reader to constantly try to guess who the “bad” guys are and where the hidden object is — this reader knew immediately where it was.
The novel is recommended to all readers as a fun book to read and I thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to publication.

Oh my what characters!! I loved them!! Thus book had it all! It had great suspense, intrigue, action packed, murder, mystery, great characters, funny, and even had some romance! It has a great who done it and some crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my kindle! I highly recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!!